Constructed from real photos; no AI.
The end of the year is always a time that we look back on what we did and on what happened around us, and we think about what was good and what was not so good and what was bad during the past year. It is also what I want to do in this blog. However, in evaluating this year, and actually the last few years, I don’t want to use my own words, but I have chosen a fable by La Fontaine. I present it without comment. I am sure that you, my dear readers, will understand what I want to say.
I wish you a Happy New Year!
The frogs who asked for a king
The frogs grew tired, by democrats
beguiled,
And made the air with clamours ring,
Begging of Jove to grant a king.
He dropt one down, quite meek and mild ;
Yet fell his majesty with such a splash,
That threatened their destruction with the crash.
The marshy folk, a timid race,
Hid from their monarch’s awful face.
Down midst the bulrushes and reeds,
Each to his hole for safety speeds ;
Nor dared for days to look
At him they all for some dread giant took.
The monarch really was a log.
It looked so grave, it frightened the first
frog,
Who had but just enough of soul
To venture from his lurking-hole ;
With trembling and with fear
He cautiously drew near ;
Another followed, and another yet,
Till quite a crowd at last was met ;
They grew familiar and much bolder,
And jumped up on the royal shoulder.
The peaceful king said nothing, and lay
still.
Their measure of content he could not fill,
For Jove they now attacked again,
And almost split the monarch's brain :
“ Give us a stirring king ! ” they cried.
The king of gods in anger soon replied,
And sent them down a crane,
Who cracked their bones, and slew them at his pleasure,
And gulped them down regardless of all measure.
The frogs complained again, but Jove replied,
“ What ! must our will by your caprice be tied ?
You should have kept your former government ;
You would not do so, you were not content
With the kind-hearted, gentle king I sent.”
Be happy with your present curse,
For fear I send you yet a worse.
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