‘Thanks again.’

‘Not at all. Anyway, what are you doing here?’

‘I... erm...’ I started, ‘I suppose I was just out for a hop.’

‘Ha!’ she said. ‘A likely story! But no matter. You must be tired after all that exercise. Fancy coming such a long way for no reason.’

‘I suppose it is quite far, yes.’

'Why don’t you come round and rest a while before you go back?’

‘OK, why not?’ I ribbitted.

When we reached her place, we talked for hours. ‘It’s so lonely here,’ she croaked. ‘You’re the only frog I’ve ever found interesting.’

I blushed emerald. ‘It’s very kind of you to say so,’ I said. ‘You know, there’s a bog not far off I could take you some time, if you wanted,’ I suggested hesitantly.

‘Oh, yes please!’ she answered. ‘That would be good. How about tomorrow evening?’

I returned home a very happy frog. The night passed extremely slowly, but I did not mind. The next day we croaked and ribbitted together until the sun set over the marshes. As dusk fell we watched the stars come out and swam in the moon’s reflexion. When the time came for it I hopped her home.

From then on we met up nearly every day. We learnt we had much in common. She liked swimming, eating bugs and basking on lily pads, and so did I. I was afraid of pike, and so was she. From our friendship we soon forged something stronger, and by the time the mating season came round we knew we were right for each other.

‘I love you, Fab,’ she ribbitted. ‘I love you, and I want to have your spawn.’

‘I love you too, Lish.’

We embraced and kissed passionately, in the way frogs do, exploring each other’s mouths with our tongues.