Scandinavia and the World Characters' Childhood

Sweden's Froggy Adventure

It was a warm afternoon in August 1994, and the last bell of the day rang out through the halls of the small elementary school. Sweden, a bright-eyed first-grader, had just finished his lessons with Ms. Carlsson, his Grade 1 teacher.

"Alright, class, that's it for today!" Ms. Carlsson announced cheerfully. "It's time to go home. Remember to take all your things with you!"

The students quickly gathered their belongings and filed out of the classroom, eager to get home and enjoy the rest of the day. Sweden grabbed his backpack and walked out the door with a grin, but as he stepped outside, something caught his eye.

Not too far from the school building, near the school canteen, there was a large oak tree surrounded by a puddle of floodwater. The recent rainstorm had left the area around the tree soggy, and in the middle of the flooded ground, tiny frogs were hopping about, croaking softly.

Sweden’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Frogs!” he whispered to himself, feeling a sudden surge of curiosity. He’d never seen so many frogs in one place before, and the idea of collecting a few to show his friends sounded like a great adventure.

Without thinking much about it, Sweden noticed an old plastic cup sticking out of the garbage bin near the canteen. He grabbed it, thinking it would be perfect for his frog-collecting mission. But as he approached the flooded area, he realized there was no way to reach the frogs without stepping into the water.

He hesitated for a moment, glancing around to see if anyone was watching. But the other kids had already left, and no one was in sight. “It’s just a little water,” he thought, convincing himself. “I’ll be quick.”

Sweden winced but kept going, his focus entirely on the tiny frogs hopping around. He bent down and scooped one into the plastic cup, his excitement growing with each one he managed to catch.

“Hihihi, I got you!” Sweden giggled to himself, feeling a bit like an explorer on a grand adventure. The frogs were small and slippery, and they squirmed in the cup, but Sweden was too fascinated to care about his wet feet or the mud splashing onto his clothes.

Just as he was about to catch another frog, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

“Sweden, what on earth are you doing?” It was his father, who had come to pick him up from school. His tone was a mix of concern and slight irritation.

Sweden froze, the cup still in his hand, and slowly turned around. His father was standing a few feet away, arms crossed and a frown on his face. The sight of his son standing in a puddle, soaked from the ankles down and holding a cup of frogs, was not what he had expected to see.

“Um… I was just… catching frogs,” Sweden said, his voice small as he realized he might be in trouble.

His father sighed, shaking his head. “You’re soaked, and you know you’re not supposed to play in the water like this. You could catch a cold! Come on, it’s time to go home.”

Sweden’s heart sank. He hadn’t meant to upset his father; he just thought the frogs were so amazing. But now, as his father walked over to him, he felt a lump form in his throat.

“Let’s go, Sweden,” his father said more gently this time, taking the cup from him and pouring the frogs back into the puddle. “We need to get you dried off.”

Sweden nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. As they walked toward the carriage, the tears began to fall, and by the time they reached the carriage, he was crying softly, feeling a mix of guilt and sadness.

His father helped him into the carriage, and they rode home in silence, with Sweden’s quiet sobs filling the space. When they arrived home, his mother was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Sweden’s older sister, Sister Sweden, was also in the kitchen, helping their mother.

As soon as they stepped inside, Sister Sweden noticed her little brother’s red, tear-streaked face and damp clothes. Concern filled her eyes, and she immediately went over to him.

“What’s wrong with Sweden?” she asked, her voice filled with worry. “Why is he crying?”

Sweden’s mother crouched down and began to comfort him, while his father explained what had happened. Sister Sweden stood by, her concern evident as she listened to the story.

Sweden’s mother hugged him tightly and then looked up at Sister Sweden. “He was playing in the water and got soaked. He was just trying to catch frogs, but he’s a bit upset about getting in trouble.”

Sister Sweden gently touched Sweden’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Sweden. I know you didn’t mean to get in trouble. Frogs are really cool, but you have to be careful, okay?”

Sweden nodded against his mother’s shoulder, his sobs slowly subsiding as he felt the warmth of her embrace and the concern from his sister.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” his mother said, standing up and leading him to the bathroom. “And next time, if you want to see the frogs, we can go together after school. How does that sound?”

Sweden looked up at her, a small smile starting to form on his face. “Really?”

“Really,” she replied with a smile of her own. “Now let’s get you out of these wet clothes.”

Later that evening, as they sat down for dinner, Sweden felt much better. Sister Sweden sat next to him and kept him company, and the memory of the frogs still made him smile. He knew now to be more careful, and with his loving family around him, he felt reassured.

As he ate his meal, surrounded by his caring parents and his concerned sister, Sweden couldn’t help but feel grateful for their support.