(A fairytale of sorts)

 

As the author of this fairytale, I’m going to take the journey with you as you read through it. I will interject comments from time to time, to give insight or to clarify, when the need arises. I will slant and bold the text of those comments to let you know I have paused the story. Don’t mind my brief interruptions… I assure you, it will all make sense when you get to the end of the story. It involves a Princess, a couple of frogs named George and Penelope, and a glass house. Let’s begin…. 

Once Upon a Time….

Isn’t this how a fairytale is supposed to begin? It sounds fitting to me, and since I’m the author and it’s my story to tell, I want to start it off in the usual way, although I think you’ll find this story to be a bit unusual.

… there were two of the happiest frogs that had ever lived. You see, they were growing up in one of the most beautiful ponds that had ever been seen or written about. The pond had everything a frog could ever want… lots of water, food and things to do… things that frogs love to do… like swimming and sunning themselves on lily pads and playing hide-and–seek. Life was interesting and fun. This pond was relatively safe for even the littlest frogs… their parents allowed them to come and go as they pleased… even staying out well beyond nightfall. George was older than Penelope. He fancied himself as a frog of the world, there was nothing he could not do for himself. He was strong and daring and was always trying to impress Penelope with how smart he was. Penelope, who was just a little younger, was kind and considerate, always looking for ways to help others… she was also much smarter than George, but she never let on, because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. George was her friend, and she cared deeply for her friends. Almost every morning, Penelope would greet George the same way, to let him know that she cared for him, by saying, “Good morning George, how are you this fine day?” George and Penelope had a daily routine, they would start their day off with a morning swim, then when the sun was high in the sky, they would crawl up on the lily pads, sunning themselves, and spend the afternoon talking. George loved to talk…. most of the frogs in the pond said, “George loves to hear himself talk.” Penelope didn’t mind hearing him talk all the time, she was used to it, and she always told herself, “that’s just who George is, and he’s my friend.” Well, this particular morning the routine was a little different. After their morning swim, George thought it would be fun to play a game of hide-and-seek. He asked Penelope if she wanted to play, and when she agreed, he told her to hide anywhere in the entire pond…. even as far as the other side of the pond, and he would search for her. Normally, George was the one who always wanted to hide, so this was a treat! Penelope swam as fast as she could to the other side of the pond where she knew the reeds were overgrown and thick… it was the one place she knew George would never find her. George was confident he could find Penelope no matter where she hid… he knew all the best spots…. and he wanted to prove to her just how capable he was of finding her… just to impress her. Penelope found the perfect hiding place… she was sure George would never think to look for her so deep among the reeds. George started looking in the obvious places for Penelope first… they had played this game before and George knew all of Penelope’s favorite places to hide, but when he didn’t find her in the usual places, he broadened his search to the far end of the pond. “Surely she’ll be here in the reeds” George thought to himself. Penelope was in the reeds, but she was also, very well hidden. In fact, at one point, George was so close to her, she could have reached out and touched him, but he didn’t see her. Penelope listened as he continued to move away from her, toward the other side of the pond. She took a deep breath… she had evaded him this time, but would he find her the next time?  Only time would tell. As Penelope sat there in silence, she heard a noise, a rustling in the reeds close by. “Was it George? Is he coming back?” she thought to herself. The rustling continued, Penelope was almost afraid to look, assuming George would find her if she moved, so she quietly sat and waited…. but after a minute or so, George never showed. She listened more intently, and realized it didn’t sound like George. It sounded as though someone or something small was struggling, she had to get a better look! So she slowly moved toward the sound. As she got closer, she could hear someone talking… and it wasn’t George!!! As she peered through the reeds, she could see a pond fairy, with her wing hopelessly wrapped around several reeds…. and try as she might, she could not free herself from the entanglement. Penelope knew what she had to do… she had to help! It was in her nature. So she swam out of her hiding place toward the pond fairy. When the pond fairy saw Penelope swimming toward her, she panicked! “Oh please don’t eat me frog!” she cried. “I’m not here to eat you, I’m here to help you” replied Penelope.

You see, Penelope wasn’t like most frogs, she was different. She cared about others, even if they weren’t like her. When she saw someone in trouble, her instinct was to help in any way she could. I’m not sure there’s ever been another frog as kind and as loving as Penelope. Frogs routinely ate pond fairies… but not this frog… not Penelope! She cared about everyone equally.

