Two True Toad Tales


I'm not sure that the toads involved in the two tales are represented accurately by the above picture but it reminds me of the diversity of the toads and frogs in the world. There are just so many. 

The first toad tale has a happy ending. Many years ago my husband was taking a bath and he saw a movement near the bathtub overflow. It was just a momentary move that caught his eye. During the next week he saw it another time. Then one evening a tiny leg with little padded extensions hung down through the hole in the chrome cover for the overflow. He finished his bath before removing the cover and there was a tiny toad or frog. It was still alive so he took it back to the wet areas at the bottom of the big hill on the West side of the property. We figured that it may have gotten into the basement drain and kept climbing up until it ended up in the bathtub drain. The holes in the drain are much to tiny and the slot in the overflow was also too narrow for the poor trapped animal to escape. We are so glad that it decided to stick it tiny arm out of the slot. 

The sad tale happened more recently. My brother-in law lives in Florida. He had noticed a small toad or frog hanging out inside of his mobile home. Then one morning it seemed to be unavailable. He perks his coffee in a stove top pot and when he got around to cleaning the pot he noticed a black goop in the bottom of the pot. He stirred it up with a stick and found that the toad was in the bottom of the pot along with the unused coffee.  He had already drank most of the coffee in the pot. His gag reflex kicked in before he disposed of the pot. There was no way of saving that animal. 

I shall be checking all pots and pans for intruders from now on. 



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