Most Unusual Friends: From Farmer Pete’s Pond 2h301k

Most Unusual

Friends

From Farmer Pete’s Pond

LINDA DERBY

Copyright © 2017 Linda Derby.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan 1663 Liberty Drive Bloomington, IN 47403 www.westbowpress.com 1 (866) 928-1240

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7997-4 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-5127-7998-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017904158

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/04/2017

This book is d

edicated to my Mother, Doris King, who told funny, little made-up stories to entertain her grandchildren. Thanks, Mom, for the gift to do the same.

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” C S Lewis

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 - We Are Who We Are

Chapter 2 - The Beauty Of Truth

Chapter 3 - The Adventure Begins

Chapter 4 - Trouble In The Ditch

Chapter 5 - Accidental Friends

Chapter 6 - A Good And Rightful Man

Chapter 7 - A Very Near Miracle

Chapter 8 - The Rescue

Chapter 9 - All’s Well At The Pond

About The Author

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who makes all things possible, and for giving me the only reason to ever write.

The laborious effort in writing this children’s book would not have been possible without the and patience of many people. I want to thank the readers: Pam Cariker, Lennie Pirtle, and James McAllister for their encouragement and for taking time to read the manuscript. A special thanks goes to Kim Derby for her editing skills and expertise. I also want to thank my husband, Dale, for listening to all the rewrites and tolerating the required time away from family to complete this book. I am so grateful for his patience and . And lastly, I want to thank my wonderful grandchildren who provided the inspiration: Katie, AJ, Bekah, Quentin, Xavier, William, Scarlette, Evan, and Lily. My delights!

Introduction

Jesus used parables to teach his followers the heavenly meaning found in earthly stories. As a young mother, teaching Christian principles to my children though storytelling was very important, but Christian books were difficult to find when my children were young. My children also became bored after listening to the same stories in the few books that were available. As a result, I made-up stories that taught Biblical principles in life situations they could comprehend and enjoy. Now that I am a Grandmother, that same Biblical teaching through storytelling continues.

Most Unusual Friends is an exciting, humorous story about three little pond animals who have unusual characteristics and are named accordingly: a large frog called, Don’t Touch Froggy, who has a luminous horn-like growth on his head; a chubby, hearing impaired salamander called, Sal the man-deer; and a shy water snake who doesn’t like water called, Eek the snake. These three friends find themselves in serious trouble when Sal the man-deer learns Farmer Pete is about to set fire to his cornfield where Eek the snake is asleep in the pocket of the scarecrow’s jacket. Sal the man-deer must warn his friend quickly but his journey on the road back to the cornfield is delayed by unfortunate circumstances.

During this time of bad-luck and discouragement, Sal the man-deer notices his good friend, Don’t Touch Froggy in a nearby field attending a toad convention and summons his help. They team up in their attempt to rescue their friend but a serious accident occurs and impedes the effort. Just when everything looks hopeless, a group of super-sized toads hop by and help the friends reach Eek the snake just in time before the fire consumes the cornfield.

The three unusual friends are grateful for these strangers, the super-sized toads,

who helped in their time of need. More importantly, they realize they can be friends to others who are different from them.

Later that evening, the three unusual friends travel to the pond on Farmer Pete’s farm and meet the beautiful white butterfly named Truth. Truth is a spiritual authority that listens as the friends explain their day’s adventure. Truth compares their experiences with the Biblical story about the Good Samaritan. He teaches the friends and all the pond creatures to be kind to others and to love their neighbors, even those that are unlike them. Truth teaches the friends how to be better by God’s Truths.

Most Unusual Friends weaves life events with Biblical meaning—a modern day parable for children to understand and enjoy.

Chapter 1 We Are Who We Are

One day but not so long ago, there were three unusual friends that lived around Farmer Pete’s pond. Now, it wasn’t unusual for three water creatures to be friends—not at all. But, these three friends were unusual because they were unique to other creatures just like them. For instance, there was a beautiful green water snake called, Eek the Snake. He got his name because every time people saw him they would scream out, “E-E-K! A snake!” Then they would take off running as fast as they could, scared to death. So, it seemed quite natural for the beautiful green snake to believe his name was Eek.

But, sadly, Eek never understood why people were afraid of him. After all, he was a very gentle snake and would never want to scare anyone. In fact, Eek thought the people who did the screaming were the scary ones. They scared him so badly with their screams that it caused him to slither away and hide. It deeply hurt his feelings that people were afraid of him.

The other snakes in the pond all laughed at Eek, too. They teased him and called him names just because he got scared when people screamed at him. As a result, Eek was a very shy and lonely snake.

