St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-11-29
For Young Readers.
THE FROGS AND THEIR KING.

EUI lOullS 1lClUClSs
THE FROGS AND THEIR KING.
vERsIrIED FROM Esor's FABLES.
Once long, all. long ago
How long do no. know
A nation of frogs there was-a favored race
Who lived away from boys,
From thoroughfares and noise,
Behind wood, in a most lovely place.
sheltered, marshy pool
Itwas. and the water cool
Filled il. like wide saucer. to the brim;
While willows on the bank
Bent gracefully and drank,
And rusheS grew all round, a broai green
rim.
What could they do but thrive?
There was room TO hop and dive.
And room TO swim al lay, If SO they chose;
Plenty of messy hogs
Where the old rheumatic frogs
Could sit ana sun themselves ana croak and
doze-
The little frog,ets had
Each his own lily pad
To sit on. and though slippery he could cling:
And at night the firr-ti:cS
Held lanterns to their eyes
So they could read the notes they wished to
sing.
But no; they weren't content;
They had presentiment
One very certain thing,
They haunt any King,
And they thought the way to get one was to
pray.
And so one warm spring night,
Beginning at twilight,
They all of one accord began TO chr-rr;
They made the air resound,
And all the people round
Laughed saying: Hear them pray to Jupi-
ter"
On high Olympus peak
JoSe heard them cioaA and creak,
And, being in merry mood, he gaiiy cried:
The race of SImpetonS!
Even il listened once
They d be no better pleased or satisfied"
But from his mighty throne
He tossed q huge loy down.
And thundered: Here, send you this for
King"
All. how it plunged and FLASHED!
And how the water dashed.
And old and young. the frogs tiei shuddering.
Sprawling and awed they fed.
Pell neil. heels over head,
Cnder the roots and weeds, i'll every place
Where frog could hide they hid;
The safest things they did,
But with higher regard for speed than
grace.
The huge log helpless lay.
Fioated Il little W y.
And then lay still upon the pools still breast;
No regal order gave
To Wee or frog or wave.
But silent was, anu silent took its rest.
At length, as hour by hour
Passed. and no evil power
Was by this Monarch TO his people shown,
They peepei from the r hiding places
With blg-eyed. curious faces.
And crawled out one by one, more trustful
grown
Crawled out from rush and reed;
And Il most daring deed
Was done 10y one, than all his neighbors
bolder:
With stroke of pompouS pride
And leaped with agile legs upon his shoulder.
Then such vauting. skipping,
As they began there. dripping
And swarming up they came. till the great
He'd one continuous row
OF niNies-such show.
On every inch of bark there sat frog!
They capered and they danced:
Turned summerSets and pranced;
Stood on their heads, and flung their heels in
air:
Polka and waltz and jig
They Joined in. little and big,
" it'll ali their hearts as if no King were there.
At last, dissatisfied
With so much play, they cried:
What is King for if he can not rule?
Give us, OH, Father love,
A Sovereign who will pr We
Worthy our honor. tit for this fair pool"
Enraged was love at this;
He murmured: so il is,
Never content. always for something new!
The same unhappy song
Some fault in all-Some wrong!
Ill send Stork to them that's what L IL do. y
Forthwith from a far height
bird came into sight,
White, borne upon its great wings easily,
Like rainleSS summer cloud:
And they beheld and bowed,
And bent before him each plant knee.
His long neck, long red bill,
And his legs longer still,
shod with red sandals, touched their frogly
As beautiful beyond
Ali else within the pond.
A hero they with awe might reverence.
"Long live the King.' he heard
On oil sides triled and chirrei.
And what did he? He cast sidelong eye
Down at the nearest b =.
Where little fat green frog
Was Quayering praises to him, shrili and high.
All, what did he but pick
1t up in his bill so quick
That the little frecked fellow never knew:
Then. with turn of his head
That bill SO long and red
Gobbled at one fell mouthiul number two.
Not only two. but three
Were swallowed instantly
His appetite was good, without lack;
Twas sad road tn take
Down that long path of neck,
For none who entered there ever came back.
And so. from day to day
This ruler ate his way
Right through their ranks. big, middle-sized
and small:
Hop as they would. fee spring,
THIS greedy. graceful King
Could far out-walk. Out-reach, out-eat them
It must be manifest
That such a relish and zest
As this he showed for frogs was fearful
thing;
So they in fright imp'ored
The log might be restored,
Or even they ID gladly do without a King.
"Ah, friends!" qrcaned one old chief,
"How have we come to grief!
One simple humble truth we should have
known:
'Tis best to leave the state