Tadpole Titus

Does the Impossible

By:
Lisa Alvir

Editor: Cameron Jones

Copyright © 2007 by Lisa Alvir

Grand Junction, CO USA
 Jesus looked at them and said,
"With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26
 Tadpole Titus Does the Impossible
It was a beautiful day for a birthday party in Pinyon Hollow,
and Tadpole Titus was celebrating his very first one! There had
been swimming races, jumping contests, water games, hide-n-
seek and now Tadpole Titus and all his friends were going to
Harry Plopper’s Grandparent’s house for Grandma Plopper’s
very special homemade bug cake and insect ice cream. The sun
shone down from the brilliant blue sky and its warm rays on lit-
tle Titus’ back made him smile.
Hopping through the cattails ahead of him, his friends were
just starting on their short journey. Mr. Grumpy Bumpy Toad
was already on his way, followed by Miss Emerald Green and
the wise old Professor Puddles. Grandpa Plopper was waiting
to take up the rear and make sure everyone made it to the
party safely. Grandma and Grandpa Plopper lived on the
other side of the farmer’s field along Pine Creek’s muddy
bank. Little Titus had never been there before, but his very
best friends, Harry Plopper and Josiah Jumper had promised
to show him the way.
“Hurry -up, Tadpole,” Harry said. “I’m awful hungry!”
“Just follow me!” cried Josiah Jumper as he flew by,
whizzing over the little tadpole’s head. Titus tried to hop up
into the grass, but the muddy bank was wet and slippery. He
slid right back down again…and again…and again!
“Wait for meeeeee!” he cried, but Harry & Jo were
already hopping out of sight.
Titus sank into the mud and frowned up at the slippery
wet bank.
 “What are you looking at, Tadpole Titus?” Grandpa Bullfrog
hopped up beside the young frog.
“The muddy bank is too tall and slippery. I can’t get up and
everyone is going to my birthday party without me!”
Grandpa rubbed his white spotted chin. “Hmmm…that is a
problem, isn’t it?”
“I’ve tried my hardest, Grandpa,” Titus whined. “I’ve
jumped and hopped and pulled and pushed. I’m just too little.
It’s impossible!”
“Hmmm...” the old bullfrog looked up the muddy bank.
“Who made this muddy bank Titus?” he asked.
“Well…the Creator, I guess.”
“And who made the grass and the water?”
“God did.”
 “And who made all the frogs?”
Titus looked at the big old frog. “Well…I guess God did
that too.”
Grandpa laughed. “And who do you suppose made you,
little tadpole?”
“God did…” Titus frowned. “Then it must be His
fault I can’t go to my own birthday party!”
Grandpa shook his head and sighed. “Titus, God
loves all his little tadpoles. I think He does want you to go,
don’t you?”
“I guess so…” the tadpole scratched his head. “I am
supposed to be at my own birthday party, aren’t I? Then why
doesn’t He help me, Grandpa? I don’t understand.”
Grandpa patted Titus’ little webbed toes. “Maybe He
wants you do it His way. Nothing is impossible for God.
If you ask Him you might just see the way He’s already made
for you.”
The doubtful little frog shrugged his shoulder.
“Well...ok, but it seems pretty hopeless to me.” Titus looked
around him at the grass and the water. “Maybe Grandpa is
right,” he thought, “If God made everything then He should be
able to do anything!”
“Dear God who loves me,” he prayed, “I can’t even
get to my own birthday party by myself. Will you please show
me the way?” Titus opened his eyes and looked out along the
shore, past the wet grass, past the slippery mud and right at a
dry fallen log lying right across the bank! Grandpa laughed
when the surprised little frog looked shocked.
“Wow, Grandpa!” He cried. “That was fast.”
 “It was there all along, Titus. The Creator knew you
would need that log today and had it all ready for you.”
“He must really love me!” Titus gazed at the fallen
log in awe. “I like doing things His way. Come on Grandpa,
let’s go!”
So little Tadpole Titus and his Grandfather crossed
the slippery bank on the nice dry fallen log and started across
the farmer’s field for Pine Creek.
They hopped through
the wet green grass,
