Harry E.

Plopper
and the
Tale of Phibian’s Sea

By
Lisa Alvir

Copyright © 2009 by Lisa Alvir

Grand Junction, CO USA
 How great is God—
Beyond our understanding…
He draws up the drops of water,
Which distill as rain to the streams,
The clouds pour down their moisture
And abundant showers fall on mankind.
Who can understand
How He spreads out the clouds,
How He thunders from His pavilion?
See how He scatters His lightning about Him,
bathing the depths of the sea.
Job 36:26-30 NIV
 Harry E. Plopper and Phibian’s Sea

Harry E. Plopper loved to sit in the rain. Josiah K. Jumper did not. Josiah
frowned as his friend Harry laughed at big plump drops of rain plopping into
Pinion Hollow Pond all about them.
“Plip, plop,” said the rain.
“Plip, plop,” Harry sang along.
“Ow! Oh! Ow!” Josiah croaked as the rain plipped and plopped on his little
green head. The bullfrog blinked and wiped at the water tricking down his nose.
“Harry!” he cried. “Doesn’t our hollow log look cozy and warm?”
“Don’t be such a tadpole,” Harry replied. “Isn’t the rain great? It sounds
happy. Plip, plop.” Harry rocked back and forth to the rhythm of the falling rain.
“Plip, plop.”
Jo groaned. “Where does all this rain come from anyway?”
“From the sky of course!”
“Duh! But how does it get up there?” Jo looked up at the sky filled with
dark clouds blowing slowly about in the wind.
“Plip, plop.” Harry rocked back and forth. “Try it Jo. It’s fun!”
Feeling wary, Jo gazed upward. He swayed left. He swayed right.
“Plip, plop…sploosh!”
“OW!” Josiah flinched as a big drop smacked him on the forehead.
“Enough!” he cried. Jo dove into the water and swam for safety.
Snuggled up under a mound of dry leaves, Jo peered out at his wet world.
Overhanging branches sheltered him from the drizzle. “This is more like it,” he
sighed. Harry’s chanting carried to him on the wind.
“Plip, plop.”
Jo rocked a little to the left, a little to the right; until he rocked himself right
to sleep.
“Plip, plop, plip plop,” sang the rain.

