Aesop's Fables Edited by Charles Stikeney.

 

THE FROGS WHO ASKED FOR A KING

 
THERE were once some Frogs who lived together
in a beautiful lake.  They were a 
large company, and were very comfortable,
but they came to think that they might be still
happier if they had a King to rule over them.
  So they sent to Jupiter, their god,  to  ask
him to give them a King.
  Jupiter laughed at their folly, for he knew
that they were happier and better off as they
were; but he said to them, "Well, here is a
King for you," and into the water he threw a
big Log.
  It fell with such  a  splash that  the  frogs
were frightened, and hid themselves in the
deep mud under the water.
   By and by, one braver than the rest peeped
out to look at the King, and saw the Log, as
it lay quietly on the top of the water.  Soon
they all came out of their hiding places, and
ventured to look at their great King.
   As the Log did not move, they swam round
it, and at last one by one hopped upon it.
   "This is not a King," said a wise old Frog;
"it is nothing but a stupid Log."
   Again they sent to Jupiter, and begged him
to give them a King who could rule over them.
   Jupiter did not like to be disturbed again
by the silly Frogs, but this time he send them
a Stork,  saying,  "You will have some one to
rule over you now."
   As they saw the Stork solemnly  walking
down to the lake, they were delighted.
   "Ah!" they said, "see how grand he looks!
How he strides along!  How he throws back
his head!  This is a King indeed.  He shall
rule over us," and they went joyfully to meet
him.
   But as their new King came nearer, he
paused, stretched out his long neck, picked up
the head Frog, and swallowed him at one
mouthful.  And then the next---and the next!
   "What is this?" cried the Frogs, and they
began to draw back in terror.
   But the Stork with his long legs easily
followed them to the water, and kept on eating
them as fast as he could.
   "Oh! if we had only been---" said the oldest
Frog.  He was going to add "content," but
was eaten up before he could finish the sentence.
   The Frogs cried to Jupiter to help them,
but he would not listen.  And the Stork-King
ate them for breakfast, dinner, and supper,
every day, till in a short time there was not
a Frog left in the lake.

 

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