All Frogs Need Friends

Once upon a time, there was a tadpole named Timmy. Timmy lived in a pond full of all sorts of fishes, like basses and trouts. They swam around the pond with their fins and tails. Timmy didn't have any fins, but he did have a tail that helped him swim around just like the other fishes.

Timmy wanted to make some friends, so Timmy swam toward a school of fish.

"Hello, my name is Timmy, Timmy the Tadpole," said Timmy to a smaller fish. "What is your name?"

"My name is Susan, Susan the Small-mouthed Bass," said the fish. "Are you new around here?"

"Yeah," answered Timmy. "I don't have any friends here. I hoped you could be my friend."

"Not a problem," said Susan with delight. "You look nothing like any other fish I have ever met. Let me show you to all of my friends."

Susan introduced Timmy to her other fish friends. Susan's friends were amazed by Timmy's lack of fins. They began to play and swim with Timmy, as though he was a fish just like them.

Every day, Timmy would play with Susan and her friends. Soon, Timmy and Susan became best friends. Timmy was good friends with everyone in the school of fish.

One day, Timmy felt strange. He didn't know, but he felt like he changed. Not only that, but every other fish was looking at him strangely.

Timmy came to Susan and the school of fish. "What happened to you?" asked Susan shockingly.

Timmy was confused. "What wrongs?" he asked.

"You grew legs," Susan said.

Timmy turned his head and saw two little legs sticking out of his back. He didn't have those before. Timmy realized why all of the other fish looked at him differently. It was because he was different.

"Oh! You are one of those frogs!" shouted Ben the Big-mouthed Bass, one of Susan's friends. "You are not even a fish! Why are you hanging out with us? This is a school of fish."

"Hey!" Susan said to Ben. "That's not very nice. Timmy is still our friend, even if he is not a fish. We can still play together."

"No way!" exclaimed Ben. "He is a frog, not a fish, and frogs can't be friends with fish. Soon, Timmy is going to grow all o his legs. He will be able to go above the water and leave us here alone."

Ben and other fish in the school began to swim away from Timmy. Susan still stayed with Timmy.

Timmy frowned and asked, "Hey Susan, what is a frog?"

"Frogs are amphibians that lived on the other side of the pond," answered Susan. "Unlike fish, they can live on the land."

Timmy looked down and held himself back from crying. Susan noticed how sad Timmy was, now that all of the school left him.

"It's okay, Timmy," said Susan. "Even though you are a frog, I will still play with. I promise I will always be your best friend."

Timmy swan with tiny legs to where the school of fish always was, but all the fish would swim away from him whenever he went there. Susan didn't leave Timmy, though. Just as she promised, Susan played with Timmy.

Even though many of the fish didn't play or talk to him anymore, Timmy remained happy. He was now excited to grow his legs out and go on the land. He hoped that maybe he would make some new friends. Susan still would be his best friend, but the idea of more new friends excited Timmy.

After some time, Timmy finally became a full-grown frog. He was now ready to go above the water.

"Goodbye, Timmy!" said Susan joyously. "Have fun!"

Timmy waved goodbye to Susan and head to the land.

Timmy couldn't believe what he saw when he came above the water. The ground was covered with green hair. Coming out of the ground were long brown pillars with the same green hair. Above those pillars was a gigantic blue blanket.

Timmy hopped around met a brown furry thing about his size. "Hello," Timmy said. "I am new around here. What's your name?"

"I am Sid the Squirrel," said the furry thing. "Where are you from?"

"I am from the pond," said Timmy. "My name is Timmy the Frog. By the way, I have a couple of questions I want to ask."

"Go ahead," said Sid the Squirrel.

"What is this green hair on the ground?" asked Timmy.

"That isn't green hair," said Sid. "That is grass."

"Okay. What are those brown pillars?" asked Timmy.

"They aren't brown pillars," said Sid. "They are trees."

"Uh-huh. What is that blue blanket?" asked Timmy.

"That isn't a blue blanket," said Sid. "That is the sky."

"Wow," said Timmy. "There is so little I know about this place. Can you be my friend and maybe show me around?"

Sid laughed at Timmy. "Your friend?" Sid said. "Why would I be your friend? You are nothing like me. You have a big mouth with no teeth, while I have a small mouth with big teeth. You are slimy and gooey, while I am soft and furry. You are green, while I am brown. You are too weird and ugly to be my friend." Sid ran off, still laughing at Timmy.

The sun was setting and night took over the sky. Timmy stood alone on the land, feeling sadder than he ever felt before in his life. Fish in the pond thought he was strange and Animals on the land thought he was strange. No one wanted to be his friend anywhere he went. He was all alone.

The worse part, Timmy thought, was that Sid was right. Timmy looked at his reflection on the pond and thought that he was weird and ugly. He had beady eyes and an oversize mouth. He was slimy and gooey. He was green. Timmy began to cry as he realized that he was too weird and too ugly to be anyone's friend.

All of the sudden, two green things hopped out of the water and onto the land. Timmy was frightened and hopped back, but he couldn't believe what he saw. It was two other frogs!

"Hello there," said one of the frogs. "My name is Fiona, Fiona the Frog, and this my friend Fred."

"Hello," said Fred, waving his hand.

"You look sad," said Fiona. "Are you okay? What is your name?"

Timmy was still filled with shock and excitement. "My name is Timmy," he answered excitedly. "Timmy the Frog. I am new around here and I don't really have any friends."

"Well," said Fred. "All the frogs are on the side of the pond. I am sure you will find some friends."

They hopped together to the other side of the pond. When they got there, Timmy saw hundreds of frogs hopping everywhere. He began to smile and cry at the same time.

Just a moment, Timmy was the saddest he ever felt. Now, he was the happiest he has ever been. For a second, he thought he was too ugly for anyone, but now he feels accepted.

Timmy wasn't alone, as long as he was other frogs. The truth is all frogs need friends because no one else can be their friend.