The Local Newspaper of the virtual
village of Puckering
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| Fearless Frog Forecasts Future
In a tradition going back several hundred years, Puckering farmers release a frog on a country lane. If he makes it from one side to the other in less than five minutes, there will be rain. If he lingers, a long dry summer lies ahead. "He's never wrong," commented Bill Daily, a man who has been part of the ritual for many years. "Nearly every year he makes it across, and nearly every year it rains." When pressed, Bill admitted that it isn't actually the same frog each time, since once across the road, Percy often disappears into the hedgerows. "Still," says Bill, "the new frogs do occupy the same space. In fact, for many years in the seventies, we did keep to just one frog. Of course, that was before the drought." Recent declines in the frog population worldwide, including those that reside in the Puckering neighborhood, have Bill worried. "We stand guard, of course. There's no one wants to see the little fellow get hurt. But once he makes it, he's on his own." The Gazette is proud to announce that this year's Percy was hardly on the shoulder before the first raindrops fell. |
Whilst the Puckering
Gazette doesn't carry a weather section, we can report that rain is on the way. Our
weatherman? A fearless frog called Percy. Week Ending: Feb 5, 2000 |
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