Rest in peace, Toad

As you know, Adele got two frogs for Christmas. A little girl couldn't have been more adoring of those two frogs, lovingly known as Frog and Toad. She always called us to watch a feeding, and to watch them swim up and down. If anyone accidentally bumped the table which held the cage she was like a mother bear protecting its cubs.

One night last week Adele had a dream that someone bumped the table and the frogs died. The dream was so upsetting that she cried retelling it to Geoff. Well, a few days ago Adele woke up to a dead Toad. There it lay belly up on the bottom of the cage. Adele was crushed. She cried all day, and told anyone and everyone hoping to have more bearers of her grief.

Yesterday we had a small burial. Tennie, of course, was trying to make the moment more memorable by passing out evergreen twigs for all of us to carry in procession, and wanted Ceci to hold an umbrella over Adele as Adele walked with Toad (who was in a cup), and other dramatic flourishes. Adele got fed up with it all and huffed, "I don't want to do all this stuff, I just want to bury my frog in the dirt." Ever practical.



May he rest in peace from digging dogs and hungry raccoons...