The Frog and the Ox

このストーリーについて

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.

読み聞かせのコツ

• 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.

よくある質問

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.