46. Sam's New Friend
Today, Bingo is going out to spend time with his friend, Charles.
Sam likes Charles. Charles is a good guy. But Bingo deserves to get to spend some time just with his friend, and Sam respects that, so he is staying home today.
However, this brings the question of what Sam should do all day today while he is alone.
He calls up Uncle Tubby to see if he would like to do something fun.
Tubby always knows how to make any day fun!
But Uncle Tubby cannot come over today...
...for today is the day where he must organize his socks!
So it seems that Sam will have to find something to do by himself today.
He'll just have to make his own fun!
He goes outside to enjoy another warm spring day.
But what should he do to make the most of it? Climb trees? Roll in the grass? Eat dirt?
Oh my goodness, look at that, Sam!
A frog!
Sam loves frogs. He would like to make each and every one his friend!
Oh no Sam, the frog is leaving!
~~~
It was then that Sam knew what he would do today.
He would go frog hunting!
He ran off to fetch his net.
If he caught the frog, it would be his friend, and they could have an epic adventure to pass the time until Bingo came home!
~~~
He follows the frog over the hill and to the edge of the forest...
But once there, realizes he has lost track of his quarry!
The frog has escaped, and now will never be his friend.
All of his plans for the day dashed, he wanders into the woods, thinking of what to do instead.
What to do? Now that he will not have the friendship of an amphibian, suddenly all activity seems pointless.
He decides to sit down in the shade of a funny-shaped boulder to contemplate his options...
..when suddenly he feels a drop of... rain? On a sunny day?
No.. that's not rain...
That's drool.
~~~
He turns around, and what he beholds takes his breath away.
The biggest frog Sam has ever seen...
...now, the biggest friend he has ever made!
Sam's day has suddenly gotten a lot better.
He wastes no time in taking his new friend home to show him all of his favorite things to do!
But he finds himself in a pickle when he realizes that his new friend will not fit into his house!
Well, if his new friend cannot enjoy Sam's favorite things inside the house, Sam will just have to bring his favorite things outside!
His new friend waits very patiently...
..while Sam prepares the first of his favorite things to share with him: extra crunchy oaty oats!
Fortunately, Sam just happens to have an enormous picnic table in his backyard to accommodate his new friend's substantial heft!
He prepares the meal...
And then brings in his friend.
He just hopes that this new friend enjoys oaty oats as much as he does.
He is in luck - it seems that the friend's appetite for this nutritious and delicious breakfast staple is at least equal, if not greater than Sam's!
After lunch, Sam shows his new friend some of his favorite things to do, such as holding balloons!
~~~
They play hide and go seek...
(Which Sam realizes New Friend is very good at.)
But not as good as Sam!
New Friend is so much fun to play with.
After a while, Sam takes his new friend to the lake to do some birdwatching - another of his favorite activities.
It doesn't take long before they spot one!
New Friend seems positively gifted at this!
Sam just has to snap a picture to remember the moment.
What a perfect shot!
He goes to show his friend...
Who, unfortunately, misreads the situation.
But... accidents happen. Sam doesn't linger on the incident, and instead goes right into showing New Friend his next favorite activity: drawing pictures!
Sam doesn't like to brag...
...but he is a pretty good artist.
He hopes New Friend won't feel inferior...
As it turns out, though, New Friend is also pretty gifted in the drawing department!
That's definitely one for the refrigerator...
Nevermind.
Soon, it begins to get late. Sam becomes drowsy, and decides to show his new friend one more of his favorite things: napping.
As the sun sets, he drifts off to sleep, thinking back on all the fun things he has done with his new friend today, and imagining the fun sure to come tomorrow, when he introduces him to Tubby and Bingo.
Soon, he is deep asleep, dreaming of new adventures.
But New Friend, it seems, is not tired. Taking great care not to disturb his little sleeping pal, he tiptoes away in the dusk, and returns to his forest abode.
Before long, Bingo comes home to find Sam asleep on the lawn. Understandably concerned, he rouses his friend to make sure everything is okay.
At first, Sam is excited to introduce Bingo his new friend!
But he quickly realizes, New Friend has gone.
Bingo suggests Sam must have been dreaming.
However, Sam is adamant that he really did meet a two-story-tall benevolent giant frog in the forest behind the house and make friends with him!
He will prove it by showing Bingo the damage to the backyard!
........
But he is shocked to find... it is not damaged at all.
He swears to Bingo that he wasn't just dreaming! It really happened!
He runs to the front yard to show Bingo the tree that New Friend broke after playing hide and go seek...
But to his horror, he finds only a perfectly intact tree, without a single missing piece.
What kind of cruel joke is this?! He didn't dream up a whole day of epic adventures! He is certain!
Bingo is supportive, but suggests that Sam is just very tired and will probably remember better after a good night's sleep.
Begrudgingly, Sam goes up to get ready for bed, even though he knows he wasn't dreaming...
...when he notices something sticking out under his pillow.
It is a note!
~~~
And it makes Sam feel much better.
And once Sam has read the letter, he knows just what to do.
Sam realizes that there are still secrets in the world.
And many more amazing adventures to be had.
