have out this in before, but think it worth a second view



TIDALICK
You know frogs ? They've got great big wide mouths, round bellies and they can only croak ?
Well, they didn't used to be like that.
The very first frog was called Tidalick, and he was quite different. He was slim and elegant (like me....) he could dance, and he had the most beautiful singing voice.
He was very popular with all the other animals. Whenever anyone had a party, they always asked Tidalick to come and sing and dance for them. If there was a particularly beautiful sunset, the call would go out for Tidalick...'Sing us a song in praise of the sun'...and so it went on....'Tidalick, I can't sleep, will you come and sing for me ?'...'Tidalick, I'm feeling sad, come and sing me a happy song'.....'Tidalick, can you come and sing for our son's coming of age ?...'
Tidalick sung, and sung, and danced and twirled and leapt.....and sung, and sung, day in and day out...
Pretty soon, his beautiful voice started to get dry and scratched, and it wasn't long before he could only croak. He'd sung so much he had a really sore throat.
(Ask : what will make you feel better when you've got a dry throat ?)
He really needed a drink, so he strolled over to a small pond, and had a big drink. It helped a bit, but he was really thirsty, so he just opened his mouth wide and stuck his head right into the pond and
slurppppppppppppp
sucked that whole pond dry. But he was still thirsty, so he went to a river, opened his mouth as wide as it would go, stuck his head into the river and
slurppppppppp slurpppppppppppppppp
he drunk that whole river But this only made him thirstier than ever... He drunk ponds and puddles, rivers, brooks, burns, oceans and lakes.... Until he'd sucked up all water there was.
His belly was so full of water that he could hardly walk, and it sloshed from side to side to side with each step. In fact the skin of his belly was stretched so tight that it was practically transparent, and you could see fish swimming around inside. And he had to keep his mouth tight shut, to hold all the water in.
And what about the land ?....it became parched, cracked and dry, and all the plants and trees started to die. The animals that fed on those plants got very hungry, and the animals that ate those animals started to get hungry too. Everyone was in a really bad way, and they searched everywhere for the water.
Eventually, they found Tidalick, with his great swollen belly and mouth tight shut.
'Tidalick, give us back the water !'
But Tidalick said nothing, just shook his head. The fierce, strong animals threatened Tidalick..
'Look, Tidalick, it'll be the worst for you if you don't let us have some water...'
But Tidalick said nothing, just shook his head. The gentle animals pleaded with him...
'Tidalick, we're you're friends....we're all dying here, please give us back the water, please Tidalick...'
But Tidalick said nothing, just shook his head. Every animal tried to get Tidalick to give back the water, but he just shook his head.
The last animal to try was the Newt....the others had given up, and gone home, and they didn't think much of the newt...she's just a newt, what can she do ?
But the newt balanced on the very tip of her tail and waved all his legs in the air in the most ridiculous dance The very beginnings of a smile started to curl up the corners of Tidalick's mouth...that was enough for the newt - she went barmy ! She told jokes, juggled, stood on her head, wrapped herself up into silly shapes, pulled faces...
Tidalick did what you're starting to do....he began to laugh....it started as a little snigger, because he was still trying to keep his mouth shut.... 'Hmnph, hmnph, hmnph....' The newt seized her chance....
Now the thing about frogs, which you may have noticed is that they sit like this
(sitting frog impression)
....and they've got an awful lot of armpit....the newt darted in and tickled Tidalick under his left armpit.....then his right....and Tidalick couldn't help it, he had to laugh......
(storyteller and, hopefully, audience, guffaw loud and long....)
and you know how it is, when you start, sometimes, you just can't stop......Tidalick opened his mouth wide, and laughed, and laughed and laughed..... and all the water came flooding out in a great wave...
The newt was fine, she just swam around enjoying the cool waters, and laughing....
And all the water flooded back into the ponds and puddles, burns, rivers, streams, lakes and oceans...and the cracks in the land started to close, and the plants drank deep, and started to grow again, and gradually, the dry and dusty land turned green again. The animals that ate plants soon grew fat and sleek, and the animals that ate animals that ate plants recovered as well.
So, the next time you see a newt, you might want to thank it, 'cos a newt once saved the world.....
But what about Tidalick ?
Well, he's never been the same since that day. His belly was so stretched with all that water that he's still so fat he can't dance and has to waddle and hop everywhere.
His mouth was permanently stretched wide with all that laughing, and his beautiful voice has gone forever, and he can only croak
....and he's still thirsty, which is why you'll always find frogs in our near water.
Rideep !