The Frogs Asking for a King by Esopo

Name: The Frogs Asking for a King
Author: Esopo

A group of frogs living near a swampy pond are dissatisfied with their current state and decide to ask Zeus for a king to rule over them. Zeus sends a log floating down the river, which the frogs mistake for their new ruler. They begin to argue over who should be in charge of the log, with some wanting it to sit on the left bank and others on the right. As they continue to bicker, the log floats away, leaving the frogs without a king. The story ends with the frogs realizing that they were foolish for thinking they needed a ruler in the first place. The fable highlights the tendency of people to seek external solutions to their problems rather than taking responsibility themselves. It also illustrates how easily people can be deceived by appearances and how quickly they can turn on each other when things don't go as planned. The story is often interpreted as a commentary on the human desire for leadership and the dangers of unchecked ambition.

By Esopo · First published 1668 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy · 215 words

First lines

Time was when the Frogs were discontented because they had no one to rule over them: so they sent a deputation to Jupiter to ask him to give them a King. Jupiter, despising the folly of their request, cast a log into the pool where they lived, and said that that should be their King. The Frogs were terrified at first by the splash, and scuttled away into the deepest parts of the pool; but by and by, when they saw that the log remained motionless, one by one they ventured to the surface again, and before long, growing bolder, they began to feel such contempt for it that they even took to sitting upon it. Thinking that a King of that sort was an insult to their dignity, they sent to Jupiter a second time, and begged him to take away the sluggish King he had given them, and to give them another and a better one. Jupiter, annoyed at being pestered in this way, sent a Stork to rule over them, who no sooner arrived among them than he began to catch and eat the Frogs as fast as he could.

What this Textopian page supports

The Frogs Asking for a King is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1668 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Fable
Author: Esopo
Date: 1668 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Fairytale
Length: 215 words
Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Fable — As a story by Esopo, it typically falls under the genre of fable. This story in particular is about animals (frogs) and conveys a moral or lesson, earmarks of this genre.
Children's Literature — Fables by Esopo are often grouped under children's literature due to their easy-to-understand morals and lessons.
Fantasy — The story involves animals (frogs) acting in ways that they don't in reality (asking for a King), making it a work of fantasy.
Fairytale — The simplicity and moralistic nature of the story, as well as the anthropomorphized animals, align with elements found in fairytales.