However, being shy and lonely did not make Eek unusual. Eek was unusual because he was a water snake who disliked the water. It made him too cold and for a cold-blooded reptile, it was serious stuff! So Eek spent most of his time curled up inside the coat pocket of the scarecrow that stood guard in Farmer Pete’s cornfield. Eek liked his warm, cozy home because it was close enough to

the pond for him to visit his good friend, Don’t Touch Froggy.

Don’t Touch Froggy was a big water frog with a most peculiar appearance. He looked different from other frogs because there was a large-horn-like growth on top of his head. Apparently, for some unknown reason, the scaly skin on his head kept growing during the time when he changed from a tadpole into a frog. The scaly skin grew into the shape of a horn and centered itself right on top of his head! It made him look rather weird and most unusual.

Every time Don’t Touch Froggy got excited, happy, scared, or angry the horn would start to glow and it would become a bright yellow light. Unfortunately, this happened frequently. Just last week his horn was all-aglow when visitors came to the pond to feed the fish. Don’t Touch Froggy didn’t like for visitors to feed the fish because the fish were such show-offs and so noisy! They would flip and flop out of the water to show-off their diving skills. By far the perch were the worst offenders! They made quite a ruckus just to get something to eat, and the noise—well, it made it almost impossible for him to take his afternoon naps. Don’t Touch Froggy would get rather cranky without his naps, and this caused his horn to glow. It has been said that sometimes it would glow all night long. This made him crankier still because he couldn’t sleep with his light on! A vicious cycle for sure.

Don’t Touch Froggy didn’t like it when the ducks were being fed either because, well, ducks were just too pushy—always knocking him off the lily pads with their wings. This would make his horn glow too. He then became very selfconscious about his appearance because the visitors of the pond would say things about him. When they saw this big frog with a large glowing light on the top of his head, the adults would whisper to small children standing close by, “Don’t touch the froggy!” And, that’s how the big water frog got his name. (His pond friends shortened his name and just called him, Don’t Touch.)

Don’t Touch suffered from low self-esteem because he didn’t look like other

frogs in the pond. He thought he must really be ugly and scary so he avoided his reflection in the water because it reminded him of how he looked. When he wasn’t in the water, Don’t Touch hid behind the reeds on a rock with his eyes closed so as not to get a glimpse of his reflection. As a result, he missed many, many meals because he couldn’t see the tasty insects that flew by for him to catch and eat. Don’t Touch sometimes had to depend on his friend to bring him food—his good friend, Sal the man-deer.

Sal the man-deer was really a good-natured, chubby salamander with a hearing problem. The salamander didn’t even know that he was a salamander. He really thought he was a “man-deer,” (whatever that might be) because when others called him, he understood them to say, Sal the man-deer. None of the pond creatures ever argued with the hearing impaired salamander to correct his thinking because everyone liked him. He was always helping others and doing useful things around the pond. So, all the creatures of the pond decided to just call him Sal and let him believe he was a man-deer.

Aside from the fact that Sal had a hearing problem, what made him unusual was that he was the only salamander on the planet that did not like to walk in the mud! He didn’t like how mud felt as it oozed-up between his toes. It would dry, crack, and rub blisters on his feet. So, Sal the man-deer usually stayed on the bank of the pond and talked “creature talk” to everything that made their home in or around the pond.

Chapter 2 The Beauty Of Truth

The three unusual friends enjoyed doing things together like taking walks into town to look for new things to eat. They also enjoyed the cornfield where they would go to get away from visitors at the pond and sometimes the pesky creatures that lived there. The cornfield was a great place where they could play and watch Farmer Pete when he planted and harvested his crops.

When the three friends got tired of the cornfield, they would crawl, hop, and walk across the dirt road to the pond. At the deep end of the pond was a big log that lay partially under water. The friends would find a dry place on the log to sit, and hang out and do nothing at all.

They loved to go to this special place especially in the evening just before sunset. This was out of consideration for Don’t Touch who didn’t want to see his reflection in the water when the sun was up high in the sky. There was another reason why the three friends liked to go sit on the log at this time of the day. They liked to go because they got to spend time with a rather mysterious white butterfly.

The white butterfly was so beautiful and shiny. He was invisible in the sunlight because he was as bright as the sun. His eyes were like glistening diamonds. His antennae were the color of purest gold—so sparkling and bright. His legs and feet were black and glossy as ebony. None of the pond creatures had ever seen anything so beautiful as this butterfly, and nobody knew where he came from, not even the older pond creatures. But, one thing was for sure—he could always be found when they looked for him.

The pond creatures called the butterfly, Truth, because the butterfly always told the creatures to follow the Truth. The creatures listened closely when he spoke because Truth was a very wise butterfly. He had been around a long, long time and had so many things to talk about. He especially liked for the pond creatures to ask him questions. They had so many questions about life, and they really tried hard to follow the advice of the butterfly. They wanted to be good and do the right thing. Sometimes they failed though and disappointed Truth. But, Truth always forgave them and continued to enjoy talking with them even when they did wrong. Truth loved all the different creatures of the pond.

