Once upon a time there lived a tiny tree frog named Gerry, he lived on a water tank in Australia. One day he
Gerry was tired of the water tank, not that he didn't like the sounds of the rain drops falling on the corrigated tin roof, but well, he wanted to move to the pond to find a partner for himself, sing in the tree frog choir. Mostly he wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet, his neighbour wasn't the most quiet neighbour he ever had. In fact not only were they noisy, but they looked funny. Not green at all.
They walked around on 2 legs, were very pale, had the smallest fingers & toes he had ever seen,no sticky discs on the end of them, how ever were they going to be able to climb up the walls of their home or up a tree?Gerry thought them very odd.At night, they were so noisy,banging & clanging drowning out the sweet sounds of the choir he dreamed about singing in. It's hard to be a soloist next to his loud neighbours.
After another sleepless night Gerry decided it was time to leave his wonderful watertank and head for the pond, but it was a pond at the bottom of the garden, and the bottom of the garden was so far far away. Anything could happen between his safe, but noisey watertank & his pondly destination. Without a backwards glance he hoped on to the large tree and climbed down.
As Gerry hopped away from his watertank, he couldn't help but wonders were in store for him as he headed towards the pond at the bottom of the garden. It was, after all, a long trek for such a small frog. Luckily his neighbours were fastidious about keeping the grass short, so Gerry felt certain he could avoid any snakes, however this meant he was open to aerial attacks. He hopped a few meters and hunkered down low.
The sweet smell of grass tickled his nostrals, the morning sun shining down and warming his amphibious blood. Ahhh to be a tree frog on such a glorious day, Gerry was so happy let out a chirp, then another and hopped merrily through the sturdy but trimmed grass. Green on green - camoflauged for the time being. Life was good, oh so good!
Gerry heard a flutter over head and a flash of reddish brown land in front of him and with that the second most melodious sound he had hear that day & it definitely wasn't the sound of his neighbours nasally nightly howls. This was beautiful. Almost as wonderful as the frog choir, so he hopped over. " Hello, I'm Gerry & I think you sing wonderfully".
“Coolio, I’m Rufus” said the bird, “Rufus Fantail, can you dig it?” Gerry thought this was rather odd,he was a frog, he can sort of dig, burrow more than dig & so he said as much. Rufus let out a burst of song as he laughed. “Hey Daddy-o that’s outta sight funny;where you off to little green friend?” “Oh, said Gerry, “ I couldn’t sleep anymore, loud neighbours & I want to sing in the frog choir
"Frog choir? That's real gone man"said the bird;he fanned out his tail & fluttered his feathers as the sun reflecting off of his reddish plumage. "play it cool when you head down the back garden by the chooks", he said,"I've seen a dangerous cat down there, she's not hip. Gotta cut out, later." And with that Rufus was in flight.
Gerry watched a Rufus soared high in the sky & thought “I’m glad I don’t fly. I much rather hop to where I’m going”. Gerry was a very happy Tree Frog, who LOVED being a Tree Frog. He thought green was an awesome colour & was quite impressed with this sticky fingers & toes. So hop, hop, hop, he resumed his journey to the big pond at the end the garden. Hop, Hop, ssssssssssssssssss… Hop, Hop, sssssssssssss.
As Gerry was making his way thru the grass he failed to notice it was getting longer the further he travelled.Suddenly he stopped, the sun wasn’t as bright in the longer grass,it was a bit cooler & he had the distinct feeling he was being followed,very closely. He may be a frog but he wasn’t wet behind the ears. Slowly he turned around & was eyeball to eyeball with a very long python. A very green,very long python.
Our little green tree frog with his sticky fingers and toes felt suddenly very ill. Well actually he felt more like a main course, he suddenly realized why he was a tree frog! The snake blinked once. Then again. His tongue flicked in and out of his mouth, a glint of his pearly white fangs could be seen. Gerry could feel his tiny heart pounding, it felt like it was nailed to his chest.
“ OMG that is the most FABULOUS shade of green EVER” hissed the python, “ I’m so jealous I’m spitting up hairballs!!! Tell me, where EVER did you manage to find that precise shade of whipped avocado green? Darling it’s just simply divine! I’m waiting…. Tell me does this green make me look fat?” Gerry couldn’t get a word in edgewise, but figured he was safer that way.
As he looked down the long expanse of the python, Gerry noticed a big bulge in the middle of the pythons’ body. “ No, said Gerry, the green doesn’t make you look fat, that does though”, pointing to the obvious roundness with his fingers. The python let out a small “eek” and tried his best to cover up the bulge.
