Toad and Frog are Friends

"'Flora told me like this, 'Toad and Frog has been friends for eight years,'" the Moon told a story after saying Basmalah and Salaam. "Then Flora added, 'Frogs fall out of my mouth when I talk. Toads, too.

Toads were easier. Toads are tough. After awhile, I learned to feel when a word was a toad and not a frog. I could roll the word around on my tongue and get the flavor before I spoke it. Toad words were drier. Desiccated is a toad word. So is crisp and crisis and obligation. So are elegant and matchstick.

Frog words were a bit more varied. Murky. Purple. Swinging. Jazz. Love is a frog word, if spoken earnestly—but I doubt his sincerity, and a toad word if spoken sarcastically. Frogs are not good at sarcasm. Toads are masters of it.

I go to vernal pools and whisper sonnets that turn into wood frogs. I say the words squeak and squeal and spring peepers skitter away into the trees. They begin singing almost the moment they emerge. Then I read long legal documents to a growing audience of Fowler’s toads, who blink their goggling eyes up at me. I am practicing reading modernist revolutionary poetry aloud. Here. Listen. I’ll tell you some stories!

One day, Frog ran up the path to Toad’s house. He knocked on the front door. There was no answer. 'Toad, Toad!' shouted Frog,'wake up. It is spring!'

'Blah,' said a voice from inside the house. 'Toad, Toad!' cried Frog. 'The sun is shining! Wake up!'

'I am not here,' said the voice. Frog walked into the house. It was dark.

All the shutters were closed. 'Toad, where are you?' called Frog. 'Go away,' said the voice from a corner of the room. Toad was lying in bed.

He had pulled all the covers over his head. Frog pushed Toad out of bed. He pushed him out of the house and onto the front porch.

Toad blinked in the bright sun. 'Help!' said Toad.'I cannot see anything.' 'Don’t be silly,' said Frog. 'What you see is the clear warm light of April.

And it means that we can begin a whole new year together, Toad. Think of it,' said Frog.

'We will skip through the meadows and run through the woods

and swim in the river. In the evenings we will sit right here on this front porch and count the stars.'

'You can count them, Frog,' said Toad. 'I will be too tired. I am going back to bed.' Toad went back into the house.

He got into the bed and pulled the covers over his head again.

'But, Toad,' cried Frog, 'you will miss all the fun!'

'Listen, Frog,' said Toad. 'How long have I been asleep?'

'You have been asleep since November,' said Frog. 'Well then,' said Toad, 'a little more sleep will not hurt me. Come back again and wake me up at about half past May. Good night, Frog!'

'But, Toad,' said Frog, 'I will be lonely until then.' Toad did not answer.

He had fallen asleep. Frog looked at Toad’s calendar. The November page was still on top. Frog tore off the November page. He tore off the December page. And the January page, the February page,

and the March page. He came to the April page. Frog tore off the April page too.

Then Frog ran back to Toad’s bed. 'Toad, Toad, wake up. It is May now.'

'What?' said Toad. 'Can it be May so soon?'

'Yes,' said Frog. 'Look at your calendar.'

Toad looked at the calendar. The May page was on top. 'Why, it is May!' said Toad as he climbed out of bed. Then he and Frog ran outside to see how the world was looking in the spring. Then Frog ran back to Toad’s bed. 'Toad, Toad, wake up. It is May now.'

'What?' said Toad. 'Can it be May so soon?'

'Yes,' said Frog. 'Look at your calendar.'

Toad looked at the calendar. The May page was on top. 'Why, it is May!' said Toad as he climbed out of bed. Then he and Frog ran outside to see how the world was looking in the spring.

One day in summer, Frog was not feeling well. Toad said, 'Frog, you are looking quite green.'

'But I always look green,' said Frog. 'I am a frog.'

'Today you look very green even for a frog,' said Toad. 'Get into my bed and rest.'

Toad made Frog a cup of hot tea. Frog drank the tea, and then he said, 'Tell me a story while I am resting.'

'All right,' said Toad. 'Let me think of a story to tell you.' Toad thought and thought. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog, 'cause he felt he had no brain at all. 'I will go out on the front porch and walk up and down,' said Toad. 'Perhaps that will help me to think of a story.' Toad walked up and down on the porch for a long time. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog.

