One nice day Mr. Turtle decided to take a long walk through Marysville Forest. When he reached the pond he was tired, so he found a tree stump to sit down on close to the pond.
He had been sitting comfortably for a few moments when he heard a voice speak to him.
“Hello,” greeted a little voice.
“Yes, hello,” replied Mr. Turtle. “Who’s there? Where are you?”
“Over here,” said the small voice.
Mr. Turtle looked in the direction of the voice but he just saw the pond.
“Where?” he asked, “I don’t see anyone.”
“Look, down here, inside the pond,” replied the voice.
Mr. Turtle got off the tree stump and walked over to the pond and looked in it. There he saw a little tadpole swimming around looking up at him.
“Oh, I see you now,” said Mr. Turtle. “You are such a little thing, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir,” answered the tadpole. “I am a tadpole but one day I will be a big frog.”
“I suppose you will,” said Mr. Turtle. “What is your name?
“My name is Stewart,” replied the little tadpole. “What is yours?”
“I am Mr. Turtle,” answered Mr. Turtle. “At least, that’s what my friends call me.”
The little tadpole laughed. “That was funny,” he said.
“Thanks, little friend,” replied Mr. Turtle. “What are you up to today?”
“Not much,” replied Stewart. “You see, I don’t have any family. I am on my own. I am waiting to turn into a big frog, but if you’d like you can come visit me again and we can talk. I get lonely out here by myself.”
“Why, I would love to visit again,” said Mr. Turtle, happy to have found a new friend. “I will come again tomorrow!”
Mr. Turtle came back the next day to visit his new friend and he came every day after that. They had the most wonderful talks and became great friends.
One day when Mr. Turtle walked to the pond where he always met Stewart, he couldn’t find him anywhere.
“Stewart,” he called into the pond. “Stewart!” No answer. “Stewart, where are you my friend?”
“Over here,” came a frog’s voice that Mr. Turtle hadn’t heard before. “I am on the tree stump.”
“The tree stump! But you can’t be out of the water!” Mr. Turtle cried in panic. He looked at the tree stump and there, staring back at him, was a huge frog. "Why, you’re a… you’re a…, what happened to you?”
“You like it? I finally turned into a big frog like I said I would! Aren’t you happy for me?” Stewart asked happily.
“Why, yes!” said Mr. Turtle. “Yes, I’m very happy for you, Stewart! I was worried because I couldn’t find you, but here you are, a big frog just like you always wanted!”
“Yeah, isn’t it great?” shouted the frog as he leaped high into the air and landed back on the stump. “Look what I can do!” exclaimed the frog as he leaped from the tree stump to the pond, then to a rock, and back to the tree stump again.
“Well, well,” said Mr. Turtle. “I sure am impressed.”
“I can do that anytime I want,” replied the frog. “It is so much fun!”
“It looks like a lot of fun and I am very happy for you, but I guess we can’t be friends anymore.”
“Mr. Turtle,” Stewart cried, “I still want to be friends. Don’t you?”
“Why of course I do,” said Mr. Turtle. “I just thought that you might be too busy for our daily visits since you are now a frog.”
“Oh, no, Mr. Turtle!” said the frog. “Will you still come to see me every day, like always?”
“Why, of course I will,” replied Mr. Turtle as he patted the frog on the head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Why don’t you test your new jumping legs out today and tomorrow I will meet you right here again and we can visit? Does that sound good?”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Turtle!” exclaimed the frog, “That sounds great! See you then!” The new frog jumped off the stump and happily leaped into the forest.