The Witch, The Troll And The Frog

The Witch, The Troll And The Frog
By Mark Spencer

Within a swamp, there lived a frog.
Who made his home inside a log.
But this frog didn't like to croak,
He'd rather sing, or tell a joke.

And every night at half past eight,
He'd stand upon his log and wait
For someone he could entertain,
But he stood there alone again.

No one believed that frogs could sing,
A frog was good for just one thing.
For hopping over Lilly pads...
Or making silly TV adds.

So at the end of every day,
The frog would slowly hop away,
Then he would cry himself to sleep,
Though no one ever heard him weep.

Beside the swamp there lived a troll
Way down inside a deep, dark hole.
She was unpleasant, and quite rude,
She treated everyone like food.

For long ago, within this bog,
A fairy cursed a careless frog,
Who thought the fairy was a fly;
She snatched it right out of the sky.

The fairy, who was very young,
Was trapped upon that sticky tongue,
She cast a spell but lost control,
And turned that frog into a troll.

From that day on, the frog was cursed,
For such a spell can't be reversed,
Except by magic from the soul,
She'd have to live life as a troll.

In time, the troll forgot her past,
Or that a spell was ever cast.
And all the critters at her feet,
Were tasty snacks for her to eat.

She hunted in the swamp each night,
For frogs, to make her stew just right.
But she had captured every frog,
Except our friend inside the log.

In a cottage, beside a ditch,
Lived an inexperienced witch.
Though she had great ability,
She never mastered sorcery.

So she came here to live alone,
No internet, no telephone.
No visits from unwanted guests,
Or nosey neighbors being pests.

She studied witchcraft day and night,
She tried and tried to get it right,
But every time a spell was cast,
The magic never seemed to last.

She stomped her feet, and shook her fists,
Said: "I'll never get the hang of this!
I need to go and clear my head,
I'm too upset to go to bed!"

She grabbed her coat, and lit a torch,
Then quickly stepped down from her porch,
She didn't know which way was best,
But instinct told her to go west.

While she was walking through the bog,
The witch passed by a singing frog.
She stopped and listened for a while,
The frog's performance made her smile.

The witch began to sing along,
She harmonized with the frog's song.
And magic flowed out of her throat,
Like lightning dust, on every note.

The swamp began to glow with light,
It was the most amazing sight,
And it was seen by mouse and mole,
By everyone, even the troll.

And when the troll came to that site,
Drawn by the witches magic light,
She heard the song, and saw the frog,
Dancing upon that hollow log.

She wasn't dazzled by the song,
Her hunger pangs were much too strong,
And so the troll began to growl,
Then she let out a frightful howl.

She charged into the swamp that night,
Into the witches magic light.
But suddenly, the troll felt strange,
As everything began to change.

And by the time she reach her prey,
Her hunger simply went away.
Then as a croak replaced her roar,
The troll became a frog once more.

Three lives transformed that fateful night,
With lightning dust, and magic light.
A witch, a frog, even a troll,
Were changed by magic from the soul.

The witch had found her destiny,
And learned the art of sorcery.
Then people came from near and far,
She felt just like a movie star.

And once the troll became a frog,
She moved into that hollow log.
And every night at half past eight,
Was serenaded by her mate.

Magic and song was all around,
Enchanting sights, and haunting sounds.
The swamp was filled with frogs once more,
As it had been those years before.

And all was right within the bog,
For the witch, the troll, and the frog.
Every soul touched by their laughter,
Lived happily...ever after.