The Frog and the Ox

2.20. De rana et bove
Caxton: Of the Oxe / and of the frogge / whiche wold haue compared her to hym
The poure ought not to compare hym self to hym which is ryche and myghty / As sayth this fable of a frogge / whiche was in a medowe / where she aspyed and sawe an oxe whiche pastured / She wold make her self as grete and as myghty as the oxe / and by her grete pryde she beganne to swelle ageynste the oxe / And demaunded of his children yf she was not as grete as the oxe and as myghty / And theyr children ansuerd and sayd nay moder / For to loke and behold on the oxe / it semeth of yow to be nothynge / And thenne the frogge beganne more to swelle / And when the oxe saw her pryde / the tradde and thrested / her with his fote / and brake her bely /
Therfore hit is not good to the poure to compare hym self to the ryche / wherfore men sayn comynly / Swelle not thy self / to thende that thow breste not
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The Frog and the Ox

THE FROG AND THE OX. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Frog and the Ox

034. THE FROG AND THE OX An Ox, grazing in a swampy meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young Frogs, and crushed nearly the whole brood to death. One that escaped ran off to his mother with the dreadful news; “And, O mother! ” said he, “ it was a beast—such a big four-footed beast!—that did it.”
“Big?” quoth the old Frog; “how big? Was it as big” — and she puffed herself out to a great degree — “as big as this?”
“Oh!” said the little one; “a great deal bigger than that.”
“Well, was it so big?” and she swelled herself out yet more.
“Indeed, mother, but it was; and if you were to burst yourself, you would never reach half its size.”
Provoked at such a disparagement of her powers, the old Frog made one more trial, and burst herself indeed. [more info]

The Frog and the Ox

02. THE FROG AND THE OX. As a splendid Ox - who, by right of the great family he belonged to, was permitted to disport himself as he pleased in the fashionable parks of London - was taking his afternoon stroll, an envious, tawdry-coated little Frog, that stood gaping at him hard-by, called out to certain of his fellows (who had hopped thither in his company all the way from the Fleet Ditch in the City), to take particular notice of the enormous size of the first-mentioned animal.
"And see," he said, "if I don't make the biggest swell of the two."
So he puffed himself up, once, twice, and again, and went still swelling on in important emulation, till in the end - spite of the cautions of his brother frogs - he burst himself.
Moral. The humble citizen who strives, by mere inflation, to make as great an outward appearance as his substantial neighbour, must inevitably go to pieces. [more info]

Perry 376: The Frog who Envied the Ox

I've created an animated gif with the illustrations I've found so far for the fable of The Frog who Envied the Ox. Use this link to find out more about these illustrations and the English versions of the fables that go with them:

The Proud Frog

011. THE PROUD FROG. An ox, grazing in a meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young frogs, and trod one of them to death. The rest informed their mother, when she came home, what had happened, telling her that the beast which did it was the hugest creature that they ever saw in their lives.
“What! Was it so big?” says the old frog, swelling and blowing up her speckled belly to a great degree.
“Oh! Bigger by a vast deal,” said they.
“And so big?” says she, straining herself yet more.
“Indeed, mamma,” said they, “if you were to burst yourself, you would never be so big.” She strove yet again, and burst herself indeed. [more info]

The Frog and the Ox

1.24. THE FROG AND THE OX. The needy man, while affecting to imitate the powerful, comes to ruin.
Once on a time, a Frog espied an Ox in a meadow, and moved with envy at his vast bulk, puffed out her wrinkled skin, and then asked her young ones whether she was bigger than the Ox. They said “No.” Again, with still greater efforts, she distended her skin, and in like manner enquired which was the bigger: they said: “The Ox.” At last, while, full of indignation, she tried, with all her might, to puff herself out, she burst her body on the spot. [more info]

