|
a new classic by Edward Summer |
Prologue
When one who is near
Has gone far away,
And two who are unborn
Are both here to stay,
Then three fight together
'Neath sun, moon, and star
With armies of dream stuff
In nighttime turned day.
Then -- only then --
Can battle be won,
Beginning an ending,
The curse all undone.
Yesterday
afternoon....
Chapter One
The Fourth Wish
bright
green frog on a dark green lily pad blinked golden sun sparkles
out of its eyes and fell back to sleep.
"Is that a real frog?" Fred Stephens, at the age of five, had somehow never seen a live frog before. "Can we wish now?"
"Shut up, gas brain!" At the age of ten, Tony Calder already had seen a frog before. Tony hunkered down behind the cattails and secretly hoped that Fred would float away and explode somewhere in the upper stratosphere.
A sudden breeze pushed the cattails closer to the surface of the pond.
Full of mischief, the breeze made the lilypads dance in the sun. The one
holding the frog rocked back and forth like a cradle. The frog stirred
from a dream and turned to shade its eyes from the sun.
"Well, is it a real frog?" asked Fred again.
"Yes, it is a real frog!" said Ginger Stephens, exasperated. Ginger was Fred's older sister. At the age of nine-and-a-half, she too had seen a live frog before. "Now shush!"
"Quiet, bear!" Fred spoke to his small brown teddy bear. He held his index finger up to his lips. Tony thought about stuffing the bear into Fred's mouth. But I guess he'll only be visiting for two days and fourteen hours more, give or take a few minutes, Tony told himself.
Tony signaled for Ginger to follow and began to creep forward toward the edge of the pond.
"It looks like a monster to me," whispered Fred to his bear as he dragged it along the grass.
"I heard that, motor mouth," Tony hissed. Quicksand, Tony thought. I'll lead Fred to the middle, then pretend I don't hear him screaming. But the bear would probably float to the surface for the police to find and spoil everything.
Ginger reached back with her left foot and poked Fred in the arm. She made a face at him, pulling back her lips to reveal flashing teeth. Fred didn't notice.
Slowly, Tony reached out his hand. Drawn by Tony's concentration, Fred crept closer, craning his neck to get a better view, but unable to see past the grass. Then the breeze opened a new peephole. Fred watched as Tony's fingers floated toward the frog.
"It's so big!" whispered Fred in a voice loud enough to wake up rocks.
The frog's yellow eyes popped wide open. Before Tony could blink, the frog jumped into the pond and disappeared underwater.
Tony rolled over onto his side. He shot Fred a look hot enough to dry out a watermelon.
"You're supposed to be quiet until Tony catches him," Ginger said. Hooking her middle finger against her thumb, she snapped it at Fred's shoulder.
"Ouch, don't!"
"Then shut up, dork," she said.
Fred pouted. "No talking, bear!" he scolded. The bear hung upside-down in his armpit.
The frog's eyes surfaced like twin periscopes. They scanned the shores, each eye moving in a different direction. The frog's head disappeared in a flash as Tony turned back toward the pond.
"We'll get him this time," Tony muttered.
Like primitive hunters stalking wild animals, the three children crept through the tangled grass and bushes. Tony had dark hair and dark eyes, but his hair was too short and cut too neatly to look like a primitive hunter. Ginger had long, bright-red braids, and her face was covered with freckles rather than war paint. And Fred was too sandy-haired, too plumply cute to be primitive. Besides no great hunter would be caught dead dragging a teddy bear on a hunt.
Fred, however, trusted the bear in all things and took him everywhere. Its body had been honey-colored when it was new, but now the fur was matted and darkened from decades of loving hugs, tears and furies. And the bear was old before Fred ever got him. Yet the bear's eyes were always fresh. The black center of the light brown glass was as deep as forever. Even the brightest rays of sun could not light up the depth of those eyes. Perhaps this is why Fred always preferred carrying this old bear over all his other new and shiny toys.
This was a nearly perfect day for a hunt. And as everyone knows nearly perfect days hardly ever happen. Fluffy white clouds drifted across a blue sky. Wildflowers - yellow, orange, purple - surrounded bushes loaded with late-summer berries. Grass was fresh from yesterday's rain and this morning's dew. The air smelled of flowers, fruits, grass, wet soil, unseen animals. There was uncommon balance in this day. Everything was precisely in its place, like a patchwork quilt stitched together by chance and the breezes.
The grass swished against Tony's arms. The breezes stopped for a moment and Tony suddenly stopped crawling. Ginger smacked right into him. Only Fred and the bear missed the collision because they were so far behind.
