My Chubby Frog...

I have a pet frog. I didn't ask for him and he didn't ask if he could stay. I feel a little bit like Mrs. Tittlemouse did about Mr. Jackson. I have certain disdain for his presence, yet I'm growing slightly sentimental about his daily appearance.

For a while he was appearing on a weekly basis. He has now become comfortable with his surroundings to the point that he returns on a daily basis. Today was the third day in a row. I was looking for him this time. Sure enough, there he was cuddled in the dirty laundry basket.

I'm nearly certain he's the same frog. Today I tried to look up the habits of this particular frog, then of frogs in general, but I could find nothing about whether or not frogs like to return to laundry baskets that contain damp washcloths. But I did find out that he's an Asian Painted Frog, also known to pet owners as the Chubby Frog.

I'm nearly sure he's the same one. He's always the same size. And if there were more than one of them, I'd think I'd start to find multiple frogs in my laundry basket. Right now he's in captivity. I shook him out of my night gown into a mop bucket and put a cooling rack over him. He's stuck. But this time, before I let him go, I'm going mark him some how. Perhaps a string about his leg. I'm going to throw him out into the flowerbed like I have done in the past. If he returns, I'll let you know. And after his return, I shall take him far down the road and let him loose. And then if he returns...well, I don't know. I haven't the heart to kill him. And I'm not sure how he's getting in. Perhaps the crack under the door?

I do so hope I never accidentally wash him. I once washed a very small frog. He came out in two pieces. His front and his back. But, although this frog is not a very large frog, neither is he a very small frog. It would be unpleasant to find his remains in my otherwise clean laundry.