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Once upon a time, not too long ago, there lived a Frog called Sirius and a Toad called Remus. They were neighbours in a beautiful garden. Oh, how they loved one another! They were the truest of friends.
These are their adventures.
Spring
Sirius ran excitedly up the path to Remus’ house. He knocked on the front door, but there was no answer. He picked up a small stone from the garden and threw it at Remus’ window. “Remus! Remus!” shouted Sirius, “Wake up, it’s spring!”
“Blah,” said a tired voice from inside the house. “Remus! Remus!” cried Sirius. “The sun is shining! The snow is melting. Wake up!”
“I’m not here.” said the voice.
“Hmm,” said Sirius. “this won't do.” He walked around to the front of the house and let himself in with the spare key from under the garden gnome.
It was dark inside the small house. All the shutters were closed. “Remus, where are you?” called Sirius.
“Go away,” said the voice from the room at the end of the hall. Remus was lying in bed, the covers pulled over his head. “Hmm.” said Sirius.
After a moment of contemplation, he walked over to the bed and pushed Remus onto the floor, where he fell in a tangle of limbs. “Hey!” shouted Remus. “I’m convalescing! I’m sick with ennui!”
Sirius ignored him. He pulled Remus up from the floor, and pushed him out of the house, onto the front porch. Remus blinked into the bright sun, lifting a hand to try and shade his eyes. “Help!” he cried. “I cannot see anything. I’m blind!”
“Don’t be silly,” admonished Sirius. “What you see is the clear, warm light of April. It means that we can begin a whole new year together, Remus! Think of it,” said Sirius, “We will skip through the meadows, and run through the woods, and swim in the river! In the evenings we will sit right here on this front porch and count the stars.”
Remus groaned. “You can count them, Sirius. I will be too tired. I am going back to bed. Goodbye.” Remus padded back into the house. He got back into bed and once again pulled the covers over his head.
“But, Remus,” cried Sirius, following him back inside, “you will miss all the fun!”
“Listen, Sirius,” sighed Remus. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Lazy bones, you have been asleep since November!” complained Sirius.
“Well then,” said Remus, “a little more sleep will not hurt me. Come back again and wake me up at about half past May. Goodnight, Sirius.”
“But, Remus,” said Sirius quietly as he approached Remus’ bed. “I—I will be lonely until then.”
Remus did not answer.
“Remus? Did you hear me? I will be all alone. I do not wish to be without you.”
Remus still did not answer. He had fallen asleep.
A tear fell down Sirius’ cheek, but he quickly wiped it away—a look of determination crossing his green froggy face. “No. No this will not do at all.” Sirius looked over at Remus’ calendar. The November page was still on top. Sirius stomped over and tore off the November page, and then the December one, too. The January and February pages were next. He came to the March page, and tore it away as well—the April page followed. Finally, the calendar read May. Satisfied, he ran back to Remus’ bed. “Remus! Remus! Wake up. It is May now!”
“What?” croaked Remus. “Can it be May already? I feel like I just fell asleep,” he said suspiciously, “and you’re wearing the same clothes as when I saw you last.”
“Yes,” said Sirius, “It’s true—look at your calendar.”
Remus sat up and looked at his calendar. The May page was indeed on top. “Oh! Why, it is May!” said Remus, as he climbed out of bed. Sirius smiled happily as Remus changed out of his nightshirt and cap, and into his favourite cardigan. Then he and Remus ran outside—hand in hand—to see how the world looked in the spring.
The world always looked good when they were together.
The Lost Button
One day, Remus and Sirius went for a long walk. It was another beautiful spring day, and they walked across the large meadow near their houses—the honeysuckles smelled sweet, and they watched as the field mice scurried under tall flowers as they passed, hands clasped and swinging merrily between them.
Next, they walked in the woods—crawling over mighty tree roots, and running between the tall trees.
Finally, they ambled along the river, where they said hello to the fishes, and Remus’ socks got soaked in the waves. At last, after several hours, they went back home to Remus’ house.
They had just sat down on the porch swing, when Remus cried out, “Oh, drat! Not only do my feet hurt, and my socks are damp, but I have lost one of the buttons on my cardigan! It was my favourite one.” he frowned.
Sirius peered down at the empty spot where the missing button would be on the brown, fraying sweater. “Don’t worry,” said Sirius confidently. “We will go back to all the places where we walked. We will soon find your button.”
And so, they walked back to the large meadow and began to look for the button in the tall grass. Sirius saw something shining under a leaf. “Here is your button!” cried Sirius. He held it out to Remus, who looked at it sadly. “That is not my button. That button is black and my button was white, see?” He pointed to the remaining buttons on his cardigan—they were all white. Remus gave the button back to Sirius, who in turn put it in Remus’ pocket. “Keep that one for now. Don’t despair! We will find your button!”
