Frog Pond PDF file
Transcription
Frog Pond PDF file
We Wish You A Merry CHristmas! We WiSh You A Merry Christmas! Welcome to Frog Pond Books This is a rough draft for your Holiday enjoyment, please help me by noting any mistakes, grammatical or otherwise ... ENJOY! BETA .9.1 Contact: [email protected] 25 STORIES FOR DECEMBER TEXT & PICTURES BY MARK GARRETSON A FROG POND BOOK FROG POND IS A DAILY COMIC STRIP This Book is Dedicated To CREATED BY MARK GARRETSON Tracey Sedivec AND FOUND ONLINE AT HTTP://FROG-POND.NET THIS BOOK IS A WORK OF FICTION, IT IS ENTIRELY MADE UP AND WAS INSPIRED BY MANY PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS SUCH AS THAT LAMP OVER THERE ... ALSO I SHOULD MENTION UNCLE WIGGILY ... SOMEHOW SOME CHARACTERS JUMPED OVER TO FROG POND... My Beloved Wife & Best Friend Without Her, None Of This Would Be Possible. Steve Rollie Kafka A.G. Jeff and Friends Lucy Reggie The Skuddlemagoon The Pipsewah The Skeezicks Lucy Skates Lucy Ladybug does not fly south for the winter, to the contrary, she delights in the cold frosty months of winter. She skates across the ice, dancing and gliding as she sings her own sweet song. Lucy is in love. It’s true, she has fallen for Kafka. Lucy is planning her next move ... Of course she will invite him over for tea. But first, there’s time for one more double loop, pearl spin, quintuple rotation axel and then some hot cocoa. Now in case the mosquito doesn’t notice that the sad stapler is jammed with staples again, our next story will be about Kafka and the gift. page 9 Kafka Ponders Kafka bug woke up one cold and chilly morning and thought to himself, “My life is a sock on a rock waiting to dry...”, then he discovered to his utter delight that there was a beautifully wrapped gift on his front porch just waiting for him. “What’s this?” he wondered out loud. He looked for a gift tag or a card, but the gift was simply labeled Kafka in swirly loopy golden ink. Also there was a “Do not open until Christmas” sticker underneath his name. But today is merely December 2nd, How could he possibly wait for twenty three more days to find out about his gift. Kafka decided to ask around the pond and find out if anyone knew who left this gift ... But lo and behold no one claimed to know anything about it, except that A.G. smiled and winked when he said, “It wasn’t me!” So maybe it was from him. Who could it be? And what could it be? Kafka decided to fly back home when Lucy Ladybug invited him over for tea ... Really, Who could it be? Was it from Lucy? ... or A.G.? Or perhaps it was from a distant relative? Oh well, only twenty three more days to go ... Now if the rain drops nip the nose of the Pipsewah and wake him up before his nap is over, next our story will be ... Tex and the tadpoles! page 10 Tex’s Tall Tale Over on the far side of the frog pond under the old oak tree, Old Tex the turtle was holding court with a few tadpoles that had resurfaced during a warm spell, one December day... “I tells ya that fish was THIS BIG! And the blasted thing tried to nip my toes off too ...He was the meanest Catfish this pond had seen in many a Moon...” “What happened to it, Gramps?” “Wuzzat? Oh ... ya mean Crazy Cantankerous Carlos the cranky Catfish? Well now, as I recall ... He remained a problem for quite some time until .. until .. Oh yes ... our Alley Gator friend came along and made the pond his new home ... Yes ... he settled that matter, right quick ...” “You mean A.G., Pop Pop?” “OF COURSE I’m talkin’ about A.G. ya silly polliwogs, just how many alley gators do you see around heres? We just got the one see! And he makes it so no fish ever gets so big and troublesome again ... Now mind you, that alley gator is partial to birds and fish ... but I’d be a might bit cautious around him all the same little ones ... He might mistake ya for a guppy! Just stay round here ‘til ya legs grow in ... Z’all I’m sayin’ ... now, off with yas - It’s time for Tex to bask in some of that GLORIOUS sunshine shining on that there rock ... now scoot! ... And get back to your winter’s sleep, boys!” “Yes sir. Bye bye, Pop pop!” And so the tadpoles return to their special place down at the bottom of the pond and Tex swims over to his sun drenched rock. And if the Ice Cubes don’t run away with the Lollipop King, when they should be keeping the popsicles chilled for all the good boys and girls to eat on a warm and sunny afternoon by the lake, I’ll tell you next how the Froglets had fun playing in the snow! page 13 Froglets play page 14 Now they say this tradition began years before frog’s could hop, but actually it began not so very long ago when two mischievous froglets, by the names of Reggie & Rollie woke up one chilly December morning and got their first glimpse of snow ... Indeed, ever since then froglets all across the pond are given a free pass to leave their winter’s rest ~ to frolic and play in the snow for just one day. Now everyone thinks that’s the way it’s always been, it’s now a Frog Pond tradition after all. And so it went until this day, when four bold froglet boys went out to play on the first fine snow of the year. Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy just so happened to be out in the snow the day that Pip and Skee came to call in Frog Pond. Yes, the famous Disc Jockey, DJ Pip and his partner Skeezicks were on their way to visit their old friend A.G., the skillery skallery alley gator with the clickety-clackety tail. But when those two fellows saw the gigantic snow frog, the froglet boys were making, piled eight feet high with Dee Dee’s head on top they just laughed themselves silly. So the Pipsewah and the Skeezicks joined in on the fun and before you could say “Olly Olly Oxen Free” while eating a Peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich, Pip and Skee had built a fantastic snow fort big enough for all of them to play in. It was so tall that the Skeezicks could stand up without bumping his head in the center dome and it had forty eleven windows and umpteen hiding places too. I just wish you could have seen it, it was one of the best snow forts you could imagine, take my word for it. Well after several dozen games of snowball tag and hide the red apple, everyone was getting quite cold and wet. So the froglets hopped and Pip & Skee strolled over to Jeff’s bungalow beside the pond. Jeff was making a big pot of hot cocoa and stoking the fire in the fireplace, when Pip and Skee introduced themselves and offered to help do the dishes and make Lunch for everyone using the groceries they had brought along in their backpacks. According to Johnny, it was “the best most fun-est day ever” because after a delicious lunch, Jeff joined the group outside in the snow and introduced the froglets to the joys of Snowboarding downhill. Even Pip and Skee got in on the action, and built their own boards that day from some redwood in Jeff’s garage. Now these four bold froglets had no intention of returning to their winter’s rest, they were just having so much fun playing in the snow together. And