back and forth.
It is nearly dark by now, but on an upward stretch she suddenly sees a big, white, gleaming Cruise Ship sailing over the Western Sea. The Cruise Ship is decorated with bright twinkling lights that are reflected on the waves. Sparkling dance music echoes over the water.
“Okay,” says Frog. “We have practiced, and now we are ready. We are going to jump! We are going to jump right onto that Cruise Ship.”
“Are you kidding?” she says in alarm. “We can’t jump that far – over the trees, over the water, over the river mouth, high up onto the top deck of that huge ship!”
“Oh, I think we can,” says Frog. “In fact, we must. It’s the only way home.”
Old Trout gives a shiver of delight from his position alongside the canoe. “Old Trout is there,” she says, pointing him out to Frog.
“Yes,” says Frog, nodding. “We must jump well. We must jump high and long. If we miss the Cruise Ship, we will fall into the river, and then Old Trout will gobble us, for sure. So it’s important not to miss.” He smiles, wiggling his long red tongue.
“Grab hands!” orders Frog, pulling her to her feet. “Up!” he calls, and they stretch up. “Down,” he calls, and they squat low. “Okay,” he says, “This is it. At the top of the Up stretch, release your toes and leap!”
Her heart pounds, but she holds tight to Frog’s hands, and they go Up, stretch stretch stretch, and at the last possible moment she releases my toes and pushes off. They sail through the sky, over the trees, over the mouth of the river, up up up to the top deck of the Cruise Ship, and land, safely on deck.
There is a party going on at the Cruise Ship. People are dancing to Salsa music, wearing flowers and ribbons, drinking party drinks,