“You would think, said the snake, your breakfast would digest before tensies! This is so embarrassing, never mind, now formalities; I’m George but my friends call me G.G. & you?” “oh I’m Gerry. I have no friends to speak of, so I’m just Gerry.”
“Oh you poor soul, hissed G.G. , come with me, it’s tensies. Time for a drinkie and a yummy.” Gerry snuck a peek at G.G.’s expanded body and remarked “do you have room?”
G.G. giggled like a little pixie “ ohhh you silly froggy, of course there is always room for a drinkie, come come.” Gerry was more than just a little worried what was to become of him, so he hung back just a bit. G.G. turned around & said “ you u silly sausage, it’s tensies… drinkies… not froggies comeon hop to it”. And with that little pun G.G. laughed and turned toward the chookhouse.
Oh the sun’s rays soon warmed up our chilled little frog. He hopped happily beside the python, with less trepidation than a few moments earlier. Gerry let out as small sigh of contentment, this he thought, this is what living down by the pond must feel like. He was so happy he let out a little chirp and then another until he was singing a very happy tune.
Gerry stopped dead in his tracks as they approached the chook coop for between his gaily sung chirps he heard a very familiar sound. It got louder as the green duo drew nearer to the coop. He cocked his head to the side and became very quiet. “Whats the matter deary?” said G.G. “ I hear something” said Gerry, “something awful, something terrible”. It was like a nails down his back. He shuddered. No, no NO!!
It can’t be happening thought Gerry and yet it was. There propped up against the building, rifle in his lap was his loud neighbour. He was even louder close up. He could feel the earth move under him with every snore. How? What? WHY?? Gerry let a out small croak…” this can’t be” he said aloud. A huge tear welling up in his clear green eyes. “Deary whatever could be wrong?” said GiGi
Gerry pointed with his sticky little finger in the direction of his “former” neighbour. “ Oh THAT… “ snickered the snake. “ he’s out like a light, he’s been here on and off most of the week trying to catch what’s been eating the chooks. GiGi looked at his middle & hissed with glee. Not very successful is he?
they headed towards the far end of the coop closest to the trees. Ahhh there she is, coo’d the python.
Lingering behind a tree was the slinkest Goanna he’d ever seen, not that he had seen many to be honest. GiGi moved slowly through the grass toward the tree line. The monitor signaled him over with the longest claws EVER. Howzit going Gi? Said the Goanna. “Perfectly delectible’ was the response, I’m chocka.” “Ace!!”. The Goanna stopped and stared at Gerry . “who’s that?” nodding her at in Gerry’s direction.
“Lunch perhaps?” she asked eagerly? “ Johanna, control yourself, this is my new fantastic little friend, Gerry. Sings like an angel. Now what’s the sit rep?” “ Oh he’s been here since this morning, the female took the eggs out already. Replaced them again with those crazy empty ones” spat out the Goana. “Geez I could just file my nails until they are nubbins” she exclaimed.
With that Johanna sat down, pulled out a file and began sharpening her claws. The sun had crawled higher into the sky and the warmth radiated throughout the back garden. “oh this is heavenly” sighed Gerry. He started chirping away singing his little heart out. He was on his way to the pond & having such a grand adventure along the way & he had forgotten all about his noisy neighbour.
Johanna stopped filing and stared at the little tree frog. “wow you certainly can sing”, she said. She climbed up the nearest tree and stretched out on the branch. “Sing some more” she asked. GiGi slithered to the rock at the base of the tree and started sunning himself, he found it difficult to curl up as his breakfast was still being digested.
Gerry sung his little heart out sitting in the sunshine, trying his hardest to drown out the sounds of the snoring coming from the chook coop. . Even his eclectic group of reptilian friends was getting a bit annoyed. Johanna shook her head in disbelief and GiGi let out a venomous hiss “ SERIOUSLY???” he said “ can he NOT just sleep quietly, he’d be no good in the trenches”.
With that GiGi slithered up the tree and took the opposite branch to Johanna the two of them started to hatch their next midnight marauding of the coop.
Gerry decided it was time to start hopping on.. WHAP… WHAP… WHAP … WHAP… mmmm… bugs… now with his own belly full it was time to start heading towards the bottom of the garden towards the pond. Gerry chirped up to his friends “ G’day mates, gotta run, had me tucker and it’s time to get to the pond”