Truth was looking forward to his visit with the pond creatures on this particular evening. He was a little worried about the three unusual friends. You see, Truth had a strange way of knowing things before they happened. He knew that the friends needed some help understanding their exciting, dangerous morning. Truth was sure there would be a lesson for them to learn from their adventures. He also knew that the three unusual friends would be anxiously waiting for him to show-up on the big log and hear his words of wisdom.

Chapter 3 The Adventure Begins

The three friends crossed the dirt road from the cornfield on their way to the pond. Sal was very tired and could hardly walk. His feet were swollen and sore. Don’t Touch had a bad horn-ache so he couldn’t carry Sal on his back. Eek was too small to carry either one and was sad he couldn’t help. But, all were determined to make the trip so they could talk with Truth.

“How much farther is it?” asked Don’t Touch. “My horn is aching with each step I take.”

“It’s just up the way and around the bend. If you would open your eyes like the rest of us, and stop holding onto my tail, you would know. You’re not going to see your reflection at this time of day. We’re not even near the water yet!” answered Sal.

“Maybe when we get there we could find a piece of driftwood and make a raft. I could be the propeller and we could get there in no time at all,” said Eek excitedly.

“R-I-G-H-T,” replied Sal with the utmost sarcasm. “You don’t like water, ? Are you going to stand on the bank and blow us across the pond? How would you get on the raft?”

“I guess it wasn’t a very good idea after all,” replied Eek sadly. “Maybe we should just keep going and stop complaining.”

“Now that is a good idea,” said Don’t Touch. “Sal, carry on and quit wiggling your tail. It’s hard for me to hold on.”

“OK,” said Sal. “But, I do wish you would open your eyes and watch where you’re walking. You’re slowing us down.”

“Sorry,” said Don’t Touch. “I’ll squint. Maybe this will help.”

Unfortunately, his attempt to make things easier with half-closed eyes didn’t work. The journey to the pond was unusually difficult but Eek, Don’t Touch, and Sal finally made it to the big log and climbed up toward the top where Truth usually sat. They waited patiently for a long time but the butterfly didn’t come. They started to wonder if the butterfly would show-up at all. Eek and Don’t Touch began to pace up and down the log while Sal soaked his sore feet in the water. Eek and Don’t Touch were worried that something terrible had happened to Truth.

“I hope he’s alright,” said Don’t Touch worriedly.

“Where do you think he is?” asked Eek. “You don’t think some big bird or hawk ate him, do you?”

“Stop worrying. He will be here. Just you wait,” said Sal. “He has never failed us yet. Wait and see.”

Suddenly, as if he were listening to their conversation, a deep sounding voice came out of nowhere and said, “Good evening friends. It’s nice to see you again. But I might add, you have certainly looked better. Tell me, did you have a troublesome day?” asked the mysterious voice.

“Hello, Truth!” shouted the excited friends.

Don’t Touch jumped for joy and almost fell off the log. It made his horn hurt even more. But, he was careful not to show much emotion else his horn would start to glow.

“We didn’t see you arrive and we are so happy to see you!” exclaimed Don’t Touch as he held his throbbing horn.

The butterfly smiled and gently folded his wings.

“And yes, we want to tell you about our day. It was rather exciting and somewhat scary. We are exhausted from all the activity,” replied Sal.

“Well, then—find a seat, get comfortable, and let’s talk,” said Truth.

So, the three friends gathered closely around Truth and Sal began to tell the story of what had happened earlier that day.

Chapter 4 Trouble In The Ditch

“I was on my way back from town,” said Sal, “and decided to stop by Earl’s Feed Store for some refreshment. I needed a little drink of water and the water from the creek behind the store is the best—so cold and refreshing. Anyway, as I was walking past the farm equipment to get to the creek, I heard Farmer Pete tell Earl that he was going to burn off his cornfield today. He had harvested the crops and now wanted to rid the field of all the stubble to prepare for next spring’s planting. I saw Earl sell Farmer Pete the gasoline and I knew I needed to get back to the cornfield as soon as possible and wake up Eek. You know what a deep sleeper he is! I had to warn him to get out of the scarecrow’s pocket so the fire wouldn’t hurt him.”

“Yes, of course,” said Truth. “And, I’m sure Eek was glad you thought so much about his safety.”

“I am very grateful my friend cared so much for me,” Eek said quietly.

“Tell me more about what happened,” said Truth.

