Savannah Lynn's Frog

Once upon a time, just the other day, there lived a family of five just down the street. Some days Momma stayed home, and some days Daddy stayed home. Every day, Ava Anne, Savannah Lynn, and Hunter Thomas stayed home. Nothing extravagant ever seemed to happen. In fact, every day seemed almost the same as the day before. When Ava Anne, Savannah Lynn and Hunter Thomas awoke, they would tip-toe from their bedrooms, down the hall, and to the kitchen. Momma or Daddy would be there or on the nearby couch, reading or eating or doing something uninteresting like sorting mail.

On this particular day Savannah Lynn awoke first. Something was not right. She swallowed. And swallowed again. Ouch! She thought. When she went to bed the night before her throat was scratchy. Now it was downright miserable!

Savannah Lynn slowly sat up, crawled out of bed, and tip-toed down the hall, away from her bedroom, toward the kitchen. Something smelled yummy. In the kitchen she found Daddy. He was scrambling eggs, frying bacon, and stirring a pot of salt-and-butter grits.

“Oh! Good morning, Be-u-ti-ful,” Daddy almost sang. Savannah Lynn could only sigh.

“Uh! What’s the matter with my sweet girl?” Daddy asked. “Is she still sleepy?”

Savannah Lynn did not answer. She only walked over to Daddy. He picked up his silent girl and touched her too-warm neck and forehead with the back of his hand.

“Oh my goodness!” He said. “You have a fever.” Ava Anne and Hunter Thomas were sick just a few days ago. Savannah Lynn must have caught the same Bug. She hated these kinds of Bugs. They were far worse than creepy crawly bugs.

“Well, are you hungry for some breakfast?” Daddy asked. Savannah Lynn opened her mouth and tried to say no, but instead she heard a frog. She shook her head. Daddy hugged her close and walked to the couch. He lay her down, tucked her under a blanket, and turned on the cartoon channel.

“You just rest here,” he said. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Not too much later Ava Anne tip-toed down the hall, away from her bedroom, and toward the kitchen. She saw Savannah Lynn on the couch. Ava Anne knew Savannah Lynn didn’t look quite right.

“What’s the matter?” Ava Anne asked. Savannah Lynn opened her mouth and tried to say something. Instead of words, Ava Anne heard a frog.

“Whaaat?” Ava Anne asked. Savannah Lynn swallowed hard, opened her mouth and said, in a very frog-like way, “I-I lost my-my-my mouth noise.” Ava Anne giggled.

“Your ‘mouth noise?’” Ava Anne repeated. Savannah Lynn nodded her head.

“You mean your voice?” Ava Anne asked with another giggle. Savannah Lynn nodded. From the kitchen, Daddy heard their conversation.

He yelled, “She has a Bug! And there’s a BIG frog after it.” Ava Anne giggled, and Savannah Lynn smiled. Daddy always knew how to make his girls laugh.