Welcome to the well! Although dry, the well is a fantastic place. Home to thousands of bottom-dwellers, it is crowded with bustling markets, coliseums, and temples. There are also puddles that are filled with boats and ships, trying to catch bountiful harvests. On the docks and harbors, frantic mercantile activity flourishes. And the hundreds of tributaries that feed into the puddles are crammed with bridges, shops, and cafés. Dwarf tree houses can be seen everywhere, along with thousands of mushroom cottages and mansions. The foot of the interior wall is also riddled with dwellings, embellished by countless little windows and balconies.
In this colorful world lives a humble dung beetle, Simon. Caught in a power struggle between the religious fundamentalists and the republicans, his fate will eventually intertwine with that of the emperor of the world — a frog! To complicate matters, a butterfly from the outside gets sucked down into the well by a gust of wind!
The well has a fascinating history. In ancient times, entire civilizations clashed with one another for survival. They even built the Great Wall to keep out the barbarians! And the epic battles were filled with catapults, siege towers, and charging rhinoceros beetles!
Frog in the Well is an exciting fantasy novel for young adults. But adults will also gain much insight from the story. Peppered with bittersweet humor throughout, it is a timeless parable that raises questions about the meaning of life. More than just a story, Frog in the Well is also a new philosophy — a new movement! The novel hopes to change the way we all view our world and the universe. Visit the official website: www.froginthewell.com.
S. S. Wong holds a degree in economics and has worked in the financial industry for many years. His writings and illustrations have appeared in various publications in Canada. He currently lives in Toronto.
His passions are history, geo-politics, and philosophy. The reason why he turned out the way he did (a bit odd) is because of his confused childhood. His mother is a devout Buddhist while his father was an “in-your-face” atheist (who also owned many guns).
The author’s dream is to see a peaceful and united world. Yet, while humans can now map out the genome and travel to Mars, we have made very little progress in regard to world peace. Still, S. S. Wong is very optimistic about the future of mankind.
If you have any comments, or want to send in your book review, directly e-mail the quintessential frog-in-the-well himself at frog@thewell.cn. Also, visit the official website at www.froginthewell.com.
…The Prime Minister and General Kahn quickly prepared the troops for battle. As they rallied the soldiers, loud thunders shook the walls. Two huge boulders had been shot from catapults, pulverizing both the north and south towers! They had struck at the middle of the structures, and the watchtowers broke in half. As they crashed down on many inside the fortress, tall plumes of dust were raised into the air.
Also, dozens of tall ladders could be seen being erected against the citadel. Wearing black uniforms, hundreds of Ecclesiastic soldiers tried to scale the walls as Royal Guards shot arrows down at them. Eerie screams could be heard whenever the defenders were able to knock over the ladders, causing the ants to plunge to their deaths. But the siege towers were harder to topple, and many ants overwhelmed the archers.
Teams of ants carrying battering rams were finally able to knock open the citadel gates. Thousands of Royal Guards and militia-bugs took to battle as tidal waves of ants and termites inundated the fortress from either end.
While screaming bloodcurdling battle cries, the invading hordes carried hundreds of flags and banners that showed the insignia of the orange Sun. With rays shooting out in all directions, it represented the God of Life and Energy’s fury with the immorality on Earth. The background of their flag was black, representing the darkness of the world being pierced by the beacon of the Sun’s guiding light.
It was slaughter on an unprecedented level. Bug-juice flowed through the streets as ants of every variety stormed in and killed everybody in sight; even some civilians, females, and pupae were not spared. (Luckily, those who were hiding survived.) Simon and Tom fought bravely and ferociously, often hacking off heads and limbs. Although they were unharmed, they had to retreat with their battalion. The rebel onslaught was simply too formidable.
Secret underground tunnels flowed with freedom fighters trying to flee the fortress. Simon’s battalion was ordered to regroup with the guerrillas at a designated spot somewhere on the outside. This contingency plan had been in place since the beginning. The Prime Minister and General Kahn knew very well that if the soldiers were unable to repel the invaders and became besieged within the fortress, a massacre of the troops would ensue.
In the meantime, there was total devastation inside the fortress. Riding on stampeding rhinoceros and elephant beetles, the ants and termites utterly destroyed the markets and shops. Homes were torn down by the hundreds as well. Many dwarf trees, including the houses that they supported, were also mowed down. Pathetic cries of pupae and larvae could be heard as the Ecclesiastic soldiers heartlessly cut down their parents in the streets.
Eventually, the walls from all sides started to crumble as the incessant assault of the catapults became too powerful for them to withstand…