Cool blue puddles of water,
Warm brown mud,
And under pretty purple flowers.
 The bright yellow sun shone
down from the clear blue sky
dotted with white fluffy clouds.
It was a beautiful day…a
beautiful day for a birthday party.
 Harry & Jo eventually missed their friend. After Jo had
out-hopped Harry and Harry had out-plopped Jo, Harry
stopped to rest, huffing and puffing from all their hopping and
plopping. “I don’t see Titus.” Josiah looked about them anx-
iously. “I think we lost him.”
Harry splashed around in a puddle to cool off. “I
guess we should have checked on him. Bur Grandpa can
show him the way.”
“But we promised! Maybe we should wait for them.,
Harry.” Josiah frowned.
Harry laughed. “It will be alright. My way will work.
You’ll see!” Harry splashed the younger frog and cried, “Race
ya!”
Little Jo was in the lead as the two friends hopped past the
last puddle and up a small embankment.
“Pine Creek just ahead,” Harry yelled as he slammed into
Little Jo and sent him tumbling down the other side. Harry
started to giggle at the frog’s somersaults until he saw it!
Below him Mr. Grumpy Bumpy Toad and the other bull-
frogs all stared in confusion at a terrible sight. The farmer had
built a fence! A very sturdy, very tall fence.
“Oh, no!” Harry thought. “This does not look good.
How will we ever get past that?” Harry scrambled down the
hill and reached for Josiah’s leg. “Are you alright, Little Jo?”
“I’m ok,” he giggled. “That was fun!” Josiah
glanced at the tall fence. “But what are we going to do? Now
Tadpole Titus will never have Grandma’s special homemade
bug cake and insect ice cream. His birthday is ruined!”
 “All ruined…” croaked Mr. Grumpy Bumpy Toad “All
ruined.”
Billy Bullfrog looked up at the great tall fence. “I am
very big and strong, but even I can’t get past this fence. Poor
little Titus doesn’t have a chance.”
Professor Puddles glanced up at the great tall fence and
replied. “I am very old and wise, but even I can’t see a way
past this. There’s no hope for the tadpole.”
Harry glanced over at Josiah. “But Jo is a great
jumper, the best jumper in Pinyon Hollow Pond. Maybe he
can jump over it. I’m sure my way will work!”
“Go on Josiah,” everyone cried. “Jump the fence!”
“Jump the fence, jump the fence.” The little band of
bullfrogs chanted. Josiah looked up and up and up to the very
top. “I am a good jumper he thought. I will give it a try.”
Josiah Jumper backed up, and backed up, and backed up
some more. Zoom! Like a speeding dragonfly he raced to-
ward the barrier and flew into the air.
Wham! Wham!
“Ow. Ow!” the little bullfrog groaned as he slammed
into the strong pine boards and tumbled down to the ground.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “That is a very high fence. Poor Ti-
tus doesn’t have a chance.”
“Oh dear, Oh dear, whatever shall we do?” Miss Emerald
Green asked. “It appears to be just hopeless.”
“Hopeless…” Croaked Mr. Grumpy Bumpy Toad, “Just
hopeless.”
 Harry hung his green spotted head. “I guess my way
doesn’t work.”
Little Jo patted his back. “It’s ok, Harry. At least you
tried.”
“It’s impossible,” Harry sighed. “I guess we should turn
around.”
“Impossible…” the brown lumpy toad croaked again.
“Impossible.”
“Impossible? Hey everyone…What’s impossible?”
Harry and Jo glanced up at the sound of Tadpole Titus’
excited voice. “Oh no,” Jo thought. There at the top of the
embankment stood Grandpa and Titus. The tadpole looked so
tiny to the discouraged group of frogs who stood in the
shadow of the great tall fence. Who would tell the young tad-
pole the very bad news?
Miss Green volunteered.
“I will tell him,” she said. “I will be very gentle.” The
others agreed and Miss Green, her emerald skin shining in the
sun, started up the short hill.
“Why, you look very sad, Miss Green,” Tadpole Titus
held out his webbed foot to her.
“Of course I am sad, little one. Can you not see the great
tall fence? It is impossible to cross and now you will not have
bug cake and insect ice cream on your birthday. We have tried
every way. I’m sorry but it is impossible.” Miss Green gave
