Story Title: "The Frog's Test" (Uganda) Retold: by Elaine L. Lindy Recommended Ages: 6-10 Theme(s) of Character: Kindness, Helpfulness, Love Here's the Story: LONG AGO IN UGANDA there lived a widow and her beautiful daughter in a round hut in a banana garden. In the middle of the day it would get very hot. One day around noontime, the girl saw a frog in the road. The poor little creature was so hot and so weak that he did not even have the strength to move out of the road. The girl scooped up the frog and carried it to a pool of water in her shady banana garden, where it soon revived. The next day, while the girl was peeling bananas, she heard a croaking sound at the door. nbsp; To her surprise, there was the frog at the door. The frog thanked her for saving its life. She invited the frog inside, and before long, she and the frog became great friends. The frog had many wonderful stories to tell about the animals of the land. She enjoyed his stories and his company while she went about her day. One day, the frog noticed that the girl looked sad. "What's the matter?" he said. "Please, tell your friend what is on your mind." "Oh," said the girl, "my guardian is arranging for me to be married. There are four men who want to marry me, and I do not know which one to choose." "Well," said the frog, "I hope you will allow me to give you some advice. Choose a man who has a kind heart: That is a greater wealth than flocks or herds or having the position of chief." The girl said, "Yes, of course you are right, but how can I tell which one has a kind heart?" "I have a plan," said the frog. "I know that you have a kind heart because you saved my life when I was so hot out there on the road. I will help you to choose a man who is kind to animals. If he is kind to animals then surely he will be kind to you, too." So they arranged a plan. The girl went to her guardian, and said, "I am ready now to choose my husband. Invite the four men to visit here, one by one, and I will choose." The guardian was glad she was finally ready to make a decision. A day was arranged and invitations extended. The girl and her guardian laid freshly cut grass down in the house. The girl dressed herself in a beautiful barkcloth, and sat down on a new mat, and three old ladies of her father's tribe sat near her to see that everything was done properly and in order. But they knew nothing about the frog. As the first suitor entered the porch the frog hopped out in front of him and croaked. The suitor drove it away angrily, and went into the house, and the girl refused him at once. This happened to the second and the third suitors also. As the fourth one entered the porch he stepped carefully over the frog. When he had greeted the girl and the old ladies, he said, "Excuse me, there is a frog on the porch, does the croaking annoy you?" "Not at all," said the girl; "I like frogs." "I am glad of that," said the young man, "I like frogs too." Then they both burst out laughing, which was a very improper thing to do, and shocked the old ladies very much; but it made them friends, and the girl decided to marry him, and they lived happily ever after. That is why, in Uganda, if a frog comes into a house and you call a boy and say, "Drive away that frog," he will not do so. Instead, he will go and call a married man. Because if a young boy drives away a frog, the girl he someday wants to marry might refuse him. 
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