so it went, and that’s how the Snow Lovers Club began in Frog Pond. Jeff became the President and gave free Snowboarding lessons on Wednesdays. They even built a nice and cozy snow lodge to live in during the winter on top of the big hill, so they could hop out of bed and snowboard down to Jeff’s for breakfast. Now if the Waffle Maker’s wife does not wear high heels to the Holiday Soirée and upset the Hostess, because she forget her ballet lesson and can’t let little things go, next our story will be about how Squeaky-Eaky learns to ski. page 17 Squeaky-Eaky Triumphs page 18 Squeaky-Eaky the mouse was always quite cautious and fearful. She was always on the look out for danger, she had to be ... After all deep in Wood Land where she lived there were two troublesome fellows by the names of Fuzzy Fox and Woozy Wolf that wanted nothing more than to make a meal of her. Well, Squeaky-Eaky was quite a clever mouse girl and long before Reggie and Rollie discovered the joys of snow, SqueakyEaky found out how snow could make all the difference. She found a way to finally triumph over her two foes once and for all, well at least in the winter. It all began one day, when Squeaky-Eaky smelled toasted seeded bagels in the air ... Yes, it was toasted seeded bagels after all ... They were left by the kind old lady with the fuzzy blue pom hat. SqueakyEaky found out from Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, the squirrel brothers, that her name was Missus Edna. They knew all about her, because she traveled through the woods every day in the winter with wood planks on her boots, and she always left food behind for the animals too. Well, this really peaked Squeaky-Eaky’s curiosity ~ Wood planks on her feet? Why in the world would a woman do such a thing? So Squeaky-Eaky followed her one day and found out how she snapped her boots into special bindings that went CLICK-SNAP ... then Mrs. Edna would grab her poles and head down the trail that lead to the Smiling Pool. Squeaky-Eaky could not believe her eyes! It was like magic, gliding across the surface of the snow so quickly and gracefully! Squeaky-Eaky began to follow and observe Mrs. Edna every day and watch how the “Skis” worked. Well, Squeaky-Eaky decided to make her very own Skis and see if she could travel across the snow just like Mrs. Edna. It took over a week of gnawing and sanding with river stones, but Squeaky-Eaky kept at it, working on her skis every day until they were finished. As a final touch, she painted them a deep cherry red to match her new snow coat she had made by dipping it in cherry juice for forty eleven nights. Squeaky-Eaky was done hiding and scampering about the woods in fear. She was ready to knock Fuzzy Fox & Woozy Wolf’s socks off! And that’s exactly what she did too. It took two more weeks of patient practice and lots of crashing in the snow to get the hang of skiing. But soon Squeaky-Eaky could follow Mrs. Edna and match her graceful moves and zip past her by bouncing off tree branches as well. Finally the day came ... Squeaky-Eaky was ready at last to show her two unpleasant adversaries just who they were messing with. She sat down and nibbled on some sunflower seeds in the middle of an open clearing, she pretended not to notice Fuzzy and Woozy as they slowly tracked her ...dashing from tree to bush to rock and hedge ... They were only a few feet away, and they were both crawling up behind her on their bellies when Squeaky-Eaky snapped on her skis and watched in complete satisfaction at the puzzled and confused looks on Fuzzy & Woozy’s furry faces as Squeaky-Eaky jumped up into the air, skiied over a bump and blasted snow right into their faces with a quick turn of her skis. She smiled and winked at the two bewildered and confused creatures, giggled a happy giggle, then blazed straight down the Big Hill to the Laughing Brook behind Sucker’s Swimming Hole. Squeaky-Eaky laughed and laughed all the way down to the frozen brook. Her winter worries were over, and to celebrate her victory she skied from the woods over to Frog Pond and met a nice frog playing in the snow named Jeff. Yes, it was Squeaky-Eaky, herself, who taught Jeff everything he knows about traveling on top of the snow. Of course, Jeff prefers to Snowboard rather than to ski ... But it was Squeaky-Eaky the mouse who got him started on the path of Snowboarding to begin with. Squeaky-Eaky was later honored after the formation of the Snow Lovers Club and given a Banquet dinner every year to show their appreciation for Squeaky-Eaky’s clever genius. Now if the record player’s needle doesn’t bump the sleepy beetle as the record spins and cause the beetle to dance the hully-gully, our next story will be about how Kiki Cat and Douglas Dog got lost in the woods and ended up on the moon! page 21 Kiki & Douglas Travel page 22 Kiki and Douglas were the best of friends, they were like peanut butter and jelly ever since they were old enough to walk, they stuck together and went here, there & everywhere. They grew up living next door to each other and met the day Kiki kicked her ball over the fence and it bonked Douglas on the nose which caused him to slip on the grass, completing a double back flip, then landing on the ball that bonked him with one foot. It was an amazing feat of spontaneous grace, and it was the moment that Kiki was completely smitten by the acrobatic puppy with the funny nose. The two friends played the days away until they grew up and moved to France, where they learned how to dance. It was a story book romance. They eloped to Bali, put on several award winning puppet shows together, then found themselves living in Tokyo designing toys together. After two years of making some of the best toys you never even got to see, or play with, they left it all behind to travel the world together on a sailboat. Well long story short, they were not expert sailors and that first trip out to sea ended with them sinking their ship on a tropical island where they lived alone with a family of monkeys for three years, when they were recruited by pirates to hunt for the lost treasure of King Panda Pants. Well they found it, eventually ... in Tibet of all places. But decided to join the Tibetan Monks and study Buddhism together. After a few years of living in peace in the mountains of Tibet, the twosome decided it was time to settle down and start a family ... Long story short, they ended up in Frog Pond house sitting for Jeff when they fell in love with the place. Together they built the most amazing tree house you never did get to climb up in and see, but take my word for it, it really had everything! (Maybe if you’re lucky, I might draw a picture of it some day.) Kiki and Douglas became good friends with Jeff and Squeaky-Eaky and would often go hiking together in the back country of Frog Pond. Well it was December, and their two friends were off on a skiing and snowboarding trip to Mount Strawberry together, so Kiki & Douglas went out for a walk in the woods on their own to look for Chanterelles. After