the young frog a warm hug. He glanced over her bright pink
bow and down the hill at all his friends.
They lingered sadly in the shadow of that great barrier.
 “You love them all, Dear God,” the faithful frog prayed.
“Please show us Your way.” Titus took a deep breath. “Miss
Green, maybe we need God to show us His way.”
“I don’t understand.” she replied.
“Do you know who made all the frogs?” he asked.”
Miss Green stood back and smiled, "God did, of course.”
“Harry,” Titus called down to his unhappy friend. “Do
you know who made the trees?”
Harry looked up in surprise. Josiah hopped around him,
holding up one little webbed foot. “I know…I know!” he
cried.
Harry frowned at him. “I know that…God did!”
“And who made the fence?” Grandpa asked as the rest of
the frogs gazed at them.
Mr. Grumpy Bumpy Toad pushed his way to the front of
the crowd.
“The Farmer made the fence!” He croaked, “Now can we
go home?”
Grandpa winked at Titus who laughed and said, “But who
made the farmer?” The tadpole took Miss Green’s webbed toe
and started down towards the impossible fence. “Come on,
Grandpa,” he called. Reaching the bottom he waved, “Follow
me!”
Little Tadpole Titus, the tiniest of all the frogs, hopped out
along the bottom of the fence. “Let’s go,” he cried. The sad
bullfrogs followed.
 “What is he doing?” Josiah asked.
“He is not big and strong like me,” Billy Bullfrog an-
swered. “I’m useless. There is no hope for him.”
“He is not old and wise like me,” Professor Puddles said.
“There is no hope for him.”
Miss Green shook her head. “It’s just impossible.”
“Impossible,” croaked the toad.
The frogs hopped and hopped, trailing behind the baby
tadpole as he sped along the fence line, through the grass,
through the weeds, and through the wildflowers until suddenly
he stopped.
Whump! Whump! Like green and brown dominoes the
line of frogs toppled into one another. Grandpa bullfrog, who
was last in line, hopped back just in time to save himself.
 “Has he given up yet?” croaked the toad.
“Nothing is impossible with God.” Titus said. “Grandpa
believes that we just need to look at things His way instead of
our own. When there’s an obstacle in God’s way, He can
make...” Titus pointed and cried...
“…a gate!”
Billy blinked in the shadows and saw light filtering
through the wooden planks.
Harry saw a small opening between two boards.
Josiah Jumper saw a string hanging from the latch and the
professor saw a way in!
“Harry squeeze through the crack and push. Billy pull
from this side with all your might!” Wise old Professor Pud-
dles sent orders flying about like cattail fuzz in the wind.
 “Jump Josiah, and pull the string,” he ordered. Josiah
jumped and snatched the string with his sticky little tongue.
The gate swung open and tiny Tadpole Titus hopped through
to the other side. And there along the banks of Pine Creek the
cheering of bullfrogs could be heard even in the tree tops.
Titus’ parents, who had come over early to help Grandma
Plopper, greeted the frogs as they came through the fence.
“Oh, we are so glad you found the gate.” Mr. Tadpole ex-
claimed. “I was just coming to find you!”
“When we stopped looking at the problem, and started
looking to God, He showed us the way!” Titus said. “He’s
amazing!”
And all the little frogs agreed.
Crystal water tumbled over pebbles and stone as it rushed
down through Pine Creek. It bubbled and gurgled along with
the happy bullfrogs as they croaked out the Happy Birthday
song at its grassy edge. Overhead, the tall green trees swayed
in a gentle breeze. Sunlight trickled through the branches, drift-
ing down soft and warm. Grandma Bullfrog was serving big
slices of bug cake while Mommy and Daddy Bullfrog passed
out extra helpings of insect ice cream. Even Mr. Grumpy
Bumpy Toad appeared content.
“Is Mr. Toad smiling?” Harry asked in surprise.
Little Jo squinted and stared. “I think so…it’s a bit hard to
tell.”
Mr. Toad squinted back and…grimaced. The frogs stared
back at the toad.
“Harrumph…” he croaked and grinned.
“Wow,” Titus laughed. “With God all things are possible!”