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Frogs

get the king they deserve

By William AlfredPublished 2 years ago • 1 min read

Frogs who lived in a pond without a leader demanded a king.

Zeus sent them a log and it dropped into the lake with a splash.

The frogs fled. After this, seeing that the log was silent,

they climbed up on it and played. Now they asked Zeus for an active king.

And Zeus sent them a stork, which some people call a heron.

The stork started to eat them. The frogs cried out at the top of their lungs.

And Zeus said, "You wanted an active king. You're getting what you deserve."

* * * * * * * * * *

This is my translation of Aesop’s fable The Frogs who Wanted a King. Does it remind you of some contemporary frogs who demanded a violent, lunatic king-president? Here is the original:

Βάτραχοι ἐν λίμνῃ ᾤκουν ἄναρχοι καὶ ἠξίουν βασιλέα.

Ἔπεμψεν Ζεύς αὐτοῖς δοκόν· καὶ ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν λίμνην μετὰ κρότου.

Οἱ βάτραχοι ἔφυγον.

Μετὰ ταῦτα, ἰδόντες ὅτι ἡ δοκὸς ἡσύχαζεν, ἀναβάντες ἐπ’ αὐτὴν ἐπαίζον.

Καὶ πάλιν ᾐτήσαντο παρὰ Διὸς βασιλέα ἔμψυχον.

Καὶ Ζεύς ἔπεμψεν λέλεκα (τὸν ἐρωδιόν).

Ὁ λέλεκ κατέτρωγεν αὐτοὺς.

Οἱ βάτραχοι ἐβόων.

Καὶ Ζεύς εἶπεν· “Τὸν ἔμψυχον βασιλέα ᾐτήσατε—δέξασθε τὴν τιμωρίαν.”

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About the Creator

William Alfred

A retired college teacher who has turned to poetry in his old age.

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    Written by William Alfred