lunch, they decided to leave Rabbit Foot trail to check out some promising looking brambles, when suddenly they found themselves lost in the deep dark woods. Sure, one minute it’s a wonderful wooded winter wonderland and then the next, it’s suddenly “the deep dark woods”. Well, that’s how it felt to Kiki and Douglas at any rate. The sun began to set as they wandered about, but Kiki and Douglas weren’t too worried ... they could still had time to find the trail again. So they followed the sound of running water, hoping a river might wind its way back to Rabbit Foot trail when they discovered the strangest thing they had ever seen just sitting there surrounded by pine trees and half buried in a big snow drift... What was it? They did not know ... But it looked like an enormous silver orb with huge reflective circular windows across the mid section of the orb. One window was wide open, and a strange blueish green light emanated from within. Douglas ran up to take a closer look see, but Kiki warned him to be careful because it could be dangerous. But did Douglas listen? Not even for a micro-milli-second ... he was just too excited and curious... He barked with joy and in a micro-milli-second, a strange creature was petting Douglas on the head and barking dog talk from the nose horn on his head. Douglas called over to Kiki, “He says his name is Rillakkumma, and he will trade us three Chanterelles for a ride to outer space & back again.” Now it just so happened that Kiki and Douglas had found exactly three Chanterelles half buried in the snow during their walk off the trail. So they gladly traded Rillakkuma the Chanterelles for a trip to the moon. They all climbed aboard and in two and half micro-milli-seconds they were in orbit around the Moon... it was incredible, I wish you could have seen it - a dog and cat with an alien hopping around the moon together, hold the phone ... there is a picture - turn back the page, and you will see it for yourself. Well there you go ... Now if the silly squirrel doesn’t get loose in the house and bite holes in my yellow curtains and make them look like swiss cheese, the next picture and story will be about our good friend, Alexander Salamander! page 25 Alexander Dreams page 26 Alexander Salamander was hunkered down in his big hollow log for his winter’s rest, only he had one slight problem . . . he could NOT sleep. So, instead he decided to play video games. Lots and lots of video games, until he got so bored, he went retro and began playing the old classic video games of yesteryear. Yes, he worked his way from Pong to Ms. Pacman until he finally decided to take a break and rest his sore fingers. So he went to Fluffybucks cafe and drank not one, not two, but THREE peppermint Mochas, because they were just so warm and tasty. Then Alexander began to bounce back to his hollow log like a crazy wet noodle, he bounced off trees and hopped over branches, then completed a triple flip spin 360 into his hollow log where he slammed his head into his Grandmother’s antique Handle Pine Tree table lamp with Griffin base and knocked himself out cold. Alexander had a wild and wooly dream that changed his life forever ... It began with him running in a maze filled with pellets and then suddenly he was being chased by four ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Sue. What would Crazy Otto do? Alexander ran to the left, yes, this maze was all too familiar now ... He was in Level Seven of Ms. Pacman, now if only he could power up and get that banana! But the ghosts were calling him and urging him to change his ways and become a better person ... “Choose the right path, you are headed the wrong way, Alexander!” Alexander woke up in a cold sweat just as the four ghosts had him surrounded. He was a changed amphibian! He ran to his window and tore open the sash and the shutters and shouted to a poor pill bug down below, “You there, bug! What day is this? Did I miss Christmas?” “No, it’s Saturday, December Seventh, you Goof Bucket!” Alexander laughs and vows out loud to become a better brother and a more helpful son, to his two hard working parents. He begins by cleaning their house and doing all the dishes and the laundry too. It’s a beautiful moment that he will never forget; the simple joy of helping others. So if the Bocce ball doesn’t make friends with the Bowling ball so they can join the Basketball in a game of Nine ball with the Soccer ball, our next picture and story will tell how Jack Frost joined the Snow Lovers Club for a day full of frosty fun, and as for the Fox and Wolf - See what happened to them. Oh my! Jack Frost plays Early one Sunday morning in the Lodge, the Snow Lover’s Club called Dreamland, Squeaky-Eaky woke up to find all the pipes and water had frozen over night. So Squeaky-Eaky and Jeff decided to ski down the mountain and bring up some fresh water from the spring. As the twosome set out on skis and snowbaord, Jeff said, “Perhaps I may have an adventure today.” “Oh look, Jeff.” Squeaky-Eaky said as they reached the Spring past the meadow and the Smiling Pool. “Who is that?” Dancing across the meadow and freezing all the trees and bushes with frost and ice was a funny little chap all dressed in blue. “I am Jack Frost”, answered the little fellow for himself. “I am helping the North Wind.” “That’s delightful”, Jeff declared. “We just love the cold snow of winter. We even made a club, because we love it so much.” Jack Frost smiled at Jeff and danced up into a tree and began to make it snow over Jeff’s head. Jeff quickly filled his bucket with water from the spring before that froze as well. Jack flipped off the tree and landed on the Spring, as the Spring became ice, Jack skated across it most gracefully. “Oh look, Jeff, here comes two friends of mine!”, said Squeaky-Eaky. It was Jillie and Jollie Mouse, they were gathering chestnuts beyond the meadow. They came over at once and said, “We’ll help you Jeff.” Jillie and Jollie put the pail between them and used a ski pole to carry it. Jeff said that was very kind. Jack Frost waving good bye from the Spring, saw the bad fox and wolf behind a tree. “There is going to be trouble”, Jack Frost said. page 30 “Ah Ha! We have you now!” barked and growled the bad fox and wolf as they jumped out from behind a bush and grabbed Jeff and SqueakyEaky. “Yes, I see, you got me this time ... Okay, now I’ll be it and will try and catch you.” said Jeff, thinking they were all playing a game of tag together. “Please just let us take the water back to Dreamland Lodge.”, pleaded Jeff. “No way! Forget it!”, the fox and wolf laughed. They all sat down on a log together. Meanwhile Jack Frost began piling up snowballs faster than you could spell “Mississippi”. He motioned over to Jillie and Jollie. The two mice quietly and cautiously crept away from Woozy Wolf and Fuzzy Fox. They joined Jack Frost behind the bushes. “On the count of three, we attack.”, Jack said pointing to his pile of snowballs. And attack they did! They made it rain over forty eleven snow balls