Home → Jean de La Fontaine → THE FROG THAT WISHED TO MAKE HERSELF AS BIG AS THE OX

THE FROG THAT WISHED TO MAKE HERSELF AS BIG AS THE OX. Jean de La Fontaine

THE FROG THAT WISHED TO MAKE HERSELF AS BIG AS THE OX. Fable by Jean de La Fontaine. Illustration by Grandville

A Frog, no bigger than a pullet′s egg,
A fat Ox feeding in a meadow spied.
The envious little creature blew and swelled;
In vain to reach the big bull′s bulk she tried.
"Sister, now look! observe me close!" she cried.
"Is this enough?"—"No!" "Tell me! now then see!"
"No, no!" "Well, now I′m quite as big as he?"
"You′re scarcely bigger than you were at first!"
One more tremendous puff—she grew so large—she burst.
The whole world swarms with people not more wise:
The tradesman′s villa with the palace vies.
Ambassadors your poorest Princelings send,
And every Count has pages without end.

Thank you for reading Jean de La Fontaine's "THE FROG THAT WISHED TO MAKE HERSELF AS BIG AS THE OX"!
Read Jean de La Fontaine's
Main page