The Frog Pond

A Story by Amy

Fred, an older frog, realizes he may have missed his time to meet his princess.

Fred the frog was a teacher. He taught young frogs the frog way of life like how to catch flies, and how to jump on lily pads without falling in the water.

Teaching his class one day, Fred realized that he may have missed his time to find his princess. Most frogs his age had already gone to the Frog Pond and met their princesses.

Once class had ended for the day, Fred set out on a journey to the Frog Pond. He hopped along for days and days, staying in the homes of fellow frogs he had met throughout his long life.

“Be careful, Fred,” they told him. “You may be too old a frog for a princess to want, but we admire what you are doing.”

Fred felt a little sad at what his friends had said to him. Not ready to give up, he continued on his journey.

Fred arrived at the pond and looked at the bright green lily pads floating on the water. Scanning the water, Fred noticed he was surrounded by young, debonair frogs. They were sleek and shiny. Fred was middle-aged and dull.

The rules of the pond are simple--frogs are not allowed to offer themselves to the princess. The princess must pick them.

Days went by and princesses stopped by the pond, choosing the young, sleek frogs. Fred watched as the princesses stooped down to kiss their princes and turn them into humans.

I wish that were me, Fred thought.

A week later, Fred was packing his bags to return home. He no longer believed he would find his princess. His time had passed and he had begun to accept his fate.

Fred heard a commotion outside that he could not ignore. The young frogs chatted with each other excitedly.

“There is a woman here that is not a princess,” they said in disbelief. “She is too old to be a princess.”

Fred looked to the edge of the pond to see a widowed queen gazing at the young frogs. Her hair was long and gray, yet she still radiated the same glow as the young princesses. She picked up the frogs one by one only to put them back on their lily pads.

“Why are all the frogs so young?” she asked. “I want to find a frog that is as wise as my husband was before he died.”

Hearing this, Fred hopped up to the edge of the pond and approached the queen.

“My dear queen,” Fred said. “May I go against the rule of the pond and offer myself to you. I am an older frog who spent his time teaching and missed my time to meet my princess. I realize now that I am not waiting for a princess, but waiting for a queen.”

The queen looked down at Fred and realized that he was to be her husband. His skin showed age and his words made her heart flutter. She took him into her hand and brought him to her lips to kiss him. Fred instantly turned into a man.

Lifting up his queen, he carried her to their castle, leaving behind the young frogs who would always remember the wise, old frog who found his queen.