The Teacup Frog
Chapter Two: The Whispering Dragonfly
Curiosity has a funny way of making mornings arrive early.
Before the sun had fully climbed into the sky, the little frog was already sitting in his teacup, watching dew slide down blades of grass like tiny crystal waterfalls.
Then —
Bzzzzzz.
A dragonfly the color of polished sapphire landed gently on the rim of the cup.
She wore tiny silver spectacles balanced on the bridge of her nose.
“You’ve been expected,” she announced.
The frog nearly toppled backward.
“I have?”
“Oh yes.”
She unfolded a map no larger than a leaf.
Except…
the roads on the map moved.
Mountains shifted.
Rivers wandered.
Entire forests stretched and yawned.
“This map is alive,” the frog whispered.
“Naturally,” said the dragonfly. “Dead maps are terribly unreliable.”
She pointed toward a tiny glowing star.
“You’re here.”
Another star shimmered near the edge.
Get MoonsOverHazel’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
“And this…”
she smiled,
“…is where you’ll discover who you truly are.”
The frog stared.
“How far is it?”
The dragonfly adjusted her spectacles.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On how many friends you make along the way.”
The frog blinked.
“Distance measured in friendship?”
“Magic prefers that system.”
Before flying away, the dragonfly placed a single shimmering feather into the teacup.
“When you become afraid…”
she whispered,
“…drop this into your tea.”
“What will happen?”
“It won’t remove your fear.”
The dragonfly smiled kindly.
“It will remind you that brave hearts and frightened hearts are often the very same.”
Then she vanished into the morning light.
The feather glowed softly.
The frog tucked it safely beneath the handle of his teacup.
Some treasures aren’t meant to be used right away.
