Frog

for your doll!

Since we had no money, we could only offer our apologies and flee.

The sun was high in the sky when we left the temple. My cousin called on my cell phone to get us moving. The grounds were like an anthill, with people scurrying back and forth; a little bit of everything was for sale for the hordes of shoppers. With no time to dawdle, we elbowed our way through the crowd to get to my cousin, who had parked his car just east of the temple grounds, at the entrance to the Sino-American Jiabao Women and Children’s Hospital, whose grand opening was that afternoon.

We were too late for the ceremony, evidence of which — the shattered shells of firecrackers — was strewn across the ground. Baskets of flowers had been arranged at the gate, spread out like the wings of a phoenix. A pair of enormous balloons floated about the grounds, tied to an advertising banner. The building, a blue and white crescent-shaped structure, was intended to resemble a pair of embracing arms outstretched in silent elegance, a far cry from the flashy, ornamental Fertility Goddess Temple to the west.

We spotted Gugu at the same time as we caught sight of my cousin, in his suit and shiny leather shoes. People were picking flowers from the baskets and floral wreaths. Gugu was in the midst of that crowd, her hands filled with the stems of white, red, and yellow roses on the verge of blooming. We recognised her from the back. We’d have known her if she’d been in a crowd of thousands, all wearing identical clothing.

We saw a teenage boy hand her a package wrapped in white paper. As soon as she took it, he turned and ran off. When she peeled away the paper wrapping, she jumped in disbelief and cried out in fear. She reeled back and forth a time or two, then fell backward.

It was a big, black frog, which hopped away from her.

2

A phoney-looking security guard at the gate to the bullfrog farm gave my cousin a half-assed salute as the electric gate slid slowly open to allow his Passat entrance. Yuan Sai, the one-time fortune-teller and quack doctor, now CEO of the bullfrog farm, was waiting for us in front of a big, black sculpture.

It was supposed to be a bullfrog.

From a distance it looked like an armoured military transport truck.

The following words were carved into the marble plaque at the base: Bullfrog (Rana Catesbeiana), Amphibian, Order Anura, Family Ranidae, Genus Rana, Derives its name from its bull-like croak.

A picture, take a picture, Yuan Sai greeted us. After that you can take a tour and then eat.

I studied the enormous bullfrog and was properly in awe. A jet-black back, jade-green mouth and golden eye sockets, it had algae-like wrinkled skin covered with warts; the gloomy gaze from its bulging eyes seemed to carry a message from the ancient past.

Xiao Bi, my cousin shouted, bring a camera! A willowy girl with red glasses wearing a long, striped skirt came running up with a heavy camera.

Xiao Bi, formerly an honours student from Qidong University’s Art Department, is our office manager, my cousin informed us.

She’s more than just beautiful, Yuan Sai said, she’s exceptional in many ways. She can sing and dance and is a photographer and sculptor, among other talents. And, I might add, she can drink along with the best.

Mr Yuan likes to flatter people, Xiao Bi said as she blushed.

This classmate of mine is also a very special person, Yuan Sai introduced me to Xiao Bi. He was quite a runner in his youth, and we assumed he’d grow up to be a champion athlete, never expecting him to become a playwright. His name is Wan Zu, but everyone calls him Xiaopao. Now he goes by Tadpole.

Tadpole’s my pen-name, I explained.

And this is Tadpole’s wife, Little Lion. A specialist in obstetrics.

Little Lion, cradling her doll, nodded absent-mindedly.

I’ve often heard Yuan and Jin speak of you, Xiao Bi said.

The world’s number one frog! Yuan Sai said.

It’s Xiao Bi’s creation, my cousin added.

I breathed an exaggerated sigh of admiration.

I’d be honoured if the respected Tadpole would tell me what he thinks of it.

We walked around the sculpture, and no matter where I stood I could feel its eyes on me.

After the pictures were taken, Yuan Sai, my cousin, and Xiao Bi accompanied us on a tour of the breeding pond, the tadpole pond, the metamorphose pond, the young frog pond, the feed preparation station, and the frog products workshop.