Written by Gabriel Schnake – Mahl
Freddy the Frog and Sammy the Salamander were the best friends in all of Great Big Pond. They had been the closest of close since they were little tadpoles. They grew up together, doing all the things that pond animals should do. They learned how to walk, swim, and catch flies together. Most of all, Freddy and Sammy played together. Freddy would HOP and Sammy would SLITHER as they explored the pond.
They would swim around reeds and the lily pads, play hide and seek in the rocks and the sand, even sneak through the many bird’s nests, peeking and seeing the many colorful eggs. One bright summer day, after eating their flies for breakfast, Freddy and Sammy met at their meeting spot, a huge lily pad between their two houses.
“ RIBBET… Hey Sammy,” said Freddy happily.
“ Wassssssssssup, Freddy, my sssssssssuper friend,” replied Sammy, with a huge smile on his face.
“ What should we do today? I want to do something exciting.”
“ Let’sssssss go to the dockssssss today.” The grin on Sammy’s face grew even wider.
“ I don’t know, Sammy. My mom would get angry… RIBBET!”
“Oh don’t be sssssuch a ssscaredy cat. Your mom’ll never find out.”
The old docks were the only place in the entire pond that Freddy and Sammy had not explored. Their parents told them never to go there, as it was too dangerous. They said that they might get hit by a boat or stepped on by a human. However, Freddy and Sammy were curious little creatures, and couldn’t stop themselves from going to the docks.
Sammy and Freddy jumped on their little boat, a slim piece of wood that they had found hidden in the sand. Sammy steered while Freddy kicked his legs to propel the boat. As they approached the docks, a big red fishing boat started coming towards them.
“ Ssssssteering to the ssssstarboard!” yelled Sammy.
“ We have to get out of the way!”
Freddy kicked and Sammy steered, but the boat seemed to be bearing right down on them.
“ We’re gonna hafta abandon ship!” yelled Freddy. They both jumped just as the big red boat smashed into their little piece of wood.
They swam as quickly as their little legs could, and made it to the shore. Freddy and Sammy crawled up the slippery rocks at the base of the wooden docks, and stared in amazement at the many boats and humans that lined the dock.
Freddy and Sammy slithered and hopped up onto the wooden dock. The jumped over the cracks between the boards, and scurried up to one of the many fishing boats.
“Look how cool it is!” squealed Freddy.
“ It’s amasssssssing,” replied Sammy as his eyes grew wide.
Suddenly, Sammy and Freddy were covered in a shadow. Freddy looked up just in time to see a human hand swoop down and grab Sammy.
“Sammy! “ cried Freddy as the hand took Sammy high into the air and into a glass jar. Then, just as quick as he had appeared, the human walked away, jar in hand. Freddy hopped after him as fast as his little legs could carry him, but it was no use. The human crossed the dock and walked onto the shore, up the hill and into a building with a sign that read “GENERAL STORE”. Freddy stood at the end of the dock and looked up in dismay as the door slammed shut.
He slowly hopped off the dock and onto the grassy shore. Freddy’s little head drooped down as he began to cry. Thoughts of all the things that he and Sammy had done together ran through his head. He thought about how he might never see Sammy again.
A loud voice from behind him boomed, “What’s wrong there, little Freddy?”
Freddy turned his head and looked up to see Billy the Bear Cub. Billy was a cuddly brown bear who often played with Freddy and Sammy at the ponds edge. Freddy quietly said, “ They took Sammy.”
“Speak up there, Freddy.”
“ I said they took Sammy,” Freddy wailed in dismay, tears running down his cheeks.
The smile on Billy’s face quickly turned to a frown. “ Who took him?”
“ A human did, and we’ve got to save him! He’s my best friend and it’s my job to help him!”
“What are we gonna do, Freddy.”
“I don’t know yet, but get everyone to meet at the big log. You go to the north side of the pond and I’ll go to the south.” With that, Freddy jumped in one direction and Billy in the other. They gathered up all their friends, and their friend’s friends, and they all met at the big log, just around the bend from the docks and General Store. Chris the crow, Jake the jackrabbit, Sara the snake, Rob the raccoon, and even Betty the butterfly were there.
Freddy yelled as loud as his little lungs could bear, “ We’ve gotta save Sammy, and I’ve got a plan.”
For the next half hour, Freddy explained his elaborate plan. The animals all knew their jobs and were ready to go.
Betty the butterfly was sent first. She zipped up quickly to the general store and flew right inside. She saw everything inside and came back to tell the group.
“ Sammy is still in the jar,” Betty screeched as loud as she could, “in the back room, on top of the red desk.”
“ Thanks, Timmy. Now that we know where Sammy is, let’s get going,” Freddy yelled out, trying to look confident even though he was scared.
Up the hill Freddy hopped, Billy the bear rumbled, Jake the Jackrabbit skipped, Sara slithered, Rob the raccoon scurried, Betty the Butterfly fluttered and Chris the Crow flapped. Quickly, the plan was set in motion. Billy rumbled up to the door of the general store, growled loudly and scratched his claws against the door. Within seconds, four humans ran out the back door, screaming loudly.
Up to the door went Jake the jackrabbit and Rob the raccoon, pushing with all their might to open the door. After four strong pushes, the door finally swung open. Sara and Freddy jumped on the back of Chris, and off they flew, through the door, and into the General Store.
“ We’re coming, Sammy!” yelled Freddy as they zipped into the back room. Freddy quickly saw the jar on top of the red desk, and inside was Sammy!
Chris the crow grabbed the end of Sara the snake and Freddy held on tight to her head with his feet. Down swung Sara and Freddy as Chris flew over the jar. Freddy stretched his arms out reaching for Sammy. Their hands grasped and up and out of the jar flew Sammy.
The group soared up and out of the room and out of the General Store. Down the hill they went, around the bend, and finally landing back at the big log. All the animals were waiting there. “ Your back, Sammy!” yelled Rob the Raccoon.
“ We were so worried,” said Billy the bear.
“ Thank you all for ssssaving me. You’re all great friendsssss!” replied Sammy as all the animals cheered loudly.
Freddy and Sammy hopped and slithered their way to the lily pad.
“ Freddy, you’re the bessstesssst friend a sssssalamander could ever ask for, ” said Sammy with a huge smile on his face.
“ I’m so glad that your back here on the lily pad with me,” replied Freddy, with an equally large grin on his face. “ RIBBET!”
THE END