Reading the Dice: Fantasy Edition

Story 2: A Friend for Frog

Dice Roll: troll, Medusa, frog, friends, mirror, cage, cart, market stall, Olympus

Once upon a time, a troll and a snake woman were best friends. Riji, the troll, had a pet frog, which he kept in a cage.

One day, Riji awoke to find his frog crying. "What's wrong, little frog?" he asked.

"I am lonely," the frog sobbed. "You've had other pets over the years, but never have you found another talking, singing frog, like me."

"Let's ask Serina. She meets a lot of frogs," Riji suggested, grabbing the cage from its stand and walking out the door.

"She meets lots of frogs because she eats lots of frogs!" the frog wailed.

"She won't eat you, my friend," Riji assured him. "And I know she'd never eat a special, talking and singing frog like you. She only eats the ones who only say 'ribbit.'" He knocked on the door of the house set inside the hill.

The door opened, the snake woman at the doorway. "Yesss?"

"Good morning, Serina," Riji said. "My friend is wondering if you've ever found a talking, singing frog. He's awful lonely, and he'd like me to get another talking frog to keep him company."

"No, I'm ssorry, Riji. I've never found a talking, ssinging frog," she replied, her snaky tendrils shaking their heads in sync with her own shaking head. "Let'ss check the marketplayssss." She slithered out of her house, pulling the door shut behind her.

They loaded the cage into a cart and walked into town, Riji pulling the cart the entire way.

They hunted among the stalls at the marketplace, stopping to talk with anyone selling animals.

No one had a talking, singing frog.

One pet seller looked at the frog in the cage, then gestured Riji over to one side of the table. He said quietly, "I don't have any such frog—I don't think anyone does. I think he's a unique creature. One-of-a-kind. But." He held up a finger. "I have an idea. See, he is still just a frog, albeit charming. After he's asleep, tie this mirror into the cage—he'll see his reflection and think there's another frog in the cage with him. He won't be lonely anymore."

Riji looked at the mirror doubtfully, then shook his head slowly. "No, thank you, sir. He's my friend and a very smart frog. He won't fall for such a cheap trick." Then Riji laughed. "He uses my mirror every morning to check his warts for hairs!"

Riji returned to Serina and his frog, shaking his head wordlessly.

"Now what?" Serina asked. "No one hasss a talking, ssinging frog."

The frog peeked up from the edge of the water bowl in the cage and whispered, "Maybe there's no one like me. Only the gods would know."

"Only godsss would know?" Serina asked. "Then we should assk them."

"Ask them?" Riji echoed. "How would we ask them?"

"A temple," the frog suggested.

"No," Serina said. "Go sstraight to Zeuss. Olympusss."

Riji nodded. "Okay, let's go." He looked around the crowded market. "Which way?"

"Follow me," Serina said. She slithered away through the crowd, Riji pulling the cart behind her.

They travelled the road out of town, through the woods, over several rivers, then up a mountain until they arrived at the temple above the clouds: Mount Olympus.

Riji knocked at the door. A shining man with winged boots let them in and guided them to a giant robed man with a long beard sitting on a marble throne.

The shining man bowed and gestured to the visitors. "Zeus, this is Serina, descendent of Medusa, her friend Riji, and his friendly frog. They have a question for you." The man walked out of the room, leaving the friends standing at the feet of Zeus.

"What is your question?" Zeus asked, leaning down to get a better look at them.

"My friend here," Riji said, gesturing to the cage, "is a talking, singing frog. He's been very lonely lately and asked me to find someone to keep him company. But, we can't find any other frogs like him. Does another talking, singing frog exist?"

Zeus smiled down at the cage, stroking his beard. "No. That seems to be an oversight on my part. Give him to me." He held out his large hand.

Riji exchanged a look with his frog and Serina, then grabbed the cage and lifted it into Zeus's palm.

Zeus straightened and brought the cage up to eye level and smiled. "Don't be afraid, little frog friend. This won't hurt a bit." Zeus drew in a breath, then blew over the cage as if he were snuffing out a candle. He lowered the cage back down, leaning forward until Riji could grab the cage.

Inside the cage were two frogs.

Riji ecstatically thanked Zeus, then he and Serina left the temple, the two frogs happily singing duets as they made the journey home.