Buzzers, whizzers....and long grass!

One afternoon quite recently, I spied the boy Bing rolling in a sunny patch of grass, and could see he was greatly relishing this particular exercise.

‘Ah so young fella, enjoying a bit of late warmth?’

The squirming lad froze and peered up at me, through his shaggy brow.

‘Frankly old guv, apart from various squeakers, settee snuggling, noshing, chewing wood, little treats, rolling in hay, minty chews’ (The list was growing by the second) ‘chasing ol’ puffers like you, sniffing flowers, stalking buzzers and whizzers, drinking out of puddles, walks, snoozing………rolling in the sunshine is pretty near the top of a young chaps list!’

Suitably informed, I strolled over to a seat in the sun while Bingo continued his rolling.

A few minutes later I was nudged by a nose…….

‘You old’uns like a snooze or three don’t you?’

‘Well….I was just resting my eyes.’

‘Golly does that make you rumble through your snout like that?’

‘Um….well…….was I?’

‘Cor your hooter was sounding like a pack of bees with colds!’

‘Ah yes well um…..there you are.’

‘Yes I most certainly am old wheezer!’

Taking the hint, I spent the next few minutes tossing his most favourite squeaking ball as far as our limited garden would allow. Suddenly he froze and stared into a clump of Long grass.

‘What’s up young feller-me-lad?’

‘There’s something new blinking at me.’

I strolled over to the spot and stooped. There crouched next to the ball was a frog!

‘It’s a frog Bing.’

‘By 'a frog' you imply there may well be more of ‘em?’

‘Oh yes, they are quite common in gardens, and are regarded as being a gardeners friend.’

‘Really?’

'Really.'

‘Are….are they….friendly guv?’

‘Oh yes no harm at all, they do have a habit of leaping up into air when least expected…. otherwise they are generally harmless.’

As I spoke the frog jumped about a foot into the air, which made my companion shoot backwards and assume a position behind me with just his nose poking through my legs.

‘G…golly, I see what you me…they come a bit sudden and make your ticker go blur for a moment don’t they?’

‘Quite right, but as I say, quite harmless and jolly useful in keeping garden pests at bay.’

‘M’mmmm…..what, and more importantly…..how big are these pests?’

‘Oh just the size of whizzers and buzzers and smaller.’

His worried countenance cleared….

‘Oh they sort those out do they….well that’s mighty pal-like aint it?’

‘That’s why they're a gardeners friend.'

‘I see….so they don’t tug up weeds and shave the grass?’

‘No’ I said sadly…that’s left to others……..’

It was later, while I was ‘shaving’ the grass I saw young Bing leap backwards, and realized he’d just re-encountered the *frog!  His tail was wagging so all was well.

　
*I later discovered Bing has decided to call him ‘Cardigan!’ 'Because' as the lad explained, 'He's a sort of a jumper!'