Fable · 声匠改编 · 3:52
The Frog and the Ox
Mama Frog hears of a giant in the meadow and puffs herself up to prove she is just as big. Bigger, bigger... pop! Aesop's fable about envy, retold.
Narrator
Mama Frog
Pip, a little frog
Puddle, Pip's brother
The OxOther languages · 2 languages
About this story
The Frog and the Ox is one of Aesop's Fables; the Roman poet Phaedrus retold it in Latin verse in the first century AD, and Jean de La Fontaine later made it famous in French. A frog hears of an enormous creature and puffs herself up to prove she is just as big, until she bursts. This gentle VoiceSmiths retelling lets all the air out with a harmless pop, and a kindly ox helps Mama Frog see that she was big enough already.
What it teaches
Don't try to be something you're not. Pride and envy can puff you up until you burst; being yourself is big enough.
Suits
Ages 4–9
Tips for telling it
- Puff out your cheeks along with Mama Frog each time she asks: this big?
- Pause before the last huge breath and ask: what do you think will happen?
- Talk about the things each child is good at just as they are, like the frog's singing and swimming.
Questions people ask
- What is the moral of The Frog and the Ox?
- Don't try to be something you're not. The frog puffs herself up out of pride and envy to match the ox, and the harder she tries, the closer she comes to bursting.
- Who wrote The Frog and the Ox?
- It is one of Aesop's Fables. The Roman fabulist Phaedrus told it in Latin verse in the first century AD, and Jean de La Fontaine retold it in his Fables of 1668. This version is a VoiceSmiths retelling for children.
- Does the frog burst in The Frog and the Ox?
- In the traditional fable, yes: the frog puffs herself up until she bursts. In this VoiceSmiths version for young children, the air rushes out with a pop and she is only dizzy.
More Fables
All Fables episodes →The Miller, His Son and the Donkey
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A miller and his son take their donkey to market and change plans every time someone grumbles. The fable about trying to please everyone, retold.
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
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A poor farmer's goose lays one golden egg every day. Soon one is not enough, and he hatches a greedy plan. Aesop's fable about greed, retold.
The Tortoise and the Hare
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A boastful hare laughs at a slow tortoise, so the tortoise challenges him to a race. The hare naps halfway. An Aesop fable told as a full-cast story.
The Monkeys Who Fished for the Moon
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Little Monkey sees the moon in the well, so the monkeys hang down in a long chain to fish it out. It breaks and comes back, until Grandpa Monkey looks up.
The Fox Who Borrowed the Tiger's Might
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A tiger catches a fox, but the fox claims Heaven made it king of the beasts. Every animal runs, but who are they really afraid of? The idiom hu jia hu wei.
The Milkmaid and Her Pail
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Polly carries her milk to market, planning eggs, chickens and a new dress. Then she tosses her head. The fable behind 'don't count your chickens'.
