by Marijo Phelps

Created on: March 19, 2010   Last Updated: March 20, 2010

Mr. Bull Frog's Timely Transfer

“Raymond, that bull frog is waking up the whole lake, how can we sleep with him carrying on?” 

I turned over on my cot, it was only then I could hear a muffled “hmph” of the supposed offender. 

My sister and I would have a new project in the morning, I could tell. It was dark, way too early to think about all of this right now. Pretty soon the only thing I could hear was Grandpa's timber rattling snores in the other room.

Dawn was peeking in the windows as the sun rose over the blue waters of Lake Ripley. I wiggled my sister’s foot so we could get an early start.

“Hey, Squeaky, do you think we can catch a bull frog with a net like we make to catch butterflies?”

“Huh? I'm sleeping. What's the matter with you?”

After breakfast we got a plastic bread wrapper from Grandma, a metal coat hanger and a wooden yard stick. With those and some tape we'd made a frog net. We made sure to poke some holes in the bag so that the water would drain out when we caught the offending bull frog.

At the ages of 10 and 12 we were allowed to take the row boat all over the lake, so long as we had life jackets on and stayed close to the shoreline in case of bad weather or an accident. The folks sat on the porch and kept an eye on us through binoculars. Today was no different as we told them of our plan to capture Mr. Frog and take him over to the adjoining lake, Little Ripley. 

We got peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples and some drinks. Soon we were paddling to the lily pads where we suspected the bull frog was living.

“I hear him! Go a little more to the right, see, there are those bulging eyes sticking up. Look how huge he is, bigger than my two hands together, and greenish- brown colors too.”

“Where, I only heard a splash.”

“Stop the boat and let's listen, just be really quiet. He was over there by that lily to the left.”

“Do you see him, under that leaf? Quick!”

I splashed the bread bag-net into the water and after several tries came up with the bull frog! 
“Man, he is huge, no wonder we can hear him at night.”

“I didn't hear a thing except Grandma getting all excited.”

“Oh, he is really interesting! Look at those eyes, he doesn't seem happy to be here in the boat, does he?”

“DON’T let him get out!”

We rowed and rowed, keeping that frog in the plastic bag with some

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