Here we go again

Gallant Frog has come to the rescue again, pushing the little blue frog and his boat out of the whirlpool (and certain death).

But although they reach calmer waters Gallant Frog spots a problem.  The tiny bark cannot hold them both.  Already they are taking water.

And so she points the small blue frog in the direction of land, takes a deep breath, and pushes back from the little boat.

In a few moments she is clear of the boat and on her way.

Swimming to the next adventure.

Wherever it my be.

Meanwhile, back at the river

Having survived the attacks of The Birds...

  I mean these birds

Gallant Frog find her way back to the river bank, where adventure is still calling.

She spies a small blue frog on a simple bark whose days seem numbered. He is being dragged towards those dangerous cliffs.

The tiny frog escapes the cliff only to be sucked into a whirlpool. Oh no.

Can anyone save him?

Ah hah!

Gallant Frog to the rescue. 

Selflessly she flings herself into the water and uses her powerful back legs to push the little fellow into calmer waters.

But is there room enough on this craft for two?

Survival of the froggest

For a few moments there, things looked pretty bleak. 

All the birds seemed interested in Frog&Chips for tea.

But then, one by one, they slipped away.

As if unwilling to take the first bite.

And Gallant Frog was left alone on the field of victory.

Nibbled to death by Purple Swamp Hens

Definitely loitering with intent.

Nibbled to death by seagulls

As if ducks aren't bad enough, seagulls mean...

...trouble.

Double trouble.

Nibbled to death by ducks (2)

Danger in the form of a duck.

Nowhere to run...

Nowhere to hide!

Nibbled to death by ducks

The hazards faced by frogs are many.

Shipwreck, toad attack, the list is long.

But is any fate worse than being nibbled to death by ducks?

 Gallant Frog, just recovering from her harrowing ordeal at sea, finds herself alone ...

and at risk.

Once more into the breach, dear frogs

Gallant Frog, Adventuress, refuses to be daunted.

Despite her somewhat difficult personal circumstances (being shipwrecked is traumatising - even for amphibians)

she makes her mind up to survive.  And through sheer force of will, gets washed ashore.

 Using the frog equivalent of Jedi Mind powers she flips herself onto the grass...

...and commences...

..the arduous...

...process of ...

... reinventing herself.

Again.

...nothing gained

Poor frog is being washed along so fast she can barely catch her breath.

Bravely, she frog-paddles to a rock and hauls herself out of the current.

Gasping, she dries herself off in the sun.

Before boarding another boat and trying again.

There are many sunken dangers.

And sure enough, she is once more swept from safety.

What will happen next?

Nothing ventured

Gallant Frog is determined not to let fear of water get the better of her. Nevertheless, when she gets herself a new bark  boat she doesn't just launch it any-old-where.  She decides it is time to paddle the peaceful gorges, with their dramatic high cliffs and long still stretches of slow-flowing water.

Around the bend, the first of the rapids appears.

Gallant Frog survives the descent, but ...

..is thrown from her boat when a sudden turn in the current forces her straight into a rock.

She barely sees the natural beauty of the gorge as she is dragged along below the surface.

Can she survive?

Do as I say... (2)

Fear not friends of the Gallant Frog.

 For although we left her in desperate straits, torn from her sinking ship in a treacherous (if seemingly glassy) sea...

Land was in sight.

And Frog was safe!

Sobbing with relief she hauled herself up onto the windswept shore and vowed to be more careful in future.

Open water was not for her.

But that did not mean she would have to give up adventures.  Not whilst there was a river. Somewhere.

Do as I say....

After rescuing the would-be dragon-boaters, Frog once more boarded her own bark and prepared to depart.  

Her parting words were about the importance of having a sea-worthy vessel.

Not long afterwards, despite the smooth water, she noticed that her boat was listing dangerously to one side.

 

She paddled desperately towards the shore, heedless of the rocky coast...

A huge wave came bearing down upon her...

... and she was washed from deck...

... and quickly swept away from the wreckage... 

... by the current.



Danger on the high seas (2)

The dragonboaters are panicking.  But wait...

Here is Gallant Frog to the rescue. She throws a rope and...

...the dangerous boat is soon brought alongside.

One by one, the frogs are helped ashore, with only the ocassional slip.

The last frog...

...leaves the sinking ship, and all are safe once again.

Frog lectures the crew on elementary boat safety and maintenance. If only she knew what lay ahead, she would not be so self-righteous.