Mike Darcy

At the end of a long country road in the middle of a field stood an old farmhouse; the house was large and white, and many families had lived there over the years. The family that lived there now was a small family with a momma, a daddy, a little girl named Anna, and her puppy, Little Joe.

Little Joe was black and brown and had great big floppy ears he tripped on sometimes if he tried to run too fast. There were many things Little Joe loved to do. He loved to explore and adventure with Anna, eat, and sleep in his basket on the porch.

This morning, the sun was filling the porch with warmth, and Little Joe yawned awake. He slowly stretched out of his basket and wondered what he would do today. He walked toward the edge of the porch and was greeted by two bulging eyes suddenly appearing and disappearing into the grass below. He peered over the side. Squatting in the grass below was an enormous dark green bullfrog with two huge hind legs, a wide, crooked smile and two giant eyes sitting on top of its head. It was Little Joe’s friend Hopper.

“Why hello there, Little Joe!” The frog croaked. “I was just passing by...” The frog’s tongue shot out to the side, chasing after a fly buzzing by.

“Hi Hopper, how are you?” Little Joe flopped down on his belly with his head and paws hanging over the lip of the porch.

“Well, I will tell you. I woke up this morning and decided to head to the garden to do some shopping.” Hopper held up a small bundle of fresh herbs and vegetables. “Now I think I’ll make a lovely fly soup.” Hopper blinked his giant eyes and shot his tongue at another nearby fly. “Would you like to come to my home and have some soup?”

Little Joe wrinkled his nose at the thought of fresh fly soup, but he always enjoyed spending time with Hopper, and he loved to explore new places. Little Joe jumped down to the ground and shook his fur into place. The two started off into the high hay field. Little Joe had not wandered very far from the house, and he had never been to Hopper’s home, so he was certain to have a good adventure. They had not been walking long when Hopper began to groan.

“You understand that I am a very old frog. My legs do not have as much spring as when I was a young tadpole.” Hopper announced to no one in particular.

Little Joe did not know what a tadpole was, but he imagined they must be able to jump very high if their legs were made of springs. “Perhaps I could take a seat on your back and rest my tired legs for a short time?” Hopper asked.

Little Joe was happy to help, and he ducked down low so that Hopper could climb on for a ride. Once Hopper was situated and holding tight to Little Joe’s collar, Little Joe started again down the narrow path. Hopper made sure that Little Joe was going the right way, and to help pass the time, Hopper told the story of how he came to live by the pond.

Hopper’s story was interesting, but it was not as interesting as all the smells along the path and the bugs that flew and crawled away as Little Joe stirred them up. With his head down in the grass, Little Joe did not notice that the sun had been hidden by dark fat clouds. Hopper was so busy telling his story that neither of them heard the first clap of thunder off in the distance. By the time they got to the pond, it had started to rain.

Hopper’s home was a soupy pool of muddy water hidden under a large rock. Little Joe could barely stick his nose in the door, so he had to wait outside in the rain while Hopper started the soup. The rain was coming down hard, and the pond rose. Soon, the water was covering the rock, and Little Joe had to step up to the edge of the field. Hopper came splashing out of his home and swam to Little Joe.

“This rain has ruined my soup.” Hopper looked up at the clouds and cupped his hand. “It looks like it is going to rain for a very long time. We should go find shelter in the forest.”

Little Joe had never been to the forest, and it sounded like an exciting place. It would also be nice to get out of the rain. Hopper climbed onto Little Joe’s back and pointed the way to the nearby forest.

Little Joe rushed towards the forest with Hopper clinging to his collar. The rain came down in a dark rush, and there were bright flashes of lightning followed by loud claps of thunder getting closer. Once the two were under the trees, the rain softened, and they found themselves standing in deep, soft moss. Hopper climbed down off Little Joe's back.

As was his nature, Hopper found a safe place to wait out the storm. For Little Joe, there were far too many new places and smells to explore to sit still. While Hopper searched for a suitable log or hollowed tree, Little Joe set off after a large moth he flushed out of the moss. He scampered along after the moth as it drifted from one spot to the next. Hopper chased behind as they ventured deeper into the woods, calling out, "Little Joe! Stop! We should stay near the edge of the field and find a log to hide in."

