-A Frog's Tale-
"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place..."
Enchanted by the sweet sound of the humans' voices, Elroy the frog hopped dangerously close to the gigantic feet. Still, he figured he was safe within the shadow of a rock.
"Oh look my dear, a little froggy!" A rather shrill voice shouted.
THAT is not a pretty sound! Elroy thought. He began to jump away, only to be nearly flattened by a cane. He let out a frog-scream (inaudible to human ears) and used every molecule of muscle in his hind legs to put distance between himself and the insane tall being. He was not fast enough, and soon he was surrounded by what seemed a million stomping feet and a thousand jabbing canes. Suddenly it all ceased. Howard breathed a sigh of relief. He had survived!
Alas, he had thought too soon.
The man bent down and scooped up the frog in his hands. Elroy tried to hop free, but the huge hands snapped shut, nearly squishing the creature.
The shrill voice, now louder than before, was back. "Look, deary! Tonight we shall enjoy frog legs!"
Elroy, who was a very intelligent frog and fluent in human-speak, fainted as the realization that he would be dinner sunk in.
~*~
Howard awoke among other frogs. "Whew, it was just a nightmare." he sighed. He tried to swim to his left, but SMACK! – he was held back by an invisible barrier. An ocean of panic swelled within him. It wasn't a nightmare after all!
He heard a small giggle behind him and turned to see the source of the noise. Elroy found himself face to face with the most beautiful grog he had ever seen. Her skin was a s green as duckweed on a summer morning, her eyes as brown as the soft mud of a riverbed.
"I did that just a few minutes ago," she said in a voice sweeter than flies, "it's good to know I'm not alone."
Elroy smiled shyly, still trying to gather his emotions, for they had been scattered when he fell head-over-heels.
"My name's Holly." The she-frog didn't seem at all uncomfortable.
"I love you." Elroy blurted, unable to contain himself any longer.
"What?" Holly asked in surprise.
Elroy couldn't even think enough to cover for himself; he just floated there and stammered, "I...uh...Elroy...name..."
"You can't be in love with me," Holly cut in, still not losing her cool. "I spoke what, ten words to you? Maybe you're interested, but you can't be in love."
"Look," Elroy started, regaining some confidence. "We don't have much time in here, y'know? And maybe we should just try this while we can." Holly looked at him skeptically. He kept going, not wanting to lose her attention. "It's just...it's...it's a little bit funny."
"What?"
"This feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide."
"Well, that's obvious."
Elroy burst into song. "Just one night! Give me just one night! In the name of love! One night in the name of love!"
Holly wad drawn into the melody. "You crazy fool; I won't give in to you."
"But...but...LOVE LIFTS US UP WHERE WE BELONG!"
"Is it going to lift us out of this tank?"
"We should be lovers – and that's a fact."
"But nothing will keep us together..."
"We could steal time, just for one day."
"That'd be pointless."
Elroy had grown exasperated and had nearly run out of ideas, but he decided to try one more time. He sang directly from his heart. "Never knew I could feel like this, like I've never seen the sky before." He paused, but Holly didn't respond. She just stared at him with unusually glossy eyes.
He continued, more emotional then ever, "Listen to my heart! Can you hear it sing, telling me to give you everything?" Elroy embraced Holly. "Come what may, I will love you until my dying day." he nearly whispered.
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs." Holly sang in one last attempt at resisting.
Howard wouldn't let her go. "Love lifts us up where we belong..."
"Please, don't start that again." Holly begged.
"Only if you'll say you love me."
"I love you!"
Elroy pressed his froggy lips to hers, wishing the moment could last forever.
The pulled apart, and Elroy felt something press on his sides. Figuring it was Holly reaching for him again, Elroy leaned forward for another kiss. Instead of being pulled closer to her, he was pulled farther away, up and out of the tank.
"NOOOOOOO!" He screamed as the love of his life grew smaller and smaller.
"Come what may," Holly sang out through tears, "Come what may, I will love you until my dying day!"
~*~
The water bubbled all around him, and Elroy couldn't decide what was worse: the pain of being boiled alive, or the pain of his broken heart.
~*~
The man with the shrill voice took a bite out of one of his gourmet frog legs, staring across the table to the place where his lover should have been sitting. On her plate were two more frog legs.
Elroy and Holly: together again.
