Pastel frogs are leaping across a royal gold colored frame; pastel because these colors are warm, fuzzy, gentle colors. Frogs are one of my favorite animals along with slime wort, nematodes and platypuses. I suppose too many frogs would be a problem as the king of Egypt and his animals have in this picture. The Egyptian king is at the bottom, but off center of the picture; bottom because he is not in control, off center because he’s  unethical, and has used his power improperly and has broken promises. Too many frogs are one of the consequences of his guile. My children were fascinated with the idea of too many frogs in Egypt. They created a play about this event and our entire family acted it out one evening, and this is mentioned in my kid’s book Dragon’s Tail.

This Egyptian story of deceit and power reminds me of of a woman I knew. As a girl, my acquaintance, begged and pleaded for a pet. She’d suggest to her mom; a cat, a dog, OK she’d say, something small like a bird; the answer was NO. Year after year, gift giving holidays and in between, the girl begged for a pet. Finally on the girl’s tenth birthday her mother, in her magnanimous power yelled, “Get in the car. I’m tired your whining. I’m getting you a pet.

The verbal presentation was sour but the girl’s heart leaped at the thought of a pet to love, one who would love her back. The mother drove to a pet store but made the birthday girl stay in the car. Mother went into the store while the girl dreamed and wondered in the car, waiting and waiting almost ready to burst. Finally the person of power came out the car with a small paper bag. The girl was crushed under her premonitions of doom. She opened the bag. Two jumping beans.  nancymauerman.com

Moses And Frogs – Framed – Click Here To View Larger