Along the way, Little Joe came across another new smell and started to follow that. The smell led him up a hill and into a ravine. The whole time, Hopper chased after Little Joe, trying to get him to turn around. As Little Joe started across the stream in the base of the ravine, something moved in the brush. It was much taller than Little Joe and had light brown fur. Little Joe thought it had two branches on its head. He had never seen antlers before. He yipped with joy and was eager to meet this new animal; he did not know it was a white-tailed deer. The deer looked back at Little Joe, then its tail stood up, showing a bright white flag, and it vanished up the far side of the ravine in two enormous bounds.

Before Little Joe chased after the deer, Hopper jumped onto his back and grabbed ahold of the collar. They splashed across the stream and crashed through the brush up the hill. Little Joe did his best to keep up with the deer. He burrowed through a large pricker patch, and when he finally burst out the far side, he and Hopper were scraped and scratched and even worse, they were lost.

Little Joe ran in a few quick circles, trying to pick up a scent to follow and sat with a sigh. Hopper jumped down and looked around.

"Oh dear, we are lost." The frog gulped.

"What was that animal? Where did it go?” Little Joe stood back up and started searching again.

Hopper stood up tall, hoping to see a way out. "That was a deer, and we must find our way out of the woods so we can go home."

Suddenly, there was a large crash nearby. The two turned toward the noise and saw a massive black bear emerge from the pricker patch.

The bear stood on its hind feet and pawed at her back. She groaned angrily as she dropped back down to all fours. Little Joe perked his head up as he watched this new creature. Hopper pulled on Little Joe’s leg while he looked around for a safe place to hide. At this point, the bear noticed the two of them; she let out a snort and lumbered over.

RAWR! The bear let out a roar. Hopper froze except for his trembling knees. Little Joe would have been scared, too, but just then, he noticed a small red lizard at the base of a nearby stump.

“What are you doing near my berries?” the bear bellowed. Before Hopper could answer, she went on. “It looks as though someone has brought me a tasty dinner, frog legs…” He eyed Hopper and licked his chops. “And a hot dog.” With that, she again reached toward her back and let out a small whimper.

“We were just taking shelter from the storm, and we got a bit lost.” Hopper tried to reason with the bear as he continued to look around for a safe place to hide. Little Joe pawed at a soggy pile of bark, trying to get the red lizard to play with him.

“If you will just point us to the field, we will be on our way,” Hopper pleaded.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that; I am very hungry, and the berries are not ripe yet.” The bear stepped to a tree and began to rub her back, flinching each time she rubbed. She rolled away from the tree and looked between the two. “So, which will be first? Let us start with an appetizer.”

The bear scooped Hopper up in her paw. She dangled Hopper over her gleaming teeth. From this vantage point, Hopper noticed something sticking out of the bear’s back, right between her shoulder blades. It looked like a large thorn.

“Wait! Can I ask you a question?” Hopper’s hind legs were now resting on two of the bear’s sharp teeth as he tried not to be eaten.

“Oh my, of course.” The bear cleared her throat. “Do you have any last words?” The bear lifted Hopper high over her head.

“Yes.” Hopper swallowed hard, hoping to find his courage. “I noticed you have an itch.” The bear nodded in agreement as she again shifted her back, trying to ease the pain. “I can see what is causing it; perhaps you would allow me to try to remove it. If I do, you could be so kind as to let us go.”

The bear set Hopper down and pondered the idea before she spoke. “If someone as little as you can cure this pain, I will let you go, but if not, I will make a fine meal of you and your friend.” Through all this, Little Joe had kept himself busy burrowing in the mulch at the base of the stump and searching for anything of interest.

Hopper straightened up and accepted the offer. He jumped on the bear’s back and parted the coarse fur near the thorn. Hopper licked his hands, grabbed tightly to the thorn, and began to tug. The bear squirmed and moaned as Hopper pulled and pulled. The thorn was buried deep, and Hopper wondered if he would be able to get it out. In a final effort, he folded his hind legs under him and prepared to jump. Holding tight to the thorn, he uncoiled his hind legs in a giant jump. Hopper toppled off the bear and crashed to the ground; when he opened his eyes, he could see the thorn in his hands.

The bear shifted her shoulders back and forth with a wide grin. She scooped up Hopper and held him near her mouth.

