The Boy and the Frog

 

Once upon a time there was a little boy and a frog.  They had met by accident down at the edge of the pond.  You see, the little boy had decided to skip school one day because he had not studied for an upcoming test.  He didn’t want to get a bad grade and then have to explain a bad report card to his parents, so he thought he would just go to the pond instead of school.

 

With his little stack of books and his small lunch bag he sat on the ground at the edge of the water and just looked out over the surface, seeing the reflections of the clouds overhead.  This is nice, he thought to himself, much better than taking a stupid test.

 

Who are you?

 

The little boy was startled and quickly looked around behind him but saw no one there.  Then again, the voice said, Down here.  I’m down here.

The boy looked down and noticed the frog sitting next to him.  You can talk?

 

The frog nodded and replied, Yes, I can talk.  Who are you?

 

Tommy.  Who are you?

 

You can just call me frog.

 

How is it you can talk?

 

How am I supposed to know that?

 

Tommy looked puzzled and just shrugged.

 

The frog hopped up on Tommy’s little stack of schoolbooks and as he did he said, What are these?

 

Those are my schoolbooks.

 

The frog didn’t say anything, but Tommy could tell he was thinking.  For the next half hour Tommy tried to explain to the frog what schoolbooks were, and what school was all about.

The frog listened intently and never interrupted.  When it looked as if Tommy was done explaining everything the frog finally spoke.

 

So if I understand you correctly you can learn things like metaphysics, logic, ethics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, relativity, social and political philosophy… all of that?

 

I guess so, Tom replied.

 

And these books are the stuff that other people have learned and written down so you can learn it?

 

Tom nodded and then asked the frog, can you read as well as talk?

 

I can, replied the frog, but as you see – I have no thumbs.  I cannot turn the pages.

 

How did you learn to read?

 

I started years ago by reading your street signs.  Once I learned the names of your roads I moved on to just signs in general.

 

Like what?  Tommy asked.

 

Like No littering.  No dogs allowed in the park without a leash, and Parking for Busses Only – all others will be toad.  And then the frog laughed and laughed.

 

Tommy didn’t get it.  What’s so funny?

 

You had to be there, said the frog.