Lola, the greener frog - 295 words

295 words

“Oh how I wish I could fly.  Life would be grand! If only when I jump, I could stay in the air.  All the things I would see! All the things I could do! I know we eat those flies, but what a life they must have! All they need to do is smarten up.  I don’t know why they bother flying so close to us.  After all these years, you figure they would learn.  I’d be a smart fly.  I would know better than to fly near frogs, or any other animal bigger than me.  I know better than getting near those snakes!  I know what will happen.  I remember Uncle Fred’s stories.  He saw one of his friends hop close to a snake once, and devoured in seconds.  Uncle Fred was never the same.  He stays on his lily pad all day and never leaves.  But I am much smarter than my Uncle’s friend.  As soon as I see a snake I dive deep into the water and hide - just in case it’s a snake that swims.  I wouldn’t have to worry about those snakes one bit . if I could fly.  They would never be able to reach me.  I could fly so high they couldn’t even see me!  Oh if only I could fly.”

Lola crouched back on her pad, gazing up at the flies swarming overhead, when out of the corner of the sky, a black bat swooped in and snatched one from the air.

“Oh how lucky I am to swim! How lucky I am to dive and hide from animals who want to eat me, and still be able to leap into the sky when the mood strikes me. Oh how lucky I am to swim and hop.”