The Frog-Hop Hush — In the cool palace hall, Nessa slid one bare foot over a shiny tile and whispered, “Hop when I blink.” Her little brother blinked twice, so she hopped twice. Read the full story →
In the cool palace hall, Nessa slid one bare foot over a shiny tile and whispered, “Hop when I blink.” Her little brother blinked twice, so she hopped twice. A frog near the fountain did the same—plip, plip—landing with wet toes and a very important face.
Soon Nessa had invented the best game in Egypt. Blink-hop. Finger-wiggle-hop. Nose-scrunch-hop. Frogs bounced from the steps, the doorway, and even the smooth rim of Pharaoh’s tiny pool. The air smelled like river mud and perfume, which was a terrible combination and made Nessa snort.
Then the twist arrived: the frogs were not copying Nessa at all. Pharaoh sneezed inside his tall crown—“Hrrr-CHOO!”—and every frog froze as if he had shouted a royal order. Moses’s eyes crinkled. Aaron leaned on his staff. Nessa pressed both hands over her mouth.
Pharaoh sniffed again. One frog bowed. Another leaped backward. Nessa could not keep the joy in; she laughed, and her brother laughed, and the sound skipped across the tiles like tiny feet. If you count the frogs near the steps, can you tell which one heard Pharaoh sneeze first?