“What can I do to help you” asked Penelope. “You are too kind, frog” said the fairy. “Could you possibly pull the reeds apart so I can pull my wing free?” ‘Certainly” replied Penelope. Penelope grabbed the reeds with her legs and pushed as hard as she could, but she could not pull the reeds apart. The reeds were too tightly wrapped around the pond fairy’s wing, and every time Penelope tried to pull them apart, the pond fairy would cry out, ” Oh it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!” After several attempts, Penelope told the fairy she wasn’t strong enough to pull the reeds apart by herself without hurting her, but that she had a friend who was strong enough to do it. “I’ll call George” said Penelope. She yelled as loud as she could for George, hoping he wasn’t too far away to hear her cry for help. George, who had just started to make his way to the other side of the pond, heard Penelope’s cry for help. “Oh no” he thought to himself. “Penelope’s in trouble.” All he could think about was how much he cared for Penelope, and if anything ever happened to her, what would he do! He swam as fast as he could toward her voice, prepared to do battle if necessary…. well, as much as a frog could do battle! When he arrived to where Penelope was, he was breathless. “What’s wrong, are you hurt, and are you ok?” he asked. “I’m fine George” replied Penelope “I’m not the one in trouble, she is” as she pointed to the pond fairy. “A pond fairy… you’re afraid of a pond fairy… it’s caught in the reed… how hard can it be?  Well, you found it, so you can eat it” said George. “I don’t want to eat her George, I want to help her get free” replied Penelope. “Seriously, a pond fairy, you want to set it free… you don’t want to eat it?” said George in disbelief. “Yes, set her free” Penelope replied. “Your loss” replied George as he effortlessly pushed the reeds apart, allowing the fairy to free her wing. The fairy fluttered several yards away, and stood on a lily, rubbing her wing. “Are you ok?” asked Penelope. “Yes, I’ll be ok frog, thank you for helping me” replied the fairy, still rubbing her wing. “You’re welcome” said Penelope. This entire day was exhausting, Penelope just wanted to sit on a lily and sun for a while. “Let’s go George” said Penelope. As they turned to go, the pond fairy said “Wait frog, what can I do for you… you have been so kind to me, surely there is something within my power I can do for you?” ” I’m just happy you’re ok, that’s all” replied Penelope. “I can grant you your wildest dreams” said the fairy. “Surely, there is something I can do for you, to pay my debt?”

Her wildest dreams?!! Penelope had dreams, big ones! She realized though, being a frog, had its limitations. How could she realize her wildest dreams of seeing the world beyond the pond? She’d never told anyone… it would have sounded crazy… frogs don’t have big dreams like that. Now, if what the fairy said was true, there was an offer on the table, one that would be difficult to turn down… and what about George… what would he think of her and her big dreams? She would have to tell the fairy what her dreams were, in front of him. She had to be who she was, she had to be brave and not hold back… if George couldn’t understand it, well then…. she’d just have to make him understand! So Penelope told the fairy how she loved the pond but had always wanted to explore the world beyond it and make a life outside of it confines… how she wanted to experience everything the world had in it… but what about George… he was her friend! He had no aspirations outside of the pond… everything he wanted was there! Could she leave her friend… is there any chance he would want to come with her? Penelope decided it was worth the risk and told the fairy all of her big dreams… hopefully George would understand. Let’s pick up the story again and find out where it goes…

  “Penelope, are you out of your mind, you would leave all of this…. all we have together? Aren’t you happy here…. aren’t we friends?  I don’t want anything to change“ exclaimed George.

Now, George was scared. He was afraid of losing his friend. He had to think quickly if he was going to stop this craziness. He pulled out all the stops … after all, it was he who had ultimately freed the fairy. If it wasn’t for him, that fairy would still be stuck… he should have just eaten it when he had the chance…. no fairy, no big dreams… problem solved! But he was too late… the fairy was free and there was an offer on the table for Penelope. So he did what came natural…George started talking, and argued his point, trying to convince the fairy that it was he who was owed, not Penelope … after all, he was the one who had freed her. Now George could talk, and he did, a lot… finally convincing the fairy that he was owed something… let’s see what happens next.

“Yes, were friends, but now you’ve heard my dreams George. I have to do this.” replied Penelope. George turned to the fairy and said “fairy, I don’t know what I want right now… but you owe me!” “Yes, I owe you for the part you played in freeing me…. and you will be paid, but because of your selfishness, trying to prevent your friend from realizing her dreams, she will play a part in determining yours.”replied the fairy. “Well, that’s fine with me. Penelope is my friend and I want her to be happy, I’m good with that!” said George.

