Aesop's Fables: Sir Roger L'Estrange (1692)
35. A FROG AND AN OXE (Perry 376)
As a huge over-grown Oxe was grazing in a Meadow, an old envious Frog
that stood gaping at him hard by, call’d out to her little ones, to take
Notice of the Bulk of that monstrous Beast; and see, says she, if I don’t
make myself now the bigger of the two. So she strain’d once, and twice,
and went still swelling on and on, till in the Conclusion she forc’d herself,
and burst.
THE MORAL. Betwixt Pride, Envy, and Ambition, Men fansy themselves
to be bigger than they are, and other People to be less: And this Tumour
swells itself at last till it makes all fly.
 L'Estrange originally published his version of the fables in 1692. There is a
very nice illustrated edition in the Children's Classics series by Knopf: Sir
Roger L'Estrange. Aesop
- Fables which is available at amazon.com.
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