Needing a Frog

A frog? said Pliny. You needed a frog? But you must have been fifteen years old by then! What need did you have for a frog?

Biology, Pliny. Our Biology teacher at school asked us each to bring a frog to dissect in class. It seems a little strange, now, to think that we had to provide our own frog.

Does it? said Pliny. That does not seem strange at all. I would rather say it was a good practical character-building experience.

You would think that. And I had the best of intentions. I took a jar to the creek on Lockwood Road and looked for a frog. I could hear frogs croaking, but I didn't see a single one. So I gave up.

And asked the boy next door to catch one for you?

No! I told you we didn't speak to one another. Maybe I asked my mum to ask his mum to ask him. Anyway, somehow he caught a frog and I got it. It was enormously fat.

And you took it to school and dissected it.

I took it to school.

And you didn't dissect it ?

No. I wasn't looking forward to dissecting my frog. It had never occurred to me that I might not have to if I didn't bring one. But it must have occurred to three quarters of the class. So we had to dissect the frogs in groups of four, and someone else did it.

But you watched?

No, I didn't even watch. But I heard someone say OH YUCK! It's full of EGGS !