Cover of The Frog and the Ox

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.

🧠 Check your understanding

  1. What happened to one of the little frogs at the start of the story?

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    Answer: He was crushed by an Ox

    An Ox came down to drink at the pool and accidentally trod on him.

  2. How does the mother Frog try to imagine the size of the Ox?

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    Answer: She puffs herself up bigger and bigger

    She keeps puffing herself out, asking her son each time if the Ox was 'as big as this.'

  3. How does the little Frog respond each time his mother asks if the Ox was as big as her?

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    Answer: He says the Ox was much bigger

    Each time, he tells her the Ox was 'much bigger,' so she keeps puffing herself up further.

  4. What finally happens to the mother Frog?

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    Answer: She bursts from puffing herself up too much

    She keeps inflating herself to match the Ox's size until she bursts.

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