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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Risk (05/17/12)
One day about two years ago, give or take a few. A frog named Elmer appeared. Elmer traveled around to a lot of different ponds and houses; he never knew where he was headed. On that particular day it did not surprise him that he popped up at the house of James and Dylon. Elmer had been living there ever since.

Elmer did not have much use for people. They always seemed to shun frogs and almost always seemed to try and step on them. It was a pretty risky business to be too close to them. These boys seemed different though, they seemed more thoughtful and kinder than most boys their age. The way that God must of intended people to be. Maybe that was why he liked James and Dylon, he often heard them talking about Jesus and their Sunday school lessons. Elmer thought that if he could stick around long enough he’d get to like the boys, and he did!

Then one day the boys brought a friend home with them. They all had gone out by the pond. All at once their friend Wilson spied Elmer basking in the sunlight by the small cement pond in the yard.

“Let’s get him, Dylon!” Cried Wilson

“No!” exclaimed Dylon. “He is our friend.”

“Ah, you’re kidding?” Laughed Wilson. “Right?”

“No we aren’t!” Replied James. The look on his face made a believer out of Wilson.

“Jeepers.” Said Wilson. “I’m sorry, but he is just a frog, good for jumping maybe, but I still bet he can’t even jump as far as me.”

“Bet me!” Cried Dylon. He had seen firsthand the jumps that Elmer could make.

“You two are on.” Replied Wilson. Not a doubt in his mind that he would win. After all, he was almost six foot tall, not bad for an eighth grader, and he’d jumped a few times in his life.

Out in the yard the boys marked off the distance with tape. Thirty-six inches exactly.” The one that goes farther pass this tape wins.” Wilson added as if he’d be the winning contestant.

“Ok.” James and Dylon agreed.

“Wait, just a minute guys; let’s make this contest interesting, “How about if Elmer becomes my frog if I win?” Wilson added in a boastful voice. “And if I lose then - I’ll hop around like a frog in front of all our friends at school.”

James and Dylon looked at one another and then at Elmer. Elmer winked at them and nodded in agreement. This could be very interesting. It could be darn right fun.

“Ok, Wilson, It’s a deal.” They tried not to smile.

Wilson got ready, bent down, swung his arms and gave a big heave ho. He landed just pass the tape, about an inch. They put a rock beside the jump he had made.

Elmer came up and looked at the mark that Wilson had made and again winked at the brothers. Elmer jumped as he never jumped before. Eleven inches pass the tape!

“What a frog!” said Dylon. Smiling at Elmer. Who seemed to be smiling back from ear to ear.

Wilson looked at the both of them. “I can’t believe what I just saw!” He exclaimed as he scratched his head. “God sure gave you a really big talent Elmer; and my, you sure have some frog-jumping power!” “Suppose you could be my friend too?”

Elmer just smiled. He waved at the boys as he jumped back into the pond. Well, he thought to himself, the risk of getting to know these boys was so worth it, it changed his opinion of humans, God did make some you could count on, and for that Elmer was thankful.

“Wilson, don’t forget, about the bet you made. Tomorrow will be soon enough.” Said Dylon as he smiled at his friend. “This will be fun to watch. Hey James, why don’t we tape this event tomorrow?”

“That’s a great idea, Dylon, we’ll just make a little movie starring the one and only Wilson as the jumping frog. Since he volunteered and all.” James could hardly stand-up, he was laughing so hard.

Wilson’s face turned a little red, but he told them it was worth it, to see a frog like Elmer jump.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
05/25/12
This was a well written and engaging entry. It certainly was fully on topic.

Great job. God Bless~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
05/29/12
This is a really sweet story. It made me smile to picture the boys and the frogs.

Be careful of little errors like having incomplete sentences (your first line is an example)also I noticed sometimes you would capitalize the he said after a quote and that is all part of one sentence. A good proofreader could really help you catch these little things.

The take on the topic was fresh and fun. You did a creative, fun take with this story.
Jody Day 
05/31/12
Really cute, creative, and right on target with the theme. Good job.