The Frogs & The Ox: A Tale of Vanity and Authenticity | Summary and Analysis

The Frogs & The Ox: A Tale of Vanity and Authenticity | Summary and Analysis | Aesop Fables

Summary:

An illustration from Aesop's Fables depicts the title 'The Frogs & The Ox.' On the left side, a large brown ox stands, while on the right, a green frog is positioned against a light beige background. Above them, an orange circle—possibly representing the sun—adds to the scene.

In this fable, we find an Ox who accidentally squashes a young Frog while taking a sip from a reedy pool. The wise old Frog, intrigued by the incident, asks about the reason behind the little one's sudden disappearance. The other Frogs paint a picture of the Ox as a gigantic monster, and the old Frog, keen to show her own size, puffs herself up. However, as the young Frogs insist that the monster was even larger, she continues to inflate until she bursts.

Moral Lesson & Analysis:

The primary moral lesson is: “Pride is all good and well, but don’t think yourself bigger than you are.” The old Frog's vanity and desire to seem bigger than she truly was ultimately led to her downfall. This story serves as a valuable lesson against excessive pride and self-deception.

In addition to this moral lesson, we can explore another perspective. The fable sheds light on the folly of comparing oneself to others. The old Frog's attempt to measure up to the Ox's size reflects how people sometimes strive to emulate those who are more powerful or affluent. Such aspirations can result in self-destruction, underscoring the significance of being true to ourselves and finding contentment with our own abilities and circumstances.

Listen to the fable:

Who died? The Mystery of Hodja's Mourning | The facetious stories of Nasr-en-Din Hodja

HIS MOURNING is a witty short story of Nasreddin Hodja (or simply Nasreddin , or Mullah Nasreddin Hodja, Nasruddin Hodja, Mullah Nasruddin, Mullah Nasriddin, Khoja Nasriddin) a character in the folklore of the Eastern world. The story belongs to a collection called "The facetious stories of Nasr-en-Din Hodja". The book, at least in Greek, belongs to the public domain and you can find it here . And now let’s move on to the translation of the story and then to summary and analysis. I put side by side the English text as I translated it and the Greek one from the book, for the Greek enthusiasts! HIS MOURNING One day, Nasr-en-Din Hodja wore a grieving gown, and walked down to the marketplace. As soon as his friends saw him, they ran anxiously to him, and they cried out: - Life to thee! Who died? Hodja answered: - My son's father is dead, and I am in mourning. ΤΟ ΠΕΝΘΟΣ ΤΟΥ ...

The Mice in Council - Summary and Analysis | Aesop Fables

I narrated an Aesop Fable. You can find it here by pressing the link The Mice in Council . The moral lesson is " It is one thing to say that something should be done, but it is quite a different matter to actually do it.". Many things appear feasible when speculating, but are found to be impracticable after some thinking. Also one should not act, not before thinking at least, on the urges of people who present themselves as leaders urging others to do things that they themselves wouldn' t do. Those that judge that this or that should be done, will appear ridiculous when the question "who will do it" is asked and so t he moral lesson of this fable could also be "let those who propose, be willing to perform". The Fable: Once upon a time all the mice met together in council and discussed the best means of securing themselves against the attacks of the cat. After several suggestions had been debated, a mouse of some standing and experience got up and s...

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