A HOT summer afternoon saw a little frog come hop hoppity hop down the garden path.

It passed the wife sitting quietly, enjoying the tranquil, relaxing scene.

The little frog, concentrating on its task, went scooting close by to her bare feet, and legged it with smooth Olympic power straight into the rear porch. It was closely followed by an equally smooth high-powered and single minded, hungry snake.

The little frog legged it under the freezer. The snake coiled for action, paused within spitting distance of the wife. An hour later the frog hadn't moved, the snake hadn't moved and the wife hadn't moved.

I lay upstairs on the bed asleep, under a cooling fan, recovering from a hard night shift, my slumbers interrupted by the phone eventually nagging me awake. A horse whisper prodding at my soggy senses, "Peter, Peter, there's a snake looking at me!"

I tried the Yellow Pages but could find nothing. I tried the vet, and was told to try the RSPCA. I tried the RSPCA, only to be told that "it was protected, and if it wants to live there, then it can."

The Environment Agency said to try the council. The council said I should try the Rangers. The nature reserve Rangers office said "he's out," but they would get him to call round in the next seven days.

The frog said "you pay your Council Tax, and when you want something, you get nothing!"

I had reached crisis point.

But then there was a knock at the door from two fully-equipped Rangers. They quickly rescued the 20-inch grass snake, trapped in a grille under the rubber entrance mat, for release into the safety of the nature reserve.

Thank you Rangers.

PR BEER

Kinver Avenue, Kidderminster