The Frampton Page
The Origin of A Bullfrog
Around 1970, my husband and I were traveling to my grandparents house for a holiday. I'm not sure which holiday, but it was during Bullfrog mating season.
When we left our home in Niles it was late in the day. We hurried as fast as we could on the narrow two lane road. When we headed up the last hill into the village of Cassopolis we passed next to a little swamp. All of a sudden, the road was literally covered with a blanket of frogs. BIG frogs! Hopping, crunching, slippery frogs!
Well, we ugghed and yucked our way through them and kept moving, because we were headed for a town north of Frankenmuth, and we were very late.
We traveled the whole day, through all kinds of bad weather. We went down I-94, and around Lansing, stopped in Flint for gas, and went up I-75. We stopped in Birch Run for a while before going into Frankenmuth and I found the bullfrog on the front of our 70 Maverick. He was stuck behind the bumper, propped up in front of the head light. I looked closely at the frog and he blinked.
I yelled for my husband Dave to come and get him. I didn't want to touch him. He was huge! I begged Dave to put him into a creek/ pond area that ran next to I-75. So he did.
I thought that was the end of the frog story.
It always stuck in my brain that the poor thing rode that whole way and still lived long enough to blink and let us know he was alive. I had to immortalize him in the poem.
One day someone suggested I put it into a story.
The week we moved from our old house to our new one was the week of the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster. We were all unsure of all the changes, because we were leaving a comforting place that we'd lived in for over 30 years. And now the world wasn't safe any more.
So I re-wrote the Frampton story to say to everyone, "I know God will take care of us better than he did the frog on the fender, if we hang on and trust him to do it." See Matthew 6:26-27.
So that's the story of the frog.
I met Kevin Scott Collier, my wonderful illustrator, on CCWL, a Christian writer's group. He joined up after I'd been on it for several months. I asked him one day if he'd like to read and give his opinion of Frampton the Frog.
Kevin really loved that silly frog and he drew him into visual existence in almost no time.
We have discovered many parallels in our lives, but we've never actually met face to face. He lives 100 miles from me in Grand Haven, Michigan. It seems like I've known him for a long time.
I guess I needed another brother! He'll be number 4!
When we left our home in Niles it was late in the day. We hurried as fast as we could on the narrow two lane road. When we headed up the last hill into the village of Cassopolis we passed next to a little swamp. All of a sudden, the road was literally covered with a blanket of frogs. BIG frogs! Hopping, crunching, slippery frogs!
Well, we ugghed and yucked our way through them and kept moving, because we were headed for a town north of Frankenmuth, and we were very late.
We traveled the whole day, through all kinds of bad weather. We went down I-94, and around Lansing, stopped in Flint for gas, and went up I-75. We stopped in Birch Run for a while before going into Frankenmuth and I found the bullfrog on the front of our 70 Maverick. He was stuck behind the bumper, propped up in front of the head light. I looked closely at the frog and he blinked.
I yelled for my husband Dave to come and get him. I didn't want to touch him. He was huge! I begged Dave to put him into a creek/ pond area that ran next to I-75. So he did.
I thought that was the end of the frog story.
It always stuck in my brain that the poor thing rode that whole way and still lived long enough to blink and let us know he was alive. I had to immortalize him in the poem.
One day someone suggested I put it into a story.
The week we moved from our old house to our new one was the week of the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster. We were all unsure of all the changes, because we were leaving a comforting place that we'd lived in for over 30 years. And now the world wasn't safe any more.
So I re-wrote the Frampton story to say to everyone, "I know God will take care of us better than he did the frog on the fender, if we hang on and trust him to do it." See Matthew 6:26-27.
So that's the story of the frog.
I met Kevin Scott Collier, my wonderful illustrator, on CCWL, a Christian writer's group. He joined up after I'd been on it for several months. I asked him one day if he'd like to read and give his opinion of Frampton the Frog.
Kevin really loved that silly frog and he drew him into visual existence in almost no time.
We have discovered many parallels in our lives, but we've never actually met face to face. He lives 100 miles from me in Grand Haven, Michigan. It seems like I've known him for a long time.
I guess I needed another brother! He'll be number 4!
The Cast of Characters
The Frogs
Frampton Bullfrog- the hero
P. Lester Swampington and his Symphonic Swingers (P stands for Phrog)
Horace T. Gigglehopper
Bertrand Longhopper -deputy
Otis Widehopper -deputy
Octavius Tallhopper-deputy (not such a good guy)
Horatio Tree Hugger -local ecologist and farmer
Mayor Fergus Jumper Freehopper
Mayor's wife Mrs. Frannie Maye Freehopper
Mayor's daughter Miss Freeda Jo Freehopper
Police chief Farrington J. Bullfrog is Frampton's Father. His deceased mother was Fayonne Bullfrog.
Wooster Brewster -a northern frog who moved here and is the local Woolly Worm farmer. (Ayup!)
The Extras
Voles, moles, mice, rats, snakes, mud puppies, and toads.
The Snail Mail man, Snarley Snail, the grumpiest mailman in town.
The Cats
Brutus Furryman Hepcat the evil boss
Hubert O'Hooley Hepcat (good Samaritan)
The Places
Cass-hop-olis the county seat.
Doggie Watch town a howling big town.
Hop Hollow- next town to Cass-hop-olis.
Cat Nip Corners- up the road a paw.
Frampton Bullfrog- the hero
P. Lester Swampington and his Symphonic Swingers (P stands for Phrog)
Horace T. Gigglehopper
Bertrand Longhopper -deputy
Otis Widehopper -deputy
Octavius Tallhopper-deputy (not such a good guy)
Horatio Tree Hugger -local ecologist and farmer
Mayor Fergus Jumper Freehopper
Mayor's wife Mrs. Frannie Maye Freehopper
Mayor's daughter Miss Freeda Jo Freehopper
Police chief Farrington J. Bullfrog is Frampton's Father. His deceased mother was Fayonne Bullfrog.
Wooster Brewster -a northern frog who moved here and is the local Woolly Worm farmer. (Ayup!)
The Extras
Voles, moles, mice, rats, snakes, mud puppies, and toads.
The Snail Mail man, Snarley Snail, the grumpiest mailman in town.
The Cats
Brutus Furryman Hepcat the evil boss
Hubert O'Hooley Hepcat (good Samaritan)
The Places
Cass-hop-olis the county seat.
Doggie Watch town a howling big town.
Hop Hollow- next town to Cass-hop-olis.
Cat Nip Corners- up the road a paw.