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a new classic by Edward Summer |
ot
it!" Tony said as he dropped another grasshopper into a large glass
jar. He screwed the lid on tightly, then shook the jar just to make the
bugs fall off the sides and start up again.
Fred had not caught a single grasshopper. This was because it is difficult
to do with only one hand. His left hand was holding Teddy's left foot.
He dragged the hapless bear first right-side up then upside-down through
the tall grass of the backyard.
Teddy was philosophical about this. He had seen the insides of more drawers and suitcases, been rubbed in the soil of more lawns, dragged along more sidewalks, and banged head first down more staircases than anyone that he had ever met. This was not to mention being chewed upon by various dogs, cats, and small children. So one more bouncing trip across a garden on his head didn't matter. Besides, this was a particularly lovely garden and an especially sunny moment in what was otherwise a dark, overcast, rainy week. There was that rare fragrance of late summer flowers and moist soil that made Teddy wish that the moment would last forever and ever.
Ginger had been hypnotized by the flowers' perfume. Without realizing, she had crawled closer and closer to the rose bushes.
"Do frogs eat crickets?" Tony yelled.
"How should I know?" Ginger yelled back. She was annoyed that he was bothering her. "I don't even think crickets come out in the daytime."
"Well, there's a big black one over here in the shadows."
"So catch it!" She turned back to the roses.
"Big help you are." Tony pounced into the shrubbery.
Ginger gazed at the most beautiful white rose that she had ever seen. The rose had just opened. The petals were still closed, but they had unfurled just enough to show a peek into their snow white center and release their magic scent.
"Do crickets eat frogs?" Fred asked.
"No, poop face. They only eat fat, juicy little boys who carry teddy bears," Tony yelled from the bushes. "Now if you don't shut up, the crickets will come after... you!"
Fred sat down in the grass trying to figure if Tony's threat was true. He finally decided that crickets were too risky and continued to sit quietly.
Ginger turned back to the bush and reached out toward the perfect white
rose. She slid her fingers gently around the stem, then up the smooth,
woody surface hardly daring to touch the rosebud itself.
"Got it!" Tony yelled.
Startled, Ginger closed her fingers. "Ow!" She jerked her index finger back. A small drop of blood had already formed on the tip.
"What?" Tony rushed over.
"Just stabbed myself on that rose."
"Oh. They're hard to pick. The stems are tough." Tony took a red, Swiss Army knife out of his pocket, opened it. "This one?" he asked.
Ginger nodded.
Tony snipped off the perfect white rose and handed it to Ginger. "Hey, careful, you're bleeding," Tony said.
Asmall spot of bright red blood had fallen into the center of the rose.
Fred hopped over to Ginger and Tony doing his best grasshopper imitation. Teddy counted each of the eleven times that his face was shoved into the grass as Fred hopped on all fours across the back lawn.
"What's that?" Fred asked.
"A rose, Einstein." Tony handed the flower to Fred. "Here, go put it in water or something."
"Why do I have to do it?" Fred asked.
"'Cause," Tony said. He held up the bottle of grasshoppers and pointed
to the shiny black cricket.
Fred stood up nervously and immediately walked away toward the house. With his back turned, he made every ugly face he could think of at Tony.
"Let's see that," Tony grabbed Ginger's hand the way the doctors did on the "General Hospital" soap opera that his mother watched. "Hmmm, not too bad! But we should put a sterile dressing on it."
"Gimme a break," Ginger said, but she let Tony keep holding her hand.
With Teddy under one arm and the rose in his other hand, Fred figured the only way to open the door was to put the rose into his mouth like a Spanish contessa. He stood on tiptoes and grabbed the knob. As the door slammed behind him, he looked out through the screen and saw Tony and Ginger walking toward him very slowly.
Still holding the rose in his mouth, Fred ran all the way upstairs. Suddenly, he tripped on Dunkey, who was still lying in the hallway, and fell flat on his face.
"Ginger never puts her toys away!" Fred mumbled as he got up. He grabbed Dunkey by the tail and pulled him down the hall and into the bedroom. He dropped Dunkey on top of a pile of other toys at the foot of Ginger's bed.
"What should we do with this dumb rose?" Fred addressed the question vaguely to the whole bedroom. He looked around, then went over to the lower bunk and tucked in his bear. "Why don't you take a nap, Teddy?"
Ahhhh, Teddy thought with relief. It is so good to be rightside up again. He leaned back onto the pillow.
"Yuck." Fred took the rose out of his mouth. "I wouldn't want to have to eat these!" He glanced over toward the window, then got an idea.
"I wonder if frogs eat roses." Fred mused. He clambered up onto the chair
next to the terrarium. The frog's eyes followed Fred as he slid back the
lid. Water droplets splashed off and onto the moss and plants. Leaning
way over, Fred reached into the terrarium and stuck the rose in the sandy
soil right next to a rock. With some difficulty, he pulled back the glass
lid, almost closing the top. Then he hopped down onto the floor to admire
his handiwork.
The frog stared up at the white rose which towered over him.
"Not bad!" Fred announced. He turned and ran toward the door. "Now be good, Teddy, and watch the rose!" In a flash, Fred was out the door and ran down the stairs.
"Psst!" Dunkey called from the floor. "You never told him about the sniffy thing with the claws."
"Oh! I saw it again in the basement! But it disappeared!" Teddy sat up on the pillow to see Dunkey better. "Scared me so much I forgot what I was doing. Then, there was too much going on."
"Hmmmph," Dunkey snorted. "So, when are you going to tell them?
"I don't know." Teddy rested his head on his chin. His forehead began to wrinkle. "I need a plan."
"Tonight."
"Yeah, tonight," Teddy agreed. "Huh? Who said that?"
"Tonight," said the deep rolling voice once again."
"The frog did," Dunkey answered looking up at the terrarium.
Both of the stuffed animals stared, but the frog had closed its eyes. It looked asleep. Tiny bubbles trickled out of its mouth and upward through the water.
"Tonight," Teddy said softly to himself.
The bear settled back upon the pillow to await the fall of darkness.
(c)1980,1997 Edward Summer,
All Rights Reserved under the Berne Convention, All Characters TM, R
(c) 1981, 1996. 1997
Edward Summer, All Rights Reserved
Mrs. Seel, Theadore Rosebear,
Dunkey Hotie, Tony Calder, Ginger Stephens, Fred Stephens, Teefr, Reon
are all (TM) (R)
created 3/7/97
revised 11/2/97, 11/21/99
