265.The Ox and the Frog
AN OX that was drinking at a pool, trod on a brood of young frogs and crushed one of them to death. The Mother came up, and missing one of her sons, asked his brothers what had become of him.
“He’s all dead, Mom. Right now an awful, huge beast with four great feet came to the pool and crushed him to death with a cloven heel.”
The frog, puffing herself out, wanted to know, “if the beast was as big as this?”
“Mom, stop puffing yourself out,” said her son, “and don’t be angry with me for telling you: You’d sooner burst than manage to imitate a monster’s size.”
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