“Well,” said Sal, “I knew I had to get-going and get-going really fast. But, as you know, my legs are short and I have a very difficult time making any speed. I always thought a man-deer would be fast on his feet but now I know better.”

The butterfly chuckled at Sal’s comment and winked at Eek and Don’t Touch. He knew Sal was a salamander with short legs and not a man-deer.

“I started to run,” said Sal. “I started slow at first and gradually picked-up the pace. I was running in the ruts of the road where it was nice and smooth and where I could make better time. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise behind me. It was a school bus loaded with children and it was coming my way. I had to move quickly or be squashed by the big bus. I stopped for a moment, looked around, and decided to jump for the ditch.”

Eek gasped in horror, “Oh, no!”

“But there was only one problem,” said Sal.

“What was that?” asked Truth.

“I don’t know how to jump. All I know how to do is roll and that’s what I did— right into the ditch! Not a moment too soon, either.”

“I’m happy you’re alright and didn’t get hurt by the bus,” said Truth.

“Me, too,” said Eek and Don’t Touch.

“Yes, yes! However, all was not so well in the ditch,” said Sal.

“What do you mean?” asked Truth.

“Did I forget to tell you that it rained last night? The ditch was filled with mud!” exclaimed Sal. “I hate mud! I hate getting my feet dirty. The mud got between my toes and I was stuck in the mud! I didn’t think I was ever going to get out. And, the really bad part to all of this is—it slowed me down in my rescue effort for Eek.”

“I’m so sorry you had such a difficult time doing something good for your friend,” said Truth. “Sometimes there’s a cost for doing good or doing what’s right. We may have to give up our comfort, our time, our convenience, and sometimes, even more is required to help someone in need. But in the end, it will always be right. You should find comfort in knowing this.”

“I sure find comfort,” said Eek. “I know how much Sal hates mud and yet he was willing to get muddy for me.”

“He is a good friend,” said Truth.

Eek and Don’t Touch nodded in agreement.

“Then what happened, Sal?” asked the butterfly.

“I knew I had to get-it-in-gear and really hurry. I had lost so much time,” said Sal. “I started running as fast as I could. I was running so fast when suddenly I started to smell smoke. I thought at first my feet were on fire! Anyway, I looked at my feet and they were bright red but not on fire. They hurt so badly too. They were bruised and I noticed there was a deep cut on my back leg from my body roll into the ditch.”

Sal turned around and showed Truth his wounded leg. The butterfly softly fluttered his wings over the wound and Sal’s leg started to feel much better. He thanked the butterfly.

“Is that the end of your story?” asked Truth.

“Oh no,” said Don’t Touch. “There’s a whole lot of trouble yet to be told.”

“Well, continue on. I want to hear more about your troubles,” said Truth.

Chapter 5 Accidental Friends

“It was obvious my feet were not on fire but something was. I looked around and sniffed the air trying to figure out what direction the smoke was coming from. To my horror, it was coming from the direction of Farmer Pete’s cornfield, the north field. It would be just a matter of time before it would spread to the south field and destroy the scarecrow and my good friend, Eek!” exclaimed Sal.

Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal came from a gang of mosquitos clustered on the log. They were horrified with what they had heard. The water bugs and fireflies yelled at them to be quiet because they were interrupting the story. But, they didn’t stop. Then, a large bullfrog with a very long tongue glanced over at the mosquitoes. He flipped his tongue in and out menacingly—as if it were a warning of some kind. The insects got the message. They didn’t want to be his next, soon-coming meal. The squealing stopped and Sal continued on with his story.

“I knew I had to hurry,” said Sal. “I was still about a half-mile away and with my sore feet, it would take a long time to reach Eek. As I climbed out of the ditch onto the road, I heard another loud noise. It sounded like a bunch of toads gone mad—a frenzied chant of continuous, “ribbit, ribbit.” The noise was deafening even for me with my hearing problem! I looked over toward the big oak tree along the fence line, and I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was Don’t Touch in the middle of what looked to be a toad convention! I thought to myself, “Why in the world is he there? He isn’t a toad. He’s a frog for crying out loud!”

“Yes, I can see why you might wonder,” said Truth.

As Sal was talking, Don’t Touch sensed that somebody or some thing was watching him. He glanced over to the bank of the pond. Hidden behind the weeds and bushes were thousands of eyes staring at him. The local night creatures were listening and watching! Don’t Touch dropped his head in embarrassment and his horn began to glow. That caused him to accidently see his reflection in the water and it made him very sad. His horn got brighter and brighter until it lit-up the entire log. Truth became invisible in the bright light and the creatures got scared.

Eek cried out, “Truth! Where are you? Come back, please!”

A loud deep voice called out, “I’m right here. I know you can’t see me. But I haven’t left your side. Trust me,” said Truth.

