“You know that’s not a frog, right?” the elderly woman said looking at the toad sitting in the middle of her kitchen table.

“Same difference, I’m sure it won’t matter. You have to at least try, please grandma,” the girl pleaded. “I can’t show up to the dance alone.”

“I don’t know why you can’t just go with your cousin, Joe. He’s handsome enough.”

“Ew, Grandma, I’d look like a total loser with him. I’d rather go with the toad.”

“I don’t even have all the ingredients on hand right now.”

“You’ve got shelves full of spices, whatever you don’t have, I’m sure we can substitute.”

“I can’t promise he’ll be a handsome prince or even a prince at all.”

“It’s not like I’m gonna marry the guy, I just need a date for the dance tonight. Can we at least try?” the girl said pleading.

“Oh all right, I will try but no promises. I haven’t done this spell since I met your granddad.”

“Oh Grandma, you’re the best,” the girl jumped up and hugged the old woman.

The old woman pulled a dusty cookbook wrapped in rubber bands out of her cupboard, “I keep all my personal recipes in here.”

The bands were so brittle they broke as soon as she started to take them off, “I’m sure the recipe you want is in here somewhere.”

The pages of the book spilled out onto the floor, they went everywhere. “I’ll get it Grandma,” Lucinda said as she started to pick up the papers. “I haven’t heard of most of these, Nasi Uduk, Ndole, Salade Lyonnaise. I can’t even pronounce these. I didn't know you knew so many fancy recipes.”

“I don’t know that many, some are recipes I got from friends or books that I wanted to try. I had so many options back then but once I met your grandpa and started my family, I just never got around to it. I’ve only tried a few of these, not all of them turned out the way they were supposed to”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

The old woman flipped through the pages, a couple of minutes later the book was put away and she held just one sheet of paper. “I’ve never done this without a caldron and my wooden spoon.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t matter, we can use the spaghetti pot and the metal spoon with the plastic handle. So what all do we need?”

“Eye of newt.”

“What the heck is a newt? Grapes kinda look like eyes, I’ll throw one of those in. What else?”

“Cat’s milk.”

“Who is milking a cat? Cow’s milk.”

“I don’t have any milk in the house, I’m lactose intolerant.”

“Non dairy creamer for coffee will probably work just as well. We don’t need a lot of it do we?”

“No dear just a couple of teaspoons, I think it’s for creamy white skin.”

“What teenage boy has creamy white skin? I’m okay with a few blemishes.”

“Everything else I think I have. Oh darn, I almost forgot, we need sausage.”

“What do we need sausage for?”

“Well you do want to be sure you’re on a date with a fella, right? It’s to be sure he has - “

“Ew gross, Grandma.”

“Well just saying, if we don’t have that part, I can’t guarantee your date won’t be singing soprano, if you know what I mean.”

“Fine, will hot dogs work? They’re pretty much the same thing, right?”

“It’ll have to do.”

After several minutes of stirring the concoction, the old woman declared it the right consistency. “Okay take the toad out on the patio, if this doesn’t work I don’t want the fragrance of this lingering in my kitchen.”

Outside the toad sat on the brick pavement as Lucinda dripped the warm liquid onto him. His skin started to sizzle, “It’s working!” she proclaimed as she watched.

A moment later, a teenage boy stood in front of them looking rather puzzled. Instead of being dressed for a dance he wore a red and white striped shirt and had a metal tray strapped to him.

“Hello?” Lucinda said to him.

He just stared at her with a blank expression on his face.

“Grandma, what's wrong with him?.”

A moment later the boy started to shout, “Come get your hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn! Come get your hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn!”

“Oh no, Grandma, I can’t go to the dance with one of the guys who stand in front of the school stadium selling snacks!”

“Well it’s a bit late for that.”

“Any chance we can just change him back to the toad and forget the whole thing?”