A Sprinkling of Kindness.

Hello! My name is Felicity. I am a frog, nothing special, just an ordinary frog, green of colour and croaky of voice. I share the pond I live in with my brother Ferdy and my sister Fanny. Ferdy is always on the move looking for bigger and better ponds where his many talents (that's his opinion) will be recognized. Fanny dreams of being an opera singer. It is true she sings well, far better than me, but to leap from a pond to an opera house is a huge jump, even for a talented frog! She practices a lot in the hopes of being heard by a passing impresario who will sign her up on the spot. It sometimes gets on my nerves! As for me I am happy where I am. Ours is a pretty pond with bull rushes and aquatic plants, lots of rocks, several large flat stones and, when there is sufficient water to feed it, a tiny waterfall.

The pond is on the edge of a large garden full of trees, flowers and bushes of many vibrant colours, and home to a host of busy insects and a large variety of birds. Everyone is welcome. On the opposite side of the garden to our pond is a small house, all on one level which makes life easier for its elderly owner. Her name is Zeze and she is one of the kindest people on earth. She is small and round with soft white hair and smiling eyes. In front of the house is a large lime tree whose shade in summer is much appreciated.

Zeze shares her home with a scatty dog. Large and hairy he is totally hyperactive. He never walks but runs, jumps up in the air and rolls on the ground. Now and again he takes himself off to the nearest village. Zeze has no idea of what he gets up to there but an hour or so after his departure her phone rings and one of her many cousins who live in the village will announce that she has captured him and will bring him home later. This is an excellent system as it keeps Zeze in touch with her family as well as up to date with village gossip. A flock of geese share the garden. Not as scatty as the dog but with well defined personalities. At times when they don't get their own way they become bad tempered and difficult to handle. Three stray cats use the house as a snackery and eat their meals on the kitchen window ledge.

It had been a long, hot summer, the heat beating several established records, and there had been no rain for months. Zeze did what she could with a hose pipe but the garden showed signs of drought. On this particular day it was hotter than ever and everyone was worn out with the heat. Zeze was asleep under the lime tree, the dog hadn't moved for hours which was a record. The geese had gathered under the shade of the tree and no one had seen the cats all day.

In our pond conditions were difficult, to put it mildly. The water level had sunk to an all time low, the plants were wilting and the stones and rocks were too hot to sit on. Ferdy was off on one of his missions and Fanny had secured for herself the only scrap of shade. She said it was to protect her voice but I told her she was selfish. I didn't know what to do with myself. What could I do with myself? It was then that Zeze woke from her afternoon nap. She came over to the pond and looked at us. Seeing our distress, she went back for the hose pipe. She fitted a sprinkler on it and came back to the pond.

A light shower of tiny droplets played over me. The spray was soft and gentle. Fanny hopped on to the rock next to me. The effect of the shower was electrifying and Zeze let the water play on us for a long time. We sat and enjoyed, enjoyed and enjoyed. When Ferdy returned later, hot dusty and tired, he found his sisters green and glistening. His fit of sulks lasted until supper time!

The weather broke on the following day. A thunderstorm brought much needed rain and the garden, its owner and all its inhabitants heaved a sigh of relief.