They wandered back into the woods and looked on the dark paths of the underbrush. Suddenly, James the great stag came bounding toward them. “Hello Remus! Hello Sirius! A field mouse told me that you were looking for a button.” he said. “Here is one that I just found.”
“Oh thank you!” said Remus excitedly. He took the button and turned it around in his hand. But when he turned back to Sirius and James, he looked very sad indeed. “That is not my button!” wailed Remus. “That button is square. My button was round.” He handed the button to Sirius who in turn put it in Remus’ pocket. He didn’t seem to be deterred. “Not to worry, Remus! We will find your button. Keep that one for now.”
After saying goodbye to James the stag, Remus and Sirius made their way back to the river. They looked for the button in the mud. “Here is your button!!” shouted Sirius. Remus rolled his eyes as he looked down at it. “That is not my button!” he shouted back. “That button has two holes, and my button has three!”
“Oh.” sighed Sirius. “Not to worry, Remus.” he said as he put the button in Remus’ pocket. “I will find your button if it’s the last thing I do!” Remus was not as hopeful as Sirius. In fact, he looked very angry—he jumped up and down and screamed, “The whole world is covered with buttons, and not one of them is mine!” Before Sirius could say anything, Remus ran back down the riverbed, through the woods and across the meadow until he reached his home and slammed the door behind him.
Defeated, he took off his favourite brown sweater and was just about to go back to bed, when he spotted it—there, on the floor, he saw his white, round, three holed button. “Oh,” said Remus. “It was here the whole time. What a lot of trouble I have made for Sirius.” It was then that Remus remembered all the buttons that Sirius had put in his pocket. He took his sewing box down from a shelf, and grabbed Sirius’ leather jacket from where he had left it on Remus’ armchair. Remus set it on his table and began sewing the buttons onto the lapel of the jacket.
Once he was done, Remus hopped back to the riverbank where Sirius was sitting sadly on a large rock, throwing stones into the river. He climbed up to sit next to him. “Hi Sirius. I’m sorry for the way I behaved. You’re a very good friend—the best friend a toad could ask for.” He placed the jacket carefully on Sirius’ lap. “Here, I decorated your jacket,” he said.
Sirius picked it up and watched as the buttons shone in the waning afternoon light. He thought it was very beautiful. He put it on and jumped for joy. None of the buttons fell off—Remus had sewn them on very well. Remus smiled warmly at Sirius. How lucky he was to have a friend like him.
A Swim
Sirius and Remus went down to the pond. “What a day for a swim!” said Sirius.
“Yes,” said Remus. “I will go behind these rocks and put on my bathing suit.”
“I don’t wear a bathing suit.” said Sirius.
“Well, I do.” said Remus. “After I put on my bathing suit, you must not look at me until we get in the water.”
“Why not?” asked Sirius.
“Because I look funny in my bathing suit, that is why!” said Remus.
Sirius closed his eyes when Remus came out from behind the rocks. Remus was wearing his black bathing suit, which covered him from neck to knees. “Don’t peek!” he pleaded.
Sirius kept his eyes closed as he and Remus jumped into the cool water, where they swam all afternoon. Sirius swam fast and made big splashes. Remus swam slowly and made small splashes. Sirius sunned himself on a log. Remus hid underneath a lilypad. Suddenly, Marlene the turtle came along the edge of the pond.
“Sirius, tell Marlene to go away!” cried Remus. “I do not want her to see me in my bathing suit when I get out of the pond.”
Sirius swam over to Marlene the turtle. “Marlene,” he said, “You will have to go away.”
Marlene looked confused. “Why should I?” she asked.
“Because Remus thinks that he looks funny in his bathing suit, and does not want you to see him.” said Sirius.
Unexpectedly, two heads popped out of the grass. It was the snakes, Barty & Evan, “Does Remus really look funny in his bathing suit?” they asked, excitedly. “If Remus looks funny in his bathing suit,” hissed Barty, “then I, for one, want to see him.”
“Me too.” Evan chimed in.
Peter, a small rat who was playing nearby, ran over. “Me three!” he said. “I have not seen anything funny in a long time.”
Sirius swam back to Remus. “I am sorry, Remus.” he said. “Everyone wants to see how you will look.”
“Then I will stay right here until they go away.” said Remus, as he moved further under the lilypad.
The snakes, the turtle and the rat all sat at the edge of the pond and waited for Remus to come out of the water.
“Please,” begged Remus, “Please go away!” But no one went away.
Sirius was getting worried. It was getting colder and colder, and Remus was beginning to shiver and sneeze. “You will need to come out of the water,” pleaded Sirius. “You are going to catch a cold!”
“Okay, Sirius. If I have to.” he sighed. Sniffling, Remus finally came out from under the lilypad, and climbed out of the pond. As he stood at the edge, the water dripped out of his bathing suit and sploshed down onto his feet.
