The Frog and the Ox
Encyclopedia
The Frog and the Ox appears among Aesop's Fables
. The story concerns a frog
that tries to inflate itself to the size of an ox
, but bursts in the attempt. In some Classical sources the fable concludes with the moral: 'Not all creatures can become as great as they think.' There are various versions of the story. In some, the frog sees the ox and tries to equal him in size; in others it is only told of an enormous beast by another and keeps swelling, asking at intervals, 'Was it as big as this?' The story has usually been applied to socio-economic relations.
and Horace
are among the Latin satiric writers who made use of the fable of the frog and the ox, although they refer to different versions of it. The story related by Phaedrus has a frog motivated by envy of the ox, illustrating the moral that 'the needy man, while affecting to imitate the powerful, comes to ruin'. It is to this that Martial alludes in a short epigram (X.79) about two citizens trying to outdo each other by building in the suburbs. Horace places a different version of the story towards the end of a long conversation on the demented behaviour of mankind (Satires II.3, lines 314ff) where Damasippus accuses the poet of trying to keep up with his rich patron Maecenas. His telling follows the Babrius
version in which an ox has stepped on a brood of young frogs and the father tries equaling the beast in size when told of it.
The folly of trying to keep up with the Jones' is the conclusion drawn by Jean de la Fontaine
from the Phaedrus version of the tale, applying it to the artistocratic times in which he lived ("The frog that wished to be as big as the ox", Fables I.3):
in the 1860s. Minton's pottery also used the fable on a series of Aesop tiles a little later. In France a biscuit porcelain figure group illustrating the fable was issued by the Haffreingue porcelain factory at Boulogne between 1857-1859. The ox is modeled lying on the ground and looking down at the frog directly in front.
Other uses have been the appearance of the fable on stamps during the centenary of La Fontaine's death in 1995. In France it was on one of a strip of six 2,80 franc stamps, each illustrating a different fable; in Albania the fable appears by itself on the 25 leke stamp and as part of the over-all design of the 60 leke commemorative.
Among the composers who have set the fable are the following:
Aesop's Fables
Aesop's Fables or the Aesopica are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today...
. The story concerns a frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
that tries to inflate itself to the size of an ox
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
, but bursts in the attempt. In some Classical sources the fable concludes with the moral: 'Not all creatures can become as great as they think.' There are various versions of the story. In some, the frog sees the ox and tries to equal him in size; in others it is only told of an enormous beast by another and keeps swelling, asking at intervals, 'Was it as big as this?' The story has usually been applied to socio-economic relations.
Versions of the fable
Both MartialMartial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
and Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
are among the Latin satiric writers who made use of the fable of the frog and the ox, although they refer to different versions of it. The story related by Phaedrus has a frog motivated by envy of the ox, illustrating the moral that 'the needy man, while affecting to imitate the powerful, comes to ruin'. It is to this that Martial alludes in a short epigram (X.79) about two citizens trying to outdo each other by building in the suburbs. Horace places a different version of the story towards the end of a long conversation on the demented behaviour of mankind (Satires II.3, lines 314ff) where Damasippus accuses the poet of trying to keep up with his rich patron Maecenas. His telling follows the Babrius
Babrius
Babrius was the author of a collection of fables written in Greek. He collected many of the fables that are known to us today simply as Aesop's fables .Practically nothing is known of him...
version in which an ox has stepped on a brood of young frogs and the father tries equaling the beast in size when told of it.
The folly of trying to keep up with the Jones' is the conclusion drawn by Jean de la Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional...
from the Phaedrus version of the tale, applying it to the artistocratic times in which he lived ("The frog that wished to be as big as the ox", Fables I.3):
-
-
- This world of ours is full of foolish creatures too -
- Commoners want to build chateaux;
- Each princeling wants his royal retinue;
- Each count his squires. And so it goes.
-
Artistic uses
The fable was a favourite in England and was put to popular use on 18th century china by the Fenton pottery and in the 19th century by the Wedgewood pottery. This was on its Aesop series of coloured plates, signed by Emile LessoreEmile Lessore
Emile Lessore was a French artist who originally worked in oil and water colors, but expanded into ceramic art. His ceramics work received a variety of medals, including his 1862 exhibition in London, 1867 exhibition in Paris, and 1873 exhibit in Vienna...
in the 1860s. Minton's pottery also used the fable on a series of Aesop tiles a little later. In France a biscuit porcelain figure group illustrating the fable was issued by the Haffreingue porcelain factory at Boulogne between 1857-1859. The ox is modeled lying on the ground and looking down at the frog directly in front.
Other uses have been the appearance of the fable on stamps during the centenary of La Fontaine's death in 1995. In France it was on one of a strip of six 2,80 franc stamps, each illustrating a different fable; in Albania the fable appears by itself on the 25 leke stamp and as part of the over-all design of the 60 leke commemorative.
Among the composers who have set the fable are the following:
- Charles Lecocq, the third piece in his Six Fables de Jean de la Fontaine for voice and piano
- Marcelle de Manziarly, the third piece in Trois Fables de La Fontaine (1935) for voice and piano
- Andre Asriel in 6 Fabeln nach Aesop (in German translation) for mixed a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
voices - Paul BonneauPaul BonneauPaul Bonneau was a French composer of classical music.-Career:...
in 10 Fables de La Fontaine for a cappella duet (1957) - Marie-Madeleine Duruflé in 6 Fables de La Fontaine (1960) for a cappella choir
- Edward Hughes, as the third in his ten Songs from Aesop's Fables for children's voices and piano (1965), in a version by Peter Westmore
- Isabelle AboulkerIsabelle AboulkerIsabelle Aboulker is a French composer, particularly known for her operas and other vocal works. In 1999 she gained a prize from the Académie des Beaux-Arts and in 2000 the music prize of the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques for her numerous lyric pieces.-Life and work:Isabelle...
among the seven in her children's operetta La Fontaine et le Corbeau (1977) - Xavier Benguerel i Goto, the sixth piece in his 7 Fabulas de la Fontaine for orchestra and narration (in Catalan or Spanish translation)
External links
- 15th-20th century book illustrations online