on top of the Wolf and Fox’s heads, until they howled in defeat and the two ruffians retreated into the safety of the woods. Squeaky-Eaky blew kisses to Jack Frost and said she loved him. Jack Frost laughed so hard at the fox and the wolf running away that he cracked an icicle. And if the puppy dog doesn’t go Christmas shopping and forget to buy wrapping paper, the next picture and story will be how the Fuzzy Fox was undone by a pickle! Fuzzy Fox Gets tricked page 34 Every year on Christmas, Reggie and Rollie frog would play a game with all their animal friends by the big Christmas tree called “Find the pickle!” It began with a simple glass pickle ornament, and whoever found it got a year of “good luck” and an extra present, simple enough right? Well, after awhile they decided to make it more challenging and use a real pickle instead … they began hiding it in strange and funny places … Then one year Reggie found the most delicious pickle that he ever tasted. It was a genuine Gundelberg Barrel pickle from Germany, it was fantastic! The best pickle ever, many pickle experts declared in bold print on the jar. So when the first year of the contest was held with the fancy Gundelberg pickle, Fuzzy Fox won and ate that big crunchy pickle in four bites. He said it was the best thing he had ever tasted. He said it was better than dirty socks, yes, it was even better than fresh fish… yes, and it was better than a triple berry pie! He talked about it all year and the next year, he won again, and ate that Gundelberg pickle in three bites. He declared the second pickle was even better than the first one he had, and bragged about it all year long, until the following Christmas … That year everyone got quite serious about winning, because they didn’t want to hear Fuzzy Fox talk about how delicious and crisp and crunchy it was anymore! Well somehow Fuzzy Fox won the contest again, his keen sense of smell and his abounding love for those Gundelberg pickles was unbeatable. This time he ate that pickle in just two bites! Well, Reggie and Rollie were getting fed up with Fuzzy Fox as well … so they decided to take action. So instead of waiting until Christmas morning for the pickle game to begin, they bought a barrel full of Gundelberg pickles and started hiding them all over Frog Pond. One pickle was hidden each and every day in December by the two tricksters. And to make the game even more fun, they hid fake rubber pickles all over frog pond, under logs and behind bushes, even in trees and under water too. Some say they hid over forty eleven rubber pickles, but no one can say for sure, because the game is not over yet. At any rate, Reggie and Rollie are going to make certain that everyone in Frog Pond this month will get a chance to try those tasty and delicious Gundelberg barrel pickles, except for one fuzzy pointy eared orange somebody … you know who! YES! Fuzzy Fox was on the hunt each and every day, and twice on Sundays, but no matter how early he got up in the morning, somehow or other wherever he went the pickle of the day wasn’t. Even Squeaky-Eaky herself found a pickle the other day inside a hollow log. Then one day, in fact it was today that this happened, Fuzzy Fox was pickle hunting at the great big grassy meadow when he suddenly picked up a big strong smell of Dill in the air … it just had to be the Gundelberg pickle! And it was quite close too! And as Fuzzy Fox saw it, not one hundred yards away sitting on a plate on a red and white picnic blanket … He saw fifteen Frog Pond friends enter the meadow as well … Fuzzy Fox never did run so fast in his entire life as he did today – he made a crazy mad sprint to the pickle, and just as he went to grab it … the pickle jumped off the plate, all by itself and flew out of reach into the air like magic! (Actually, it was Reggie and Rollie … they had tied the pickle to a fishing line and were hiding up in the top of a tree just waiting for Fuzzy Fox to come along.) It was just the funniest thing you ever saw ~ Fuzzy Fox, with his big pink tongue wagging, chasing after this magical dancing pickle. Everyone who was there fell down laughing … Just ask Lucy Ladybug or Kiki Cat, they will tell you all about it … Fuzzy was so embarrassed and mortified that the pickle got away from him, that he ran up to the mountains for the rest of the day … But, in case you think he has given up on pickles … think again … He is getting ready for tomorrow … and hoping that with his keen nose he will find the next pickle … Now if the Pollywog does not turn off the radio, so that the Cardinals will finally get some peace and quiet this evening in their nest by the pond, the next story and picture will be about another troublesome chap by the name of Woozy Wolf! page 37 Woozy Wolf has a Sick Day Once there was a Woozy Wolf who actually grew up in a close knit family that got down right festive during the Holidays ... Yes, they baked cookies, decorated the Den from top to bottom, and all groomed themselves extra well ... Everyone in Wood Land and Frog Pond simply assumed Woozy was being “Ironic” with his Holly Jolly Santa hat on his head, but actually he was being sincere. He loved this time of year ... always had ... His brothers and the other pack wolves would get together every year and celebrate in high style. But this year Woozy wasn’t going back home to his pack ... this year he was on his own ... and quite down in spirits and his health ... Cough Cough, hack hack, sneeze ... ”Ouch! My brain hurts” ... Woozy Wolf fell down, he got up again ... a crust of bread and some soup ... and some warm sassafras tea ... that’s the ticket, he thought ... “I am going back to bed ...” , Woozy Wolf declared and so he did. Now if the Author / Illustrator doesn’t wake up in an even worse state of Health, the next story and picture will be about A.G.’s fine friend the Skeezicks ... and he appears to be dressing like the fourth Doctor Who from the 70s... Maybe we’ll find out more tomorrow or perhaps we will be sadly disappointed and just stay in bed all day long sleeping and playing Carcaspage 38 sonne ... hard to say really .... The SkeeZicks is Dr. Who? The Skeezicks went for a walk to get some air on a very windy and cold December day. His incredibly long striped scarf and hat kept him cozy and warm as the fierce and frosty North wind blew with Jack Frost not far behind. As the Skeezicks walked past the Frog Pond, Reggie stared at the Skeezicks and said, “Hey look, there goes DOCTOR WHO!” Well, Rollie frog thought that was so very funny, he laughed and laughed until he flipped off his lily pad then swam over to the Skeezicks and said, “Hey Doctor, Where’s your TARDIS?” “Excellent question, my good frog! WHERE is my Tardis?” I can’t seem to find it around here anywhere ... I could of sworn I left it just over there by those trees.” Care for a Jelly baby?” The Skeezicks took a plastic packet of gummy candy babies in various colors out of his pocket and handed some to Reggie and Rollie. They shot out their tongues and ate their candies