Well, looks like everyone is happy, but the fairy went on to explain some of the details surrounding the agreement. She told them, that when she was through explaining everything, she would disappear, and both George and Penelope would have no memory of what had transpired. For Penelope, one day her dreams would be instantly realized and her new life played out. For George, in similar fashion, he would reach a point of knowing exactly what he wanted, and with Penelope’s agreement, his dream would be realized and his life played out. Sounds good, right? Well, like most things, the devil’s in the details. So, let’s continue…

“Not a very good hiding place Penelope! I thought it would be harder to find you, but here you are, practically out in the open!” said George. “I‘ve never been able to hide from you George, I just wasn’t thinking… we probably should head home now, it’s getting late and I’m tired” Penelope replied. Neither George nor Penelope remembered anything that had transpired, just as the fairy had said. Life continued on as usual… the same routine… days turned to weeks and months, and months then turned into years. Everything was just as it should be… until one day! George got up early one morning, he and Penelope had planned to meet at the usual place, but when he arrived, she wasn’t there. George thought perhaps she was just running a little late… so, he waited… and waited … and waited. This was unusual, Penelope was always prompt. When she didn’t show, George assumed she had other things to take care of that day… he would catch up with her the next day. The next day was a repeat…no Penelope. “Where is she?” George said to himself. I hope nothing has happened to my friend. Well, the following day… same thing…. no Penelope! George was frantic now, this was the longest he had ever gone without seeing his friend. He searched from one end of the pond to the other… three times! He asked everyone he knew if they’d seen Penelope…. no one had. After several weeks of searching, George knew that his beloved friend was gone… where, he didn’t know… but she was gone! Life went on. George thought about Penelope every day, his heart fractured beyond repair. Every morning he’d make his way out to the lily pads, to sun and think… and his mind would wander back to the days when he and Penelope would swim and play hide-and-seek. He realized how much he cared for her, and truly loved her… he never took the time to tell her that… now he would never have the chance to tell her! The pain of losing the one he loved, was almost unbearable, but he figured in time, her memory would fade. One day, while George was sitting on his favorite lily pad, he heard a strange noise. Just to be safe, he dipped into the water, hiding himself from view. While submerged in the water, he saw a strange creature from outside the pond, walk to its edge and sit down. “What a unique creature” he thought to himself. He’d heard about creatures like this, but this was the first one he’d ever seen. After a while, the creature got up and left. This was a once in a lifetime event as far as George was concerned. The next day, George went back to the same spot, wondering if the creature might, in fact, return, and to his amazement it did, sitting in the same spot as it had the day before. “Surely this isn’t a coincidence” George thought to himself. He wondered what had drawn the creature to the pond… what did it want? It sat at the edge of the pond, and put it’s feet in the water. The creature looked toward George and seemed to smile at him and then did something George didn’t expect… it spoke to him. It said “hello frog, how are you this fine day?” This sent chills down George’s spine!  He knew that voice and he’d heard that same greeting hundreds, if not thousands of times before. The creature sounded just like Penelope! George didn’t know how to react. Perhaps this creature was responsible for taking his beloved friend. How would he find out? He realized there was only one way… he had to communicate with it, but was he strong enough and brave enough to do so… he had to find the courage, because he had to find out what had happened to his friend Penelope.

Well, I’m sure you have a pretty good idea of where this story is going. You’ve probably come to the conclusion by now, this creature George has encountered, is indeed Penelope… but he doesn’t know that yet, only you do. George is going to have to dig deep… he is going to have to put himself out there and take a chance… and he knows, it might cost him everything!   

Deep down inside, he felt there was nothing more important than this moment… it was his defining moment, and he wanted it more than life itself, but as he was about to respond, George heard an unexpected, but familiar voice from behind him say, “hello frog, remember me?”

This startled George so badly, he almost swallowed his tongue… and if you know anything about frogs, you know that would be quite a feat! It took George a couple of seconds to regain his composure, but as he did, he could see hidden in the reeds, just a few feet away, a pond fairy… in that moment, as if by magic, George instantly remembered everything about he and Penelope’s previous encounter with the fairy… everything that was promised, everything that was said. Let’s pick it up there…

