The next day my family went to the fair with Robbie’s family.

“Let’s go get our hair braided,” said Suzie.

“Great idea!” said Kimberly. “I’ve always wanted to do that!”

“Well, I don’t want to do that,” said Robbie.

“I don’t want to, either,” I said.

“Why not?” Suzie said, laughing. “You two would look so cute with ribbons and beads in your hair.”

“Ha, ha, ha! That’s a good one, Suzie. I’m laughing just thinking about it,” said Kimberly.

“Very funny,” I said.

“Yeah. It’s so funny I forgot to laugh,” said Robbie.

“I have an idea,” said Robbie’s mom. “We’ll take the girls to get their hair done, and you two can go with Freddy’s mom and dad to do something you want to do. Then we’ll meet at the petting zoo in a little bit.”

“Good idea, Mom,” said Robbie. “Freddy, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

“How about the Frog Jumping Contest?” said Robbie.

“Yes! Yes!” I said, hopping around. “The Frog Jumping Contest. Let’s go to the Frog Jumping Contest!”

“The way you’re hopping around, you could enter the contest,” said my dad.

“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,” I croaked as I hopped around some more.

“You’re crazy,” said Suzie. She grabbed Kimberly’s hand. “Come on, Kimberly, let’s get out of here.”

The girls left to get their hair braided, and Robbie and I went to pick out frogs for the Frog Jumping Contest.

“Step right up. Step right up,” said the man. “Pick a frog. Any frog.”

Robbie and I walked over to the big tank full of frogs. “Which one are you going to pick?” I asked Robbie.

“I’m not sure,” said Robbie. “First, I have to look at them carefully.” Robbie stuck his nose against the glass wall of the tank and stared at the frogs. He was a science genius. He probably had some special way of figuring out which one could jump the fastest and the farthest. Finally, he pointed to a big fat green striped one and said, “I’ll take that one.”

The man reached into the tank, grabbed the frog, handed it to Robbie, and said, “Here you go. Hold on tight. Don’t let it out of your hands until I say, ‘Go!’”

“And how about you, young man?” he said to me.

“I’ll take that one with the dark brown spots,” I said.

“Okeydokey,” said the man, and he handed me the frog. It felt slippery and cool and wet between my fingers.

I walked over to where my parents were standing. “Isn’t he cute?” I said.

“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,” it croaked.

I lifted him up near my mom’s face. “Mom, I think he wants to give you a kiss.”

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!” my mom screamed. “Get that slimy thing away from me, Freddy.”

I laughed. “It’s just a frog, Mom. What are you so afraid of?”

“You’re afraid of rides. I’m afraid of frogs,” said my mom.

I was having so much fun with my frog that I had forgotten about the rides. Did she have to remind me?

I walked back over to Robbie. “What’s your frog’s name?” I asked him.

“Phib,” said Robbie.

“Phib?” I said. “What kind of name is that?”

“It’s short for ‘amphibian.’ ”

“Am-phib-a-what?” I said.

“Amphibian,” said Robbie. “Frogs are amphibians, which means they live both in the water and on land.”

I shook my head. “Is there anything you don’t know?” I said, laughing.

“How about you? What did you name your frog?” Robbie asked me.

“Larry,” I answered.

Robbie burst out laughing. “Larry! How did you come up with that?”

“I don’t know,” I said, smiling. “I just kind of like it.”

“The Frog Jumping Contest is about to begin,” shouted the man. “Everyone, bring your frogs to the starting line.”

As we were walking over to the starting line, I reached into my pocket to rub my lucky shark’s tooth for good luck. Then I whispered to Larry, “You can do it, buddy. Show them what you got.”

“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,” said Larry.

Once all of the kids were at the starting line, the man said, “On your mark, get set, go!”

We all put our frogs down in the dirt and let them go.

“Go, Larry! Go, Larry!” I shouted.

“Go, Phib! Go, Phib!” Robbie yelled.

Everyone’s frogs were jumping all over the place.

“You can do it, Larry!” I called out. “Keep jumping. Keep jumping!”

“Faster, Phib, faster!” Robbie screamed.

All of a sudden, Larry turned to the left and jumped right out of the track.

“Wait, Larry! Come back! Come back!” I screamed. “The race is over here. You’re going the wrong way!”

I ran after him, but every time I was about to grab him, he hopped away.

“Oh no!” I cried. “Oh no!”

Larry was headed straight toward my mom. “Grab him, Mom!” I yelled. “Grab him!”

My mom just stood there, frozen.

“He’s getting away. Grab him!”

All of a sudden, my mom bent down and caught Larry before he could hop away again.

I ran over to her. Larry was squirming around in her hands.

“Are you okay, Mom?” I asked. “You don’t look so good. Your face is the same color green as the frog.”

“Quick!” said my mom, shoving Larry in my face. “Take this slimy thing away from me!”

I took Larry out of her hands and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” she said.

“You held a frog!”

My mom laughed. “Yes, I guess I did,” she said, smiling.

“I never thought I would see you do that!” I said.

“I never thought I would do it,” said my mom. “Well, I guess there is a first time for everything.”

“I guess there is,” I mumbled.

If my mom could hold a frog, then I could go on the Giant Swing. Right? My stomach did a flip.

“Freddy, are you okay?” asked my mom. “Now you are the color of that frog.”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Let’s put the frog away and go find the girls,” said my mom. “I’ve had enough of these green slimy things for one day.”

“Did you hear that, Larry? She thinks you are slimy. I think you’re cute,” I said.

“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,” Larry answered.