An Ox came down to a reedy pool to drink. As he splashed heavily into the water, he crushed a young Frog into the mud. The old Frog soon missed the little one and asked his brothers and sisters what had become of him.
"A great big monster," said one of them, "stepped on little brother with one of his huge feet!"
"Big, was he!" said the old Frog, puffing herself up. "Was he as big as this?"
"Oh, much bigger!" they cried.
The Frog puffed up still more.
"He could not have been bigger than this," she said. But the little Frogs all declared that the monster was much, much bigger and the old Frog kept puffing herself out more and more until, all at once, she burst.
Do not attempt the impossible.
Some Boys were playing one day at the edge of a pond in which lived a family of Frogs. The Boys amused themselves by throwing stones into the pond so as to make them skip on top of the water.
The stones were flying thick and fast and the Boys were enjoying themselves very much; but the poor Frogs in the pond were trembling with fear.
At last one of the Frogs, the oldest and bravest, put his head out of the water, and said, "Oh, please, dear children, stop your cruel play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death to us!"
Always stop to think whether your fun may not be the cause of another's unhappiness.
The Frogs were tired of governing themselves. They did nothing but sit around croaking in a bored manner and wishing for a government that could entertain them with the pomp and display of royalty, and rule them in a way to make them know they were being ruled. So they sent a petition to Jupiter asking for a king.
Jupiter threw down a huge log, which fell into the water with a great splash. The Frogs hid themselves, thinking the new king to be some fearful giant. But they soon discovered how peaceable King Log was. In a short time Frogs made him a meeting place, where they complained loudly to Jupiter about the government.
To teach the Frogs Zeus now sent a Crane to be king. The Crane gobbled up the poor Frogs right and left and they soon saw what fools they had been. In mournful croaks they begged Jupiter to take away the cruel tyrant.
"Are you not yet content? cried Jupiter You have what you asked for and so you have only yourselves to blame"
Be sure you can better your condition before you seek to change.
