Huckleberry Promise

  Fall was coming, and Frog could taste it in the air. Soon it would be time for her to bury deep in the mud and sleep away the winter. But before she said goodbye to the morning light and twinkling stars, what she wanted most of all was a huckleberry.

Long ago, late one summer, a deep purple berry floated downstream, and with a flick of her long tongue, a delicious tang filled her mouth. In that moment she promised herself that some day she would eat another. She was a young frog then. Now, she wasn’t exactly old, but she wasn’t exactly young. And she hadn’t kept her promise to herself.

“Not another fall shall pass without tasting a delicious huckleberry,” Frog croaked to the forest. “Since another berry has not come to me, I will go find one!”

Frog set out that very instant. She hopped upstream all morning, and by noon she was tuckered out.

While resting in the shade of a cedar tree, Frog saw Otter.

“Hi-de-ho!” Frog called out.

“Hi-de-hay!” Otter called back. “What are you doing so far from home?”

“I’m searching for a huckleberry,” Frog said.

“Oh, my! They grow far up the mountain,” Otter replied. “That is ever so far for a frog like you.  Would you like a ride to the waterfall?”

Frog hopped onto Otter’s back and away they went. She had never traveled like Otter before, and she loved it!

Frog spent her first night snuggled under leaves much farther from home than she could have gone by herself. “What an adventure I’m having!” Frog thought as she drifted off to sleep, feeling grateful for her new friend, Otter.

On the second morning, Frog tried to climb the rocks along the waterfall. She hopped from rock to rock to rock, but by afternoon, Frog was less than halfway to the top.

While resting in a shady crevice, Frog saw Hawk land nearby.

“Hi-de-ho!” Frog called out.

“Hi-de-hay!” Hawk called back. “What are you doing so far from home?”

“I’m searching for a huckleberry,” Frog said.

         “Oh, my! They grow far up the mountain,” Hawk replied. “That is ever so far for a frog like you.  Would you like a ride to the stream near where they grow?”

         Frog sat between Hawk’s wings and up they flew. She had never traveled like Hawk before, and she loved it!

         Frog spent her second night nestled in the mud much, much farther from home than she could have gone by herself. “What an adventure I’m having!” Frog thought as she drifted off to sleep, feeling grateful for her new friends, Otter and Hawk.

On the third morning, Frog hopped away from the stream and into the forest, already tasting the delicious huckleberry that would be her dinner.

Frog searched all morning, and all afternoon, and into the evening without ever finding a huckleberry.

Wondering what to do and wanting to find a safe patch of grass for the night, Frog jumped onto a log to get a better view. Just then, Bear came rumbling down the path.

“Hi-de-ho!” Frog called out.

         “Hi-de-hay!” Bear called back. “What are you doing so far from home?”

         “I’m searching for a huckleberry,” Frog said.

         “You are so close!” Bear exclaimed. “It is a short distance for me, but it is ever so far for a frog like you.  Would you like a ride to the best huckleberry patch on the mountain?”

         Frog leapt onto Bear’s broad head, and away they went. She had never traveled like Bear before, and she loved it!

Before she knew it, Frog and Bear were standing in the middle of the huckleberry patch. The deep purple berries shone in the evening’s light.

With a flick of her long tongue, Frog fulfilled her promise. The delicious tang was even better than she remembered.

Frog spent her third night burrowed in the grass next to a huckleberry bush, much, much, much farther from home than she could have gone by herself. “What an adventure I’ve had!” Frog thought as she drifted off to sleep, feeling grateful for her new friends, Otter, Hawk, and Bear.

On the fourth morning, Frog picked a bagful of huckleberries. But because she was a frog, her bag only held three: one for Bear, one for Hawk, and one for Otter.

As she started home, full of huckleberries and gratitude, Frog was already planning her next adventure and wondering who her new friends would be.