|
THE FROG AND THE THUNDER
LONG, LONG ago there was a little frog. He lived in a little pond. Near the pond was a tall tree. The little frog was very happy. The little frog had a long, long tail. He loved his tail. When he looked at it he sang a song. He thought it was the best tail in all the world. The little frog grew bigger. His tail grew longer. His songs got louder. All the birds came to sit in the tall tree, and hear him. They sang songs too, about his lovely tail. One day the little frog said to himself, "I am the only frog in this pond. I sing songs; the birds come to hear me. I have a beautiful tail. I am the greatest frog in all the world." Then he stood up, and he said, "Listen to me, you birds and you fishes. From today, and for always, you can call me King Frog!" The little frog liked his new name. He thought it was the best name of all. One day there was a big storm. The noise of the rain was like drums at a wedding. The wind made the trees bend to the ground. The wind put leaves and dust in the pond. They made it dark like night, as the little frog swam. Then lightning came and thunder soon after. King Frog got angry. He shouted out loudly: "Go away, you big wind. Stop blowing. Be quiet!" But the wind would not stop. "Stop Lightning! Stop Thunder! Stop all that noise, quickly." But the thunder went on. It made even more noise! Poor King Frog was so angry that he hopped and he jumped. He could not stand still! He shouted out loudly, "Be quiet, you bad thunder. King Frog is down here." The thunder got louder! It got louder and louder. Frog got so angry that he hopped and he jumped even higher. But then he suddenly stopped and he looked down on the ground in front of him. There lay his tail. It had fallen off. He had jumped so high and so hard that his beautiful tail had been shaken away from his body. He did not shout any more. He did not jump any more. He hid in the pond. He stopped calling himself king. He lived very quietly. But every time a storm came, he came out of the pond and he shouted at the thunder: "You horrible thunder," he shouted. "You made my tail fall off! Stop your noise, Thunder. Go away, Lightning. Be quiet! Be quiet!" Since that time no frogs have had tails. And since then all frogs hate storms. They come out of their ponds and they shout at the clouds: "Go away! Go away! Stop your noise Thunder. Be quiet!"
|