The Boy and the Toad: A Modern Fable

The generosity of the Kid Lit community never ceases to amaze me. There is so much support from everyone! Today I’m participating in the Kidlit Fall Writing Frenzy hosted by Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis. My submission and the picture that inspired it are below.

The Boy and the Toad: A Modern Fable

Andy loved leaves.  Leaves for heaping and leaping, blowing and throwing. Leaves of red and yellow, brown and orange that crunch…crunch… crunched under his feet. One day, Andy spotted a tiny toad in his leaf pile. To Andy’s surprise, the toad whispered:

Please do not disturb my home

nestled in this rich dark loam.

Andy created a toad abode to keep his new friend safe. He found a hollow log, placed it near the pond, and packed in a pile of leaves and rich soil. The toad whispered:

Thank you for this cozy nest

where I can hibernate and rest.

Soon the bright fall colors gave way to winter white. Andy crunched on snow instead of leaves, hoping his toad friend was safe. One morning, as the last of the icicles drip-dropped from the trees, Andy visited the toad abode. The toad whispered:

  It’s time for me to gobble pests –

      protect the leaves that you love best.        

That fall, Andy’s leaves were bigger and brighter than ever – perfect for heaping and leaping, blowing and throwing!

No kindness is ever wasted.