An ode to a welcome toad

An ode to a welcome toad
                        

While digging around in my garden, I spooked a good-sized toad who sullenly hopped under the porch. It was very obvious I had offended that toad, probably waking him up from his morning nap. He hopped a few feet, then turned around and glared at me.

For whatever good it did, I did apologize. Personally, I am rather fond of toads and frogs. They devour insects and do no damage to the plants.

As a child I managed to catch quite a few toads and tried to make them pets. That was a totally failed effort. To this day, however, toads are always welcome in my gardens. Our dogs look at toads as possible play things and have repeatedly tried to capture them. That endeavor is never successful, but dogs never give up.

On the other hand, a neighborhood cat did manage to catch a small toad, which defended itself by emitting a noxious fluid and toad-hopping around our yard. The cat grabbed it and took off until the toad began emitting, at which point the cat dropped the toad and took off down the road. Our dogs were furious watching that cat actually catch a toad when they couldn’t and voiced their anger for at least 30 minutes. Our noisy dogs did get the attention of our entire neighborhood — not good.

Today my garden needed weeding, and from under the porch, Mr. Toad watched me as I worked. Pulling weeds exposes worms, and our gardens boasts lots and lots of worms. Today that toad seemed to totally approve of my efforts. That hungry creature came within a foot or so of me and managed to devour several worms as they escaped. They squirmed away from me but not Mr. Toad. He gobbled up every single one, plus a stray beetle.

Later today I plan to weed another garden. I wonder if Mr. Toad will turn up to supervise my efforts.


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