“You said you would not eat us if I got the thorn out.” Hopper squirmed in the bear’s paw, holding out the thorn.

“Eat you? Eat you?” The bear laughed. “Why, my little friend?” With that, the bear kissed Hopper on the head and set him down gently on the ground. “My name is Roxy; this is my forest. My home is just up the hill there. You will come and have tea with me, come.” The bear motioned up a long hill. “

Oh, dear, no, we need to get back to the field.” Hopper glanced around, still hoping to get his bearings to find a way home. “If you could simply point the direction, we will be on our way.”

“My little friend, I have been so rude. Please, what is your name?” Roxy inquired.

Little Joe scampered over, his face covered with bark and mulch. “My name is Little Joe.” Little Joe shook some of the mess off his head. “That is Hopper; he is a frog!” Hopper groaned; he did not like telling strange animals his name, especially animals that had just nearly eaten him.

Roxy looked up into the rain. “Well, my friends, this is no weather to be out in. Come to my home and dry off. When the storm has passed, I will bring you to your field.” Roxy thought a moment and nodded, satisfied with her plan. He turned and started up the hill with Little Joe close behind her. Hopper sighed and followed behind them at a safe distance.

The walk up the hill was short, but Roxy made sure it was not boring. She told the story of her great-great-grandfather, a circus bear who escaped into this forest when the circus train crashed nearby long ago. Roxy’s home was a deep cave near a tall ledge. Inside the cave, it was dry with large wooden furniture. There was a small fireplace and a small basket on the floor that was just the right size for Little Joe.

"That is for my cubs when they come to visit,” Roxy said as she started boiling water for tea. "Of course, you are welcome to use it since they are not here."

Slowly, Hopper began to relax. Roxy told stories about her family, the circus, and the forest. It was warm and very comfortable in the cave, and the tea was sweet and smelled of clover and honey. After the second cup, Little Joe was nearly asleep, and Hopper was staring dreamily up at the ceiling as Roxy's stories washed over them. Then Hopper remembered the rain and getting home.

"Sorry to interrupt." Hopper croaked. "But, do you think the storm has passed? It is getting late, and we should be getting home."

"Oh, of course, we will head to the field at once." Roxy swallowed the last mouthful of his tea, and they headed to the door.

The rain had passed, and the sun was filtering through the lingering clouds. Drops of water plopped and dripped from the leaves overhead as the trio made their way through the woods. Not far from the cave, Roxy showed them an old logging road that would lead them right to the farm. As they walked along the muddy ruts, Little Joe asked more about the circus and what cubs were. By the time they got to the edge of the field, the sky had mostly cleared of any clouds, and the sun was bright and warm again. Hopper was happy to see the field, and Little Joe was excited to see his house and could not wait to tell Anna about everything he had seen.

"Here is your field." Roxy extended her paw. "I hope you will come and visit me soon."

"I hope so, too,” Little Joe said as he touched his nose to the wet grass.

"Perhaps next time the berries will be ripe, and we can make a pie." Hopper smacked his lips with his long, sticky tongue. "But for now, we must be going. Thank you very much.

"Yes, goodbye, my friends." Roxy waved as the pair started into the field.

Halfway to the farmhouse, Hopper found a trail that led back to the pond. "I'm sure the water has receded by now; I must go finish my soup."

Just then, Little Joe's tummy grumbled. He forgot that he had not eaten in a long time. He watched as Hopper bounded down the path and out of sight.

Little Joe rushed through the tall grass getting very wet. By the time he got to the porch he was dripping, and he gave a great big shake before he climbed the stairs. It was about that time that the screen door opened, and Anna stepped onto the porch. She ran to Little Joe with a treat that he gobbled quickly.

"So, what have you been doing today?" she asked as she rubbed his belly.

Little Joe yipped and barked with joy as he told her all about the great adventure he had just had, but Anna could not understand any of it because she did not speak dog. She just laughed and picked up Little Joe's favorite toy. She ran down into the yard and Little Joe chased after her. They ran and played together in the wet grass until it started to get dark. The whole time Little Joe yipped, barked, and tried to tell Anna about his day. All she could do was smile and rub his head.

"Silly dog, I bet you had a great adventure, didn't you?"

Little Joe squatted and wagged his tail.