Mimicking Frogs

I leave with you with a short story I wrote as part of a very hard-to-find compilation of alternative Aesop-type fables called Les Fables D'Anhilos written nearly 10 years ago.

Mimicking Frogs

Poop saw the opportunity to leap off the highest rock.

He stood there kinda hesitant. The rock looked so daunting from the ground, yet up there looking down, he felt free.

He didn't understand why he wasn't nervous at such high altitude. He was named Poop by the tribe elder, Wheelmaker, as he was the first person in human history to produce the fine sawdust known to them as poop, a wondrous substance that helped Freshloo help advertise faecal cleanliness.

Poop remembered the first time Tigertamer leapt on his first beast. The bravery, the drama, the attention from everyone within their small tribe. All that is, except Staresky, who just stared at the skies. Poop wanted desperately to drop his plain name and have a cooler sounding identity because in all honesty, to Poop, his name sounded doo doo.

Tigertamer once said to him to try and find the one thing he was good at and stick with it, and soon Poop - like all within the tribe - will find his true identity. The truth is that Poop didn't know what he was real good at. Except, of course for producing the finest Poop in all the land. Even the Neanderthals liked his poop and bought it regularly to relieve their own fetishes for the substance.

But one thing Poop did know was that he was great at climbing. In order to make luscious poop as he did, he had to climb the highest trees. Frightening Elms that stood 15 people high that no-one would dare scale. It wasn't that Poop was not frightened, he was petrified.

Poop loved that feeling, the burst of energy climbing the tallest tree, the sensation of looking down and almost falling. The knowledge that reaching his most scared state would make him, Poop himself, relieve any tension he felt in life in a huge push and sigh of relief. He was at home in the clouds. He wanted to be known as Frog. Jumper of heights.

So he stood at the top of the highest rock looking higher into the sky, arms aloft trying to catch the slightest breeze that would push him over the edge. He was disappointed. Nobody except for Staresky came to see him and even Poop was not sure if he came to see the monumental jump or just aimlessly stare at the sky. It didn't matter really. As long as he had a witness.

Poop wanted an audience, but realised just one person would do, just the one fan. It was above all his debut leap, and he needed the practise. It wasn't long ago that Tigertamer was known as Girlshriek. But the buzz is what he wanted, the one that would sprout into many. He yelled at Staresky to make sure his fan was watching him. Staresky raised his whole fist up to Poop in approval.

Think frogs, think frogs. He leapt. It was indeed exhilarating, it fulfilled every expectation of adrenaline he lusted for. He flew through the air like a frog leaping from rock to rock. He then reached the apex of his leap. Things felt wrong, the descent was horrid. Staresky looked up realising Poop was not enjoying the fall. He positioned himself to catch the falling Poop from the skies he loved to stare at.

Poop hit the fan and splattered everywhere.

-D-