The Quack Frog

Once upon a jam-packed pond somewhere between the "Quack Quack" of the ducks and the buzz of the bees, lived a Frog—oh yes, self-declared physician, thank you very much. Picture him in a tiny lab coat if you will. This wasn't your garden-variety frog; this was a Frog with a PhD in Absolutely Nothing but believed he was the Einstein of the animal medical scene.

"Step right up, step right up!" the Frog croaked in his loudest infomercial voice. "Got a headache? Webbed feet acting up? I'm the one-stop-shop cure for whatever ails ya!"

Enter a Fox, sauntering by like he owns the place. He's heard tales, you know, whispers among the woodland critters about the Frog who thinks he's basically the Dr. Oz of the pond.

"So, you're the bee's knees at curing, eh?" the Fox grins, a touch of mischief in his eyes. "Got any cream for those warts? Oh, wait, that's your skin! My bad."

The Frog looked as though he'd just swallowed a fly. Wrong pipe, perhaps? "Well, you see—"

The Fox interrupts, "Nah, nah, nah, don't tell me. You're going for the rustic, lived-in look, aren't you?"

The Fox winks and flicks his tail, strutting away as the Frog sits there, croakless. I mean, when you've got no words, what's left but a loud ribbit, right?

And so, the Frog went back to his pond pondering life, rethinking perhaps a career switch to, oh I don't know, a pond critic or maybe a lily pad interior designer. And the Fox? He just carried on being sly, probably starting a podcast about debunking self-proclaimed experts.

Froggy Doc was loud and proud,
In his pond, he'd shout out loud.
"I heal! I cure! I mend!" he'd say,
"Best doctor, here, hooray, hooray!"

Sly Mr. Fox, with fur so fine,
Heard Froggy Doc and thought, "It's time."
He walked right up, a grin in place,
To question Frog, in this fun chase.

"Dear Froggy Doc, so skilled and grand,
You claim to be the best in land.
But why, oh why, you're bumpy still!
Can't fix yourself? Then who else will?"

Froggy Doc, he blinked and stared,
Realizing he'd been fairly snared.
No words he found, not one to say,
As sly Mr. Fox walked away.

So Froggy sat, a lesson learned,
Be humble, or be fairly spurned.
And Mr. Fox just grinned and knew,
Some claims need proof, or else they're through!