up, smiling. “You haven’t seen my assistant, Romana, around here have you? No? I thought not.”, the Skeezicks said to the frogs, then wandered off looking dazed and confused. “Wow, he really thinks he is Doctor Who”, Reggie said to Rollie. “Looks just like him, even without the hat.” “Maybe he IS the doctor.” “Ha!” The two frogs kept talking as the Skeezicks walked on, over the river and into the woods. He smiled a big smile to himself, he knew he wasn’t actually Doctor Who, but it sure was fun pretending he thought he was for awhile, “Besides a bit of Cosplay always brightens up the day.”, he said to no one in particular. No one in particular was a small red ant, who just happened to be locked out of his ant hole, and could not find his keys to beat the band. page 41 Now if the Band doesn’t play Here Comes Santa Claus before Peter Cottontail gets home, no one in particular will be the wiser and the next story will be about the Pipsewah, also known as DJ Pip or as his Mother likes to call him, Pipsy Wipsy Cutie Wootie. Well at least she used to, when he was young. page 42 The Pipsewah Prepares DJ Pip was all set to go, the vintage copy of Elvis’s Christmas Album in festive translucent green vinyl lay in his hand. “Nothing like a Holly Jolly Dance party before Christmas to get everyone feeling that Holiday Spirit.”, the Pipsewah said to his good friend and partner, the Skeezicks. “That’s fantastic, Pip! Have you seen my Sonic Screwdriver around here anywhere? I’m thinking of taking another walk by the frog pond today.” “Oh, Skee, you’re just too much!”, The Pipsewah chuckled as his good friend left the house still dressed like you know WHO. The Pipsewah packed up his crates full of Christmas records and got ready to pull the wagon over to the pond, so he could get his stereo equipment set up before guests began arriving for the dance party. As Pip came around the bend, by the old Elm tree, Sally Squirrel asked him, “Whatcha going to play for the first song, Pip?” “Well, Sally, I think tonight we are going to get things started with an old favorite of mine ... The J’s with Jamie’s version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, cha cha cha!” “NICE! Can’t wait - See ya Pip!”, Sally sang as she hopped up a tree and disappeared out of sight. The Pipsewah smiled, he just loved music and making people happy by playing songs for everyone. Now in case the toothpaste cap gets lost and never finds his way back to the toothpaste again, causing untold sadness on the toothpaste’s part, the next story and picture will be about two best friends named Ringo Rooster & Giddy-Up the Horse, page 44 decorating the Frog Pond Christmas Tree. Ringo & Giddy up Decorate Ringo Rooster and Giddy Up the horse were hard at work decorating the big Christmas tree. Ringo found the storage box that contained the tree topper, a vintage twelve inch green mercury glass topper flocked with silver and gold piping. It was an exquisite ornament, that they were quite proud of. They had found it one Sunday while out picking some yard sales, thrift stores and estate sales together. They paid one dollar for it, but to them it was absolutely priceless, worth more than all the hay in the barn and the bird seed too. Ringo flew up to the top of the tree and placed the ornament on top, perfectly. The tree was finished, it glowed with lights and shiny ornaments too. Giddy Up grabbed a bowl of leftover popcorn that did not get strung, and the two friends just sat there by the tree admiring its beauty and thinking about all the good times they had over the past year together. DJ Pip smiled over at them and played Dancing Snowflake by Elliot Lawrence as the dance party at Frog Pond continued. Now if the Gingerbread boy doesn’t find his way home to his Gingerbread house and trip over a gum drop on candy lane, our next story and picture will feature Squeaky-Eaky’s good friend, Sally Squirrel. page 47 Sally Decides to Be kind Sally Squirrel was out for her morning tree run and breakfast hunt when she saw Alexander Salamander handing out beautiful origami cranes to all the animal children in the woods. Well, that was certainly very kind of him, she thought. Then after Alexander had handed out an entire box full of cranes, and handed the last crane to Jimmy Wibble-Wobble the Duck boy, Alexander smiled and said goodbye to all the ducks, bunnies, mice, kittens, and puppy children too. Now I should mention that Alexander and Sally did not exactly get along these days. They were always disagreeing with one another and causing each other no end of misery. Why this was so, I do not know, but it came to be that Sally prepared herself to fight or flee whenever she saw Alexander. As Alexander walked by past the tree she was sitting in, Sally thought to herself, I could easily toss this nut right on Alexander’s head, because yesterday he took my breakfast. She thought of all the times that Alexander did something awful to her and the more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that dropping the nut on his noggin was the nicest possible thing she could possibly think of. But he did give away all those cranes, maybe, just maybe things will be different. It’s the Holidays ... and Santa is watching, so Sally decided not to knock Alexander in the noggin after all. Instead, she would be his Secret Santa and make him a present for Christmas. And she did, she made him the warmest, softest ear muffs you could ever imagine. Now if the Snowman does not melt, because he climbed into page 48 the freezer to hide from Mister Sun, the next story and picture will be about Mr. Mayhem and his new toy store! Mayhem Starts Over Mayhem was done being King, and thanks to A.G., someone else more qualified now ruled Wood Land. What would Uncle Wiggily think? Well, he would be proud and happy to learn that Sammy Littletail grew up to become such a great bunny. As King Mirth, he was known as the kindest King in all the Lands. Yes, he was the right bunny for the job alright. And Mayhem? He found a new direction to take in life. He discovered that his favorite childhood toy store, Mr. Mark’s had gone the way of the dinosaurs, that it is it was gone forever. But the building itself was still there, just waiting for him. It was becoming an eye sore on Gilbert Avenue, where all the fun shops were. So Mayhem cashed in his last treasure chest of gold and became the proud owner of a toy store. He spent the end of November and half of December getting it ready to open, two weeks before Christmas. He was behind schedule, but today he was ready. The big sign out front said “Mr. Mayhem’s” in big bold red letters with gold trim. His store was going to be very special, featuring toys from around the world that Mayhem had shipped to Frog Pond. Plus he had made some of his own toys in his workshop upstairs. He was so excited, he could not wait til nine a.m. the official opening time, so he grabbed the key and got ready to unlock the door. Many animal children were fogging up the display window and staring in disbelief