Sting No More

The trees swayed around the edge of a pond. waterlilies pink, and white stood picture perfect amidst the dark dredges of water, circled around by floating green leaves. A leap to the edge. A youngster learning the prowess of his springing frolics. As he jumped, a voice echoed through his head.

My young leaper, jump the edges but beware of tiny dangers.

Jeremiah looked around. Miniscule flecks of pollen in the air held no harm. The grass blades posed no threat. Mother nature felt in sync.

Still his mother's voice lingered between his ears. What kind of dangers does she mean?

Continuing to prance, splashing in the warm pond water, he played, and swam near the edge. His mother, father, two brothers and two sisters habitats were on the other side of the pond.

It was quiet without the voices of his family. He missed the mischief of play with his siblings. Wanting to cross the pond, he heard a voice.

"Young frog, how do you do today?"

Jeremiah looked high, then low. The voice spoke again.

'Look to the ground, my young friend.'

Low and behold an eight-legged arachnid crawled nearer. Jeremiah's legs began to tingle. Could this be the danger mother was speaking about?

The adolescent frog looked all around to find guidance. But not another frog or insect was in sight. He looked towards the pond, and his family waiting for him on the other side. Jeremiah leapt up into the air and an inch or two away from the talking set of legs.

Jeremiah sniffed the air for a scent. But nothing appealing came through. What to do he thought? I’ve never come across an eight-legged hairy little beast.

The sun beat down on both players in nature. He looked down at the creature.

“I did not mean to scare you my new friend. I have come to ask for your help to cross the pond.” The scorpion was kind and frank with her new friend.

“Umm, ribbit.” A bit of gibberish came out of Jeremiah’s mouth. He was speechless.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Sally. I am a scorpion, a type of spider. I am separated from my friends and family from across the pond. You must know how it feels to be far from those you care for?”

Jeremiah's heart strings tugged at Sally's plight. But he was cautious.

"Who are you, and how did you end up here?"

I came across the pond to find my friends, but they are not here."

"oh!" mumbled the naive amphibian.

Sally continued her story, sharing how lonely she was, and that she needed his help.

Jeremiah's leg tingled again. He recalled a conversation his parents gave all five young frogs. Beware of kind creatures. Some sting, and some will eat you. After that talk, his parents showed all five siblings which insects were safe to eat, and which to avoid. The hairy eight-legged creature was one to avoid.

“How can I help as I am a mere little frog?”

"I came across the pond on another frog. And now I am alone," Sally elicited much sympathy from Jeremiah's young mind.

"What happened to the frog you came across on? Where is he now?" Jeremiah's curiosity got the better of him. The story of old uncle Allan had been retold a few days back. He went across the pond, and was found dead floating among the underbrush of reeds. A sting to his skin it seemed.

Sally paused. "I think he died, he was old and tired."

Jeremiah leapt away, and yelled, 'did you kill uncle Allan?" He was shivering and now frozen as he glared at the scorpion.

Sally looked sad. "I am sorry about your uncle Allan. I am a scorpion by birth and by nature." Jeremiah studied her as he digested her confession.

"I'm sorry too." The young amphibian felt sorrow mingled with fear.

"But I am trying to change, and will do my best."

Jeremiah was staring a potential death in the face.

"I don't think so. I don't want to die." Jeremiah was honest to the scorpion.

"I don't want you to die either my young friend."

Jeremiah paused, believing the scorpion wanted to change. He looked across the pond, wanting to see his family. But would he if he gave the scorpion a ride to the other side with him.

“I don’t know, Sally. You killed my uncle; how do I know you won’t do the same to me?”

Sally nodded, as her legs danced beneath her on the spot. “I understand my friend, like I said before I will do my best.”

Jeremiah leapt up into the air, hitting the underbrush of a green leaf and pod, which he grabbed with his webbed feet.

Jeremiah jolted down into the pond under a large waxy waterlily leaf. He pulled the leaf from the lotus flower, and asked the scorpion to jump.

"Jump where, Jeremiah? I can only crawl."

The frog pushed the large lotus leaf towards the scorpion to climb onto.

"As much as I am starting to like you Sally, I am not taking any chances with you." He stood firm in his talk.

Sally cautiously nodded, and made her way to the edge of the pond, then onto the notched waxy leaf.

The young frog swam pushing the leaf forward with his webbed feet. He felt uneasy, but at the same time knew he was doing a good deed.

"Stop!" Yelled the scorpion. Jeremiah screamed, "Why?" He wanted to end this task, as tension filled his still growing body.

A water snake slithered to a stop by Jeremiah. Sally's stinger plunged into the snake. The snake gasped as it sunk beneath the dark waters.

"Sally, you saved me!" A shocked and mesmerized Jeremiah gasped.

She smiled at Jeremiah. "Better it was the snake."

"Are you hurt?" The young one cried.

Sally knew she lost her stinger into the snake. If she hadn't stung the snake in the middle of the pond, they both would have been dead.

"We are both fine. Now push on my young friend."

As they reached the pond's edge, Jeremiah pushed the lotus leaf onto dry ground for his new friend to safely climb down.

"Thank you, Sally!"

"Stay safe my young friend."

Sally's friends hidden behind the grass came forward. Jeremiah nodded to her, and leapt many feet away towards his family.

THE END.