Ribbit Wins a Ribbon

  



 

It was a lovely summer day – nice and warm, not too hot. Ribbit hopped down to the pond and decided to tan her legs. She was lying lazily on a lily pad, half asleep. Whenever she felt a little movement in the air, she quickly stuck out her long tongue and caught a fly. Then she caught a grasshopper. Before Ribbit could eat the grasshopper, it cried out “Wait! If I could teach you how to hop better, would you let me go?” Ribbit thought about the frog race that was about to start in the big, open field. Ribbit didn’t enter the races because most of the other frogs were bigger or had stronger legs than her. “OK,” said Ribbit. The grasshopper said, “I’ve been watching all you frogs hop and you’re really not very good at it. Some of you are too big and fat and others hop too hard. That’s why you hop a little bit and then have to rest. I’ll show you how to be a better hopper. When you hop, lean your body forward, push your face up and out and stick out your tongue. That’ll help you hop further with less effort.”

 

Ribbit tried it a few times.  She felt awkward. Once she almost swallowed her tongue on landing. But eventually she got the hang of it. Ribbit thanked the grasshopper and went off to the race. She found the leader, Old Toad. Everyone knew he was the leader because he always said “harrumph” in a deep voice.  He looked down at Ribbit and said “harrumph” which Ribbit thought she could enter the race. Ribbit lined up with the other frogs. Old Toad filled his cheeks with air and blew into his froghorn. The race was afoot.

 

The bigger and stronger bullfrogs jumped off into the lead. Ribbit fell behind but set herself a steady pace. As the race went on, all the frogs started to slow down. They were working too hard. Ribbit kept up her steady rhythm and began passing some of the frogs. Then, near the end, she passed the leaders and won the race.

 

Some of the frogs were hopping mad they lost to Ribbit. Others were green with envy. Still others stuck out their tongues. Ribbit didn’t mind. She knew as long as the other frogs didn’t try to figure out how she won, she would win more races.

 

She had won the green ribbon for coming in first. And a bottle of flies for dinner.

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