"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place..."
Enchanted by the sweet sound of the humans' voices, Elroy the frog hopped dangerously close to the gigantic feet. Still, he figured he was safe within the shadow of a rock.
"Oh look my dear, a little froggy!" A rather shrill voice shouted.
THAT is not a pretty sound! Elroy thought. He began to jump away, only to be nearly flattened by a cane. He let out a frog-scream (inaudible to human ears) and used every molecule of muscle in his hind legs to put distance between himself and the insane tall being. He was not fast enough, and soon he was surrounded by what seemed a million stomping feet and a thousand jabbing canes. Suddenly it all ceased. Howard breathed a sigh of relief. He had survived!
Alas, he had thought too soon.
The man bent down and scooped up the frog in his hands. Elroy tried to hop free, but the huge hands snapped shut, nearly squishing the creature.
The shrill voice, now louder than before, was back. "Look, deary! Tonight we shall enjoy frog legs!"
Elroy, who was a very intelligent frog and fluent in human-speak, fainted as the realization that he would be dinner sunk in.
~*~
Howard awoke among other frogs. "Whew, it was just a nightmare." he sighed. He tried to swim to his left, but SMACK! – he was held back by an invisible barrier. An ocean of panic swelled within him. It wasn't a nightmare after all!
He heard a small giggle behind him and turned to see the source of the noise. Elroy found himself face to face with the most beautiful grog he had ever seen. Her skin was a s green as duckweed on a summer morning, her eyes as brown as the soft mud of a riverbed.
"I did that just a few minutes ago," she said in a voice sweeter than flies, "it's good to know I'm not alone."
Elroy smiled shyly, still trying to gather his emotions, for they had been scattered when he fell head-over-heels.
"My name's Holly." The she-frog didn't seem at all uncomfortable.
"I love you." Elroy blurted, unable to contain himself any longer.
"What?" Holly asked in surprise.
Elroy couldn't even think enough to cover for himself; he just floated there and stammered, "I...uh...Elroy...name..."
"You can't be in love with me," Holly cut in, still not losing her cool. "I spoke what, ten words to you? Maybe you're interested, but you can't be in love."
"Look," Elroy started, regaining some confidence. "We don't have much time in here, y'know? And maybe we should just try this while we can." Holly looked at him skeptically. He kept going, not wanting to lose her attention. "It's just...it's...it's a little bit funny."
"What?"
"This feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide."
"Well, that's obvious."
Elroy burst into song. "Just one night! Give me just one night! In the name of love! One night in the name of love!"
Holly wad drawn into the melody. "You crazy fool; I won't give in to you."
"But...but...LOVE LIFTS US UP WHERE WE BELONG!"
"Is it going to lift us out of this tank?"
"We should be lovers – and that's a fact."
"But nothing will keep us together..."
"We could steal time, just for one day."
"That'd be pointless."
Elroy had grown exasperated and had nearly run out of ideas, but he decided to try one more time. He sang directly from his heart. "Never knew I could feel like this, like I've never seen the sky before." He paused, but Holly didn't respond. She just stared at him with unusually glossy eyes.
He continued, more emotional then ever, "Listen to my heart! Can you hear it sing, telling me to give you everything?" Elroy embraced Holly. "Come what may, I will love you until my dying day." he nearly whispered.
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs." Holly sang in one last attempt at resisting.
Howard wouldn't let her go. "Love lifts us up where we belong..."
"Please, don't start that again." Holly begged.
"Only if you'll say you love me."
"I love you!"
Elroy pressed his froggy lips to hers, wishing the moment could last forever.
The pulled apart, and Elroy felt something press on his sides. Figuring it was Holly reaching for him again, Elroy leaned forward for another kiss. Instead of being pulled closer to her, he was pulled farther away, up and out of the tank.
"NOOOOOOO!" He screamed as the love of his life grew smaller and smaller.
"Come what may," Holly sang out through tears, "Come what may, I will love you until my dying day!"
~*~
The water bubbled all around him, and Elroy couldn't decide what was worse: the pain of being boiled alive, or the pain of his broken heart.
~*~
The man with the shrill voice took a bite out of one of his gourmet frog legs, staring across the table to the place where his lover should have been sitting. On her plate were two more frog legs.
Elroy and Holly: together again.