Why I hate frogs

Most of you seemed surprised that I was scared of frogs. This fear is quite rational, I assure you. I have some history with frogs, and it's not good.

I think the fear for started when I was six and my older sister (a Yekwana Indian foster child) stuck a dead frog in my shoe. This frog had been dead for days and was nah-stee. She told me to put my shoes on and when I discovered the rotting frog I was scarred for life. There was much screaming, wailing and gnashing of teeth. I never forgave her. Hmph.

Then, a few months later we went on our first, of many, survey trips to different Yekwana Indian villages. We went to the village of Toky, which is where my Indian brother and sister were from. One day my parents decided to go up river to another village a few hours away. They took my younger brother and sister with them, and I stayed behind with my Indian siblings and their biological family. They (my parents) were supposed to return that night, but had to stay due to a huge thunderstorm. So there I was, six years old, with an Indian family I could barely understand and wondering if I would ever see my parents again. That night I had a close encounter with a cow (another story for another day) and my older brother tried to feed me a frog. I came this close to eating it, but everytime I would reach for it to take a bite, he would toss it in my direction and RIBBIT. It was very convincing. I never ate it.

That night in my journal, which my mother still has, I wrote: "I am the only American in the whole jungle." I remember feeling very brave and heroic. Like I was David Livingstone or something. And also very creeped out by the whole frog episode.

And so, I hate frogs.

Can you blame me? :)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you didn't eat it!!!! You were very brave! Did they really eat frogs and if so, how often??? Did you ever find out any "recipes?"! Is there any food you ate there that you really liked that would be unusual for us? Just curious. Have a nice day and find some nice chocolate or cheese to eat! :)

Jackie said...

Kathy: They ate frogs more during rainy season, and would fry them, if I recall. I never ate one, I just hate them so much. I did eat worms (and loved them smoked!) also monkey, alligator, deer, termites and parrots. Yum!

Rita Loca said...

OH, we did scar you for life!

MaMa Vaughn said...

Hey...cool story yet again!=)

Laine said...

HA! That's really funny! I wouldn't have eaten it either. When I lived in Puerto Rico we had a massive bullfrog that lived on our screened in back porch that we named "Jimmy." My mom heard later that they were poisonous. Don't know if it's true though.

And it was totally cool to eat ants there. Kids, including me and my brothers, did it all the time. I was cured the day I accidentally picked up a fire ant. Not fun!! And we ate dog for years from the road side "pincho" stand. Never found out for almost three years! But hey, it was good! =P

Anonymous said...

ahh ok...haha. hilarious. sorry, i'm sure it's not funny to you ;)

Liz said...

I'm with you on this one kiddo, bichos horribles!!!

Kimberly said...

That sounds like Josh! I have eaten frog,even went gigging for them. I was too young to know better.

Unknown said...

Oh Jackie, I never knew you were left alone with no family at such a young age! That is so sad to think you doubted you'd ever see your parents or sibling again! I can imagine your glee when they did finally show up for you! You are such a trooper and now we know where that character comes from!