puddock

For you Southerners a wee description...

A Puddock or taid is a craitur seemilar tae a frog that bides on laund an in fresh watter. Growen puddocks can lowp faur wi their lang shanks.

I spotted this puddock on my morning walk with J in the middle of Arthurs Seat, now I am not sure if it is deformed or it's front leg is tucked under it - but it has managed to grow to full size and avoid all the bird life on Arthurs Seat and the heron I spotted at the small loch.

From the Charles Murray Poem 'The Whistle'
He cut a sappy sucker from the muckle rodden-tree,
He trimmed it, an' he wet it, an' he thumped it on his knee;
He never heard the teuchat when the harrow broke her eggs,
He missed the craggit heron nabbin' puddocks in the seggs,
He forgot to hound the collie at the cattle when they strayed,
But you should hae seen the whistle that the wee herd made!

For full effect you can see me read it when I was on holiday in Australia a few years ago :-)