“You… I know you… I remember… you owe me!” George managed to blurt out. “I know I do, that’s how this works” replied the fairy. “So now, tell me, what is it you want? I’m here to pay my debt!”  “I want my friend back” said George. “Your friend has her life and you have yours” replied the fairy. “I want to be with Penelope.” said George. “You are, your friend is here!” replied the fairy. “Where… where is she? I don’t see her” George said in desperation. “She is the creature you see in front of you, look at her” said the fairy. George turned and looked at the creature sitting on the bank… it was as though he was seeing her for the first time, as he’d never seen her before… she wasn’t a creature… she was beautiful, she was Penelope… she was human but he could see her! “I want to be with her, no matter what I have to give up… even if I have to give up all that I have” said George. “Hmmm, you would leave this pond, perhaps even become human…. leave everything you know and love behind?” asked the fairy. “Yes!” replied George. “Everything!” “Well frog, you can do that, but you’ll have to convince your friend! Remember, I told you, because of your selfishness, she would play a part in determining your dream. Now, if you want to become human and enter her world, you’ll first have to convince her to kiss you, only then, will you become human like her, and be a prince” said the fairy.  “I can do that” replied George. “And one more detail, frog… she doesn’t remember you, she has no memory of her life prior to becoming a princess” said the fairy. “It doesn’t matter, she will, because she is my friend, she will remember me!” replied George. “My debt is paid then” said the fairy, and with that, she disappeared. George turned to face his beloved Penelope standing on the edge of the pond. She was so beautiful! He swam up to her and said “My beloved Penelope, it’s me, George.” “A talking frog? Is this an enchanted pond?” exclaimed Penelope. “I don’t know if it is or not… but you and I were friends in this pond years ago… can you not remember?” said George. “No, I have always been a princess and you are only a frog, how could we have ever been friends?” replied Penelope. “We were best friends, and you came from this pond… you were a frog just like me… and if you would only kiss me, I would become human like you… I could then be your prince!” exclaimed George. “Me, a frog like you? No, I have always been a princess, and I already have a prince, you are a lowly frog… and I will not and cannot kiss a frog!” said Penelope. “You have a prince?” exclaimed George. “Even so, you must do this for me Penelope… it is the only way I can ever be with you!”.

What a dilemma! How will George convince his beloved Penelope that all of what he is saying is true? She doesn’t remember. He can’t seem to convince her they were friends, much less, convince her to kiss him and turn him into a prince. The idea of kissing a frog is revolting to Penelope, she has her reasons, and what’s the point, she already has a prince. George is desperate, but what can he do? At days end, Penelope told George she had to leave, but would return the following day. This continued day after day and week after week, and went on for several months. During this time, George and Penelope, renewed their strong friendship. They laughed and cried together, and shared their respective lives with each other. George told Penelope about life in the pond and Penelope told George about life beyond the pond, it was almost as if they had never been apart. George was very happy, the happiest he’d been in a long time… he had his friend back, and that was enough…..it was all he had ever wanted, but things were about to change. One day, Penelope told George she was moving away and would no longer be able to come to the pond to visit him. George was devastated… he felt as though his life was being turned upside down. He would again lose his friend. The thought of not seeing Penelope or being close to her, was beyond anything he could imagine… a fate worse than death! Let’s pick up the story again there…

“Penelope, you can’t leave me here, I will die without you… please kiss me and turn me into a prince, then at least I can go with you and spend time with you” cried George. “I cannot kiss a frog, George! A princess does not kiss frogs, ever! It’s just not proper!” said Penelope. “What would my friends think?” “Am I not your friend? You must find a way to take me with you Penelope! I would rather die, than to never see you again!” said George. “How can I take you with me George, you won’t survive outside of the pond?” replied Penelope. “I don’t know how” said George, “but in your world, there must be a way.” “I will think on it George, and if I can find a way to take you with me, I will” said Penelope. The next day Penelope came to the pond… she was carrying something. She took the object, placed it in the pond and scooped up some water, and then picked up George and put him into it. “What is this thing?” George asked. “I can see through it… it’s clear, like water, but it’s solid.” “ It’s called a jar and it’s made of glass” said Penelope. “Glass?” asked George. “It’s like my own pond… it’s beautiful!” “Yes, it’s your glass house, and now, I can take you with me wherever I go George” replied Penelope. Well, it wasn’t as big as the pond, but George was happy and content in his new glass house… he’d at least get to be with Penelope, and that is all he ever wanted… living in a small glass house instead of the pond, was a small price to pay…. even if he could never be Penelope’s prince.

The End

What??!! Not what you expected? It’s my story, remember? Anyway, here’s the reality…. not every frog is fortunate enough to have a friend like Penelope. For a multitude of reasons, not every princess can kiss a frog, with the hope of turning him into a prince, and not every frog can convince a princess to kiss him, to turn him into what he knows he should be… some frogs, simply have to be content with being frogs, living in small glass houses, in order to be with the ones they truly love.

Always will! 🐸

 

_{It is impossible to calculate the weight of falling in love with someone who you can never truly be with.}