Ricky Rain Frog’s reasons to smile

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Ricky Rain Frog](/ricky-rain-frog/) does not smile for just anything.

He does not smile for sunshine (too bright), or compliments (too sudden), or the suggestion of a spontaneous swim. (He’s working up to that.)

But he has been smiling more lately.

Not on purpose. A twitch of the lips. Little grins. The kind that sneak up behind you while you’re mid-sulk…

It started with swimming lessons. Bashful Bunny said, very kindly, that it was never too late to learn. She offered a rubber ring, lots of encouragement, and the promise of a hot cocoa at the end (the *proper *kind, with whipped cream and chocolate shavings). Ricky fretted. Then floated.

Then – just for a moment – smiled.

He also smiles when he’s having a proper harrumph with Timmy Turtle. They don’t need a reason. They’ll just sit in the shade, swapping complaints and taking it in turns to say “outrageous”. It’s cathartic. And afterwards, Ricky always feels about five grams lighter.

Another thing: towels straight from the radiator. That perfect warmth. The smell of not-quite-laundry. Very good for frogs.

And then there’s the odd, inexplicable joy of watching Bartholomew Bear put on a bumblebee costume backwards and pretend he’s a deeply avant-garde moth. Ricky didn’t mean to laugh. But he did.

Of course, there are still days when everything feels too much. When the clouds arrive, and the sky feels heavy, and someone says “chin up!” and Ricky considers relocating to rural Scotland.

But even then – especially then – it helps to remember: the smiles are there. Maybe not the big, bouncing kind. But the small ones. The sideways ones. The ones that live in warm towels and quiet nods and friends who don’t mind when you don’t say much.

Ricky doesn’t smile all the time.

But when he does, it’s sincere.