The invisible butterfly then flew over to Don’t Touch. He spread his beautiful wings around him so that he could no longer see his reflection. Soon, his horn stopped glowing and it was dark once again. Truth became visible and the creatures all jumped for joy except for Don’t Touch whose horn was still sore. But, he was resting comfortably on the log and he no longer felt embarrassed. Truth had a way about him that made all the pond creatures feel better. Truth was such a friend!

The excitement died down and things returned back to normal. Truth spoke up and said, “If we are all comfortable now, Sal, would you please carry on with your story telling? And don’t leave out any of the details!”

“Uh! Where was I?” asked Sal.

“Toad convention,” said Eek.

“Yeah, yeah! Well, Don’t Touch immediately saw me and quickly hopped-over to where I was standing. I asked, “What are you doing here? You are a frog—not a toad! Toads don’t like frogs. You shouldn’t be hanging out with the likes!”

Truth glanced over to Don’t Touch and said, “I’m a little curious too. I mean— it’s OK to spend time with others who are different from you but you were a long way from home and by yourself. Anything could have happened.”

“OK! You’re right!” exclaimed Don’t Touch. “I was there at the convention because I … I just feel more comfortable with toads than frogs. Toads are less judgmental. They don’t mind if I don’t look like other frogs—or toads for that matter.”

“Oh, whatever,” said Sal while rolling his eyes. “Anyway—I told Don’t Touch we didn’t have much time. We had to go quickly. Something terrible was about to happen to our good friend, Eek.”

It became apparent that Eek was getting very nervous. He quickly inched his way up the log to be closer to Truth. He knew that Truth would protect him. Truth sensed his anguish and bowed a wing over Eek to relax his little friend.

Truth asked, “What happened next?”

“I told Don’t Touch what I had heard at the feed store and how we needed to warn Eek about the fire,” said Sal.

“Yeah,” said Don’t Touch. “By then I could smell smoke, too. So, I offered to carry poor hurting Sal on my back and hop as fast as I could to warn Eek,” said Don’t Touch.

“That was an excellent idea!” exclaimed Truth.

“Well, uh, not really,” said Sal. “Have you ever had to hold onto a glowing horn with sore feet? Not too much fun and the light from his horn was blinding!”

“It really wasn’t a great idea because—well, if you’ve noticed, Sal has eaten a lot of tasty bugs lately, and he is—uh—quite heavy! No offense, Sal,” said Don’t Touch.

“None taken,” smiled Sal as he rubbed his belly. “A chubby man-deer is a happy man-deer, don’t you know?”

“If you say so, Sal,” replied Don’t’ Touch with a tad-bit of skepticism. “Anyway, back to my story. Every time I hopped with him on my back, I lost my balance and landed where I didn’t want to go. I was out of control!” exclaimed Don’t Touch.

“Yeah, it was pretty funny watching Don’t Touch hop around like he had been drinking some bad pond water,” laughed Sal.

Truth and Eek ed in the laughter while being careful not to hurt their friend’s feelings. They didn’t want to make his horn glow!

All the little pond creatures giggled too. They knew first hand what bad pond water could do. Once they saw a weasel drink from the pond during drought season when the water was low and stagnant. That weasel has not been seen since! Some say they can hear him howl at the moon when it’s full. So, bad pond water can cause strange things to happen.

The laughter died down and Don’t Touch began to speak, “I tried with much difficulty to regain sound footing so I could do the unthinkable.”

“The unthinkable? What do you mean?” asked Truth.

“I told Sal to hold on tight because I was about to make a real power-hop,” said Don’t Touch. “I wanted to jump twice as far. You know, kinda like doing double time so we could get to Eek before it was too late. I dug my feet in the dirt, steadied myself, and then jumped high in the air.”

“So, what was so unthinkable about that?” asked Truth.

“Well, when I jumped, I went way off course and missed my target due to the, uh … extra weight I was carrying,” said Don’t Touch. “And I went side-ways instead!”

“What are you saying?” asked Truth who looked very puzzled.

“I jumped up, went side-ways and jumped directly under a tree branch where I hit my head, knocking myself unconscious!” exclaimed Don’t Touch.

“Don’t forget the little detail about knocking me off your back in the process,” cried Sal. “You know that landing was a little rough even for a man-deer.

“I am so-o-o-o sorry. That had to be just horrible for both of you,” said Truth.

“Indeed it was horrible,” said Sal. “So, I yelled over to the toad convention and asked for help. I told one of them to bring some water because there had been an accident. I knew toads always carried water with them wherever they went because they were not water frogs. Anyway, a whole group of toads brought a bucket of water and helped me throw it on Don’t Touch. He came to immediately. Was I ever happy! Then, a lady toad gave me her scarf and I made a bandage for the wounded horn.”

