"The Hard Frog-leg Day"

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Most people consider frog-legs a delicacy and I dare say it is. Have you ever eaten a delicacy? Five of them come to mind for me: Marinated octopus (Boston), Snails (also Boston), frog-legs, raw conch (marinated In Bloody Mary sauce), "blood pudding" for breakfast in England (Yuck! Try that sometime). Sorry English, not my favorite. The next rhymed true story comes from my youth when life was simpler. My Dad and I would do anything to get this wonderful delicacy. "The Hard Frog-leg Day" Not far from our home in south Florida I found a neat place I could go To satisfy needs for adventure. Why this place? I never will know. In Florida they're known as a "rock pit", A "quarry" in other locals. The name, "paradise" would be better; To bring all my friends and pals. This pit had a lake in the middle With "cat tails" all round and about. At dusk, I was riding my bike home And heard something strange on my route. The bull frogs began singing loudly And filling their chests as they sang My thoughts turned to Dad and his liking For frog-legs to eat any day. I planned to return in the morning With spotlight and gig while still night. So I went to bed rather early To start before Dawn's early light. Next morning I Rose before daylight... Arrived at the pit just in time To hear a big bull frog a-croaking Right close to my foot and my bike. I thought, "What great luck I am having! To have one right close to my feet. I'll gig him right now while I'm lucky Then hopefully I can repeat. And gigged him I did in a short time. Then one hour later, the next. By then dawn's bright light had arisen And all of my good luck was vexed. My die-hard demeanor still working, I searched and I searched but no leads.... But now that the frogs stopped their croaking My need for some lunch made me leave. I rode home and showed my dear mother The frogs that I gigged recently Four legs, they are not very many To feed both my parents and me. "Don't worry," I said to my mother, "I'll try again later today Just fry those and I'll add some others. We'll all eat some frog legs, just wait!" I rode back there early that evening But great disappointment prevailed Those frogs must have warned one another 'Cause no frog was found, so I failed. I rode home exhausted and hungry And thought of those crispy frog legs But sorry for my Mom and Daddy... They'd only get one leg today. Arriving back home and real tired.... "Hey Mom!! Those froglegs! let's eat!" "I'm sorry my son, they are gone now. Your Dad got them first, you've been beat." By Carl J Bridgman Jan. 2, 2025