Then Toad went into the house and stood on his head. 'Why are you standing on your head?' asked Frog. 'I hope that if I stand on my head,

it will help me to think of a story,' said Toad. Toad stood on his head

for a long time. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog. Then Toad poured a glass of water over his head.

'Why are you pouring water over your head?' asked Frog. 'I hope that if I pour water over my head, it will help me to think of a story,' said Toad.

Toad poured many glasses of water over his head. But he could not think of a story to tell Frog.

Then Toad began to bang his head against the wall. 'Why are you banging your head against the wall?' asked Frog. 'I hope that if I bang my head against the wall hard enough, it will help me to think of a story,' said Toad. 'I am feeling much better now, Toad,' said Frog. 'I do not think I need a story anymore.'

'Then you get out of bed and let me get into it,' said Toad, 'because now I feel terrible.'

Frog said, 'Would you like me to tell you a story, Toad?'

'Yes,' said Toad, 'if you know one.'

'Once upon a time,' said Frog, 'there were two good friends, a frog and a toad. The frog was not feeling well. He asked his friend the toad

to tell him a story. The toad could not think of a story. He walked up and down on the porch, but he could not think of a story. He stood on his head, but he could not think of a story. He poured water over his head, but he could not think of a story, . He banged his head against the wall, but he still could not think of a story, 'cause he felt he had no brain at all. Then the toad did not feel so well, and the frog was feeling better. So the toad went to bed and the frog got up and told him a story. The end. How was that, Toad?' said Frog. But Toad did not answer. He had fallen asleep.

Frog and Toad used to have the same custom Japstyle motorcycle, but frog sold it and bought a custom 'Night Rod' Harley. Understandably, since being appointed as Commissioner of a State-Owned Enterprise, his salary is fantastic.

Once they went out together using their respective vehicles. Until at an intersection, Toad stopped. Frog asked, 'What's wrong Toad?'

'I can't decide whether to turn or to go straight,' Toad answered. He couldn't decide, because he felt like he had no brains at all. Frog was waiting for Toad to decide. He rembered an old saying, 'If words fail, then rhythm would prevail.' Then Frog sang,

Biasa sa cinta satu sa pinta

[At what I'd love, one I ask for]

Jang terlalu mengekang rasa

[Don't be too restrained]

Karna kalau sa su bilang

['Cause when I've said so]

Sa trakan berpindah karna su sayang

[I won't leave because I already love]

Jangan kau berulah sa trakan mendua

[Don't act up, I won't be duplicitous]

Cukup jaga hati biar tambah cinta

[Just take care of your heart so that I'll love you more]

Karna kalau sa su bilang

['Cause when I've said so]

Sa trakan berpindah karna su sayang *)

[I won't leave because I already love]

The Moon said, 'Flora ended her story by saying, 'I learned one day that amphibians are going extinct all over the world, that some of them are vanishing. You go to ponds that should be full of toads and find them silent. There are a hundred things responsible—fungus and pesticides and acid rain.

When I heard this, I cried “What!?” so loudly that an adult African bullfrog fell from my lips and I had to catch it. It weighed as much as a small cat. I brooded about toads for weeks after that, and then eventually, I decided to do something about it. But I cannot fix the things that kill them. One of the cause, is their own fault, too much love for the trust entrusted to them, so they don't want to return it.

Another cause, that toads are always breaking their own rules. Once, they said calmly, 'Rules are made to be broken!' I remember when toads were gathering in a stadium. The toads leader, in his speech about 'grey hair' and the way he shakes hands with world leaders—as if Inyong just managed to shake hands with his idol, and how he speaks English during interviews, reminding me of Latka Gravas, a fictional character on the television sitcom Taxi portrayed by Andy Kaufman. A sweet-natured and lovable-but-goofy mechanic.

But that's not the problem. The problem is, the stadium will be used for FIFA U-20 World Cup, so the toads prohibited anyone to occupy it. They broke the prohibition they made. So, when they were asked, 'Why?' they respond, 'It's not a stadium, it's a pond, and rules don't apply to toads anyway!' And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- T. Kingfisher, Toad Words and Other Stories, Red Wombat Tea Company
- Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad are Friends, Caldecott Honor Book
*) "Karna Su Sayang" written by Immanuel Andra

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