The Ox and the Frog

A N OX, grazing in a swampy meadow, chanced to set his foot among a number of young Frogs and trampled nearly all of them to death. One that escaped ran off to his mother with the dreadful news. "It was a beast—such a big four-footed beast—that did it."

"Big?" asked the old Frog, and she puffed herself out, "as big as this?"

"A great deal bigger," said the little one.

"Well, was it so big?" and she swelled herself out yet more.

"Indeed, Mother, but it was; and if you were to burst yourself you would never reach half its size." Vexed that her child should disparage her powers, the Mother Frog made one more trial and burst herself indeed.