at the amazing toys on display. Shiny tin toy robots danced around the Aluminum Christmas tree that spun around with red alligator and green frog glass ornaments all over it, as baby pandas sat by the railroad track and watched the amazing LEGO train go by. Mayhem smiled and grabbed a box, he had free Yo-yos for everyone. page 50 page 51 And now if the wind-up monkey doesn’t bang his symbols three times and cause the rubber duck to fall in the tub, the next story and picture you will see will be about the Skuddlemagoon! page 52 The Skuddlemagoon Travels The Skuddlemagoon noticed something, like for instance his friends, the Pipsewah and the Skeezicks had left Woodland to spend the Holidays in Frog Pond. Well, if they could have fun traveling to new and exciting places so could he! Not that he was jealous, but he was a bit ... and lonesome too. So the Skuddlemagoon decided to leave Wood Land and head for the North Pole, the most exciting place on Earth! He would be welcomed with open arms and he would be the best helper Santa ever had and if Santa wanted to give him a special present for all his help, well he could give him the gift of friendship, because you can never have too many friends. Well, the Skuddlemagoon had made it as far north as Alaska when he met Bob and Jayne Deer. They were old helpers of Santa Claus and had weathered over forty Christmases in the North Pole before retiring in the beautiful warm south of Alaska. They gently told the Skuddlemagoon how far away the North Pole was, and how dangerous the journey is, especially at this time of year ... and besides all that, he would need a strong and swift boat that could break the ice as well. They also told him, as gently as they could, that Santa had all the helpers he needed this year, and that he if he <em>really</em> wanted to help Santa he should return home and spread some Christmas magic by doing good deeds for his family and friends. Bob and Jayne even promised to give him a ride on their backs across the night sky all the way to Frog Pond to spread some Christmas magic. And now if the elves in Santa’s workshop don’t take their mandatory break and drink more hot cocoa with marshmallows on page 54 top, the next story will be about Bob and Jayne Deer. Bob & Jayne Make Merry Bob and Jayne Deer arrived in Frog Pond with their new friend, the Skuddlemagoon. They knew he needed to spend time with his friends and family there, because he was so sad and lonesome on his own. So they helped him spread some Christmas magic, all across Frog Pond. First, with the help of Jack Frost and the North Wind they caused quite a blizzard the night they arrived, so that when everyone woke up they discovered their doors piled over two feet in fluffy new fallen snow! Then with the Skuddlemagoon’s great climbing skills and wild enthusiasm, they strung up Christmas lights, gold & silver paper chains and over one hundred ice crystal disco snow balls that Jack Frost made specially for them all over Frog Pond. The decorations were spectacular. Then for the final touch, the Skuddlemagoon began cooking up the most amazing breakfast you can imagine. he made French Toast, potato pancakes, cranberry muffins, fruit salad, banana nut waffles, and all kinds of omelets too! No one had ever seen the Skuddlemagoon cook before, but apparently he was quite an extraordinary chef. Everyone just loved the surprise breakfast that day, it was so much fun that it became a yearly tradition called <em>Magoon’s Merry Breakfast</em>. And all the animals loved his cooking, they even insisted he open up his own cafe right there by the old oak tree. Which is what he did, the very next day. He cooked and talked with all his new friends, and found true peace and happiness in Frog Pond. Now if the Christmas tree does not fall down while everyone is sleeping and break all the glass ornaments, the next story and picture will be about Captain Groovy! page 57 Capt. Groovy Crashes page 58 He was known as the Hero of the people in Candyland, and in Thunder Valley they called him the life of the party, and in Oaklandish they simply smiled at him and nodded or gave him a high five, and as far as Maybe Land they knew him through stories and songs. Who was he? And did he really have a bubble gum army? Well the legends varied, like colors in a crayon box, but they all called him Captain, Captain Groovy to be more precise. And now here he was waist high in snow trudging through the drifts to reach the other side of the valley in the snow. His plane had gone down wrestling with big bully clouds and snow-sky snakes too. It took him over twelve hours to dig himself out of the rubble. Indeed, where <em>was</em> his Bubblegum Army now? Instead, Jack Frost found him and welcomed Captain Groovy to Frog Pond by forming icicles on his mustache and his beard. Then before Jack could do anything more troublesome, Freddy and Roger, two playful boys from Thunder Valley, began hurling snowballs at Jack. “Hey Look, who it is, Freddy.” Roger motioned to his friend and pointed at the Captain. “It’s CAPTAIN GROOVY, alright!”, Freddy exclaimed jumping up and down in the snow. “Welcome to Frog Pond, Captain! We’re here for the Holidays visiting, while they finish construction on our new loft. You’ll dig Frog Pond, Captain, this place is on the shelf!” “You mean, top shelf?” “No, off the shelf and under the rug where you can read comics, ha ha!”, Freddy giggled. “Well boys, it seems I lost the big battle in the sky once again ... Madame Thunder and Kid Lightinin’ threw me about last night, while the snow-sky snakes torn my engine to smithereens.” “You mean the big blizzard last night?” “Indeed!” “Well, Captain, we’re headed into town for some breakfast before we go tobogganing ... care to join us?” “You bet your hot buttered biscuits, I’m starvin’!” And so Captain Groovy, Freddy and Roger head into town to the old Fire Engine that the Skuddlemagoon had turned into a cafe by the old oak tree. And now if the rainbow bridge to Maybe Land doesn’t return to a smooth archway curvy shape, instead of a zig-zag W shape, the next story will be about two best friends from Thunder Valley named Freddy and Roger! page 60 Freddy & Roger Toboggan Freddy and Roger were staying in Frog Pond for the Holidays with their friends from Thunder Valley, Ringo Rooster and Giddy Up Horse at the High Horse Inn, a very cozy bed and barn run by a horse named Nancy. Nancy was in fact Giddy Up’s cousin, so it was just like home, and everybody at the Inn was very friendly and kind. Well after the big blizzard, Freddy and Roger just had to take out the big toboggan Nancy had in the barn. So the boys asked nicely if they could use it and Nancy told them of course they could, and thanked them for asking with such good manners too. So Freddy and Roger headed over to Midvale Hill, the steepest slope in Frog Pond. It took quite a long time to get from the bottom to the top, but it was well worth it, because the hill was all theirs - no one else had dared to sled down it since the big