The Story of the Frogs.
This is the well-known story of King Log and King Stork.
ONCE upon a time the frogs assembled and decided to ask God to appoint a king who would guide them and rule over them, for they were like a people scattered all over the waters and seas with no one to look after them. God gratified their request, and taking a log of wood cast it into the water and said to the frogs, "This is to be your king." When the log fell into the water it made such a splash and such a noise, that the poor frogs did not know where to hide themselves in their fright. After a while the noise subsided, and the log lay still in the place where it had fallen. Gaining a little courage, the frogs came out of their hiding places and crept slowly on to the log of wood, which they found lying quite still and motionless. They waited for a time to see it move, but in vain. So they went again to God and said to him:
"What is the good of a king who can neither guide us, nor rule over us, and cannot even move about to look after us?"
And God said, "You shall have one who will move about, and he will guide you and rule you after the manner of kings." And he called the stork and appointed him king over the frogs. He moves about amongst them very fast indeed, and guides them and rules them in the proper manner of kings, for he gobbles them up as soon as he sets eyes on them in the proper manner of kings, who always go about and eat up their subjects as fast as they can.
Here, of course, a moral from modern life has been added to the old tale, but this does not detract from its popularity.