* * *
 “Achoo!” A warm breeze rustled the leaves around Josiah Jumper as he
snoozed in the shade. It tickled his nose.
“Achoo!” Jo sneezed and peaked out from under the leaves. Bright yellow
sunshine streaked in through the tangle of overhead branches swaying in the
breeze. He glanced up at the sky now filled with a few lingering clouds drifting
farther and farther apart.
“Yeah!” Jo cheered. “The rain is gone.” The happy frog shook off the
leaves and stretched. He gazed out over the surface of the calm water, no more
plipping and plopping to disturb its smooth surface.
“Plop…sploosh!”
“Aaaack!” A damp swaying branch sent cold beads of water down Jo’s
back. He shivered and hopped out into the sunshine.
“I’ve had just about enough!” Jo whined. He wiped at his eyes sending a
little shower of water down his nose.
“Achoo!”
“I believe you be needin’ a hat.”
Jo looked around startled. “Hello? Hello? Where are you?” he asked.
“Behind ya’, to be sure.” The strange voice answered. Jo turned and saw
an odd sight. A small green frog sat in the sand wearing a most peculiar hat.
“Oh…” Jo paused. “Who are you?”
“I’m Phibian, Phibian O’Muddy.”
“Phib…Phib-o-mud what?” Josiah giggled with embarrassment.
The little frog smiled. “Call me Ian.”
“Hello, Ian. I’m Josiah. You can call me Jo.”
“Good to meet yer, Jo.” Ian nodded and touched the brim of his funny
green hat. “Not a fan of the rain, are yer?”
“It plops in my eyes!” Jo eyed Ian’s hat. “What is that on your head?”
“A beret.” Ian cocked his head. “Keeps the rain off, it does.”
“Sweet hat!” Tiny Tadpole Titus popped up out of the water. “Hi! I’m
Titus. Who are you?”
“I’m Phibian O’Muddy.”
“Phib-in-the-muddy?” Titus mumbled
 Ian smiled. “Call me Ian. A wee snapper, you are.”
“Weesnapper? What’s a weesnapper?” Titus looked sideways at Josiah.
Jo bit his lip and shrugged.
Titus glared at the strange green frog. “Are you calling me names?”
Ian took a step back and giggled. “I wouldn’t be doin that now would I,
wee one.” Ian wrinkled his brow. “It means yer a little one, it does.”
“You talk funny!” Titus exclaimed
Josiah scowled at the baby bullfrog. “Titus, that’s rude.”
“It’s alright.” Ian laughed and patted Titus on the head. “My family comes
from far away.”
“I guess! How did you get here?” Titus asked.
“Grand Dad came on a big boat, with a boy, he did.” The little frog
explained.
“In a boat? Cool! What kind of boat?”
Josiah poked at the curious tadpole. “You ask too many questions. Leave
Ian alone.”
Ian just smiled. “Yer wantin’ to hear the whole story, wee snapper, are yer?”
“I sure do!” Titus squatted next to Ian in the shallows. “Tell me, tell me!”
“Was a grand boat.” He paused as the little tadpole looked puzzled again.
“Very big.” He continued. “ They came from a far isle surrounded by a great sea.”
“Sea? What’s a sea?” Titus asked.
“It’s like a big pond.” Ian looked out over the water. “Bigger than Pinion
Hollow Pond, it was. The water stretched from where the sun rises to where it
goes down.”
“No way!” Josiah huffed. “No pond is that big.”
“Grand Dad said they traveled for days and days and never saw the shore!”
Ian argued. “His boy would stand at the rail of the boat with him. They saw the
sun sink right into the water, they did!”
“Wow! That’s awesome.” Titus exclaimed.
“I don’t believe it.” The doubting bullfrog shrugged his shoulders. “How
do you know that’s true.”
“Grand Dad wouldn’t be lyin’ now would he?”
 “Well, unless I can see some proof, I won’t believe it. Sounds like a fairy
tale to me.” Jo said.
“Does not!” Titus stomped his foot.
“Does too!” Jo answered.
“Does not!” Titus hopped up and down. “Does not. Does not!” he cried.
“Hey, little bro, what’s all the fuss about?” Harry E. Plopper, hearing the
noise, swam over to the rowdy trio.
“Jo doesn’t believe in Phibian’s sea!” Titus whined.
“What’s a Phibian?” Harry asked.
“I’m Phibian, I am.” Ian peaked out from behind Josiah.
“Hey, cool hat!” Harry exclaimed. “I’m Harry.”
“It’s a beret. “ Jo said rolling his eyes.
“Good meetin’ yer ‘Arry.” Ian replied.
Titus giggled. “He talks funny. A boy brought his grandpa here in a big
boat. There was so much water the sun sank right into the sea.”
“Did not.” Jo scowled at the tadpole.
“Did so!” Titus squealed.
Puzzled, Harry looked at Ian. Ian shrugged. “Aye, so it did.”
“Humph!” Jo crossed his arms and turned away. “I don’t believe it, Harry.”
“Does sound strange.” Harry agreed. “ Have you seen this great sea, Ian?”
“I wouldn’t be seeing it, now would I? But Grand Dad saw it with his very
own eyes.”
“Well, if I can’t see it, I won’t believe it.” Jo looked at Harry.
Harry scratched his head. “Maybe we should ask Professor Puddles. What
do you think, Jo?”
“Ok, by me. “ Jo shrugged.
“Me to, me to!” Titus chanted.
“Lead on, wee snapper,” Ian laughed. “We’re bein right behind yer.”
Titus headed off into the tall green reeds followed by Harry and Phibian
O’Muddy. Reluctantly, Jo hopped in behind.
“We’ll see,” He huffed. “We’ll see.”
 Glistening in the sunlight, the dewy leaves and wet branches dripped
little diamond drops on the three frogs. Ian bumped into a water-laden cat-
tail and sent a waterfall of cold liquid down Josiah’s back - sploosh!
“Ack…ack!” Jo hopped sideways shaking off his back legs in frus-
tration.
“For a frog you sure don’t like water much,” Harry said with a smirk.
“I love water.” Jo flicked a wet webbed toe at Harry and Ian, but the
drops landed harmlessly on Ian’s tipped hat. Jo frowned. “I just don’t like
being bombarded with it!”
Ian started to giggle.
“Stop laughing at me!” Jo stomped a back foot and scowled.
“Not laughing…at you…” Ian giggled again. “Stop, wee one, that
tickles.”
Titus was pulling on Ian’s arm. “We’re here. We’re here.” The
excited tadpole glanced around toward a stone covered embankment and
called out, “Professor Puddles? Professor?”
The frogs sat quietly and listened to the plip plopping of the wet
leaves.
“Professor?” Titus repeated.
“Plip, plop, plip, plop,” sang the leaves, but there was no answer
from the professor. The stones were deserted.
Ian tipped his beret down over his disappointed eyes. “Was really
lookin” forward to meetin’ the Professor, I was.”
“Don’t worry, Ian.” Titus replied. “We’ll find him.”
“Hello? Anyone there? Hello?”
Josiah turned toward a soft voice coming from the wet bushes.
“Mom, is that you?” he asked
Mother Jumper peaked out at them from between the plants. “Oh,
hello, Jo. I thought I heard voices. She smiled at Ian. “And who is your
new friend?”
Ian tipped his green beret and returned her smile. “I’m Phibian
O’Muddy, ma’am.”
 “Phibian? Phibian O’Muddy” Mother Jumper looked at the strange
little frog. “Why does that sound so familiar? Well...it’s nice to meet you.”
“Please call me Ian. Pretty hat you have.” He said.
“Why thank you, Ian.” She patted the brim of her straw hat. “I don’t
think I’ve ever seen a hat like yours before.”
“It’s a beret!” Titus exclaimed. “It’s from an island in a great sea!”
Josiah rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right,” he croaked.
“Grand Dad O’Muddy traveled in a big boat.” The tadpole stretched
out his tiny arms. “He came with a boy! They didn’t see shore for days
and days.”
“How exciting! I do believe I have heard of something like that.” She
said.
Jo smirked at Titus. “But do you know anyone whose actually seen
it, Mom?” he asked.
‘Well, no dear.”
‘See!” Jo jabbed Titus with an elbow.
“Josiah Jumper!” his mother reprimanded. “That was rude. Just
because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it is not there.”
“I’m sorry.” Jo blushed. “But I just can’t believe it.”
Mother Jumper gave Jo’s shoulder a soft squeeze and asked, “Can
you see that I love you?”
“Well, not exactly…”
“Hah!” Titus exclaimed.
A cool breeze rustled through the trees. Mother Jumper’s hat
wobbled and she reached up to steady it. She glanced up at the swaying
branches. “Can you see the wind?”
Jo blinked. “No, but I can feel it.” He pointed at her hat now sitting
crookedly on her small green head. “I can see what it does. If this sea is so
great it must do something!”
“Maybe we’re too far away.” Ian shrugged. “But I believe Grand
Dad, I do.”
 “And so you should, Ian.” Mother Jumper answered. “Sometime you
have to see with your heart.”
“I do, I do.” Tadpole Titus clapped his small webbed toes together.
“I don’t understand.” Jo scoffed. “I need proof!”
‘And I think you shall have it, Josiah Jumper.” A deep voice rumbled
behind them. Jo flinched and glanced around.
“Professor Puddles! It’s the Professor!” Titus cheered and pulled Ian
forward. “Professor meet our new friend, Phib…o..Phib…eee..mud or
something.”
“I’m Phibian, O’ Muddy, sir.” Ian laughed at the flustered tadpole
and patted his head.
“Hmm...that sounds familiar. Have we met before?” The old bullfrog
asked.
“Don’t think so, sir,” Ian replied.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Jo whined.
“Phibian? Ah…Phibian, I understand.” Professor Puddles nodded
his head and laughed. “ I’m pleased to meet you, Phibian. I like the beret,
very dashing.”
“Why thank you, sir.” Ian tipped the hat and Titus giggled.
“Oh, please…” Jo moaned. “Hey, what about my proof, Professor?”
The evening was growing cooler and a light breeze now whisked the
chilly air in and around the cattails. Wise old Professor Puddles gazed out
across pinion Hollow Pond. He raised one wet webbed toe in the air and
nodded. “Yes, Jo, early tomorrow morning you should have your proof.”
“Wow!” Titus looked up at the professor in awe.
“How can you know that?” Jo asked doubtfully.
“What did you say to your mother about the wind, Jo?” The old frog
asked.
“Umm…that I can see what it does?” Jo shrugged.
“And what of the Creator, can you see Him?”
“Noooo…” Jo paused.
“Does He love us?” Professor Puddles continued.
 “Of course he does!” Jo said.
“You can’t see him, yet you know He loves you?”
“I can see what He does for us!” Jo huffed. “Look at our pond, and
the cool water, and the trees, and cattails, and…and…bugs, and fish—”
“And family and friends,” said Mother.
“Yeah! And everything! But it’s so obvious!”
“Do you trust Him, Jo?” Puddles asked.
“Sure.” Jo shrugged. “ He takes care of us.”
“Do you trust me?”
Jo’s eyes grew big. “Of course I do, Professor! You are very old…
umm…I mean wise.”
The old bullfrog laughed. “Then you must have faith. You see the
Creator and His love with your heart first. Then you can see all the won-
derful things He does for you with your eyes. Trust me, Josiah. Tomorrow
morning the Creator will show you proof of that great sea.”
“Not you?” Josiah said with a puzzled expression.
“I think He has a lesson prepared for all of us. Can you be here at
dawn?” The professor glanced around at the group.
“Mom?” Jo asked.
“Of course, Jo. I’m coming with you!” Mother replied. Harry was
nodding vigorously as well.
“Sunrise sounds good, it does!” Ian adjusted his hat and looked down
at Titus. “ You too wee snapper?”
“You bet!” The tadpole hopped back and forth between the older
bullfrogs. “This is so exciting!”

