Lady Frog | Rachit Sharma

My father tells the most ridiculous lullabies
especially the one where a Lady frog is mocked for being the queen of a pond
a crow is her nephew and, an eagle, her sister-in-law
a crab is her maternal uncle and a fish her maternal grandmother
she is being constantly asked to put aside her royal tantrums and fetch a cup of water

Every time he raises his pitch to command the lady frog
I burst into unrestrained laughter,
he joins

and slowly it turns to suppressed spurts of laughter
mild chuckles
a wide grin
eyes shut
I can smell the pond, glint of a little frog with a cup of water begins to appear
all her relatives join one after the other
a soft smile
a safe sleep