The Kiss
a fairytale no longer
As the years went by, Fred wished he could become a real man. One day, an amazing woman came to his pond. Fred swam up to her, croaking his very best croak. His charm and friendly manner, as well as the fact that he could speak, delighted her.
As the days and weeks passed, Fred finally told her of his dream of becoming a real man. They both knew the fairytale about the princess and the frog, but they never spoke about it. After all, things like that do not happen in real life, but then again, neither did talking frogs.
On one particularly sunny, warm day, the woman returned to Fred’s pond. Incredibly and without warning, she picked him up and kissed him firmly on the lips. Fred closed his eyes and wished with all his might, but nothing happened. When he opened his eyes, he was still a frog. His frown disappeared as he saw her smiling with joy. They briefly discussed it before their conversation moved on to other topics.
For the next few months, whenever the woman visited, she picked Fred up and kissed him. He learned to kiss her back. The experience, profoundly intoxicating and quite pleasurable, became something they both looked forward to—even if fleeting.
One day, she picked Fred up and kissed him as she had so many times before. Suddenly, Fred grew into a rugged, handsome older man. He was already old in frog years, so he was not surprised to see himself as an older man. Both were astounded, but joy soon took over as they recognised their good fortune. They embraced lovingly. She clothed Fred in a Hawaiian shirt and some leggings she had stashed away in her bag and took him home with her.
Over the years, their relationship grew stronger and better. Fred had much to learn about being a man, and she was a willing and brilliant teacher. In time, through good times and bad, they became exceptional friends and lovers, exploring the world and learning from each other. They never revealed their story to another living soul. Only the twinkle in their eyes when they looked at each other hinted at their secret.
One night, as they lay in bed together, after a very long and stressful day, both aged and tired, Fred leaned over and kissed her sweetly, if somewhat dispassionately. Not a bad kiss, but a quick and purposeful one. The kind of kiss Fred settled into after so many years of companionship with the woman who gave him life as a man, whom he loved with all his heart.
Looking at him after that kiss, she let out a gentle giggle and smiled. “What’s so funny?” he asked, a bit puzzled. She said, “You kissed better when you were a frog.”
©Thomas Crandall, March 2026
I swear it’s all true 😜
a great story!!!
Brilliant! 🤗