Tony picked himself up, scowled, then pointed. Ginger looked, but saw nothing. Ripples on the water? What?
Fred carefully set the bear down in a sitting position. "Don't move," he said, shaking a finger. Blankly the bear's glass eyes stared at the grass, at the finger, at Fred's backside as Fred crawled away.
The frog was peeking out again. It was hard to tell the difference between its yellow eyes and the sun on the pond, but Tony could. This time the frog saw no threat. It crawled out onto a flat rock - just within Tony's reach.
Tony's heart pounded. This is the biggest frog ever, he thought. This one is worth keeping!
Tony reached out with his right arm balancing his body on his left. He reached out as fast as he could to catch the frog before Fred could scare it off. But Tony reached out so fast that he lost his balance. He rolled in a perfect somersault down the bank, past the duckweed, and fell face first into the pond.
Splash! A mini-tidal wave washed over Tony and the frog. The frog didn't wait to get wet. In a flash, it was off the rock and swimming away.
Ginger giggled. Tony spat out a mouthful of water, squirting the last of it through his front teeth. The early evening wind sprayed it back into his face, then messed up his wet hair affectionately.
"Where'd that frog go anyway?" said Tony offhandedly from the middle of the pond. He cupped his hand and spattered a palm full of water toward Ginger and Fred who were laughing. Tony put on his most intelligent look, trying to appear as though he had planned it all this way. Then he splashed Ginger and Fred again. "Shut up, turds!" he yelled. They moved out of range of the splashing.
Then the wind rippled the water and covered the frog's tracks up the muck of the shore. The wind opened a path in the reeds and the frog hopped along the path. When it came to a tiny clearing in the trees, the frog sat still and blinked, opened its eyes, scanned in all directions. First the right eye, then the left came to rest on the teddy bear sitting just where Fred had left it. With a purring croak, the frog made one leap that carried him to the bear's feet. A second tiny hop carried the frog onto the bear's lap.
In the wind, the bear's ears waved, its head wobbled forward. The brown glass eyes looked down at the frog. The frog's eyes looked up at the bear. Frog and bear sat, transfixed.
"Aw, c'mon, let's go home." Tony shook the water off of himself like a soggy dog. "Who wants to catch frogs, anyway."
"You did," said Fred. "You promised we could wish."
"Shut up, slug." Tony slogged up onto the shore.
"You said we could wish!!"
"Never mind, Fred," Ginger said. "Let's go back to Tony's house.
"I'm bored, anyway," Tony said as he lead a path through the woods. His sneakers squished and left little wet prints in the dust.
"Wait!" cried Fred. "I left Teddy!"
"Well, hurry up and get it," said Tony without missing a step.
Fred thrashed his way back through the tall weeds hunting for his bear.
"Hurry up!" yelled Ginger.
But Fred had stopped dead in his tracks.
"It's here! It's here!" Fred yelled back.
"Just pick the smelly thing up and get back here," Tony said.
"No. Nope! Uh, uh! You do it!" Fred still didn't move.
"You've been picking up that bear your whole life. Just do it!" Ginger ordered.
"Not Teddy," said Fred. "The frog!"
"What?" Tony stopped.
"Teddy caught the frog!"
Tony and Ginger ran to Fred.
They looked down and saw the frog sleeping quietly on the bear's lap.
"Teddy caught him!" said Fred proudly.
"Pretty weird," said Tony. He reached down and lifted the unresisting frog gently off the bear.
"Now tell me how to wish," said Fred. Tony scowled.
"Yeah," said Ginger. "How?"
The frog sat still on Tony's palm.
You put seven fingers on the frog, close your eyes and make a wish."
"Which seven fingers?" asked Ginger.
"Any seven."
"Can you use toes?" Fred asked.
"Cute." Tony answered.
"Are you sure you don't get warts?" Ginger was skeptical. "I've never heard of wishing on frogs before."
Fred, who had been reaching for the frog suddenly pulled back his fingers.
"Nawww," said Tony, "you don't get warts. That's toads and it isn't true anyway." The frog squirmed and then settled down again. It sat quietly, its throat filling with air, then emptying out again.
"But does it work?" Ginger was still skeptical.
"Sure," said Tony. I hope it does, he thought. Anything would be better than this boring summer. Anything.
"I want to wish now." said Fred. Tony almost wished that Fred would disintegrate, but that would have been a waste of a good wish.
"Okay," Tony said impatiently, "you first."
"What should I do?"
"Just what I said. Seven fingers. No toes."
Fred reached out one finger tentatively and touched the frog's back. The frog wriggled and Fred pulled his finger away.
