This is going to sound like a Tall Tale but I swear it is true. Yesterday morning began as an ordinary day. I milked Daisy the cow. Then Queenie Wineti convinced me that the cows should be allowed out on the greening grass for a bit. Daisy has been schooling her in the Intense Look. It works.
The grass is growing.. really growing. Beautiful. But not tall enough for these big mouths yet so only a few hours at a time. 
Only we can look at a lovely pile of cow poo and think – fertiliser, exciting stuff! I fed the chickens, and ‘Get Fat Right Now’ -Big Bobby, the steer and Hairy MacLairy, the ram. Looked for the lost cat, still no sign of him.
Mama and Minty were told – No it is neither hot nor Winter, you are not coming into the barn!
I fed the Baby Bobby and then the Shush Sisters. And Charlotte that is not your best side. 
Camera who was behaving badly in my left hand the whole time.
While walking with the dogs down the back I passed the long puddle in the drive and there was a tiny bright green and yellow frog sat in there. I told Ton to go Down, which he did, then slowly I went down too so as to get a shot of this funny looking little frog in a big puddle. Lucky Mary’s Cat is on Walkabout, I said to the frog. This little frog went into a spasm of leaping, jumping and springing around and around. No way I could focus on him. His behaviour was quite manic and almost circular. Then suddenly he came to a halt right in front of me, his legs spread out behind him, then he swam slowly towards my eye in the camera, he lifted his head up out of the puddle and I stopped breathing preparing to take the shot. His little black eye caught my eye through the viewfinder. Then he opened his mouth into the perfect parody of a wide mouth frog and he cried out to me. eeeeee eeeee. eeeee eeeee.
It was an other worldly sound. Tinny, tiny, a thin reed of a scream. I cannot describe it. Put your head right back. Screw your face up and close your throat, stretch you mouth out really wide, then force a little air and sound right through the back of your closed throat. Make a flat high E sound… eeee -as high as you can go. Now do it again. This is what I heard. A desperate strangled cry. But pointed, aimed directly at me. Do Frogs cry. This little frog was crying with terror. The frog cried out to me. I have never heard anything like it. Why did he do that? Why did he call out? Why didn’t he just bounce away. Then he just froze and waited. Everything was silent.
I put Camera down by my downed dog. Crept forward and carefully picked up the little frog and rising with him I carried him to the frog garden. In my cupped hands he only moved to stretch once and reposition his muscly legs. Otherwise he was quite still. Do frogs play possum or was it almost dead I thought.
There you are, I said, as I opened my hands to make a ramp. He hopped slowly in under the frog garden board walk. Plop. And was gone.
This is the only shot Camera gave me, but you can see his little eye watching as he swam through the puddle towards me.
A very strange messenger frog.
Yet it was an oddly satisfying encounter. 
The dogs and I proceeded on our walk looking for Mary’s Cat and I noticed that the bees were holding hands in the early morning. I don’t know why. Yesterday morning was full of mysteries.
Good morning. It is still dark. Almost 6 am and quite dark. But our day begins anyway.
Have a lovely day. Watch out for puddles.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
86 responses to “Frogs cry”
How very odd…I’ve been around frogs of all sorts since childhood, and never heard one make that sound, even when I was about to grab one.
Has the vet come back to check Daisy for pregnancy yet? Seems like the time should be soon, but my brain is, admittedly, muddled these days.
Ok, EVERY day…
Thank you for reminding me, I will txt the vet and see when she is coming, I know it is at least a month after.. c
Isn’t blogging and friendship and life amazing. When you said “Put your head right back….” I did. Sitting at my kitchen table waiting for my lunch to cook, crying out “eeeeee”
I’m none the wiser why I did it or why the frog cried.
Well done Claire, without sound in the Weblog world we have to make our own!! c
Yes, frogs cry. Hooked a frog once when I was fishing as a kid. My grandfather snipped the hook and removed it, but not before we saw a tear form in the corner of the frog’s eye. Still makes me sad and sorry.
what a sad story.. it is hard being a kid.. thank goodness you had your grandfather there to release it.. c
I love frogs, so very much appreciate this untall tale. Our garden in France is full of them this year. More than any other. I’ve heard it’s a sign of a happy ecosystem…do you know if there’s any truth in that?
I don’t know. But it seems like a logical assumption.. frogs need clean water and that would be essential to a happy ecosystem.. Lovely to have lots of them in your garden too.. c
Unsettling. I experienced this as a distress call from frogs across the world, channelled through one to you. Fanciful I know and not possible, but in a slightly different world…
It certainly was a distress call of some kind, I just do not understand why he did not run away when he was running about.. c
What a funny little frog! He must have been trying to tell you something. So nice of you to put him in a safer spot. He’s a pretty little thing, isn’t he? 🙂
i have not seen this frog before, but i guess they are around.. c
What an amazing experience, Celi. Odd, yet a very intimate bond with a wee beast! I think it might have unsettled me quite a bit. I wonder how long you’ll feel the absence of Mary’s Cat. A few of my cats through the years didn’t linger to say their goodbyes. I always felt sad about that. Blessings on your abundant day, dear C. Debra
It was unsettling Debra, it certainly felt personal even though it could not be.. i mean he was a frog after all.. OH NO.. what if he was a prince begging for a kiss! Oh no i just thought of that.. c
Morning, c. What I know about frogs you could fit on a pin prick. Zilch. Enjoyable post. I love a mystery.
Morning Misky.. c
I have never heard a frog cry; but, alas, I pay little attention to creepy crawlies…or slippery slimies..or tiny, fast and furries…Not that I wish them any harm ..I simply do my best avoid them – hoping in turn they will avoid me,
Love the shot of Mamma and Mia.
I will be checking back to see if there are any explanations for such behavior, or sightings of Mary’s Cat.
Be well , enjoy your day,
Jess
Aren’t the sheep CLEAN! All that rain.. c
I said a prayer today for Mary’s Cat’s safe return home. Some people might think that too trivial for prayer, but I have had God answer some of those types of prayers in very sweet ways. My favorite was the time while walking dogs at the Humane Shelter, a workman brought in two puppies from outside and told the director, in my hearing, that there had been three puppies but he couldn’t find the third. I started walking the dog I had chosen for the afternoon, but said a prayer that the pup would be safe and found soon as I left the Shelter. Coming back, I heard a strange noise coming out of a storage shed where all had been silent before, and lo and behold, there was the third pup! Hang in there! Stay dry!
what a lovely story and thank you for the prayers.. c
Spa Day at the hive; lining up for their manicures 🙂 what a cute frog story – reminds me I must build a Froggy Palace near my pond. Hope you had a good day. Laura
Bet those frogs love your pond.. plop is such a froggie word don’t you think.. c
Another feather for your cap, “Frog Whisperer.” I’ve never heard or seen anything like that poor frog. Amazing how fast the fields have responded to the rain. Good for your animals! Great shots of the bees and Charlotte, too!
Have a great day, Celi
This place is like the desert, the moment it started to rain it started to grow, heaving itself up.. it is almost spring like.. c
This sounds like a lovely walkabout, with a huge cast of interesting characters. The little frog was definitely the star.
Thank you tara and welcome the the farmy.. c
Wow. What a cute froggy!
My MIL thinks it might be a tree frog.. do you think? c
You must have saved him….or at least I think you did! Even if you didn’t he found a wonder place to be instead of a puddle whereby he could have been walked on or driven on!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
That is true, that puddle is right in the traffic way, not a safe spot for a wee frog by any stretch of the imagination! c