How Mr. Bullfrog Got His Wings (An Original Story), Chapters 1 & 2

Now the Little Fairy didn’t see the great big Bullfrog sitting in the rushes, but the Bullfrog saw the Little Fairy! “AhHa!, though the Bullfrog, “Just when I was feeling hungry, along comes diner!"”

[Note from TriTorch: Hailing from the Perimeter, my friend and original primate,

MadChimp

, graciously agreed to bring you the first half of his enthralling fable centering on an unlikely friendship between a peckish bullfrog and a guileless fairy. Here’s wishing you a pleasant journey through this mystical terra incognita chockablock with hunger, danger, adventure, enchantment, & comradery. The conclusion to this masterpiece is to follow in a few weeks.]

How Mr. Bullfrog Got His Wings

Woodland Fairy Queen

By Richard Kelley

© Richard “MadChimp” Kelley, 2008-2025 All Rights Reserved

Chapter I

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a delicate Little Fairy, who stopped by a cool pond, in the middle of a dense wood. The Little Fairy was very thirsty, because she had been flying for a long time.

She had been sleeping under a toadstool in the Great Meadow, high in the hills, when a butterfly had landed on her nose. The butterfly tickled her nose, and awakened her.

“What are you doing here, butterfly?”, she asked, but the butterfly never answered and just flew away.

The butterfly was so pretty, the Little Fairy decided to follow it, and follow it she did - - down the mountain, over the hills, and into the low country, until the Great Meadow was far behind.

After many miles, the Little Fairy was tired, but the butterfly just kept flying, farther and farther from the Great Meadow.

“Well”, said the Little Fairy, “enough of playing with you. I need to rest.” And so she did. From high above the treetops she spied a dense, green wood that looked like the perfect place for a nap, and swooping down, she spied just the right place. She curled up in the crook of a juniper tree, and had a nice, long nap well into the afternoon.

When she awoke, she was hungry and thirsty. It was then she noticed the pond, sitting peacefully among the trees. She arose, stretched, gave a great big yawn, unfolded her wings, and swooped to the pond’s edge for a drink of water.

Now the Little Fairy didn’t see the great big Bullfrog sitting in the rushes, but the Bullfrog saw the Little Fairy! “AhHa!, though the Bullfrog, “Just when I was feeling hungry, along comes diner!"” for the Bullfrog had never seen a Fairy and though the Little Fairy would make a wonderful meal, just like the big cricket he had eaten for breakfast.

Sitting very quietly, the Bullfrog waited until the Little Fairy hovered just above the water, and when the Little Fairy dropped her head to take a long, cool drink, the Bullfrog shot-out his sticky tongue, and snatched the Little Fairy right out of the air!

Oh, what a mess! The Little Fairy was very scared. She was caught in the frog’s tongue, which was all sticky and slimy, and the frog was pulling her toward his mouth!

“No!”, said the Little Fairy, “Mr. Bullfrog!, Mr. Bullfrog!, don’t eat me! I am a Fairy from the Great Meadow, and if you spare me, I will do something wonderful for you.”

Now the Bullfrog had never seen a Fairy, and he was very hungry, but of all the bugs he had ever eaten, none had ever talked to him before! "Baruuup”, he croaked, “What manner of being are you, that you can talk to a Bullfrog, such as I?”.

“I am a Fairy of the Great Meadow, a land of magic and great beauty. Please don’t eat me, and I will take you there.”

The Bullfrog thought that over. He WAS very hungry, but he had lived in the pond in the wood all his life, and dreamed of wonderful far-off places. Perhaps this was his chance for a great adventure! He looked the Little Fairy over very carefully. She was so delicate and beautiful, and there was such a pleading look in her eye, that he decided to take a chance.

“OK”, he said, “but you had better make good your promise!”

“I will, I will!”, cried the Little Fairy, for everyone knows, Fairies NEVER lie.

With that, the Bullfrog un-did his tongue, and the Little Fairy was free. But, oh, what a mess! She was covered in frog-slime, and her delicate little wings were all stuck together!

Without a word, she dove into the pond and swam until she was squeeky clean. Then she lay on the bank, and let the warm afternoon sun dry her from head to foot. “Well”, she said, “That was quite an adventure, and one I don’t care to repeat!” She looked around, and there was the Bullfrog, watching her.

“Tell me about this Great Meadow of yours.”, he croaked.

“Oh, it is ever so beautiful.”, said the Little Fairy. It is high on the side of Magic Mountain, where the air is crisp and clean. The Great Meadow is covered in flowers of every color, the wind plays music through the grass, and the animals play there all day long. There are mother foxes, vixen, with their kits, rabbits, and a couple of little bears that are always looking for honey! Every part of the day is special. In the morning, everything is very quiet, and there is often a fine mist that covers the Great Meadow like a blanket. The first to awaken are the crows, who fly from treetop to treetop, looking for danger. If everything is OK, they call to their friends, “caw, caw, caw”, and then fly to the next treetop until they have had a good look at all the meadow.

