The Frogs Who Wished for a King

"The Frogs Who Wished for a King" is an Aesop's fable about a community of frogs who, discontented with their current anarchic way of life, request Zeus to grant them a King. Zeus sends them a log to rule over them but the frogs are dissatisfied with its passivity. When they demand a more engaging ruler, Zeus sends them a stork that proves to be predatory. The tale cautions against dissatisfaction with benign leadership, and the desire for authoritative rule that could result in oppression.

• Children

								
The Frogs were tired of governing themselves. They had so much
freedom that it had spoiled them, and 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.
No milk and water government for them, they declared. So they
sent a petition to Jupiter asking for a king.

Jupiter saw what simple and foolish creatures they were, but to
keep them quiet and make them think they had a king he threw down
a huge log, which fell into the water with a great splash. The
Frogs hid themselves among the reeds and grasses, thinking the
new king to be some fearful giant. But they soon discovered how
tame and peaceable King Log was. In a short time the younger
Frogs were using him for a diving platform, while the older Frogs
made him a meeting place, where they complained loudly to Jupiter
about the government.


To teach the Frogs a lesson the ruler of the gods now sent a
Crane to be king of Frogland. The Crane proved to be a very
different sort of king from old King Log. He 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 before they should all be destroyed.

"How now!" cried Jupiter "Are you not yet content? You have what
you asked for and so you have only yourselves to blame for your
misfortunes."

Be sure you can better your condition before you seek to
change.
								Rate this book:0.0 / 0 votes