storm. So Freddy and Roger tobogganed all day at Midvale Hill until their thermos of hot cocoa ran out and they got stiff and too cold to walk back up the big hill anymore. So they got a lift from Captain Groovy on his newly crafted Snowmobile he had built out of spare parts from his old airplane. That crazy Captain was always inventing stuff like that ~ making bicycles out of Legos and re-inventing the wheel out of soup cans and rubber bands! It was good to see him here in Frog Pond. So they hopped aboard Captain Groovy’s sixteen geared snowmobile and headed over to Magoon’s for some of the best chili and corn bread the boys ever tasted. And now if the Candy Cane doesn’t get all sticky and get stuck in the Christmas stocking, making the stuffed Panda bear page 62 upset, the next story and picture will be about King Mirth. King Mirth Joins In King Mirth hopped around Wood Land in dismay . . . No Pipsewah and no Skeezicks? Where’s my good pal, the Skuddlemagoon? Soon the King came to learn from some friendly badgers that almost everyone in Wood Land was off traveling for the Holidays. Many Wood Land residents opted for near by Frog Pond as a quick fun get away, they had snow, hills and some very silly frogs. So the King himself to decided to hop on over to Frog Pond and join the fun. On the way he met Lucy Ladybug and Kafka Bug by the ice pond. They were skating hand and hand together. Next King Mirth nodded and waved to Freddy, Roger and Captain Groovy as they sped past on wild looking snow machines that looked like bicycles mixed up with skis and rocket boosters. Then the King headed over to the hills and saw the Snow Lovers Club in action on top of Mount Crumpet, the froglets were all snowboarding with Jeff and the Pipsewah and not far behind them came Squeaky-Eaky and the Skeezicks on skis. Everyone in Frog Pond was so busy enjoying the Holidays. King Mirth wondered if anyone had time for a kind old gentlemen rabbit, such as himself. Then Kiki Cat and Douglas Dog came over to see the King, they asked him if he would join the fun game night they were planning over at Magoon’s cafe. They were carrying a big stack of board games, and King Mirth offered to help them with carry a few board game boxes as well. And so it went, that King Mirth got caught up in some Holiday fun as well and some say he lost his crown that day and others say no he was wearing it upside down like a necklace while in town. Now in case the Cinnamon Bear loses his Silver Star again and has to go to the North Pole and ask for Santa’s help, the next story and picture will be about a sad frog named Steve. page 65 Steve’s Sadness Steve was sad. Why? Because! Because he had to play Max in the school play of the Grinch... Well, no, the school play was actually fun but... it was because he felt it deep inside. The Holidays were almost here, and everyone was making such a big fuss and Steve thought it was getting crazier and crazier with all the decorations, and gathering together and singing and so on ... Steve was fed up with all that Hooha, and if that made him a Bah-Hum Bug Grinch, then so be it. You see, the truth was, Steve’s best friend, George, had just moved far away and now, well - everything was just not fun. Steve was sad, it’s true. He kept on being sad day after day until one day, Jeff was snowboarding down Midvale Hill when suddenly he hit a rock and flipped off his board and began tumbling down the hill gathering snow as he went. So when Jeff came rolling past only Jeff’s head and hands and feet poked out of a huge ball of snow. It was the funniest thing Steve had seen in ages and it cracked his sadness into a million giggles of joyful laughter. Steve just laughed and laughed, he saw Kafka and Lucy laughing too. Kafka flew over to Steve and said,”Hey Steve, do you want to go play the Uncle Wiggily Game with us, Lucy’s friend Sally Squirrel is coming over to play and we could use another player, it’s more fun with four.” “Okay. Sure, sounds like fun.” And off to Lucy’s house they went. So in case the big Banana doesn’t say to the little banana, “Orange you glad I didn’t say Banana again”, the next story will be about Jeff and his big ball of snow. page 66 Jeff rolls Jeff lost control in a giant ball of snow. He rolled straight down Old Man Goodrich’s pasture and ca-roomed off a big flat rock then landed in the frozen brook where Jeff’s snowball spun around like it was a hot rod doing donuts, then he ricocheted off a maple tree and the snow ball disintegrated into a pile of soft icy powder right in front of Bessie and her sister, Maybelle cow. There was Jeff completely stunned and not a scratch on him. It was a veritable miracle of sorts. It was also quite hilarious to anyone who saw it happen. Jeff brushed himself off and smiled at the cows and ran off to find his snowboard somewhere a mile or two up Midvale Hill. Bessie & Maybelle became the most popular cows for miles around, because only they saw Jeff’s wild and wacky crash landing. Indeed, it was just another day in the life of Jeff the frog ... And if the Elf on the Shelf doesn’t sneak into the kitchen for a Midnight snack and stay up too late watching cartoons and leave the milk out to spoil, the next story and picture will be about the skillery skallery alley gator with the clickety-clackety tail! page 69 A.G. Volunteers page 70 Aloysius Gilbert just loved this time of the year, he loved giving gifts and having fun with friends, but mostly he just loved the feeling of caring in the air. So that’s why he volunteered to help out his little frog friends, Reggie and Rollie. Those two frogs were determined to make this year’s Christmas in Frog Pond the best one ever. Some how or other, they had made Frog Pond <em>thee</em> place to be this holiday season. They had special events planned for weeks, and not just the Pickle game, although that was still happening and in case you’re wondering ~ today’s pickle was found by none other than Freddy Flowers, Roger’s best friend. He said it was quite delicioso too, but I digress. Reggie and Rollie had snow parties, dance parties, decorating parties and even a cookie party at the Skuddlemagoon’s Cafe. They had events planned every day until Christmas, it seemed. So A.G. volunteered to help the two busy frogs with their biggest event of the season ~ delivering presents to all the children in Frog Pond. Santa himself had asked the two frogs to take care of Frog Pond personally, since he was busy with the rest of the planet. So A.G., the skillery skallery alley gator with the clickety-clackety tail, volunteered to pull the sled for Santa Rollie and Reggie Elf on Christmas Eve and help them get ready. Together they made a list and checked it, not once, not twice ... but three times! (So they each got a turn.) Then they went over to Nancy’s horse barn, and got Bob & Jayne Deer to help them wrap all the presents, and Giddy Up and Ringo helped too. Although Giddy Up did make a mess with the tape and got all tangled up, so he had to take a break and get cleaned up. Mister