Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Indeed, I Think Randomosity Works Here

Was editing my profile and got this for a random question:

The children are waiting! Please tell them the story about the bald frog with the wig:

So, of course, I write a short novel. Here you are.

Once upon a time there was a bald frog named Jacob. He spent all his time leaping about from shadow to shadow, frightened that the bright sunlight would bake his head to a crust, and worried about how to prevent it.
Finally he went to visit his aunt, whose name was Petunia. Petunia was very wise, for a frog, but not so much as compared to humans. Jacob asked her what he should do to cover up his head without having to jump from shadow to shadow. "Well," said Petunia, "'Tis my belief that a wig should look a right side better than a blackened skull." Jacob was amazed at her wisdom, and gave her three large glossy green flies from his pouch as a token of his appreciation before hopping away to find the wigmaker.
The wigmaker was a small ostrich who lived at the outskirts of town. As he was the only wigmaker in the area, he got a monopoly on the business and was quite successful. His name was Mr. Maltbrook. Jacob hopped over to see him, being very careful to keep in the shade.
"Mr. Maltbrook!" he croaked loudly. "Mr. Maltbrook!"
"Here I am," said a very flustered ostrich. "What can I do for you, fine sir?"
"Well, you can make me a wig!" said Jacob impatiently. "That's what I came all the way over for!"
"Oh, my," said Mr. Maltbrook. "There's a bit of a waiting list, I'm afraid. All the rabbit family wanted theirs done at once, you see. I'm quite tied up. Is there any way you might wait a couple of weeks?"
Jacob pondered for a while. "No," he finally croaked. "I'd like one now, if you please."
Mr. Maltbrook sighed a big long sigh - he only ever sighed long sighs with his long neck - and said that he supposed he could do something. Jacob was very happy and thanked Mr. Maltbrook ecstatically, then settled down to wait for his wig. After a while Mr. Maltbrook sent in a small fieldmouse to obtain Jacob's cranial measurements, but after that no one bothered Jacob in his patient wait.
It took Mr. Maltbrook six hours to make a satisfactory wig for Jacob. It was a lovely wig, all done up with white powdered curls and green ribbons to complement Jacob's skin tone. Jacob was very proud of it, and paid an almost unheard-of amount of twelve bluebottle flies for his new wig.
From that time after Jacob sat happily in the sunshine upon his lily pads, where he could easily reach the gnats that danced in the sunbeams. He grew very large and fat and wealthy, since he was free to roam about as he chose, and lived to a very old ripe age before handing his wig down to his children.

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