Gimpy
Thursday, June 21st, 2007No, this isn't another rant about The Leg Formerly Known as Broken. My Lady Friend and her offspring recently adopted a three-legged tadpole/frog who answers to "Gimpy". Okay, he doesn't actually answer to it, and in fact seems largely disinterested in our efforts to rehabilitate him. It all started a couple weeks ago, after their dad took the offspring out to the woods - returning later that day with a bucket full of tadpoles.
It's an interesting phenomenon, that whole tadpole/frog thing. You start with a mama frog. One night, daddy frog comes home with a snootful. Next thing you know, there are eleventy-gazillion little eggs. The eggs hatch, producing little fish-like critters who quickly grow legs and lungs. The tail disappears, and presto - you have a frog.
Except in the case of Gimpy. Gimpy appears to have been born with a congenital defect - only one rear leg has developed. As you might imagine, this can be a real problem for an animal known for hopping around. And naturally, when told that the soon-to-be-frogs had to be released, and they could keep only one - Poe and Poodle chose Gimpy.
The Gimpster initially enjoyed a luxurious fishbowl, strategically placed near the garage, filled with scummy pondwater and rocks. Now that his tail has nearly disappeared, it was decided that better living quarters were required - and so, a 10-gallon aquarium was acquired, filled with dirt, weeds, and a plastic bowl - so Gimpy could continue to enjoy scummy pondwater.
My Lady Friend accuses me of loving Gimpy. That may be over-stating it, but I do root for the little guy. I hope he fares better than other amphibians with disabilities. It certainly makes more sense than caring for other small oddities.
It's an interesting phenomenon, that whole tadpole/frog thing. You start with a mama frog. One night, daddy frog comes home with a snootful. Next thing you know, there are eleventy-gazillion little eggs. The eggs hatch, producing little fish-like critters who quickly grow legs and lungs. The tail disappears, and presto - you have a frog.
Except in the case of Gimpy. Gimpy appears to have been born with a congenital defect - only one rear leg has developed. As you might imagine, this can be a real problem for an animal known for hopping around. And naturally, when told that the soon-to-be-frogs had to be released, and they could keep only one - Poe and Poodle chose Gimpy.
The Gimpster initially enjoyed a luxurious fishbowl, strategically placed near the garage, filled with scummy pondwater and rocks. Now that his tail has nearly disappeared, it was decided that better living quarters were required - and so, a 10-gallon aquarium was acquired, filled with dirt, weeds, and a plastic bowl - so Gimpy could continue to enjoy scummy pondwater.
My Lady Friend accuses me of loving Gimpy. That may be over-stating it, but I do root for the little guy. I hope he fares better than other amphibians with disabilities. It certainly makes more sense than caring for other small oddities.
Comments:
He does. He loves Gimpy.
posted by Mochie : : Thursday, June 21st, 2007
I can see it in the way he uses words to caress the AWD (amphibian with disability.) He loves the little fella.
posted by RedBird : : Friday, June 22nd, 2007
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