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Chapter 8. In captivity

How nice it is to play and jump from a lily pad to the shore and back, especially if you manage to catch a delicious mosquito or a large fly in the air.

– Oh! What is that? It seems that this time, they have caught me!

A boy was chasing colourful dragonflies with the help of a huge net, but instead of them I got into the trap. What is going to happen to me now? Mom didn't tell me how to survive in captivity. What if this giant gives me up to be eaten by herons or some other terrible predators that feed on small frogs.

Being lost in these gloomy thoughts, I did not even notice how the boy carried me from the net into the bucket and hurried up to the house, visible in the distance on the hillock.

Half an hour later, in the boy's house, I overheard his conversation with his mother.

– Mom, let's keep the frog. It's so beautiful, funny, green and useful as well! He will catch mosquitoes in our house and croak, I mean, sing songs in the evenings," the boy stood on tiptoe and looked into the woman's eyes that was busy cooking something on the stove.

– Jean! Frogs are the last thing we need!! You are ready to drag home all the animals from the forest and lake. We already have a whole zoo: a cat , two dogs, a guinea pig, a hamster, a canary in the cage and fish in the aquarium! Do you want me to go crazy with all these animals?

The boy shook his head and hugged the woman.

– Let's make a deal, – the hostess of the house continued, – the frog should be released. Take him back to the place where you caught it. The froggy, like you, probably has a mom. She is now very worried about her missing son and cries in her own way, like a frog.

– Is she croaking loudly or something? Calling? – the boy alternately looked at me, then at his mother.

– Probably. I don't understand their language.

Tears welled up Jean's eyes, and he involuntarily pushed out his lower lip feeling resentment and the impending parting.

– Okay, have it your way, – the woman agreed. It's too late. The fog descended on the lake. Bring him back in the morning. But only after breakfast. I know you very well: as soon as the sun rises, you will rush to the lake. I mean, you will forget about food at all and this is not good, especially for children.

– Why? Jean muttered.

– Because all the babies in the world need to grow up but it is absolutely impossible without food. Do you want to stay small?

– Nope. I need to grow up quickly and become a big and strong fisherman like Dad!

– Then go wash your hands and sit down to table.

My heart beat with joy. Gossy will be released tomorrow. Hooray, hooray, hooray!

Meanwhile, the boy transferred me into a glass jar in which several flies were crawling. Of course, it was not me who caught them, and in general, they're kind of sleepy. But both people and frogs need to have dinner. After all, I also want to grow up quickly and become as big as my dad.

It rained heavily at night, and the jar got filled with water. So what should I wait for? I need to move on to break free and hurry up to my home lake. But I don' t know how to get there. Who could tell it to me?

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Chapter 9. The long road home

Today there is not a single cloud in the sky. Some people really like these days, but I don't. And there's a good reason for that!

The hot sun quickly dried the puddle left after yesterday's rain, and began to burn my skin. Mom said it was very bad for frogs. We should always be wet or at least moist.

I looked around and saw a huge tree, at its roots there was a small dark hole. In three jumps I found myself near the saving shadow.

I am going to hide myself there and think over how to get to the lake as soon as possible.

I stuck my nose into the hole, and felt something cold and slimy at once.

– Who are you?" it asked.

– Gossy, I am a little frog.

– It can't be ! I am the frog, but I am not Gossy. My name is Sampy, and, by the way, I've been staying here for two days already because I got lost.

– That is bad, – I said, and still squeezed into the hole, as the rays of the sun had already fallen on my hind legs and began to heat them. Having settled down next to my new friend, I continued:

– We , frogs, must help each other, otherwise we will get into trouble if we are alone. Where do you live?

– In the swamp. I chased a huge mosquito yesterday, kept jumping and finally got lost. And then night came, it started raining heavily, terrible lightnings flashed, and something was rumbling so loudly over my head that I got scared and hid here.

– I got it! – I raised my paw up, – your swamp is somewhere very close. But we don't know which way it is. That 's too bad… So, I suggest that we should go to my place, to the lake. My mom knows everything! And she'll take you home quickly? Do you agree?

– Nope. If the swamp is not far from here, so we have to go to my place. My mom knows everything, too, and then she'll take you to your lake. Sampy was about to cry but suddenly changed his mind because he remembered that frogs do not know how to do this, they can only croak loudly. Looking at my confused new friend, I agreed:

– Okay, have it your way, we are going to your place. Remember what you saw on the way while you were chasing the mosquito.

– I saw high sticks, my mother calls them reeds, and also a stump, near the water…

– So look! Here they are so close to us. I wonder how you managed to get lost here almost near your home?

– That's because I'm still very young, I just recently stopped being a tadpole and I haven't seen anything but a swamp.

Sampy was going to add something else, but fortunately, the clouds covered the sun from us and we left the shelter, hurrying to the thickets of reeds and the saving swamp.

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Chapter 10. The compass

– Where have you been, Sampy? I was worried! I was asking all the birds that were flying by about you, but no one saw you.

My new friend's mom stamped her paw on a lily pad with displeasure.

– I just got lost and he brought me back home. His name is Gossy and he's my friend now.

– Where are you from? – Sampy's mother took a leaf with a drop of dew and began looking at me through it, as if it were a magnifying glass.

– The boy caught me in a net instead of a dragonfly – I mumbled and asked her:

– Take me home, please.

– Don't you wish you may get it! Who is going to feed and educate his twelve brothers and sisters, I wonder? I have to keep an eye on them all the time. Otherwise, someone is sure to get lost again," the mother frog pointed with her paw at the tadpoles splashing nearby.

