Frog floated a long way down the river on his small raft. Riverbank traveled with him but seemed very far away, and Frog grew lonely, with none of his usual friends to talk to. . He was also quite hungry. Few insects ventured this far onto the water and frog, who could sit quietly for long moments waiting for something tasty to fly by, was now the one doing all the moving and he was quite unused to it. But what he did enjoy was watching life along Riverbank. During these long moments alone Frog learned more about the world and his place in it. For one thing it seemed much larger, and asked of frog that he widen his view of things more than one would be used to just living by the side of a small pond with the lovely Waterfall that Frog now much missed.

Frog was a little startled when Egret, who was a lovely white bird, alighted on the raft nearby, nearly falling off. Egret had been watching Frog for a long time while fishing along River. She was sure he must be a very wise and special little frog to be found floating on a raft and she was sure that he was there for a reason. She asked Frog if he would like to visit a small community that lived next to Brook. Brook was closeby and liked to wash her feet in River. Frog, who was always curious and now more than ready for something new, promptly consented. Egret carefully picked up Frog in her beak and flew away to the West. Suddenly Egret dove downward, a little awkwardly, startling Bear who was fishing as Brook gurgled with laughter. Brook tried to be still but continued to chuckle quietly. Frog noticed that everytime Bear caught a fish he would drop it. Bear was flustered and more than a little embarrassed, casting furtive glances into the wood. Egret hid her own discomfiture at her less than graceful landing . Egret stood by Brook and contemplated Bear who for the moment stopped trying to do so hard what he was not meant to try so hard at. Frog, a little confused by that, wondered why he was there.

Bear told Frog that he felt the little Brook community had lost its way. One morning, when either everyone was just waking up, or just going to sleep, it was discovered that they all remembered having a Big Dream, which then quickly disappeared. They all believed it was about something important, but no one could remember what that was. Since then, the more they tried to remember the Dream the more they seemed to forget what came natural to them, like Bear forgetting how to fish, and Egret, how to alight gracefully. Bear took Frog to the middle of a small clearing nearby where the rest of the community had assembled.

Red Squirrel sat high up in Tree chattering noisily. Caught between amusement and irritation, Squirrel called down to Frog that he found himself in the odd predicament of being unable to look for nuts, since every time he left his nest to do so he would fall through the branches. While squirrel languished up in the tree, he was annoying everyone with his chattering and restless energy.

Field Mouse, who was quite practical and did not really believe in dreams, said she was a little cross to have had the Dream anyway and now had lost the sensitivity in her whiskers so that she could not sort out one seed from the other . Now Mouse was busy chewing everything, including her differences with her neighbors, into little pieces.

Porcupine, who was by nature rather prickly and difficult to get along with, sometimes strove to compensate by being very nice to people and pleasantly distant to avoid a show of temper. Frog, looking around, noticed the large number of quills lying about, several of these protruding from Tree, who Frog doubted was offensive to anyone.

Fox sat dejectedly in the middle of the clearing, staring suspiciously at the lengthening shadows in the forest as the day drew to a close. Normally a subtle fellow who preferred darkness and blended into the social background of the little community, Fox had quite forgotten why he was sitting there, in the middle of an assembled but now quite unpleasant group of neighbors. Bear told Frog that he looked to him to be a Dreamer. Egret had noticed that Frog could sit still for a long time staring into space at nothing at all. Bear thought that Frog might be able to bring the Big Dream back, at least long enough to see what it was all about. He said he had asked many creatures to bring the dream back but they had always tried and failed.

Frog cleared his throat uncomfortably, the weight of collective expectation settling heavily between his shoulders and pressing him to the hard ground of the clearing. For a moment Frog doubted he could hop away even if he wanted to. Then Frog realized the answer was not his to give and instead was to be found by the little community. Frog told everyone that he thought the Big Dream had left the little gathering because some of them had forgotten who they were and why they belonged to one another. He noted that the elders such as Brook continued to follow her nature, guiding the Trout children along their way. So also did the Trees surrounding them, who abided in their own wisdom, spread their leaves and rooted deeply in Mother Earth to provide homes for everyone. Frog noticed the stillness of the Stone creatures and how humbly they supported everyone.

The little community sat silently, all eyes watching Brook and the Tree and Stone creatures. After awhile their eyelids became heavy, and their heads nodded off into sleep. Frog, who was still awake, sensed the return of Big Dream has she enveloped the little community in her arms and held them gently. At some point in their story, Sun began his smiling climb up over the horizon and winked at each of the brighter little creatures there, busily back about their business. As for Frog, it took him awhile, but eventually, with Brook's help, he arrived back to River, found his little raft among the reeds and was off again on his adventures. So as he went along his way, we can say this much, but perhaps not much more, about the wisdom of being true to ourselves. And perhaps a little something else about dreams.

The End
*submitted for copyright

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Louise Dery-Wells

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