（外文电子版资料）Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - Frog Pond.pdf

Frog Pond by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro No matter what Mr. Thompson said, it was a good day for frogging and fishing. The morning sun had that bright double halo that meant the whole day would be clear. I got up before Mom, took some old pie from where she hid it last night, grabbed my wading shoes and net, and lit out for the creek. I had to leave real quiet. Im not supposed to be going down to the creek any more. They say its dangerous down there. But the creek aint dangerous if you know what youre doing. You just have to stay away from pink water spots, and youre safe all the way. I took the long way around the Baxter place. I think Pop was right about them; somethings wrong there. Dr. Baxter aint been at Town Meeting for a long time—Pop thinks that maybe some sick people moved in on the Baxters. So I walked through the brambles on the edge of the woods where the new trees are growing. It was sunny and fine, and the breeze came in nice and sweet from the north. No cities up that way, not for hundreds of miles. Caught some crickets along the way, the big kind with the long wings. They make good bait for the stickery fish in the shallows. All I got to do is tangle them up in the net and put it down in the water. The stickery fish go right for em. Mr. Thompson, he says that it aint safe to eat em, which just shows you how much he knows. I eat em all the time. I headed right for Rotten Log Hollow. Theres a nice big hole in there, and a gravel bar, and you can catch lots of frogs there if youre careful. They like to hide under that old broken pipe, under the foam. I got maybe a dozen there, last time out. First I walked along the bank, looking down into the water to see what was there, you know. It was still, and there wasnt a lot of foam piling up. There wasnt any fish either, so I sat down in the warm gravel, ate my pie, and pulled on my wading shoes. Theyve got high tops that