The Proud Frog

1.23. THE PROUD FROG.
When poor men to expenses run,
And ape their betters, they’re undone.
An Ox the Frog a-grazing view’d,
And envying his magnitude,
She puffs her wrinkled skin, and tries
To vie with his enormous size:
Then asks her young to own at least
That she was bigger than the beast.
They answer, No. With might and main
She swells and strains, and swells again.
“Now for it, who has got the day?”
The Ox is larger still, they say.
At length, with more and more ado,
She raged and puffed, and burst in two. [more info]

The Proud Frog

2.62. THE PROUD FROG. An Ox, grazing in a meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young frogs, and trod one of them to death. The rest informed their mother, when she came home, what had happened; telling her, that the beast which did it was the hugest creature that ever they saw in their lives.
"What, was it so big?" says the old Frog, swelling and bowing up her speckled belly to a great degree.
"Oh, bigger by a vast deal," say they.
"And so big?" says she, straining herself yet more.
"Indeed, Mamma," say they, "if you were to burst yourself, you would never be so big."
She strove yet again, and burst herself indeed.
MORAL. The silly ambition of vying with our superiors, in station and fortune is the direct road to ruin. [more info]

The Ox and the Frog

026. THE OX AND THE FROG. An ox, grazing in a meadow, chanced to set his foot among a parcel of young frogs, and trod one of them to death. The rest informed their mother, when she came home, what had happened, telling her that the beast which did it was the hugest creature that they ever saw in their lives.
“What! Was it so big?” says the old frog, swelling and blowing up her speckled belly to a great degree.
“Oh! Bigger by a vast deal,” said they.
“And so big?” says she, straining herself yet more.
“Indeed, mamma,” said they, “if you were to burst yourself, you would never be so big.” She strove yet again, and burst herself indeed. [more info]

The Ox and the Frog

070. THE OX AND THE FROG. AN OX drinking at a pool trod on a brood of young frogs and crushed one of them to death. The Mother coming up, and missing one of her sons, inquired of his brothers what had become of him. “He is dead, dear Mother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to the pool and crushed him to death with his cloven heel.” The Frog, puffing herself out, inquired, “if the beast was as big as that in size.” “Cease, Mother, to puff yourself out,” said her son, “and do not be angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully imitate the hugeness of that monster.” [more info]

The Frog that Wished to be as Big as the Ox

01.03: THE FROG THAT WISHED TO BE AS BIG AS THE OX.
The tenant of a bog,
An envious little frog,
Not bigger than an egg,
A stately bullock spies,
And, smitten with his size,
Attempts to be as big.
With earnestness and pains,
She stretches, swells, and strains,
And says, 'Sis Frog, look here! see me!
Is this enough?' 'No, no.'
'Well, then, is this?' 'Poh! poh!
Enough! you don't begin to be.'
And thus the reptile sits,
Enlarging till she splits.
The world is full of folks
Of just such wisdom;—
The lordly dome provokes
The cit to build his dome;
And, really, there is no telling
How much great men set little ones a swelling.

