Frog Who Climbed the Tree

 

The Frog Who Climbed the Tree

Once upon a time in a lush green forest, there lived a small, bright-eyed frog named Timi. Unlike the other frogs in his pond who were content hopping around, catching flies, and croaking all day, Timi had a dream—he wanted to climb the tallest tree in the forest.

Every morning, he would stare up at the mighty Iroko tree by the water’s edge, imagining the view from its top. The wind, the clouds, the birds—he wanted to see it all. But when he told the other frogs, they laughed.

"Frogs don’t climb trees," said Kalo, the oldest frog.

"Our legs are made for jumping, not climbing," croaked Mina.

"You’ll fall and break your back!" warned Dada.

Timi was hurt by their words, but his dream burned brighter than their doubt. He tried. He slipped. He fell. Again and again. The tree bark was rough, and his webbed feet weren’t made for gripping. Still, every fall was just another lesson. He studied the ants, the lizards, even the squirrels, mimicking how they moved.

The frogs mocked him every day:

"Still trying, Timi? Haven’t you learned your lesson?"

But Timi smiled and whispered to himself, "One more try."

Then one cloudy afternoon, after many weeks, Timi found a path. He used a thick vine to balance, leapt onto a mushroom growing on the trunk, then onto a broken branch, and up again—inch by inch. The wind pushed him, but he held on. The rain began to fall, but he didn’t stop.

At sunset, the forest lit in gold, and Timi, muddy and tired, stood at the top of the Iroko tree, staring at the endless sky.

The frogs below gasped in awe.

“He did it…”

“Timi actually did it!”

From that day on, Timi was no longer "just another frog"—he was a symbol of possibility.

Life Lessons from Timi the Tree-Climbing Frog:

1. Dreams aren't limited by nature, but by belief: Timi believed in something no frog had done—and that belief created new possibilities.

2. Persistence breaks boundaries: He failed dozens of times, but each fall was a step closer to the top.

3. Ignore the noise—follow your vision: Even when everyone doubted him, Timi held on to his purpose, and that made all the difference.