Section 25
The Boys and the Frogs explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
Some mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond, and, catching sight of some Frogs swimming about in the shallow water, they began to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones, and they killed several of them. At last one of the Frogs put his head out of the water and said, "Oh, stop! stop! I...
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Public-domain original
Some mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond, and,
catching sight of some Frogs swimming about in the shallow water, they
began to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones, and they killed
several of them. At last one of the Frogs put his head out of the
water and said, "Oh, stop! stop! I beg of you: what is sport to you is
death to us."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
Boys throw stones at frogs for fun, but the frogs experience it as danger.
Why this scene matters
This fable teaches that someone else’s game can be another person’s suffering.
Characters in this scene
- Boys: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Frogs: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
Some boys play by throwing stones into a pond. The frogs beg them to stop because the game is hurting them.