Week 1 Storytelling: Lessons From Frogs

Some Boys were playing one day at the edge of a pond in which lived a family of Frogs. The Boys amused themselves by throwing stones into the pond so as to make them skip on top of the water.

The stones were flying thick and fast and the Boys were enjoying themselves very much; but the poor Frogs in the pond were trembling with fear.

At last one of the Frogs, the oldest and bravest, put his head out of the water, and said, "Oh, please, dear children, stop your cruel play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death to us!"

Always stop to think whether your fun may not be the cause of another's unhappiness.

~ ~ ~

My family has always been the most important thing to me. My wife and I have many children.

We occupy a pond on land called Frogman Farmland.

I have always taken pride in teaching my children important lessons about life and the human world.

 I’ve long understood how the human world views us. We are small to the eye. We are said to cause warts. We are not special creatures, but we are harmless and friendly.

We spend most of our days in our beautiful pond we call home; we enjoy splashing in the water and hunting for food.

Regardless of others views, my children know how to treat each other, how to treat humans, as well as other creatures.

I’ve taught them about love, respect, and how to put others before themselves.

I believe everyone can learn these lessons and put them into motion.

Our lives are short so it’s important for us to make an impact while we are alive.

It’s not often we have humans pass by our pond. When they do, we usually wave and they wave back.

One sunny day I hear the laughter of small boys approaching our home.

I make sure to alert my family so they are aware of the visitors.

The boys finally arrive at the edge of our pond, kicking rocks and pebbles along the way.

One boy begins to throw a stone into the pond. The second boy imitates the first.

They start throwing more and more stones. I fear for the safety of my family.

It’s the safety of my family that finally brings me to confront the small boys.

I begin to shout at the boys, begging them to stop.

“Oh, please, dear children, stop your cruel play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death for us!”

The first boy stops throwing the stone and looks at me. By looking in his eyes, I can see he did not mean us any harm. He did not realize his actions had consequences.

“You see, my family and I live in this here pond. I know you humans are having fun, yet the damage could be bad.”

The first boy looks at me with sad eyes and speaks. He did not know that we Frogs inhabited the area. He speaks the truth through his apology. 

Everyone and everything can learn daily lessons. It may not always come from a conventional source so it's important to pay attention. 

 Frog in a pond.

(Source: Pixabay)

Author's Note. By reading the fable at the beginning, you know only a small part of the story. The lesson that is displayed at the bottom of the fable reminded me of the things I have learned my parents. They have instilled in me life lessons that I hope to teach my children one day. For my story, i thought it would be appropriate to give more background information about what caused the Frog to become upset and voice his thoughts to the small children who did not know any better. I think lessons can be told in anything and can be taught by anyone no matter their stature. 

Bibliography. The short story below is based off of an American fable called The Boys and the Frogs from the Project Gutenberg Ebook (2006).