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At the pond, Greeter planted both feet, raised the COME SIT FOR A BIT poster and prepared a three-minute welcome speech. Companion patted the bench. “Sit first.” The speech reached “Dear everyone” before both it and its speaker sat down.
“Is it too quiet?” Greeter whispered. Companion placed a packet of snacks between them. “We could listen to the bag.” They opened it together. The crinkle sounded unexpectedly ceremonial.
Thinker and Dreamer arrived with the notebook that held only two lines. Confident and Cheer followed, relieved that nobody had requested another poster revision. Six frogs shuffled along, leaving a little space for someone who had not arrived yet.
Thinker suggested a night at the library, although there was only one small lamp. Greeter proposed a rainy courtyard visit to see whether six frogs could fit under one umbrella. Companion voted for a picnic, provided they did not bring every utensil and forget the snacks again.
All three plans deserved careful preparation. The frogs agreed not to prepare all three at once. Thinker wrote them on a blank page and drew a little box: “Let the friends who stop here choose our next story.”
A breeze passed. Greeter remembered the unfinished speech and shortened it to one sentence. “This way—there’s still a seat.” Companion moved the snack bag over. That counted as the end of today’s gathering. Nobody added a sign-in sheet.