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The Ox and the Frogs

07. THE OX AND THE FROGS.
A colony of croaking Frogs,
Who lived within a shaking bog;
Were much annoyed by cattle's feet,
Which stamped about their snug retreat;
And sometimes killed, a frog or two, -
They didn't like it, nor would you.
And so, one day with solemn state,
They held a croaking, high debate;
And after many pros, and cons,
A way, at last, they fixed upon.
Up spoke a grave, and ancient Frog,
Who sate upon a mouldy log -
"If this affair, you'll trust to me,
A better state of things you'll see;-
I know the mighty Ox who owns,
The pond which joins our marshy homes;
With your consent, to him I'll go,
And your proceedings let him know."
So said - so done, - and swelling high,
With danger in his goggle eye;
With breeches red, and coat of green;
(For he had in the army been)
And visage stern, and bearing high,
And clanging sabre on his thigh;
He knocked at Farmer Ox's door,
And soon his highness stood before.
The Ox sat in his easy chair,
His pot and pipe, beside him there;
An aged mastiff, by his side,
With specs, upon his nose astride.
Then said the Ox, with accents slow;
"Dear Master Frog, I fain would know, -
To what I owe, this honor rare;
And why, you strut, so proudly there?"
Then with a swell, which at its worst,
Seemed like, his leather belt to burst;
The Frog made answer, "Sir, I'm here,
For what, will very soon appear;
Your cattle, sir - I grieve to say,
A vicious lot - come every day,
And in the pond, they splash and swim,
Without regard for life or limb.
Now, Farmer Ox, I say to you,
This state of things, will never do;
So near our marsh, they must not roam,
And you must keep your cows at home.
If not - some other mode we'll find
To fix this matter to our mind!"
This said - The Frog with visage wise,
Swelled out to an enormous size;
Then clanked his sword, as if to say,
"I know for one - a speedy way."
Then Farmer Ox, with humor grim,
And burning eye, replied to him;
"Great Sir, your eloquence so fine,
I would not dare to match with mine;
Your modest message shall not wait,
This honest dog shall answer straight."
Then, at a wink - the growling dog,
Flew fiercely at the luckless Frog;
And seizing him, with savage roar,
All lifeless, dashed him to the floor!
Then, to the marsh they quickly speed,
And slaughter all the croaking breed!
Who learned the bitter truth at length,
That weakness must not threaten strength;
And civil words will often gain
A point, that rudeness seeks in vain. [more info]

The Ox and the Frog

11. THE OX AND THE FROG.
An Ox, not heeding, as he chewed
His midday cud, stepped on a brood
Of little Frogs, and all were crushed
Save one, who, panic-stricken, rushed
To tell his mother how there came
A great huge beast with eyes like flame
And cloven feet, and crushed to death
Her children. As he paused for breath,
"Was it as big as this?" said she,
Puffing herself out monstrously;
"Or this? Or this?" "Oh, mother, spare
Yourself! You might as well compare
A Puffball to the Pyramid,"
Cried he. "If you don't have a care
You'll burst!' And sure enough she did. [more info]

The Frog and the Ox

22. THE FROG AND THE OX. "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."
"Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see." So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.
"Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.
Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that.
"Bigger, father, bigger," was the reply.
So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled and swelled. And then he said: "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as...." But at this moment he burst.
Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction. [more info]

The Frog and the Ox

02. THE FROG AND THE OX. As a splendid Ox - who, by right of the great family he belonged to, was permitted to disport himself as he pleased in the fashionable parks of London - was taking his afternoon stroll, an envious, tawdry-coated little Frog, that stood gaping at him hard-by, called out to certain of his fellows (who had hopped thither in his company all the way from the Fleet Ditch in the City), to take particular notice of the enormous size of the first-mentioned animal.
"And see," he said, "if I don't make the biggest swell of the two."
So he puffed himself up, once, twice, and again, and went still swelling on in important emulation, till in the end - spite of the cautions of his brother frogs - he burst himself.
Moral. The humble citizen who strives, by mere inflation, to make as great an outward appearance as his substantial neighbour, must inevitably go to pieces. [more info]

The Ox and Toad

026. THE OXE AND TOAD. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll down to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Ox and the Frog

100. THE OX AND THE FROG. 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. When the old Frog missed him, she asked his brother where he was. "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." "Enormous, was he? Was he as big as this?" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big as 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. [more info]

The Ox and the Frog

19. THE OX AND THE FROG. AN OX as he was drinking at the water's edge crushed a young Frog underfoot. When the mother Frog came to the spot, for she happened to be away at the time, she asked his brothers where he was. "He is dead, mother," they said; ,a few minutes ago a great big four-legged thing came up and crushed him dead with his hoof." Thereupon the Frog began to puff herself out and ask whether the animal was as big as that. "Stop, mother; don't put yourself about," they said; "you will burst in two long before you can make yourself the same size as that beast." [more info]

The Frog and the Bull

14. THE FROG AND THE BULL.
Said the Frog, quite puffed up to the eyes,
Was this Bull about me as to size?"
"Rather bigger, frog-brother."
"Puff, puff," said the other,
"A Frog is a Bull if he tries."
BRAG IS NOT ALWAYS BELIEF
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