Mayhem dropped off a huge truck full of toys from Santa, plus a few of his latest creations. They wrapped and wrapped, they added bows, and ribbons and even some tinsel too. After a few hours of wrapping gifts, they took a break and soon enough the Skuddlemagoon brought them all some tasty treats he had baked. And they each had a cup of hot cocoa with a candy cane in it. Then after they were all sugared up, they finished wrapping every single present and went to bed. It wasn’t Christmas yet ... And just before A.G. fell asleep after a busy day of wrapping presents, he heard Kafka bug shout out, “Just two more days ‘til Christmas! And tomorrow’s Christmas Eve!” And now if the Fuzzy Fox doesn’t get his Christmas Pickle, the next story will be how Little Johnny Gilbert danced the funky chicken ... Oh wait! The Fox did get a pickle on Christmas Eve ... so that means the story will be about Reggie Elf! Reggie Elf Laughs page 74 Reggie hopped off his lily pad and went straight to work. First, there was a carol singing festival by the old oak tree and then a big brunch at the Skuddlemagoon’s Cafe. Today, Magoon was making magic, Dutch Babies with Strawberries or Bananas and lots of great side dishes too. “Oh wait, I’m still in my pajamas!” thought to himself and quickly got his Elf costume on and joined Rollie in time to sing <em>All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth</em>. After an ice skating party on the frozen pond with Lucy Ladybug and the entire Snow Lovers Club, they had plans to sit by the fire at Jeff’s bungalow. Santa Rollie invited the children to join them for Story Time. They read forty elven Christmas stories, even the one about Alexander Salamander. Then they had to depart quickly and load up the sleigh. A.G. did most of the work, but Bob & Jayne Deer helped out too. Then it was off to Dreamland Lodge for the traditional Christmas Eve supper. Santa Rollie gave out candy canes to all the children and Reggie Elf gave them jingle bells. DJ Pip was there too and after dinner there was dancing and a big game of Carcassonne too. “Where’s A.G.?”, Santa Rollie said. “He’s putting on his harness, getting ready to go.”, Reggie Elf replied. So the two frogs hopped on their aluminum arctic snow saucers and slid down the mountain to meet up with A.G. over at Nancy’s barn. “We’re not going up into the sky, right?” A.G. asked them when they arrived. “Look, I’m not a flying Reindeer ... I’m a skillery skallery alley gator.”, he said, as a matter of fact. Santa Rollie smiled and said, “You should have thought of that before you volunteered ... now let’s go!” Reggie elf laughed in spite of himself, “We’re not flying, we’re staying on the ground and we’ll just deliver gifts all over town and in Wood Land too. Now dash away, dash away skillery skallery alley gator.” And so off they went as night time grew darker still, the three friends were off in a hurry to deliver presents for Old Saint Nick. They delivered eighteen packages and then turned up the hill, when out of the bushes jumped Fuzzy Fox and Woozy Wolf. “Hold it right there, you three!” “You’re not going any further ... where’s my pickle?” Reggie and Rollie smiled at each other and Santa Rollie said, “Why Fuzzy, didn’t you know ... today’s pickle is yours! And it’s right at home!” “WHAT? It is? This isn’t a trick?” “No tricks, Fuzzy - Merry Christmas!” And Fuzzy ran off to get his pickle at long last. Then Woozy Wolf approached and said, “I made this while I was sick in bed ... can I give it to you Santa?” And Woozy handed Santa Rollie a very special toy ... it was a spinning acorn bopper with a beautiful red and green string, you give it a pull and Wheeeeeeeee ... the acorn bopper takes a spin then jumps up, glows red, then turns green and then spins again. “Amazing!”, Santa Rollie declared, “That’s a fantastic toy you made. We’ll take forty eleven!” “But I only made sixteen so far.”, Woozy said as he handed Santa Rollie a bag full of the boppers. “Merry Christmas, Woozy Wolf!” and Santa Rollie handed him a beautiful box full of tools for crafting. Then A.G. jumped and leaped and the sleigh bells jingled as off they went to deliver more toys for all the girls and boys in Frog Pond Land and in Wood Land too. Now if you don’t go to bed early on Christmas Eve, then Christmas will take longer to arrive, so get tucked in and dream sweet dreams of sugar plums, little toy drums, funny frogs and a tank full of polliwogs! Christmas is very near ... The next story will be our last, and it’s all about Santa Rollie in case you asked. still, the three friends were off in a hurry to deliver presents for Old Saint Nick. page 76 Santa Rollie Smiled They went here, they went there, they delivered presents everywhere! Lucy got a new tea set and some mittens too. Kafka got ice skates and his & her’s slippers ~ six for him and six for her! The froglets got more snow and a Nintendo for the lodge. Tex, well he wasn’t easy to find ... turns out he was spending Christmas with a turtle gal named Clementine. But they got his gift there just in time. It was a big blank book for writing in and a fountain pen and some ink, they wanted him to write I think. The tadpoles were sleeping, but got gifts anyways, balls and rings and hula-hoops among other things. Kiki got mittens and Douglas got a bone, and they both got a Karoake machine with a microphone. Alexander Salamander wanted a demonic sweater, but that package was late, so he instead he got leather. He looked great in his new leather jacket, it’s just too bad he was still making a racket. Running here and there and everywhere spreading good cheer and handing out gold, well gold chocolate that is. Jack Frost got the day off, and a new book to read. And yes the Fuzzy Fox got his pickle and an extra special tickle, when Santa Rollie snuck up beside him. Woozy had his tools, and the Skeezicks got some WHO, and the Pipsewah got records, records, and some good ones too! Ringo got some seed and Giddy Up some hay, and Sally Squirrel went for a whirl and got to play play play her new fun game. Mister Mayhem wanted socks and socks he received, while Bob & Jayne Deer got a visit from their extended family. And Captain Groovy got a new plane so he could fly to Spain. While Freddy and Roger got a new place to live on Gilbert Street. And good King Mirth sat by the hearth, and got some company. And we can’t forget Steve, what did he receive? Why Santa Rollie himself sat on his shelf and made him laugh by telling him crazy stories about himself. Jeff got a helmet, knee pads and health insurance. page 79 Aloysuis Gilbert got what he always wanted, his very own Santa suit and a subscription to Where’s Kermit? And the last gift of the night, or was it morning? Yes, it was Christmas day at long last, wasn’t the gift that Kafka finally opened, (Which was a new rug that his Gramma bug had bought.) No, it was Rollie’s gift to Reggie and it was box that said OPEN. Reggie opened it and laughed, it was a pickle ... a Gundelberg pickle, the very last! page 81 The EnD