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”
Those animals are far to smart – make sure they don’t get hold of Animal Farm 😉
hmm. lock up your books, a little knowledge would be a dangerous thing out here c
I like John’s comment – “Frog Whisperer” – but then, I think you whisper in just about every language Celi! Which is one of the things we so like about you!
whisper, whisper, whisper… c
Oh the poor darling little froggy – I am sure he is eternally grateful to you for placing him back in his garden.
Have a beautiful day C.
🙂 Mandy
Yes indeed frogs do cry and then they croak. Quite sad, really. Now answer me this–why did Pharoah want to spend one more night with the frogs? I have never figured that one out. Have you? HF
You have a symbiotic relationship with all the creatures on the farmy, so the frogs also… he/she was gorgeous. Great you are getting rain & growth while it’s still warm.
I so admire how you notice the life around you and then share it so perfectly with us. Makes me feel like I am a shareholder of the farmy 🙂
What a dear little frog. It takes great stillness and patience to approach a frog, and it was remarkable that you achieved this with a doggy companion at your side. The bees seem to be forming a chain, passing something along it. I love to see that grass doing so well.
what an amazing frog story, i wish i could have read his mind………………
Maybe he’s a prince!!
Methinks Will Shakespeare said ‘All’s well that ends well’! Pity you did not have the time to quietly stay back and listen to the probable ‘Froggie Concerto’ as the story of your kindness and understanding was passed on in choral fashion 🙂 !
Precious little frog. I could hardly bear to read about his terror. Thank heavens he was in the right place at the right time with the right person. I think that all life forms must feel terror, or why would fish flee other fish, and rabbits know about stoats without anyone telling them…
Lovely story with a happy ending, Celi, thanks to you!
Hi Celia, sorry I have been away and just catching up on blogs! YEs I have experienced frog screams, unfortunately because one of our cats has got hold of them. The screaming seems to work quite well, along with the slime they give off, our cats are put off very quickly and leave the little froggies alone.
So when are going to start writing those children’s books? I know you are a tad busy but you are so talented. Take Care, BAM
“I noticed that the bees were holding hands in the early morning.”
Usually when the bees make chains like that they are creating wax, linking together helps increase their body warmth to secrete wax. But that’s usually done inside the hive, not outside like that, so I’m not sure why they’re holding hands – very mysterious.
Hope Mary’s cat comes back to you when he is ready. My Bob went missing for three months before we got him back.
Hmm. They have three full supers too. How interesting.. thank you for the info..c
It’s true, 6 a.m. is very dark these days……
good luck in your search for Mary’s Cat!