The Little Green Frog

When they were in elementary grades, I distracted and amused my two daughters while brushing their long hair in the morning before they went off to school by making up stories. They were sweet stories about Wendy the whiner, the little green frog and the grumpy bump. My daughters forgot about my pulling and tugging and got lost in the dream world of the deep forest. Here's the story of how Wendy meets the little green frog and the grumpy bump.

Once upon a time there was a little girl, her name was Wendy. Some called her Wendy whiner. She lived in a quaint house in the woods and everyday at about noon time she would leave her home and go out for a walk in the deep woods. She loved her time alone in the woods so much that she often went to work clearing dead branches to make walking paths. But, was she really alone?

One day Wendy walked and walked in the woods and she started to get tired. Wendy sat down on a bright green mossy area where an old tree had fallen. Wendy laid back, rested on the log and became quite comfortable. Then she felt some thing touching her shoulder. It felt like a gentle poke. She turned her head and was face to face with a tiny green frog.

"Hello!" Shouted the frog with a high pitched British accent. A startled Wendy moved quickly to the other side of the log away from the frog. "Are you speaking to me?" Wendy said to the frog.

"Well, of course I am speaking to you! Do you see me speaking to anyone else out here in the woods?" Retorted the frog. Wendy, shrieked, "Go! Go, now, get away from me!" The little green frog giggled and said, "Don't be so silly. We haven't even had formal introductions yet! Let me introduce myself." Clearing his throat, bowing toward Wendy, he said, " I am known as the little green frog and from this moment forward, I call you my new friend. And what is your name my dear?" Wendy's parents told her never to talk to strangers.... but, this was a little green frog. She wasn't sure what she should do.

Hesitating, she replied, "W...h...Wendy." The frog shrilled, "Now, you see, that wasn't so hard was it....now what are you doing here out in the woods all alone?" Before Wendy could answer the frog, a low grumpy grumbling voice came from underneath her where she was resting on the log. "Would you all keep it down? I am trying to sleep."yelled the log. In fright, Wendy jumped right up and the little green frog feeling totally at home, had hopped right on top of a bump on the log. Wendy saw the little green frog just sitting on the bump on the log. He was moving his frog toes in a massage like motion trying to annoy the already angry log. "OOhh hahahhahaha... stooooppp that!" a low roaring laughter came from the log.

Wendy thought the whole picture was very strange indeed . Feeling brave, she said, "Who are you ?" "I'm the grumpy bump on this old log." Who are you?" Before she could answer, the little green frog cut right in, "Her name is Wendy and she is my new best friend, so be nice to her!"

"Tut, tut, sputter, sput." groaned the bump on the log. The little green frog excitedly said, "Wendy, the bump on the log was sleeping for so long that his words are all twisted. He is not making any sense at tall." "Now, hear me, does this sound clear enough for the both of you? I am called the grumpy bump for good reason, now move along. Move!" He shouted. Calmly, the little green frog just sat where he was and smiled at Wendy. Slowly he swirled his toes again around the bump on the log. "Stttttooop! I mean it, heee heee, ha, ha, hee hee ha aaahhhh," laughed the log".

Wendy asked, "Mr. Bump, why are you so grumpy?" "It is who I am" replied the bump. "Why would you choose to be mean and grumpy when you could choose to be anything else today?" Before the bump could reply, the little green frog said, "YES! That is it! Why do you choose to be an old grumpy bump when it is such a beautiful day today?" Why don't you be the brown bump or the beautiful bump or and Wendy added, the Brilliant Bump!" the little green frog kept repeating himself over and over, "I dub you brilliant bump, I dub you Sir Brilliant Bump.... Brilliant Bump, Brilliant Bump. That's it, that's your new name, Sir Brilliant Bump." If you go away, you can call me anything you like said the grumpy bump.

Wendy started to whine and said, "I don't like my name, Wendy." "I want to change it, like you gave the grumpy bump a new name. I want to be dubed too!" The little green frog said, something very important. "My dear Wendy, my new friend, there is nothing wrong with your name. Wendy is a wonderful name. You are not your name, you are who you are." What do you mean asked Wendy. The little green frog said, "You are you. You are nice. You are friendly. You are helpful. Do you understand? If you whine about your name and such and such, blokes out there will have to call you what you are, Wendy the whiner. But, you my new friend are no whiner just like the bump is no grump.

I see said Wendy. It is a beautiful day and the sun is shining so bright. Let's leave the brilliant bump to his nap. The little green frog hopped on to Wendy's shoulder and off they went in search of a little blue bird.... called happiness. And that is how Wendy met the little green frog and the brilliant bump.