Drama at the Grotto

A frog relaxes, unaware of danger.

     Most of the time, nothing exciting happens in this grotto. The cave is holy. There’s a statue of Jesus and Mary, candles, and a pool of water. People kneel and pray. Sometimes they toss coins in the water. Quietude prevails. This grotto is located at a shrine near my home.
    I noticed a frog in the pool. Nickels and pennies surrounded him. I leaned over a railing and snapped a photo. My presence didn’t bother him.
    He was content. This cave—his sanctuary—provided all his needs. He had water, bugs to eat, and shade from the sun.
    Life was good!
    Something moved in the corner of my eye. A snake appeared. It swam with lightening speed through the water. It attacked the frog.
    The frog took off with a split second to spare. His attacker pursued him.
    The pool was small. Walls hemmed in the frog. He had nowhere else to go. He swam in circles around the pool. The snake kept chasing. Round and round they went, a hunter and prey.
    The snake grew tired. He broke off his pursuit. The frog survived.
    The frog’s complacency reminded me of a quote from Jesus:
    ‘Keep on the watch, therefore, because you know neither the day nor the hour.’

Statue and pool of water.

Snake on the prowl after hunting the frog.