Don’t Touch was listening closely to his friend’s heroism while gently rubbing his head. He felt so badly.

“That was an honorable thing you did to help your friend,” said Truth. “I know you didn’t feel well either and yet you gave up your comfort and time to help a friend. I am very pleased to hear this.”

Sal was a little embarrassed with all the attention. He didn’t feel he had done

anything honorable. He just wanted to help someone in need and he knew that Don’t Touch would have done the same for him. Friends are like that.

“What happened after the accident?” asked Truth. “I mean—how did you get to Eek in time to warn him about the fire?”

“Time was of the essence,” said Don’t Touch. “But, I was in no condition to carry my friend.”

“And, I was in no condition to carry him either,” said Sal. “But, the toads could tell we needed help and asked if there was anything they could do. Of course I said yes, and told them our situation.”

“The toads were wonderful,” said Don’t Touch, “because four of the biggest toads I had ever seen, volunteered to help us get to the cornfield and warn Eek.”

“That’s right,” said Sal. “We climbed on their backs and away they hopped. When the two toads carrying us got tired, the other two toads took their place. It was like a relay race.”

“What good friends the toads turned out to be,” said Truth.

“Well, they’re more of acquaintances than friends,” said Don’t Touch. “I never met those large toads before the convention.”

“Me either,” said Sal. “And , as a rule, toads don’t like frogs. They have a lot of disagreements and differences.”

“Hmm,” said Truth. “Now this reminds me of a little story I think you might enjoy.

Chapter 6 A Good And Rightful Man

“There once was a man who lived a long, long time ago,” said Truth. “And, for the sake of my story I will call him, Matthew. Now, Matthew was walking down a road one day when robbers suddenly attacked him. They beat him so badly and stole his money and his clothes. They left him there alone on the roadside, hurting, and almost dead. People traveling on the road saw Matthew lying there in need but they wouldn’t stop to help him. The sad thing was those people were just like him! They came from the same background, shared the same culture, practiced the same religion, and held the same beliefs.”

“Later that day, another man, I’ll call Eli, was walking down that same road and saw the injured man. Now, Eli was from a different background and culture than Matthew and he certainly didn’t believe the same either. In fact, people from Matthew’s culture furiously disliked people from Eli’s culture. There were many differences that kept the two groups of people from getting along. But, Eli didn’t let the differences get in the way. Instead, he had so much comion for poor, hurting Matthew that he decided to stop and help him.”

“Eli put medicine on Matthew’s wounds and bandaged him up. He then put him on a donkey and took him to an inn in town where he could take better care of his patient.”

“The next day Eli paid the innkeeper and asked him to watch over Matthew because he had to leave. Eli also told the innkeeper he would pay any extra money for his care the next time he came to town.”

“WOW!” cried Eek. “What a wonderful friend Eli turned out to be to someone so different from him!”

“Yeah,” said Don’t Touch. “Don’t forget they weren’t suppose to like each other either—just like toads and frogs!”

“Well, uh—you’re right,” said Truth. “But I’m not so sure about the toad and frog thing. I do know, however, that Eli was a true friend—a real neighborly kind of guy. You might call him a Good Samaritan!

“A Ghoul Samaritan?” asked Sal. “What’s a Ghoul Samaritan?”

Truth began to chuckle at Sal’s comment and the little pond creatures giggled with glee.

“No, my dear friend. Not a Ghoul Samaritan but a GOOD Samaritan. You know, a person who helps others when they are in distress.”

“I see, I see,” said Sal. “I guess I misunderstood with my hearing problem and all. Sorry for the interruption.”

“Back to my point—you see, the toads were your Good Samaritans today. They were strangers to you, and certainly different from you, and yet they helped when you were in distress. It was the right thing to do and that is the truth,” said Truth.

By now, there were other creatures on the log that Sal had invited to come hear Truth. They were listening closely to the story. The three friends were glad to see the different pond creatures because the pond creatures didn’t always like to help other creatures that were not like them. They could be very mean and hateful— not very neighborly at all. Maybe they would learn something from Truth that would change their thinking and help them to get along with one another. At least the three friends were hopeful.

Chapter 7 A Very Near Miracle

“Enough of my story now. I want to hear more about your day. Please continue, Sal,” said Truth.

“Oh yeah, yeah,” said Sal. “Uh, where was I, again?”

“Hitching a ride with a toad,” said Eek.

“Right, right,” said Sal. “Well, our volunteer toads hopped their little hearts out. They had unusual speed you know, with those big thigh muscles. It was a good thing, too. The smoke was getting thicker all the time. We knew we were getting closer to the fire.”

“That’s right!” exclaimed Don’t Touch. “We had to hurry because the fire had some help!”