Once the crows have given the ‘all clear’, the animals come out to play. They play all morning, have a big lunch of honey and oatmeal, and then take a little nap so they can play all afternoon! It is wonderful!"”

“Hmmm”, said the frog, “and do you have eagles in the Great Meadow?”

“Oh, yes!”, said the Little Fairy. “There are great, soaring eagles who fly so high you can hardly see them. They, too, are quite beautiful. And there are Robins, and thrushes, and - - - “. But when the Little Fairy looked over at the Bullfrog, she saw that he was shivering, and looking very sad.

“What is the matter?”, she asked.

“I would love to see the Great Meadow”, said the Bullfrog, “But I’m afraid I will have to stay here in my pond.”

“But why?”, asked the Little Fairy”, “don’t you want to see the Great Meadow?”

“I do! I do!”, said the Bullfrog, “but you see there is nothing an eagle likes better for dinner, than a big, fat Bullfrog! I would be very afraid to visit a meadow that had eagles overhead.”

“Hmmm”, said the Little Fairy, “I can see where that might be a problem, but don’t worry! I will protect you”. And with that, they started on their journey to the Great Meadow.

Chapter II

Now it was easy enough going for the Little Fairy. After all, she could fly! She started by soaring into the sky to a great height. Far off in the distance she could see the peak of Magic Mountain, so she knew which direction to go, but it looked a lo-o-o-ng way off! She hadn’t thought about the Bullfrog, who had to hop along, one hop at a time. But, a promise is a promise, and she was determined to take her new friend the Great Meadow.

She returned to the Bullfrog, and said, “Mr. Bullfrog, it is a very long way to the Great Meadow. Are you quite sure you are ready for the trip? It will be a long journey”.

“Not a problem”, croaked the Bullfrog. “I have been waiting for a great adventure all my life, and now it is time for me to act! I have a big bag of dried flies to eat, and, as they say, the longest journey begins with a single hop! Which way?”

So, with the Little Fairy leading the way, and the Bullfrog hopping along behind, they started down the road.

All that day they traveled. The Bullfrog had to stop and rest several times, because he was not used to journeying so far from his pond. AND, it was HOT. He longed for his home among the rushes, a nice fresh fly or two, and most of all a swim in the cool, murky water!

Just as the sun was going down, and night shadows began to creep across the road, the Little Fairy, who had been flying on ahead, returned to the Bullfrog with some alarming news. There was a TOWN up ahead, with PEOPLE!

Neither the Bullfrog nor the Little Fairy had any experience with people, but both had heard of them. They were very strange, indeed! They lived in HOUSES, rode about on HORSES, and wore strange clothing. Maybe they were dangerous! Did people eat Bullfrogs? Did they eat Little Fairies? Hmmmm. What to do?

The Bullfrog said, “Well, I would guess whatever manner of being a people is, they would need water, and probably have some about. I have been all day without a swim, and I really need to have one, if I am to continue on our journey.”

The Little Fairy saw the wisdom in that and, reluctantly agreed to go into the town.

As they approached the town on the road from the south, they heard the people going about their business. The smithy was at his anvil, hammering a horseshoe – Bang!, Bang, Bang! Went his hammer. Children were playing in the streets, laughing and singing, and a few people were going in and out of the strange buildings.

“What should we do now?”, asked the Bullfrog.

“Hmmmm. Let’s just wait a minute under this tree, and see what happens.”, said the Little Fairy.

They had no sooner settled under the tree, when the blacksmith looked at his watch, sighed a mighty sigh, and began putting away his tools. A woman appeared in one of the doorways, and hollered, “Billy, Gertrude, time for dinner!”, and so, step-by-step, the activity they had seen when they first arrived on the outskirts of town began to fade, the air became still, and the town prepared for night.

And then, the Bullfrog saw something that made him want to hop right into town, just as fast as he could hop! Water! Right in front of the blacksmith shop was a great, big tub of water! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! Water! Enough to drink and swim and - - - OH! Sweet water!

“Look, Little Fairy! Water! Oh, I must have some!”, he said.

“Just a little while”, said the Little Fairy. “Just wait a little while - - - “.

And so they did. In a little while, the whole town was very quiet. The lights went off in all the houses, and the people were all in their beds, asleep.

“Now?”, asked the Bullfrog?

“Yes”, said the Little Fairy, and was about to add - - - “BUT QUIETLY”, when the Bullfrog, with great croaks, and 4 great leaps, was into town, and kersplash! Right in the middle of the watering trough!

The Little Fairy flew over to scold him for making so much noise, but the Bullfrog was so happy to be back in water, she just laughed.

“Ahhh”, said the Bullfrog, as he floated on his back, and grabbed a big fat moth that happened to be passing by, with his long, sticky tongue, “this is the life!”.

The Little Fairy saw that the Bullfrog was very tired, and not likely to give up his watering trough. She, too, was tired. It had been a long day. So she returned to the tree, found a comfortable bough, and settled-in for the night.

Conclusion to follow

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© Richard “MadChimp” Kelley, 2008-2025 All Rights Reserved