"Go on, " said Ginger. "Hurry up."
Fred placed three fingers from his left hand on the frog (one, two three), then the index, middle and third finger of his right hand (four, five, six). He mouthed the numbers silently as he counted each finger. With some effort he twisted his right hand around and managed to get the baby finger onto the frog's rump. (Seven!)
"I wish..." Fred began.
"Shhhhhh!" cautioned Ginger. "You can't say what you are wishing or it won't come true.
"Oh." said Fred. He looked at Ginger, then at Tony. I wish someone would listen to me, thought Fred, and play with me more than they do. Especially when Ginger and I have to go away from Mom and Dad by ourselves. I don't know who, but... someone. He moved his right pinkie gently along the frog's tail, then looked down at his teddy bear. Fred moved his lips silently.
The frog quivered as though chilled by the breeze. Fred was startled and drew his hands away.
Just as suddenly the frog became still. The reflex that ballooned its throat in and out stopped. The frog held it's breath. A strange croak, like a shockwave, forced its way out of the frog's mouth. The sound echoed inside the frog as if in a cavern instead of a stomach. Tony's arms shook briefly. Then the frog blinked its eyes open and sat there quietly.
"That never happened before," said Tony cautiously. He stared down at the frog, wondering if there was more to this wishing-on-a-frog business than he had thought when he made it all up yesterday. Tony beckoned to Ginger with a turn of his head. "Age before beauty," he said.
"Thanks," said Ginger. Boys are so annoying. She stuck out her tongue at him.
"Go on," Tony said impatiently.
Ginger stared at the frog. Then, from the corner of her eye, at Tony. Oh, I guess he's okay most of the time, she thought. Especially when Mom and Dad are away. At least this empty neighborhood is better than the empty neighborhood that me and Fred live in.
She placed four fingers from her left hand and three from her right onto the frog's back. I'm too old for wishing, she thought, but if it'll make everybody happy, I'll pretend. She touched the frog's delicate skin. Somehow there were exactly enough spots on the frog's green back for her finger tips. Slowly Ginger closed her eyes. Smiling softly, she drew her fingers slowly away from the frog, feeling the silky texture of its shoulders.
Once again, the frog screwed its eyes tightly shut and let out a resonant croak. This time, Tony's arms tingled.
"Hold it for me, okay?" "Tony commanded. He handed the frog to Ginger who held it at arm's length.
The frog sat very still, throat swelling and relaxing. Slowly, Ginger relaxed, bringing the frog closer to her body.. By now it was clear that the frog was not going to hurt anyone or snag her with its long tongue.
Tony closed his eyes tightly. Now this is exciting, he thought. This summer has been so boring. No camp. Mom and Dad going away without me again. All my other friends gone away. Ginger's all right, I guess, for a girl. Fred is a dork, but I can put up with him. It's just that I want something to happen, something new and different. I really WANT this to work, he thought. His eyes snapped open, crackling with excitement!
Concentrating hard, Tony placed four left fingers and three right fingers on the frog. He stared into the frog's bulbous eyes. The bottom lids blinked up and opened again. The frog's throat ballooned out and deflated: once, twice, three times.
Tony took his fingers away. His heart was pounding. He breathed in the sweet air of the forest as he waited for something to happen.
Again the frog was still. The was another long, silent pause. The breeze died, and the leaves in the trees stopped rustling.
The frog shifted its front feet on Ginger's hand, tilted its neck. It became still, and then for the third time, the frog spoke its strange rumbling croak. But this time the sound was so deep that it seemed to resonate from all the secret hollow places inside the earth. The frog's tiny body shook with the impossible sound. Then the breeze returned to the leaves, which shivered with relief.
Tony blinked and exhaled. He suddenly realized that he had been holding his breath, and that his heart was pounding.
"Does that mean you get your wish?" Fred asked.
For once Tony didn't answer. He was stunned.
"Mom doesn't like it if I make noises like that at dinner," Fred said. "She says it's rude, but I can't help it."
"I guess we should let it go now," Tony whispered. Funny, he thought, earlier I wanted to keep it, but now I think we should let it go. "Put it down, Ginger," he said quietly.
"No!" said Fred. "No! Teddy gets to wish!"
Tony and Ginger exchanged looks of disgusted tolerance.
"Sure," said Ginger. "Sure. Okay." She held the frog out toward her brother.
Fred bent down and picked up the bear from behind. " Ready, Teddy?" Fred asked. He nodded the bear's head 'yes.' Fred placed one of Teddy's paws on each side of the frog's back. "Do paws count for fingers?" Fred looked up at Tony.
