Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: START (02/25/16)
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TITLE: The Tadpole's Tale | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gerald Shuler
03/03/16 -
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“Change? I'm going to change into a Bullfrog?” Timmy darted around his mother. “I don't want to be a Bullfrog... I love being a tadpole.”
“Of course you do, Timmy. But, still, all tadpoles change when they grow up.” She smiled to try easing Timmy a little bit. “Your Daddy and I were once tadpoles. You will love being a big Bullfrog like your Dad.”
“No I won't. I refuse to change!”
From that day on Timmy's mind remained fix on that one goal. He would NOT change.
It wasn't long before the entire pond knew there was a tadpole that thought he would always be a tadpole. It became the favorite joke of all the pond residents. Even the fish laughed about it. Once a huge carp had the opportunity to devour Timmy but, instead, let him go free.
“There is no way I'm going to eat you, tadpole. The entire pond wants to watch you change into a frog.” The carp snickered at the thought. “I'll eat you then.”
Timmy didn't care what others thought. He loved being a tadpole. He loved wagging his tail as he sped past others. He loved the way water felt as it filtered through his gills. He couldn't think of a single thing he didn't love about being a tadpole.
Soon, though, other tadpoles started coming around to show off changes that had started in them. Little stubs were beginning to grow on them. “This will be my hind legs. And this is my front legs.” And just to make sure he noticed, they would add “It won't be long before you start to change.”
Truthfully, Timmy had been noticing something different in his body. He was certain, though, that it wasn't the dreaded change. He would hate being a Bullfrog. No tail. No gills. No pond. No, he refused to change. He would wrap himself tightly in pond weeds to keep the changes from coming.
But pond weeds didn't help.
Soon the changes were impossible to hide. Little legs were growing even through the pond weed wrap and his tail was beginning to get shorter and shorter every day. Swimming was getting so difficult that he finally removed the weeds and learned to use his growing legs to move about. Worst of all, though, his gills were disappearing. Breathing was so hard he had to make frequent trips to the pond surface just to breathe the air. Try as he did, Timmy could not stop the changes that had begun. Without even realizing it had happened, Timmy had become a Bullfrog. Timmy had failed. It was time to go on to dry land.
As he took his first steps out of the water he noticed things he had never seen before. The moon seemed larger and a warm breeze brushed his skin gently. He heard the sounds of the land creatures more clearly than ever. Katydids and crickets played their music as Bullfrogs bellowed their booming accompaniment. Leaves on trees danced joyously as the deer drank peacefully from the pond.
Timmy had never known such beauty.
The wonder of it all took his breath away. He gasped in a huge amount of air and, as he did, his throat expanded like a party balloon. Taken by surprise, he exhaled quickly.
“Booorrrooooooook!”
That wonderful sound came from Timmy! His voice had changed and was now deeper and more resonant than he could have ever imagined. Why had he ever wanted to remain a tadpole?
Life as a Bullfrog was going to be great.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11
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Blessings~
I like the parallels that wrap up your story, though it may cause some readers to be tadpol-arised.
Blessings~