“The fire had some help?” asked Eek. “What are you talking about?”

“Yes, the fire had help!” yelled Don’t Touch. “The wind picked-up and started to blow and blow. It fanned the fire! So, before you could say, ‘frog legs taste like chicken,’ we were off! We had to save Eek!”

Eek was listening closely and suddenly curled-up on the a tight little knot. He looked scared. Don’t Touch was getting excited too from telling his part of the story and listening to Sal. This made his horn start to glow and it caused his head and horn to hurt even more. Truth gently fluttered his wings to calm them down, but his eyes were keenly fixed on Sal.

Truth asked, “So, you were able to out run the fire?”

“I’ll get to that in a minute,” said Sal. “What happened was the toads kicked-itin-gear, so to speak, and just kept hopping,” said Sal.

“Yeah, that’s right,” said Don’t Touch. “They told us to hang on for dear life because they were out for record setting.”

“What did they mean?” asked Truth.

“You see, at the convention the toads were all talking about the Toad Triathlon that’s coming up next month,” said Don’t Touch.

“Toad Triathlon?” asked Eek. “Toads don’t swim or cycle and if the truth be known, they don’t really run.”

“That’s the beauty of the contest. It’s different!” exclaimed Don’t Touch. “The Toad Triathlon involves weight lifting, long jump, and high hurdles. The four toads that helped us had been training for months to participate in the Triathlon. They had strong bodies and unusual physical abilities. They were more than prepared to help us. They were lean, mean, hopping machines!”

“WOW!” exclaimed Eek. “That’s awesome!”

“So the toads just started hopping like nothing you’d ever seen,” said Don’t Touch. “It was like a miracle!”

“Hmm,” said Truth. “A miracle you say? I can believe that!”

Chapter 8 The Rescue

“We made it to the cornfield in no time,” said Don’t Touch. “We could see the fire by then. It was spreading fast. We had to get right to work. The big toads dropped us off at the feet of the scarecrow and we all started to scream, “Eek, Eek, get out of the pocket. Fire is coming!”

“But nothing happened,” said Sal. “We started screaming over and over but Eek couldn’t hear us. The fire kept getting closer and closer and we were afraid we would be forced to leave before we could warn Eek. The heat was almost unbearable.”

“Then a light came on. Uh—not from my horn, you see, but in my head! You know. I had an idea!” exclaimed Don’t Touch.

By now there were even more tiny creatures on the log listening to the story. They found the story unbelievably exciting. Suddenly, a tiny dragonfly named, Lily, got so excited that she jumped up and yelled, “For Pete’s sake! What was your idea? I can’t stand the suspense!”

All the creatures suddenly chimed in and demanded an answer from Don’t Touch.

“My idea was for me to sit on the toad’s back and have him do a high-jump up to

the scarecrow’s coat pocket and I would yell for Eek to get out,” said Don’t Touch.

“It worked really well, too,” said Sal. “He only had to make one jump.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” said Don’t Touch. “I yelled so loud for Eek to get out, I almost lost my voice. Anyway, after the jump Eek peaked out of the pocket, looked around, and he saw the fire. He quickly made his way out of the pocket and down to us. I might add the fire was only a few yards away.”

“Yeah,” said Eek. “I was scared to death. I didn’t know if we were going to make it to safety or not.”

“It was a close call, that’s for sure,” said Sal.

“So did you make your run to safety then?” asked Truth.

“No—can’t say we did,” said Don’t Touch. “You see, we had to save the scarecrow too because it was the only home Eek had. He can’t live in the water you know and people don’t want him around the pond either.”

Eek tucked his head inside the tight little knot he had made with his body. He was so sad by what Don’t Touch had said. Don’t Touch noticed and realized he had hurt his feelings. Don’t Touch stepped closer to Eek and apologized for hurting his friend’s feelings. It made Eek feel better so he unwound his tight little knot and held his head high once again.

“So you wanted to save the scarecrow while the fire was closing in on you. Is this correct?” asked Truth.

“Yes, indeed,” said Don’t Touch.

“You really had to stay focused and work very quickly didn’t you?” asked Truth. “Otherwise, it could have been a disaster.”

“We did work fast,” said Don’t Touch. “And, there was no real time for thinking, either. The big toads just naturally decided to jump-up and use their big leg muscles to knock the scarecrow down. They jumped and jumped while hitting the pole that held the scarecrow. The scarecrow started to rock back and forth and soon it came crashing down.”

“The fire was so close we could have roasted wieners! And, the smoke was blinding!” exclaimed Sal.

“What did you do?” asked Truth.

“Well—Sal, Eek, and I quickly loaded the scarecrow on the backs of the toads and they carried it across the road to the east field,” said Don’t Touch. “It was synchronized walking all the way!”

