Would You Pass On A Message From A Frog?

Marlon was sitting quietly at a riverbank. He was enjoying the view of moving water until a small green-coloured frog hopped on his lap.

“Hello,” the frog said.

“Huh? You can talk?” Marlon was wondering if he was hallucinating.

“Yes, I can talk. You seem surprised,” the frog responded.

Marlon giggled nervously and said, “It is not every day that I come across a frog that speaks.”

“I never came across another frog who spoke either,” replied the frog. “So, that would make me one of a kind.”

Marlon and the frog both laughed; the frog laughed because he thought that he was being humorous and Marlon laughed because he thought that the frog’s statement about him being one of a kind was funny.

“Have you spoken to other people?” Marlon asked.

“No, you are the first,” the frog said.

“I feel honoured,” Marlon said.

“You should be,” was the frog’s reply. “Today is your lucky day because I am going to pass on a secret to you ― the meaning of life.”

“Really?” Marlon responded.

“Yes, but I will only tell you under one condition,” the frog said.

“And, what condition is that?” Marlon asked.

“You will have to tell other human beings about what I told you today,” the frog answered.

“Okay, it’s a deal. I will pass on what you have told me to other human beings,” Marlon said.

The frog hopped on Marlon’s right shoulder, tiptoed and whispered the secret of life into his right ear.

Marlon was surprised at how simple the meaning of life was; he said to the frog, “I was expecting it to be something more complicated.”

“Let me guess, you were expecting it to be more like a Ph.D. dissertation, right?” The frog asked.

Marlon’s response was, “Yes, something like that!”

The frog looked at Marlon and said, “Life is simple. Only humans believe that it is complicated. Now it is time for you to keep your promise; you have to tell other human beings what I whispered here in your ear today.”

“And, if I don’t?” Marlon asked.

“You will go completely deaf in your right ear; you will never be able to hear anything in it again,” was the frog’s response.

“Okay, it does not look as though I have much of a choice now,” Marlon said. “I will pass on your message to other human beings.”

The frog winked his left eye and said, “Have a nice life,” and then hopped into the water and swam away.

A Special Announcement From Renard

This blog post is part of my What If series ― one where readers get the opportunity to tell me what they would do if they were faced with a particular situation.

This fictional series is also meant to be lighthearted; it displays the playful, yet very thoughtful side of the author.

So, with that out of the way, it is time for you to play along.

You Might Disregard The Frog And Choose To Go Deaf In Your Right Ear

Truthfully, it would be somewhat difficult to pass on a message from a frog because of your fear of being perceived as insane by others.

So, to prevent others from viewing you as a crazy person, you make up your mind to go deaf in your right ear.

You think to yourself, “I have two ears; I am not going to be completely deaf. I can use my left ear to do all of my hearing.”

Giving up the ability to hear in your right ear would be a horrible decision.

Dr. Mandy Mroz’s article, Why Do We Have Two Ears? will highlight the importance of being able to hear in both of your ears.

So, passing on the frog’s message despite being perceived as a nutcase by others would be the wise thing to do (Your hearing in both ears is way too important for you to part with).

You Might Do As The Frog Says

If you are the type of person who does not care what people think of you, you will pass on the frog’s message (After all, you did agree with the frog to share the meaning of life with others).

The interesting thing about that is that the majority of the people you passed on the frog’s message to will think you are crazy because frogs do not talk (The only talking frog that they know is Kermit the Frog ― a puppet from Sesame Street).

And, let us not forget, that there would be a select few who would believe what you told them.

You Pass On The Meaning Of Life Without Telling Them That The Message Came From A Frog

From a technical standpoint, the frog never told you to name him as the messenger; all the frog did was ask you to pass on his message.

So, what do you do?

You pass on the message, of course (If you do not pass on the frog’s message, you are going to suffer complete hearing loss in your right ear).

You might choose to pass on the meaning of life on a radio or television program; you might say something like, “I was sitting on the riverbank contemplating the flow of the water when I guy named, Fred, told me the meaning of life and asked me to pass it on to others.”

Remember, the frog never gave you his name. Therefore, you can make up one with the intention of making others believe that the message came from an actual person and not a frog.

All the frog wanted you to do was pass on the meaning of life to other human beings (And, you did as promised).

And, the best part of all is that no one thought you were crazy and you did not lose your hearing in your right ear.

Final Thoughts

What would you do if you were in Marlon’s shoes?

I would love to read all about your decision via my blog’s comment section.

And, thank you for joining another What If series on Renard’s World.

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