The day began like any other. Prince and his trusted companions waited patiently till the delicious bugs came to the pond. 

Prince was feeling rather adventurous today. He had noticed that the humans were partaking in a strange ritual, a few metres away. What’s that ritual you may ask? Well, every morning a group of youngsters would come to the beach and set beautifully coloured, squashtailed boards on the water. Then they would climb onboard these strange boards and try to balance themselves.Prince was very intrigued by this occurrence and decided to give it a try. He didn’t care that he was a frog. He was very determined to do like the humans. 

He  told his friends of his intentions and they  laughed  to scorn. He didn’t allow their reactions to deter him. Prince took a deep breath and began  dragging  a piece of log down to the beach. His friends looked on in disbelief. As he  left for the beach, he could hear hysterical laughter trailing behind him; but he continued moving forward.

He mimicked the humans perfectly. In no time he was surfing the waves. “What an exhilarating experience!” he exclaimed. He  was having the time of his life and did not notice that all the humans were quickly exiting the beach. The sky was growing grey and the wind was becoming very gusty. He screamed for help, but to no avail. He fastened his cold, shivering body  to the log.

He soon realized that he was caught in the storm. The waves battered the log to and fro. He was petrified. After battling the storm for a very long time, he felt exhausted. Prince  wondered what ill fate awaited him. He sighed, then lost  consciousness. 

He  was awakened by the squawking of birds. Weak and terrified he opened his eyes and was amazed by what unfolded before him. Fishermen were busy raising wooden cages with trapped fishes, from an area in the sea. He cried for help, but it soon dawned on him that humans couldn’t understand frog language. Prince felt even more helpless. 

Suddenly, a huge wave pushed his log onto shore. Strangely, the sand here was different from the one at home. He wondered why. He was not sure where to go, or what to do. If only he had a guide, life would be better. Prince pondered for a few moments, when swoosh! He was instantly swooped by a bird.

“Let me go!” he shouted.“ Release me, you weird creature!”

“Oh behave, little froggy. I can tell that you are not from around here. Our frogs do not usually  lie around on beaches. I am here to help you. There are a few guys who’ll help you feel right at home. Let me take you to them.”

Prince  breathed a sigh of relief.

“By the way, my name is Malfinny. I usually eat guys like you, but since you are new to this country, I’ll give you a chance. Welcome to Dominica.”

After flying for a little while over lush forests, Malfinny dropped Prince off in a very forested area. He gave him instructions as to where “the guys” lived. Malfinny explained that he couldn’t take him there, because if he did, Prince would see his dark side.

He  carefully followed Malfinny’s instructions. A few minutes later he encountered a guy named Crapaud.” What a strange name,”he thought to himself. 

Crapaud and Prince became friends instantly. He welcomed him into his house. Prince felt so elated  to be in a warm environment. He was curious to know about this new place. The temperature was way cooler than his homeland’s. 

“Tell me all about Dominica, Crapaud.” I am already fascinated by what I saw on my way to your house. By the way, no offence, but what kind of name is Crapaud?”

Crapaud explained that his name was French for frog. He lived alone, because his parents were caught and eaten, since Dominica’s national dish used to be Mountain chicken/Crapaud. 

Prince felt relieved that this was no longer their national dish. He was convinced that if this were the case, he would not have made it out alive.