* * *
 That night, the frog’s loving Creator sent a cold chill across Pinion
Hollow. It cooled the night air and early in the morning, just as the last of
the twinkling stars hid behind the rising sun, an ivory mist began to form
over the quiet pond. Huddled together against the rocky shore, Professor
Puddles, Harry, Jo, Titus, Mother Jumper, and Phibian O’Muddy watched
in awe as silvery tendrils swirled across the top of the water. The mist, as
soft and light as cattail fuzz, hovered around them. It settled among the
cattails and reeds, hung on the tree branches, and blurred the shoreline.
Pinion Hollow lay enveloped in a soft milky cloud.
“What is it?” Tadpole Titus whispered.
“It’s a cloud, silly,” Harry said.
“But clouds are in the sky.” Titus scratched his head.
“Not always.” Professor Puddles looked at Josiah. “Can you tell
Titus what a cloud is , Jo?”
“Umm…water coming our of the air?” Jo squinted. “Sometimes
you can’t see it. Sometimes there’s too much in the air and it shows up as
clouds. Is that condensation?”
The professor nodded. “When it’s very hot and the pond gets lower
and lower, do you know where the water goes?”
“I know, I know.” Titus raised his tiny arm. “It disappears into the
air. That’s how it gets up there.”
The wise old bullfrog laughed. “That’s right. And when the air gets
cold, the water comes back out again. After the rain yesterday, the sun
came out and it was very warm. Water from the pond, wet grass and trees
evaporated into the air. But then, early this morning it got very cold.”
“And so our little pond made this misty cloud.” Harry looked at his
doubting friend. “I think I understand. Jo hates this time of year.”
“Needs a hat, he does.” Ian said with a laugh.
“Why is that, Jo?” Asked Professor Puddles.
“The rains are coming!” Jo whined. “Big black clouds, storms,
thunder, sometimes it rains for days and days.”
 “So that’s where all the rain comes from!” Titus gazed out over the
pond. “Wow! The Creator really is awesome.”
“To be sure!” Titus exclaimed.
“I don’t’ get it.” Jo watched the mist now slowly fading in the
sunlight. “Our pond just made a little cloud. This can’t be where all the
rain comes from.” He paused and glanced at Professor Puddles. “OH!”
Jo’s eyes got big and round.
“Storms are coming, Jo,” said the professor.
“With great black clouds,” Harry continued
“It can rain for days and days, it can,” Titus added.
“How great must Phibian’s Sea be to make all our summer storms,
and winter snow and spring rains.” Mother jumper whispered, lightly pat-
ting Jo on the shoulder.
“Awesome!” He replied.
Wise Professor Puddles nodded his old head. “How great a Creator
to make it so.”
“To be sure, to be sure.” Phibian O’Muddy agreed.

