The Frogs Who Desired a King

In a peaceful pond surrounded by lily pads and cattails, there lived a large community of frogs. For many years, they had governed themselves quite successfully, with each frog free to live as they pleased. They had no ruler, no laws to constrain them, and no one to tell them what to do.

The frogs spent their days swimming in the cool water, catching flies, and sunning themselves on the warm rocks. In the evenings, they would gather to sing their croaking chorus under the stars. It was a simple, harmonious life, and for a long time, they were content.

But as often happens when life becomes too comfortable, some of the frogs began to grow restless and dissatisfied. They started to complain that their community lacked direction and purpose.

“We have no leader!” croaked one frog loudly during their evening gathering. “How can we call ourselves a proper community without someone to guide us?”

“Yes!” agreed another. “Look at the humans in the nearby village—they have a mayor. The bees have a queen. Even the ants have leaders! We’re the only creatures who live without a king to rule over us.”

Soon, more and more frogs began to voice similar complaints. “We need someone to make important decisions for us,” they said. “We need someone to give us laws and tell us what to do. We need a king!”

The discontent spread throughout the pond until nearly all the frogs were convinced that they desperately needed a ruler. They began to feel embarrassed by their simple, leaderless existence.

Finally, the frogs decided to petition Jupiter, the king of the gods, to send them a ruler.

“Oh great Jupiter!” they called out in unison, their voices echoing across the water. “We, the frogs of this pond, humbly request that you send us a king! We are tired of living without proper leadership. Please give us a ruler who will govern us and tell us how to live!”

Jupiter, looking down from Mount Olympus, was amused by the frogs’ request. He knew that they had been living peacefully and happily without any need for a ruler, but he decided to grant their wish in his own way.

With a great rumbling of thunder, Jupiter hurled a large log down from the heavens. It crashed into the pond with an enormous splash, sending waves across the water and frightening all the frogs.

The frogs were terrified by the sudden, dramatic arrival of what they assumed must be their new king. They all dove underwater and hid among the weeds and rocks at the bottom of the pond, trembling with fear.

For hours, none of the frogs dared to surface. They whispered to each other in the depths: “Our king has arrived! Did you see how powerfully he entered our pond? He must be truly mighty!”

Finally, one brave young frog cautiously swam up to the surface to get a glimpse of their new ruler. He peered out from behind a lily pad and saw the log floating motionlessly on the water.

“Strange,” thought the frog. “The king isn’t moving.”

Gathering more courage, the young frog swam a little closer. The log remained perfectly still, gently bobbing in the water but showing no signs of life or authority.

Soon, other frogs joined the first, and they all swam closer to examine their new king. When they realized that their ruler was nothing more than a piece of wood, they were initially disappointed, but then they began to see the advantages.

“Well,” said one practical frog, “at least he’s a quiet ruler. He doesn’t make any demands or give us any troublesome commands.”

“Yes,” agreed another, “and he never interferes with our daily activities. We can do whatever we want, just like before.”

Before long, the frogs had grown so comfortable with their silent, undemanding king that they began to treat the log with complete disrespect. Young frogs would use it as a diving platform. Others would sit on it to warm themselves in the sun. Some even used it as a place to rest while they gossiped about their neighbors.

The log-king tolerated all of this treatment without complaint, never asserting any authority or demanding any respect.

After several months of this arrangement, the frogs began to feel dissatisfied once again. They had grown bored with their passive ruler and started to complain among themselves.

“This king is useless!” declared one frog loudly. “He doesn’t do anything! He just floats there like a… well, like a log!”

“We need a real king!” croaked another. “Someone who will actually rule us and show us proper leadership!”

“Yes!” the frogs agreed. “We want a king with power, one who will make important decisions and command our respect!”

So once again, the frogs petitioned Jupiter.

“Oh mighty Jupiter!” they called out. “The king you sent us is too quiet and weak! He does nothing but float on our pond! Please send us a real king, one with power and authority who will truly rule over us!”

Jupiter, who had been watching the frogs’ behavior with growing annoyance, decided to grant their second request as well. But this time, he was not in such a generous mood.

With another great rumble of thunder, Jupiter sent down a large, hungry stork to be their new king.

The stork was indeed everything the frogs had asked for. He was active, decisive, and powerful. He immediately took charge of the pond, wading through the water with authority and purpose.

But the frogs quickly discovered that an active, powerful ruler was not at all what they had really wanted.

The stork-king was constantly hungry, and he saw the frogs not as subjects to govern, but as meals to devour. Every day, he would march through the pond, snapping up frogs with his long, sharp beak. He made swift, decisive decisions—but those decisions were usually about which frog to eat next.

The frogs were horrified by their new ruler. They lived in constant terror, never knowing when the stork might decide that they would make a tasty meal. Their peaceful, happy life was completely destroyed.

In desperation, they tried one more time to petition Jupiter.

“Please, great Jupiter!” they cried. “Save us from this terrible king! We didn’t want a ruler who would eat us! Please take him away and give us back our old king, or better yet, let us live without any king at all!”

But Jupiter had grown tired of the frogs’ constant complaints and requests.

“You frogs are never satisfied,” his voice boomed down from the heavens. “First you demanded a king when you were perfectly happy without one. Then you complained that your first king was too passive. Now you want me to take away the powerful king you specifically requested. You must learn to live with the consequences of your choices. The stork will remain your king, and you will learn to appreciate what you had before you threw it away.”

And so the frogs were forced to live under the rule of the hungry stork, constantly regretting their foolish desire for change and wishing they had been content with their original freedom.

Moral: Be careful what you wish for—you just might get it. Sometimes what we have is better than what we think we want. Those who are not satisfied with their current situation should think carefully before seeking change, as the new situation might be far worse than the old one.