Tony held back a desire to make vomiting noises. "Yes. Yes. Yes. Just like fingers."
The frog now had a perfect view of the bear's fat, fuzzy brown tummy.
"Make a wish, Teddy, go ahead," Fred said gently.
The breeze was back, blowing across the pond in their direction. With the sun in its eyes, the frog blinked twice, then opened its lips gently.
Suddenly, a plaintive, shrill cry echoed through the woods. Tony looked up. It had come from the sky. A bird. Several birds swept through the tree tops. They called again. It was a sad cry, yet a cry of joy. Join us, they called, but we know you can't. One bird swooped as though drawing a giant smile through the air.
Fred pulled the bear away from the frog and stood, mouth open, looking up at the birds wheeling off through the air into the blinding sun. Tony unconsciously held the frog closer to his chest, protecting it. Perhaps the birds would eat it. Birds ate frogs, didn't they, especially big birds? Ginger shaded her eyes with her hands and tried to follow the birds until her eyes hurt too much from the sun.
"What were they?" she asked. "Hawks?"
"Eagles!" cried Fred. "Big old eagles."
"There aren't any eagles here. It was probably gulls, ugly old gulls,"
said Tony.
Tony sighed. There had been no strange sound with this wish. It is only a stuffed bear after all, thought Tony, not a person.
"Let's go." Tony said. He put the frog down on the ground.
"I want to keep it," said Fred. He squatted down next to the frog.
"It'll be much happier here." Ginger took his arm.
"No! I want it!"
"Shoo!" said Ginger. "Shoo!"
The frog didn't move.
"I'm going back. You guys can stay out here with the wolves if you want to." Tony started off and Ginger galloped after him.
"Wait!" Fred was in a panic. He waddled after them, three of his longest steps to one of Tony's. But his sister and Tony kept on going, so Fred slowed down. He glanced back over his shoulder at the frog, which still had not moved. Fred ran a few more steps and looked back again.
The frog hopped toward him twice. The first hop was only a few inches, but the second one was several feet.
"He wants to come with me!" Fred shouted excitedly.
It seemed to be true. The frog kept hopping toward him. By the time Ginger and Tony turned around, the frog had reached Fred and was sitting next to Fred's untied sneaker.
Tony stopped to think about the situation. A small spotlight of sun seemed to point the way back to the frog, and Tony was powerless to resist it. He felt his feet pulled toward Fred. The frog leapt toward Tony and they met on a bare dusty spot surrounded by soft grass and wildflowers. Ginger was close behind him.
"Do you think we should?" Tony said out loud. Shadows brought a chill into the air. This is too much like one of those dumb commercials with the guy and the woman running across the fields, Tony thought to himself.
Ginger didn't think. She just reached down and picked up the frog. She cradled it against her shirt, tempted to stroke it, but afraid to hurt it.
"Let me! Let me!" begged Fred as he stumbled over to her. His loose sneakers barely stayed on his feet.
"Tie your shoes." Tony said.
Stuffing Teddy into his armpit, Fred bent down and further tangled his shoelaces. "We found him, Teddy and me. So we get to carry him!" Fred stood up.
Okay, time to be the big sister, thought Ginger. Besides, they are both a little yucky. Maybe they belong together. "Here," she said, and placed the large green frog into Fred's small hands, which were already crowded with his teddy bear.
"Don't crush it," said Tony.
Fred shook with excitement. "I won't! I won't! Stop picking on me."
"Don't dawdle, dork," Tony said. He set off again with determination.
Fred started to run after them. Ginger and Tony were simply too fast. "No fair!" Well, I'm tired anyway, thought Fred. So I'll just talk to the frog.
"Say hello to the frog, Teddy," said Fred patiently as he caught his breath. The bear and frog were balanced awkwardly on Fred's chest like an overstuffed shopping bag. They were already scrunched together, face to face. The frog flinched.
"And be nice!" Fred continued. He finally managed to balance the frog on Teddy's legs while cradling them both in his arms. Fred smiled happily.
There, he thought. Everything is nice. We'll catch up and go home and play with Ginger and Tony! And if they don't let us, we'll play by ourselves! He could see Tony locking him out of the bedroom again. Then he had a vision of himself and the bear and the frog playing Chinese checkers together in the living room.
"Gingerrrrrrrrrrrrr! Wait up!" Fred trotted after her. Once again, he became totally absorbed in running. So he didn't notice when something happened.
His teddy bear slowly and carefully winked one small brown-glass eye at the frog. And, joggling up and down on the bear's legs, the frog winked back.
© 1981, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 Edward Summer, All Rights Reserved, Teefr ® is a Registered Trademark
