Six days before Christmas the annual try outs took place for the Fairylands Toad Choir the most famous choir in the whole world and everyone was excited, including Tilly the littlest tree-frog. She had practiced for weeks before, not stopping until she got the notes just right. She waited in line practicing under her breath, nervous and on edge, until.“Tilly Hop!” rang out a croak that she recognised as the vice-choir master, Road. She wondered where the choir master was as she hopped onto the platform and gulped as she saw all the eyes watching her every move. She opened her mouth and, “Croak, Croak, Croak, Croak, Croak, Croak” she sang in perfect pitch and rhythm.“This is a choir for toads not little tree-frogs like you” yelled one toad.“Your voice is too high!” cried one voice.“At least the others that got turned down could sing low enough!” croaked another.“NEXT!” shouted another, indicating that she leave, even though there was nobody in line behind her.Tilly hopped home, shedding tears, staring at the lovely Christmas lights along Front Street that the humans put up every year. When she arrived at her tree she was startled by the beautiful Christmas lights wrapped around it. She jumped through the hole, at the bottom of the tree, into the hollow where her best friends Hype and Fido were waiting. They ran to her Hype pelting her with questions and Fido watching her being questioned, amused. Finally they recognised the mopey behaviour and became more sympathetic.“So, what happened?” Fido asked with a questioning look in his eye.“Well, they said my voice was too high,” replied Tilly sniffing“How low were their voices? Did they have mustaches? Do you feel okay? Are the toads big?” asked Hype.Tilly gave Hype a sarcastic look and replied, “Their voices were very low, only the vice-choir master had a mustache, no I feel kind of depressed and yes the toads are huge.”Tilly said goodnight and hopped up to her room, and settled down for the night. She looked from her window at all the lovely sparkling lights and soon drifted off to sleep, her mind sparkling.Meanwhile the toads were having a discussion at the Frog and Onion.“We lost the choir competition last year to the longtails, we cannot lose again! We need more parts than just basso profundo! We need a soprano!” exclaimed the choir master.“No! The Fairylands Toad Choir is strictly for toads hence Toad Choir,” replied a toad.“Do you want to lose again?”“We must keep all traditions going or else we will no longer be the Fairylands Toad Choir”“So, no?”“No!” cried the other toads in chorus.“Well, now that we have that settled, what should we sing this year for the grand finale?” asked the old choir master looking upon the other toads.As each of them were pondering the choir master had an idea but thought to himself to see what the others ideas were first.“Well, Norman, Kermi, Iggy, Road do you have any ideas?” asked the choir master eyeing them.“Um, um we could um perform Rudolf?” said Norman.“We did that last year!” replied the choir master.“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” said Kermi, “and a Happy New Year!” said Iggy.“We are doing that as the opening number!” said the choir master.“Frosty the Snowman,” said Road.“Well, that is a good idea,” said the choir master, “but I wouldn’t use that song as the finale, because it doesn’t snow in Bermuda so maybe it is not appropriate. I would use old St. Nicolas, it’s a great song and it would put everyone to sleep thinking about Santa Claus.”Then the choir master rummaged through his satchel as the fly stew was served. He passed out the music sheets and everybody except him was startled at what the sheets read.“Well, what is the matter?” asked the choir master.“It, um, reads that, um, the main part for this, um, song is, um, soprano!” said Norman.“Yes, didn’t you audition any sopranos?” said the choir master.“Yes!” said Road.“But, only one was any good, her name was Tilly Hop!” said a toad.“Well, tomorrow I will go talk to her!” said the choir master.“Unfortunately, we can’t permit that, this is a toad-only choir.”“Do you want to lose?”“No, we will be fine.”“Really, what about the finale?”“We will use Frosty the Snowman.”“The longtails are using that!”“We will be fine!”“I as the choir master, insist, no, demand that we use sopranos!”The next day Tilly went to The Green Lantern with Hype and Fido. As they sat and ate their lunch, an old toad slouched in. Then he came over to Tilly, Hype and Fido and sat down.“Well, which one of you is Tilly?”“I am,” replied Tilly“Well, Tilly, I hear you tried out for the choir.”“Yes, I did, but some toads said my voice was too high.”“Can I tell you something?”“Sure.”“My fellow choir members, made a mistake. You should be in the choir, please, we need you.”Tilly, startled, replied, “Of course. I mean, of course!”“That is splendid! I will see you at the platform tomorrow night for practice. Have a good day then!” said the choir master getting up and leaving, and slouched back to the other toads.So on Christmas Eve in the front, leading the song, was Tilly Hop the littlest tree-frog, who was singing with a great smile on her face as the humans sat on the porch listening with pleasure to the best toad choir they had ever heard and of course, they won.