The two sisters raised their jaw breakers in the air and smashed them together. Bits of sugar chipped off and landed on the tile floor of the campgrounds market. Every time the sisters went camping their parents give them a giant jawbreaker. The jaw breakers were bigger then their fists, yet still the licking started.

    While exploring the campground, they came to an open field. The sisters looked at each other, then ran through the field. As they ran, frogs started hoping in all directions. The sisters immediately stopped.

    “Don’t step on them,” Ann cried. She wrapped her jawbreaker in plastic and tucked it in her overalls front pocket. She spotted a small frog and chased it for a few steps, until it stopped hopping. Ann bent low and scooped the tiny frog up in her hands.

    “I want to see.” Mae said.

    With cupped hands, she brought the frog to Mae. She slowly opened her hands. The frog was tiny and a color between brown and green, as it breathed its white throat swelled and shrank. It had long strong legs for its size.

    “Can I touch it?” Mae took one finger and started moving towards the frog. Ann tossed the frog on her sister’s dress. A sharp squeal came out, as she brushed it away.

    “Don’t,” Mae wined and sniffed her runny nose.

    “Don’t be sad, I will get another frog.” Ann put her arms around her sister.

    “Okay, but I want to chose which froggy.” Mae rubbed her eyes and then smirked.

    They walked around the field, ankles moist from the grass. Frogs hoped from under their feet. Ann tried to get her sister to chose a frog.

    “How about this one?” Ann suggested.

    “Look, a big one over there!” Ann pointed.

     “That one is extra green.”

    But Mae was not interested in any of the frogs they saw.

    The sisters came to a small pond surrounded by grass nearly as tall as Mae. Ann pushed through the grass an looked into the edge of the pond.

    “Mae, come look.” Ann said. In the pond next to mud, rocks, and underwater plants was a cluster of clear jelly balls with a dark center in each of them.

    “What is it?” Mae asked.

    “They’re frog eggs.” Ann said. One of the black dots inside its clear jelly ball, wiggled.

    “Did you see that, it has a tail.” Mae said. One by one the black dots moved in a circle within their clear jelly balls. Mae giggled every time.

    “They have little legs, this means they will hatch soon.”

    “Where’s their mommy?” Mae asked.

    “The mom leaves and the eggs grow in the water and turn into tadpoles. When they grow big enough they will lose their tail and hop onto land.” Ann told her younger sister.

    They watched and watched. Mae grew impatient and started throwing rocks down along the pond.

    “Mae, come quick. Their hatching.” Ann screamed with excitement. The black dots looked as though they were nibbling through the clear jelly eggs. They wiggled through a small crack as if their lives depended on it.

    “Mae, Ann ... Where are you? ... It’s getting to be supper time.”

    “Oh, it’s mom.” Ann said. The two girls emerged from the long grass surrounding the pond.

    “We’re here mom,” Ann shouted.

    “Ann,” Mae tugged on her older sisters blouse. “You said you’d catch me a frog.”

    “Well you never picked.” Ann said, but Mae got sad. “I’ll tell you what, pick one out on the way back to camp.”

    The sisters walked through the grass and tiny frogs jumped away from their feet. The closer they got to camp and further from the pond, the less frogs jumped away from their feet.

    “There are not many frogs left to catch, Mae. You should pick one quick.”

    Just then Mae stopped and pointed. She pointed to a cut down tree where only the stump remained. It was off the trail and in the forest.

    “I want that one.” Mae stood still. From were they stood the frog on the stump looked small, but with every step Ann took, it got bigger and bigger.

    The frog was huge and dark brown with no green, it had round bumps beside each eye and looked fat, like it’s never moved.

    Ann got behind it and reached her hands on either side, then hesitated. Ann looked back at her sister. Mae had her arms crossed impatiently.

    “Girls!” Ann heard her mom call.

    Ann took her hands and simultaneously scooped them around each side of the fat lazy frog.

    Ann wrinkled her face and walked fast towards her sister to show her the frog. It felt bumpy and rough, like an old leather boot chewed up by a dog.

    “It’s not as slimy and more sticky.” Ann told her sister as she held the fat frog out for her to see.

    Mae nearly touched it with her finger, but as she did their dad jumped behind and poked her sides.

    “Boo.” Their dad said in a low voice.

    “Dad, you made Ann drop the frog.” Mae sighed.

    “That was not a frog.” Dad said.

    They looked at each other and said, “then what was it?”

    “A Toad.”

    “What the difference between a frog and a toad?” Ann asked.

    “Well they are both amphibians, but frogs have long back legs for jumping high and fast, and toads have shorter hind legs for walking. Also frogs live near water and need to stay wet for their smooth moist skin. While toads have a dry warty skin that surceases a poison to keep predators away.”

    Ann looked at her hands and started wiping them on her overalls.

    “Ann not to worry, we will wash your hands good before dinner, just don’t touch your face. The poison toads have is to taste bad to predators, frogs don’t have this they just jump and swim fast with their webbed feet.”

    “Will Ann get warts now?” Mae asked her dad.

    “No. That is a rumor. Toads look and feel warty, but the bumps are the parotid glands which surcease the poison. Did you know, toads and frogs don’t crew food, they catch it with a long sticky tongue and swallow insects whole. Toads can eat 1000 insects in a day.”

    “The frogs eyes popped out more then the toad did.” Ann claimed, holding her hands out in front of her. They were nearly at camp.

    “That is right.  And one last thing, that I find interesting. Toads and frogs don’t drink water, but absorb it though their skin.”

    “Come on girls, go wash up for supper.” Their mom said at the camp.

    “Especially, Ann.” Mae said, and they both giggled.

aLeXaNdRa LoVeLl