青蛙和他們的國王

Once upon a time the frogs decided to ask Jupiter， the king of the gods， for a king of their own. Jupiter was amused.

“Here you are，” he said， throwing a log of wood with a splash into the lake where they lived. “Here is a king for you.”

The frogs dived under the water in fright， burrowing as deep into the mud as they could. After a time one of the braver ones swam cautiously to the surface to take a look at the new king.

“He looks very quiet，” said the frog. “Perhaps he is asleep.”

The log stayed quite still on the smooth lake and one by one more frogs came up to take a look.

They swam closer and closer until at last they leaped right on top of it， quite forgetting that they had been frightened.

Young frogs began to use it as a diving board; old frogs sat sunning themselves on it; mother frogs taught their tadpoles first wobbly jumps on its bark.

One day an old frog said， “This is a dull king of a king， you know. I thought we wanted someone to keep us in order. This one just lies around and lets us do what we please.”

So the frogs went once more to Jupiter.

“Cant you give us a better king？” they asked. “Someone who will be a bit more active than the one you sent before？”

Jupiter was not in a good mood.

“Silly little animals，” he thought. “I shall give them just what they deserve this time.”

He sent a long-legged stork to the lake.

The frogs were very impressed and crowded admiringly round.

But before they could even begin the speeches of welcome they had prepared， the stork stuck his long beak into the water and began to gobble up as many frogs as he could see.

“Thats not what we meant at all，” gasped the frogs as they dived once more into the mud. But this time Jupiter would not listen.

“I only gave you what you asked for，” he said. “Perhaps it will teach you not to complain about things so much.”

從前，青蛙們向眾神之王丘比特請求，給他們分派一個國王。丘比特覺得很可笑。

“給你們，”他說著向青蛙們生活的湖里撲通一聲拋下一根圓木，“這就是你們的國王。”

青蛙們驚恐地潛到水里，盡量往泥土深處鉆。過了一會兒，一只勇敢的青蛙小心翼翼地游到水面，來看他們的新國王。

“他看起來很安靜。”這只青蛙說，“可能是睡著了吧。”

圓木靜靜地浮在平靜的湖面上。青蛙們紛紛來看他們的新國王。

他們越游越近，最后竟跳到圓木上，完全忘記了他們最初的驚恐。

小青蛙們用國王作跳板;老青蛙坐在上面曬太陽;青蛙媽媽在樹皮上教小蝌蚪們最基本的搖擺式跳躍的動作。

一天，一只老青蛙說：“這個國王太遲鈍了，我想，我們需要的是一位使我們守秩序的國王。這位國王只是躺在那兒，任由我們隨意活動。”

于是，青蛙們又去找丘比特。

“您不能給我們派一位更好的國王嗎？”他們問，“派一位比之前更活躍的國王。”

丘比特心情一下就不好了。

“愚蠢的小動物，”他心想，“這回我要把他們應得的給他們。”

他派了一只長腳鶴到湖里去。

青蛙很欽佩鶴，他們羨慕地圍攏過來。

可是，還沒等他們致準備好了的歡迎詞，鶴就把他的長嘴伸進水了，開始大口吞食他能看見的青蛙。

“這根本不是我們的本意。”青蛙們喘著氣，又鉆進了泥土里。可是，這一次，丘比特不再理會他們了。

“我只是給了你們所要求的。”他說，“也許這會給你們一個教訓：不要抱怨太多。”

Vocabulary

cautiously adv. 慎重地，謹慎地

wobbly adj. 不穩定的;擺動的;歪斜的

gobble v. 貪食;咯咯叫

gasp v. 喘氣;喘息