Once upon a time there was a toad and he was completely fed up with it all. Day in and day out he only heard toads and only saw toads. So he went to visit his neighbours, the frogs.
They looked at him in surprise with their glassy eyes and thought: where did that strange animal suddenly come from? His hind legs are far too short and there is much more that is wrong with him. He’s way too fat and has weird bumps on his skin, he just doesn’t look right.
He can’t jump either, instead he hops through the reeds.
Consultation was needed right away, so they called a frog meeting.
The frogs gathered in the evening in a cozy garden with many flowers and large stones. There were many hiding places so if necessary they could quickly flee.
There was a lot of loud croaking, but eventually the frog meeting was stopped.
The toad was allowed to stay, even though he looked different and needed to lose some pounds.
He seemed to be very kind and wise.
The frogs could benefit from this. He was quite popular too! Some frog ladies even gave him a kiss.
The toad never went home again, he now enjoys his new frog existence every day!
Credits
Saskia Barink is a contemporary Dutch author who writes imaginative short stories and children's tales with warmth and gentle wit. "The Frog Meeting" reflects her knack for finding quiet wisdom in small, everyday creatures and the social worlds they inhabit.
