The Foolish Frog
"...Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." II Corinthians 6:26
There were many, many frogs around the big, old millpond. The great bullfrogs with their deep base voices, and the little frogs with their shrill voices croaked throughout the night. During the day, the frogs had a good time swimming in the pond, sitting in the sun and catching bugs and flies.
Among the frogs was one that sat on a big rock near the pond. His long and sticky tongue caught nearly all the bugs and flies that came his way. Naturally, he grew bigger than the other frogs. So he became proud of himself and felt important at the pond. Also, he was sure that the others thought he was a nice and clever frog.
Soon the fall of the year came, for summertime was over. The leaves turned yellow then brown. The days were getting shorter and the nights longer and colder, for winter also was coming. The old wise frogs jumped one by one into the millpond and the little frogs followed them, for they knew too that the cold winter would soon come. They went to the rock where the little green frog sat and said, "Winter is coming. Hide with us in the millpond."
The frog on the rock only laughed, for he thought that winter was a long way off. "I am going to wait a little longer." Finally, the last little frog asked him to come into the pond. "No, I am going to wait longer. You are foolish to go in with the other frogs. There is no need to hurry! I am having the best time of my life catching flies and bugs--getting fatter every day." Just then he caught a big juicy fly. But when he looked around, the other little frogs were gone, and he was alone.
At first, he felt a little nervous and worried, but when winter did not come right away, he became brave again. "How foolish for all my brothers and sisters to go in hiding so soon," he thought. "Now I am surely having a good feast, and when winter really comes, I can jump into the pond quickly." So the little green frog continued to sit on his rock.
That night it got very, very cold. The little frog said that he would go in the pond in the morning, but when the sun came out, it was nice and warm, so he decided to wait. Then one night it suddenly got cold. "If I can live until morning, I shall go into the pond tomorrow. But when the sun came up, it was warm again. "I can wait another day before going into the pond."
However, he did not notice that it was getting dark and stormy in the north. It got colder and colder, "I am almost stiff with cold. Now I must try to crawl to the pond and join my brothers and sisters."
The wind began to blow and howl. Cold, white snowflakes blew into his eyes so that he could hardly see to crawl. he was so frightened. Croaking and crying, he thought, "If I had only gone yesterday." He thought of all his little playmates so safe and warm in the mud of the pond for the long and cold winter months.
In a short while, he was at the edge of the pond. His heart was leaping and pounding with great joy for he would soon be safe with his friends. He could still laugh at them for going into the pond before him. How wise and clever he was! He gave a great leap with all his strength, went up in the air and landed on the pond. But alas! What was wrong? The water on the old millpond was hard and cold to his feet! He could not even get into the pond.
Never in his life had it been that way before. In great fear, he leaped and jumped, but the water was cold and as hard as glass for it had turned to ice. He could not continue to jump--he could barely crawl. Soon he stopped and lay very still. The wind howled and blew with great fierceness. Big snowflakes fell rapidly. But the little green frog never breathed or moved again.
As the farmer's boy walked by the pond on his way to school the next morning, he saw something green on the ice. When he went up to it, he saw that it was a frog that was frozen to death.
The boy only laughed and said, "Oh that was a foolish frog," and continued on his way to school.
"Behold, now is the day of salvation." Someday it may be too late.