Aesop’s Fables, THE OX AND THE FROG

THE OX AND THE FROG LE BŒUF ET LA GRENOUILLE

Two little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them and crushed the life out of him. Deux petites grenouilles jouaient au bord d'une mare lorsqu'un bœuf descendit dans l'eau pour boire et, par accident, marcha sur l'une d'elles et lui arracha la vie. When the old Frog missed him, she asked his brother where he was. Lorsque la vieille grenouille s'aperçut qu'il lui manquait, elle demanda à son frère où il se trouvait. "He is dead, mother," said the little Frog; "an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this morning and trampled him down in the mud." "Il est mort, maman, dit la petite grenouille ; une énorme créature à quatre pattes est venue à notre piscine ce matin et l'a piétiné dans la boue. "Enormous, was he? "Énorme, n'est-ce pas ? Was he as big as this?" Était-il aussi grand que ça ?" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big as possible. dit la grenouille en se gonflant pour paraître la plus grande possible. "Oh! yes, _much_ bigger," was the answer. The Frog puffed herself out still more. "Was he as big as this?" said she. "Oh! yes, yes, mother, _MUCH_ bigger," said the little Frog. And yet again she puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball. "As big as...?" she began—but then she burst. elle a commencé, mais elle a éclaté.