Boys playing by a pond began to throw rocks at Frogs, killing several. Frogs cried out they should stop as sport to the Boys was death to the Frogs.
Play for one may be death to another.
Boys playing by a pond noticed Frogs in the water and began to throw rocks at them. They killed several, whereupon one of the Frogs cried out: “Please stop. What is sport to you is death to us!”
Aesop For Children
Some Boys were playing one day at the edge of a pond in which lived a family of Frogs. The Boys amused themselves by throwing stones into the pond so as to make them skip on top of the water.
The stones were flying thick and fast and the Boys were enjoying themselves very much; but the poor Frogs in the pond were trembling with fear.
At last one of the Frogs, the oldest and bravest, put his head out of the water, and said, “Oh, please, dear children, stop your cruel play! Though it may be fun for you, it means death to us!”
Moral
Always stop to think whether your fun may not be the cause of another’s unhappiness.
Townsend version
Some boys, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones. They killed several of them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out: “Pray stop, my boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.”
Jefferys Taylor
SOME boys, beside a pond or lake,
Were playing once at duck and drake;
When, doubtless to their heart’s content,
Volleys of stones were quickly sent.
But there were some (there will be such)
Who did not seem amused so much;
These were the frogs, to whom the game,
In point of sport, was not the same.
For scarce a stone arrived, ’tis said,
But gave some frog a broken head
And scores, in less than half an hour,
Perish’d beneath the dreadful shower.
At last, said one, “Young folks, I say,
Do fling your stones another way;
Though sport to you to throw them thus,
Remember, pray, ’tis death to us!”
From hence this moral may be learn’d;—
Let play be play to all concerned.
Thomas Bewick (The Boys and The Frogs)
A company of idle Boys used to assemble on the margin of a lake, inhabited by a great number of Frogs, and divert themselves by throwing vollies of stones into the water, to the great annoyance and danger of the poor terrified Frogs, who were thus pelted to death as soon as any of them put up their heads. At length, one of the boldest of the Frogs ventured, in behalf of the whole community, to croak out their complaints. Ah, my Boys, said he, why will you learn so soon the cruel practices of your race? Consider, I beseech you, that though this may be sport to you, it is death to us!
APPLICATION.
This Fable shews the propensity of unguided youth to do evil, and points out the need of inculcating benignity of conduct upon their minds, and giving them a direction towards a manly and generous humanity, which in manhood will shew itself in actions and habits that cannot fail to do honour to themselves, and qualify them for any office in the service of their country. The contrary of all this will be found to predominate in society, when youth are suffered to go on with impunity, in indulging their wicked inclinations for cruelty, by which their minds are hardened and debased. This hard-heartedness in boys will grow into brutality and tyranny in man; and that cruelty which was at first inflicted upon poor dumb animals, will soon shew itself upon their fellows. The great man of this cast will tyrannize over those below him: these again will shew the same hateful disposition to their dependants, and so downwards to the lowest, who, guided only by ignorance, will give vent to their natural baseness, by goading and distressing the poor animals which are wretchedly toiling in their service.