– Anyway, I'll help you. Look here. The man lost this thing. It's called a compass. Can you see the arrow?

I nodded.

– It always points north. The lake is over there. Now I'm going to fix this device on your back, and you should go in the direction it will show. I am sure you won't get lost. Just don't try to dive. I do not know if the compass works under water. I haven' t checked it – I don't have time. That' s about it. You have to go now and say hello to your mother. It's highly likely that we know each other.

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Chapter 11. A friend in need is a friend indeed

Have you ever tried to jump from hummock to hummock when you have a compass dangling on your back? It's not an easy task, I assure you. First of all, it hurts because it is made for people, not for frogs. Secondly, how to look at the arrow if it is behind you, and thirdly, the most important thing is that I lost it. I fell into a deep puddle and came to the surface without the compass. I got out ashore tired, hungry. I have no idea where to go next. There is no way out . I'll have to settle here. It's bad to live alone, but there is nothing I can do. A fly flew by but failed to catch it, then I missed another one, because my paws are shaking and do not obey me at all. The sun is already setting, it will grow dark soon. Maybe frogs will start croaking. I'll go to the sound of their voices. They might put me up . My mother taught me that all amphibians should help each other.

– Well, look who is here! – a voice rang out overhead.

– It' s me poor, unhappy frog Gossy," I mumbled and looked up.

Rony, the heron, was snapping its terrible beak right in front of my nose.

– Well, my life is about to come to an end! I can't hide myself here or run away," the idea flashed through my mind. "Goodbye Mom, Dad, my brothers and sisters.

– What are you doing here so far from the lake? How did you get here? Rony began to dance on his long legs.

"I got lost," I answered almost audibly, clinging to the ground.

– I see. Do you want to get back home?

– Rather!

– Then I'll take you. Have you ever flown in the air?

– Nope.

– Get into my beak and let's fly.

– No way! You'll swallow me in a jiffy!

– Coward. Firstly, I have already had a delicious fish for dinner, and secondly, we are friends, don't you remember? Is it allowed to eat friends? It's not birdlike and friends shouldn't act this way.

Half an hour later we were already in our home swamp.

At first, Mom and Dad hid under the bushes growing along the shore. And then, looking at the flying away bird, they said all together:

– How can it be that the heron brings back our baby Gossy and safe and sound as well?

– Friendship," I replied, dropping off from numerous adventures and fatigue.

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Chapter 12. A foreigner

One day, walking along the shore of the lake, I saw a strange frog – not green, like all my relatives, but bright yellow with black spots.

A real beauty, – the thought flashed through my mind. – I have never met such bright ones before.

The stranger was admiring her image in the water. My sisters also spend hours staring at their images and then decorate their heads with wreaths of water plants.

Overcoming my shyness, I gathered up courage and asked:

– Who are you?

– You are funny. Can't you see? I'm Chiriquita, the toad.

– No, – I objected, – the toad, I mean, the frog, it's me. We are all green, and why are you this colour?

My new friend dipped her paw into the lake, but immediately pulled it back and said:

– I am not a water toad, but a tree one. We all have such a bright colour. Actually, we also differ from you because we do not like water and stay away from it.

– How did you get here? I wondered.

– I was caught in the jungles of far South America. And now I am working as a live exhibit in a travelling zoo. On the way, our van had an accident and overturned, and all the animals ran away. So I jumped here.

I scratched the back of my head with my paw, was silent for a while, and then blurted out:

– I'm sorry, but I still don't understand why you are so noticeable? After all, we ,frogs, do our best in order not to be spotted and eaten by my enemies – predators. But you don't.

– That's amazing! My colouring warns everyone: don't eat me, I'm dangerous and very poisonous!

Suddenly I noticed Rony walking in the thicket of reeds.

My friend turned his head and saw a beautiful foreigner. He immediately hurried to her, saying:

– I have not met such yellow ones yet! It must taste good! I am going to try it right now!

– Rony, don't do it! She's beautiful, but poisonous! – I rushed to my friend .

The heron stopped.

– Gossy, my friend, thank you. – The big bird frohze on one leg, scratching its beak with the other.

– Apparently, it turns out that you have saved my life! That's what friendship means…

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Chapter 13. Autumn

Honestly, I love summer most of all in the world! Of course, every day is warm and everything is so green and bright.

But suddenly I began to notice that it was chilly in the morning, and not hot at all in the afternoon. Besides, the leaves began to turn yellow, fall off and cover the shore of the lake.

Dad noticed my surprise, beckoned me with his paw and said softly:

– You see, kid, that's how nature works. After summer, autumn always comes, and then a nasty winter. Therefore, now all residents of the lake are beginning to prepare for the cold.

– How's that?

– In different ways, Gossy. See those ducks?

– Yes.

– So, a flock of ducks will soon fly away to warm countries. And all the flies, midges and mosquitoes that we eat will be hiding in different cracks and fall asleep.

– What about us? What are we going to have for lunch?

– We are going to sleep, too, and dream of a bright summer.

– Oh, so my friend Rony will also fly away and I won't see him for a long time? Dad, I'm sorry, but I have to run to say goodbye to him.

– Of course. Where there is a real friendship, we bear tough times easier. But remember, my little one, that your friend is only Rony, and the rest of the herons are not. Don't forget that adult herons eat both fish and frog...

But I didn't listen to Dad any more, because I rushed towards the thickets of reeds, where there was my friend's nest. I was in a hurry. What if he has already flown away with his flock. And maybe to a distant and unknown South America, where beautiful but poisonous Chirp frogs live. I need to remind him of it one more time!