We Need Reeds

Hey, wait! says Quiet-Tartus. This was a only practice!

Yes, says Shorty-Tartus, and those socks are too long!

We need proper frog socks, says Quiet-Tartus.

There's no such thing as proper frog socks, says Terence.

There could be, says Tilly. My mum could knit them.

When? asks Terence.

Not today, says Tilly. So we'll have to make do with my big socks.

Hear that? says Terence. Make do with her big socks.

Can't we just keep on training? asks Quiet-Tartus.

Don't ask him, says Shorty-Tartus. We're not his frogs.

You guys keep training, says Tilly, and I'll fix my socks so that when you've finished training, you can try them on and see what running is like with a penalty.

Yes, says Terence. Keep training. We'll fix it.

The frogs are relieved.

They don't want to waste time trying super long socks on.

They resume doing laps round the pebbles.

Now what? asks Terence.

Get me two pebbles, says Tilly. Not the track markers, or the frogs'll run off the track.

Why would they? asks Terence.

Because of the gap, says Tilly.

Terence imagines a gap. He imagines himself doing frog laps, seeing the gap and running through it. Where would he go? Straight into the Knappinghat Creek! What a disaster!

Good thinking, says Terence.

 He plods through the mud to look for two extra pebbles.

There's a good one, says Roo-kai, from a low branch where he has been watching.

And there's another.

Terence picks up the two pebbles and takes them back to Tilly, who is waiting for the pebbles, contemplating her socks.

After this, they'll be ruined.

She inserts one muddy pebble into each sock and realises she now has a problem.

Need some reeds? asks Roo-kai.

YES! says Tilly. Reeds to tie them onto the frogs' legs.

I was going to say that, says Terence.

Sure you were, says Tilly.

The frogs come back, puffing, just in time to see the tough penalties they'll be facing if they stuff up in Queensland.