Turtle, Frog, and Rat

often eatin they

Turtle, Frog, and Rat

Turtle, Frog, and Rat

Many years ago Turtle, Frog, and Rat were great friends and shared a home in a field near the ocean. They spent the afternoons sitting in the sun on their front porch, talking. Turtle would often say to Frog, “What fine, smooth skin you have. How it shines and glistens.”

Frog would return the compliment. “And you. No one has a smoother, shinier shell than you.”

Turtle, Frog, and Rat

Then Frog or Turtle would comment admiringly on Rat’s tail, which was covered with long, sleek fur. Thus they passed many hours, drinking tea, conversing, and eating the good things they had gathered from their field.

Then one night a terrible flood came and covered the field. Turtle and Frog were in no danger because they could swim very well, but Rat would have drowned if he had not scurried to the forest and climbed a tall tree.

While he was there he met a beautiful lady rat who thought that he was very handsome. She especially admired his fine, furry tail. After a time they were married, and Rat built a nice tree house for her.

Meanwhile the water level went down, and one day Rat decided to see what had become of his old friends. Their home in the field had been destroyed by the flood, but soon he found Frog and Turtle living nearby.

Turtle, Frog, and Rat

“Friends,” he said, “I’m very glad to see you.”

“And we are glad to see you,” they said. “We were afraid you might have drowned in the flood.”

“No,” replied Rat. “I escaped to the forest, and I now have a new home and a lovely wife. Won’t you come and meet her?”

“Gladly,” they said, and soon they were all on their way to the forest.

When they reached Rat’s house, they saw that it was high in a tree. “Friend Rat,” said Turtle, “you should have told us your home was high in a tree. We cannot climb up there.”

Rat felt terrible, but he thought a minute and said, “I know! You can hold on to my tail with your jaws, and I can pull you up the tree.”

Turtle decided to go first. He took Rat’s tail in his jaws, and Rat began to climb. Frog watched from the ground. When they neared the top, Rat called to his wife, “Look, dear, I’ve brought my friends to visit.”

“Why, hello!” said his wife to Turtle.

Forgetting where he was, Turtle opened his mouth to say hello. Of course, when he did this he loosened his grip, scraping all the hair off Rat’s fine tail before he fell to the ground with a loud thump.

Turtle landed with such force that his once-smooth shell was covered with cracks. Frog was so startled by the sight that his eyes bulged out and warts stood up all over his skin.

Everyone hurried to the foot of the tree. Turtle assured them that he was not hurt. “But look at my shell! It’s ruined!” he cried.

Frog looked at him with his bulging eyes. “Not at all. I think your shell is much more interesting now than when it was smooth,” he said. “But look at me. I have become ugly.”

“No, no,” said Turtle. “I like your bumpy skin. And just think, when you swim in the pond, you will be able to hold your eyes above the water. Don’t you see? This is much better.”

But Rat was the most upset of all. “My beautiful wife won’t love me anymore without my fine furry tail,” he wailed.

“Don’t be silly,” replied his wife. “I will always love you for what you are, not for what you look like.”

And so, you see, they adjusted, and they remained friends for life. But it's a funny thing. Even today, rats have no hair on their tails, Turtles’ shells are cracked, and frogs have bulging eyes and bumpy skin.