Peter laughed.
Barty & Evan laughed.
Marlene laughed.
Sirius couldn’t help it, Remus looked so silly and damp. He laughed, too.
“W—what are you laughing at, Sirius??” shivered Remus.
“I am so sorry. I am laughing at you, Remus,” said Sirius. “Because you do look funny in your bathing suit. It’s really cute.”
“Of course I do! I said so, didn’t I?” cried Remus. Humiliated, he ran to hide under one of the nearby rocks.
Sirius calmly walked over to him. “Are you okay, Remus?” he asked.
“Go away! I’m so embarrassed,” cried Remus, “Everyone has seen me in my bathing suit.”
“Okay, Remus,” said Sirius. “Why don’t you come out and sing the I Love My Body song with me. You will feel better.”
“No, Sirius. I do not want to do that. I want to stay under this rock.” mumbled Remus.
Sirius crouched his long, spindly legs down to speak into the darkness under the rock. "I think it will make you feel better,” said Sirius. “I'll start, I love my body from my head to my toes. I love my face, my eyes, my ears, my nose.” Sirius sang, “I love the way I look when I look in the mirror. I stand a little closer just to see a little clearer. Your turn!” he shouted.
Hesitant and quiet, Remus began to sing, too. "Who is that? It's me and I am looking good as good can be."
"That's right! Keep going!" Sirius encouraged, continuing, “So, what do I say? I tell myself—”
“—I love me everyday." Remus finished.
“Great job! Do you feel better, Remus?”
Slowly, Remus peeked his head out from under the rock. "Yes, Sirius. I do feel better. Is it okay if I stay under this rock a little longer, though?”
“Of course, Remus." Sirius answered, bending forward and placing a gentle kiss on Remus' green nose. “But please get dressed, I don’t want you to be cold.”
Sirius passed Remus his clothes and apologized, “I’m sorry for laughing at you.”
“That’s okay.” said Remus, looking Sirius up and down. “You look pretty funny naked.”
Alone With You
Sirius went to Remus’ house, but Remus was not home. He found a note on the door that read, “Dear Sirius, I am not home. I went out, I want to be alone.”
“Alone?” said Sirius, confused. “Remus has me for a friend—a very special friend. Why does he want to be alone?” Sirius peered through the windows, and looked around the garden. He did not see Remus.
Sirius went to the woods—Remus was not there. Then Sirius went to the meadow—Remus was not there. Finally, Sirius went to the river—there was Remus! He was sitting on a small island by himself.
“Poor Remus,” said Sirius. “He must be very sad, I will cheer him up!” Sirius ran all the way home and set about making sandwiches and a large pot of tea. He put everything into a basket, then hurried back to the river.
“Remus!” he called, “It’s me! Your best and most special friend, Sirius!” Remus was too far away to hear. He took off his leather jacket and waved it around like a flag, but Remus did not see—he was too far away. Sirius jumped and shouted, but it was no use.
Remus sat alone on the island—he did not see or hear Sirius.
Just when Sirius was beginning to lose hope, Marlene the turtle swam by. “Marlene,” pleaded Sirius, “Please take me to the island! Remus said he wants to be alone. It’s horrible!”
“Well, if he wants to be alone,” reasoned Marlene, “maybe you should leave him to it.”
Sirius frowned. “You’re right. Maybe Remus does not want to see me. Maybe he does not want to be my friend anymore.”
“Yes, maybe,” said Marlene, “but I will take you anyway.” Marlene swam over to the island with Sirius on her back.
As they neared the shore of the small island, Sirius stood up and cried out, “Remus! I am so sorry for all the dumb things that I do. I am so sorry for all of the silly things that I say. Please be my friend again!”
Marlene’s shell was very wet, and Sirius was not careful as he stood shouting at Remus. He quickly lost his footing, and slipped—falling into the river with a splash.
Remus, having finally noticed Sirius, pulled him up onto the shore of the island. Sirius looked at the basket. The sandwiches were wet, and the pot of tea was empty. “Our lunch is spoiled,” moaned Sirius sadly. “I made it just for you, Remus—so that you would be happy again.”
“But Sirius,” said Remus. “I am happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up, I felt good because the sun was shining. I felt good because I was a toad. And I felt good because I have you as a special friend. I wanted to be alone because I wanted to think about how fine everything is.”
“Oh,” said Sirius, relieved. “I guess that is a very good reason for wanting to be alone.”
“Now,” said Remus with a smile, “I will be very glad not to be alone anymore. Let’s eat lunch.”
Sirius and Remus stayed on the island all afternoon. They ate wet sandwiches without tea. When it got dark, they counted the stars and waved to the moon.
They were two very special friends, sitting alone together. “I like being alone with you.” said Sirius, pulling Remus against him.
“Me too,” said Remus, gazing up at him with love. “Very much.”
The End...?