Chapter 6: A Rare Frog

This afternoon, while eating a large and mediocre lunch, much like a Cow with his Cud, I peered into my Frogs' dwelling, hoping to obtain some Distraction.

Mustardseed was making his weekly rounds, ensuring that the Impossible Barriers Persisted Yet.

His Rare and Unique weekly practice reminded me of a Thing I'd Heard today, that in a place called Costa Rica, a Rare Frog had been found, which was the first to be found of its kind in twenty years.  I told this to my companions, asking what they thought about so rare a Frog Find.

With only tertiary and fleeting comments, the Frogs continued with their tasks, Mote Gazing and Digesting and Mustardseed testing another Impossible Barrier, stretching his long Hind Legs and flailing his Wee Front Legs, belly-out against the Glass.

So again I engaged them, this time asking if they thought that they were themselves Rare Frogs. 

Mote crouched, at an incline, upon a Stone in the tank.  I saw her Thinking.

Mustardseed approached closer, put one Frog-Foot upon the stone, and said that he did not Believe So, because he remembers many other Frogs, from the place of his Conception, that looked very similar to him, but were perhaps of a slightly different Pattern or color.

Mustardseed said that he did not Believe So

To this, I replied that this was true, and that, however, he was a very Smart Frog, knowing More Than He Thought He Knew about the world, and that this was sure to Set Him Apart, especially among Frogs, who spend most of their time thinking about Other Things.

Mustardseed said that he Liked That, but was not sure that A Smart Frog constitutes a Rare Frog, because there are many Frogs who know many things, like the Ins-And-Outs of Bugs, such as Mote knows, and almost Certainly others who have Mastered the Alchemy of Moistness.  

Without delay, he asked me if I were a Rare Man.

I was immediately Baffled, and stumbled about with my words, eventually saying that No, I was Not, and that Rare men tend to be Famous, or Well-Seen, or Well-Remembered across the Lily Pad.

To this, Mustardseed blinked, touching his Frog-Toes together, side-to-side, down his Fore-Foot, as a cascade, which has become his recent Habit.  He did this on both Fore-Feet, one after another.

Mustardseed said that he was not sure about this Either, and that surely some Rare Men had been forgotten, or were simply Shy Men of whom few took account.  Stumbling with words, but stating Earnestly enough, he went on to say that The Bug Web of Rare Men was perhaps Wider than we Think, and cited as an example my Accident in not mentioning the Rarity of a Frog like Mote.

Mote climbed into the Water, and, remembering Mustardseed's previous comment about Mastering Moistness, said that she would like to Chance It.

I finished my Cud, feeling very much like a Cow among many other Cows, all chewing their Cud, except perhaps that This Cow knew Two Frogs.