“Weren’t you afraid the east field would catch on fire, too?” asked Truth.

“No, not really,” said Don’t Touch. “That field isn’t a cornfield. Too rocky! Nothing grows there much except pumpkins and gourds and they hadn’t been harvested yet. Farmer Pete wouldn’t destroy any crop before it was harvested.”

“I see,” said Truth.

Don’t Touch continued, “So, the toads carried the scarecrow to the fence line of the east field. With some fancy maneuvering and the help of the wind, they turned the scarecrow upright and leaned it against the fence.”

“We saved our friend and his home!” exclaimed Sal. “He will be able to sleep tonight in his own bed, uh, I mean—pocket.”

“This is truly wonderful,” said Truth. He glanced over at Eek who looked as if he were about to cry. He was so happy he had such good friends.

“Is that the end of the story?” asked Truth.

“No, just a little more yet to go,” said Don’t Touch.

Chapter 9 All’s Well At The Pond

“We thanked the toads for all their help and for being so good to us,” said Don’t Touch. “We invited them to come visit us at the pond and enjoy some really tasty bugs for dinner. We also promised to attend the Toad Triathlon next month and watch them compete.”

“They even said they could get us some free tickets on the front row of all events!” exclaimed Sal. “They were really nice.”

“Did you get their names?” asked Truth.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I did,” said Don’t Touch. “The two high jumpers were Buck and Big Al. The long jumpers were K.T. and Scar Face.”

“Did Scar Face tell you how he got that scar? It must have been one nasty little cut,” said Sal.

“He told me that he had an accident with a lawn mower and things got pretty ugly,” said Don’t Touch. “But, he’s fine now.”

“That’s good,” said Sal.

“Anyway, after the toads left, we helped Eek tidy-up his home—you know—put some straw back in the scarecrow that had fallen out,” said Don’t Touch. “As we were working, Farmer Pete drove by on his tractor to check out the burned field across the road. He saw the scarecrow and couldn’t believe his eyes. He knew the scarecrow had been in the south field before the fire and now it was proppedup against the fence in the east field!”

“Did he try to move the scarecrow back to the south field?” asked Truth.

“No, he didn’t,” replied Don’t Touch. “He got off his tractor, scratched his head in bewilderment and said to himself, “Well, I’ll be! Guess the wind was stronger than I thought. Think I’ll leave it here for now!”

“He then found a big rock and hammered the pole that held the scarecrow into the ground. So now, Eek’s new home is in the east field,” said Don’t Touch.

“I know I will like it even better than the south field because it won’t get so much afternoon sun,” said Eek. “I also know I will like it better because, well, my friends went through so much trouble to save it just for me. It’s truly a special place.”

“Indeed it is,” said Truth.

The creatures on the log all nodded and agreed.

“So that’s how we spent our day,” said Sal. “Lots of excitement and a lot of scary!”

Truth smiled at his friends lovingly and fluttered his wings. He then began to circle the log. Every pond creature knew he was about to leave. Don’t Touch’s horn started to shine as bright as the sun because he and his friends were happy —and, Truth became invisible. The creatures looked towards the sky in hopes of seeing him but he couldn’t be seen anywhere. Suddenly, a deep voice that came out of nowhere began to speak. It was Truth and he was about to give his words of wisdom for the day.

He said, “Friends of the pond, you have heard a story tonight about how we should help one another, be kind to one another, and treat each other the way you would want to be treated. In other words, ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ and this is the Truth you should follow.”

The pond creatures became quiet. Silence filled the air. The horn on Don’t Touch’s head stopped shining and the night sky became dark. The creatures continued to look for the butterfly but soon realized he was gone. However, they were not too concerned because they knew he would return the next evening around the same time.

The creatures started to leave and go to their homes. They remained quiet though, because they wanted to think about the message from Truth on how to be better friends and neighbors. The three friends, Eek, Don’t Touch, and Sal crawled, hopped, and walked back to Eek’s home where they said goodnight and went their separate ways. Tomorrow would be another day of adventure for the three most unusual friends from Farmer Pete’s pond.

The End

About The Author

Linda Derby is an R.N. with a Master’s Degree in istrative Leadership. She is the mother of three, grandmother of eight, and great grandmother of one. Linda has spent 25 years in children and adult ministries teaching Bible and Biblical principles through drama and story telling. She has also spent 25 years in evangelism to diverse people groups in the United States. She is a published author of Christian books and articles; she enjoys writing Christian historical plays for production. Linda delights in teaching her grandchildren Bible lessons through storytelling and has found a theme venue that holds the attention of her most intimate critics. Linda and her husband Dale live in Owasso, Oklahoma, and are active of the Rejoice Church.