The Samurai and the Frog

by Benedict Keough

Travel to Japan, and back hundreds of years, back to the time of the samurai. On an isolated

farm outside of Edo, there lived a family with five sons. All five aspired to become great

samurai. The eldest, Haruto, was the leader, and a role model for his four younger brothers.

Minato was the next in line, followed by Haruki, Riku, and finally the youngest, Yuito. The

brothers were all very close to one another. Since they lived a few weeks’ walk from Edo,

their only training was at home, and led by their father, the former captain of the samurai.

Often, the brothers would gather around their father, hoping he would tell them of one of his

many adventures from when he was a samurai serving the Shogun. On one stormy night, the

brothers circled around their father, who was reading in his favorite chair.

“Please, father,” said Haruto, “we have not heard one of your stories in over two weeks!”

“Yes,” chimed in Minato, “it’s about time you told us about one of your many adventures.”

“Well, alright then. I’ll tell you about the time I fought a dragon,” said their father as he put

down his book.

“No,” exclaimed Yuito, “dragon stories are way too popular. Whenever you hear of a warrior

fighting, he is always fighting a dragon. Tell us something interesting for a change.

Something exquisite. Something... rare.”

“Oh,” said their father, taken aback. “I thought everyone liked a good dragon story, but I

guess I was wrong. So, let me think of a good one without dragons. Hmm, I think I have it.

You will love it.”

Riku grinned. “Last time you said we would love something, it turned out to be a day’s work in

a rice field!”

“Yeah,” Haruki added, “I will never forget when we were supposed to love cleaning our

rooms—and the entire house, too.” Their father looked hurt. “But you were supposed to love

those things. No matter. This, you will truly love.”

“One day, while I was serving in the palace, I was peacefully doing my duties, drilling

the rest of the samurai guard. There, lo and behold, was a giant frog! It was as long as four

men standing on each other’s shoulders. As tall as a tree and greener than grass. People

were running everywhere in terror. All of us samurai drew our swords. Then, with a yell, I led

the charge. That was a big mistake.

First, the frog jumped, sending us tripping from the shaking of the ground. Next, when we

tried to stab it, its scales were so rough and hard that our swords bounced right off,

clattering to the ground. Finally, it licked us. After that, most of my men were lying senseless

in the dirt. Those of us who had survived the licking unscathed raced back for cover inside

the palace.

As I was trying to take shelter, I tripped over a cat that had narrowly escaped being

squashed by the frog. Lying there, hoping I would not get squashed myself, I happened to

see a woman struggling to break free from a group of men. Forgetting about the danger, I

ran to help the woman. Halfway there, I remembered that I had lost my sword fighting the

frog. I slowed down, but the men had already spotted me. They yelled for me to come over.

The leader hastily explained, ‘This woman is a witch. She is the reason behind the frog. She

transformed my brother into a giant frog, and that frog you see there is him. All he did was

cross a part of the public forest road that this witch believes she owns. Please, kind samurai,

please make her change my brother back to a human.’

‘Ha,’ scoffed the witch, ‘that is my part of the road. None may pass there. He only got what

he deserved.’

‘You monster! You could have at least put up a sign,’ screamed the man, turning to face the

witch. ‘What if you had a brother that you loved, and some witch made him into a giant frog?’

‘That’s why I killed my brother years ago!’ the witch retorted.

‘Enough!’ I said, turning to the witch. ‘I am no judge of your case, but for the sake of this

town, I will do what the man asks of me.’

‘Is that right?’ sneered the witch.

‘Yes,’ I responded. ‘You,’ I said to the frog’s brother, ‘go get me my sword, now!’ Frightened,

he dashed over and grabbed a sword. He handed it to me, and I brandished it above her

head. She snickered and whispered something. The sword turned into a boa constrictor.

Horrified, I let it go. As I had dropped the snake right on her, it began to coil itself around

her.

She started screaming and yelled, ‘Please get it off me! It will kill me if you do not do

something quickly.’

We all just stood there, watching.

‘Fine, I will free your brother if you let me live,’ said the witch in a strangled voice.

The frog’s brother ran off and grabbed me a second sword. Quickly, I killed the snake and

freed the witch. Then she kept her word and transformed the frog. The frog shrank and

became a man again. After that there was a lot of cleanup, and a memorable story.” He took

a pause to observe the looks on his son’s faces.

Then he asked, “How did you like that, boys?”

“We loved it,” they chorused.

“Well, now it’s off to bed for you all.”

“No, please not yet,” said Riku.

“Then I will not tell you another story,” threatened their father. Immediately, they raced to

their beds. Riku, who was touched the most by the story, kept thinking of it as he lay in bed.

He could imagine himself battling the frog. Then, thoroughly worn out, he fell into a deep

slumber. While he slept, he dreamed that he was a brave samurai, and that he was charging

forward, accompanied by a personal guard of samurai, battling the frog from his father’s

story. Pulling out his sword, he struck the scales of the frog again and again, penetrating the

frog’s skin. After a vicious battle, he dreamed he climbed into the frog’s mouth. The frog

swallowed him and—he woke up screaming!

His father raced into the room and said, “What is it son?”

“Father,” cried Riku, “I dreamed I was swallowed by a giant frog!”

“Don’t worry,” comforted his father, “you are safe.”