The Giant Leap

On the crest of a grassy hill, a great grey elephant stood with one massive foot frozen in mid-air. He trembled from the tips of his large ears down to his heavy toes.

Right beneath his shadow sat a tiny, bright green frog with dark, glossy spots. The frog was looking up, blinking happily, completely unbothered by the mountain of an animal towering over him.

The elephant took a careful, shaky step backward, his eyes wide with worry. He spent every single day walking this way—creeping along as slow as a snail, watching the grass with every step, terrified that his heavy feet would hurt the small creatures of the world. Because of this, he never went very far, and he never got to explore.

The spotted frog didn't move an inch. Instead, he let out a loud, cheerful *ribbit!* that echoed across the hill. Then, he smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" asked the elephant, genuinely confused. "Aren't you afraid? I am a thousand times your size!"

"It doesn't?" the elephant asked, tilting his head.

"Not at all," said the frog. "Watch this!"

The frog gave a tiny bend of his back legs. Then, with a sudden *BOING*, he launched himself into the air. He didn't just hop; he soared. He flew right past the elephant’s trunk, sailed over his tall shoulder, and landed with a soft *plop* on a smooth stone all the way on the other side.

The elephant turned around in a great, slow circle, his jaw dropped in amazement. "You... you flew!"

"I leaped!" the frog laughed, adjusting his spots. "We small creatures are built to look out for ourselves. We are fast, we are bendy, and we can jump out of the way before you can even think to step!"

The elephant let out a long, sweeping sigh of relief. For the first time in his life, the heavy weight of worry lifted from his big shoulders. He didn't have to carry the fear of the whole world under his feet.

"So," the frog said, hopping back onto the path, just a few inches ahead of the elephant's front toes. "Now that you don't have to creep along like a turtle, where are we going?"

"We?" the elephant asked, a smile finally tugging at his trunk. "Of course," said the frog. "You have the big views up there, and I have the quick eyes down here. I’ll be your scout!"