The End

For more information on Fortuntate Frog Publications

E-mail Lisa Alvir at:
rightanglelisa@yahoo.com
 Condensation

Evaporation
Precipitation

Run-off, collection, and storage

The Water (Hydrologic) Cycle

The Water or Hydrologic cycle has no starting point just like a circle.
But let’s begin with Phibian’s Sea since that is what our book is about. Have you
guessed that Phibian’s sea is really the Atlantic Ocean? Most of earth’s water is
stored in the oceans, and then in lakes, rivers, streams, and snow. The sun heats the
stored water and it evaporates as vapor into the air. Warm air currents take it higher
and higher into the atmosphere where the air temperature is cooler. The cooler air
causes the water vapor to condense back into liquid and then we can see it as clouds.
This is called condensation. Eventually, the clouds get heavier and heavier with
water, dust and other small particles. Soon the clouds release the water as precipita-
tion, or rain, snow, and hail. The precipitation falls to earth where it accumulates in
streams, lakes, rivers, and finally the oceans. Then what happens to the stored
water? The sun heats it back up again! And the cycle starts all over, just like a circle.
 Definitions

collection: to gather into one place

atmosphere: thin layer of gases that surrounds the earth

condensation: process by which a gas transforms into its liquid state, often
by cooling

evaporation: the process by which a liquid transforms into its gaseous form,
often by heating

precipitation: release of liquid water from the air, falling to earth as rain,
hail, sleet or snow

run off: the flowing of water along the earth’s surface

vapor: the gas form of water