.png)
Once upon a time, there was a wholly underwhelming, unimpressive frog hanging with his frog friends at the pond, when a giant, majestic Ox came near to have a drink. With envy in the frog’s eye, he stared at the giant beast and proclaimed to his frog friends around him, “Look at this guy! His size and stature are impressive. I bet I could be just like him if I really put my mind to it.”
He then proceeded to puff himself up, and swelled to nearly double in size. “Am I now as big as the ox here?” he asked the frogs around him. They replied he still had a long way to go if he wanted to be as big as the Ox. The frog puffed himself up even more and asked again “How about now?” His friends replied “NO! Now please stop trying so hard or you’ll hurt yourself.”
But the little frog was so intent on emulating the ox that he kept up puffing and puffing.. and puffing… and Pffffffff'POP!
Cliché Moral: Don’t try to be something you’re not, lest you destroy yourself trying.
Modern-Day Frog & The Ox #1:
Once upon a time, in the halls of a modern high school, there was a Frog. The Frog was academically gifted, but he was raised in a middle-class, churchgoing family. He always found himself on the outskirts of the social scene; certainly not part of the cool crowd. He wasn't an outcast by any standards, but he was more or less invisible to the people of whom he most wanted acceptance.
At the same school, and in some of the same after-school activities as Frog there was a charismatic and athletic Ox. Ox was effortlessly cool, and came from a wealthy and influential family. Everyone admired the Ox. Frog couldn't help but envy his popularity.
Having felt invisible for years, Frog got the desperate idea in his mind that for his senior year he would set aside his own passions, go against the very values of which he was raised, and recreate his identity to emulate the Ox. He pushed himself at every opportunity to try and impress the Ox and his group of friends.
Frog started changing everything about himself – his clothes, his interests, even the way he spoke. He adopted a nonchalant attitude and tried to be part of every party and social event. Slowly but surely, Frog started gaining attention. The other animals began to notice the transformation, and for a brief moment, he felt the thrill of popularity.
Frog's newfound persona led him down a dangerous path. In his attempt to fit in to places he shouldn't, he started making reckless choices. He got involved in activities that would make his parents croak. At one party, Frog found himself on the wrong side of a bad situation and ended up arrested. The consequences were incredibly severe; losing his academic scholarship, and publicly humiliated in the newspapers and TV news. Little did he know this was just the beginning of the damage done.
As news of Frog's downfall spread, the very animals he tried so hard to impress distanced themselves. The friends he thought he had made during his time as the "cool guy" disappeared, and his friends prior to his transformation no longer wanted to be around him either. Frog struggled with his true identity and was chased by consequences of his choices he made in his quest for acceptance for years to come.
Frog found it difficult to fit in anywhere, and the consequences of his actions left lasting scars to his reputation. The trauma of his public humiliation dealt such a blow to his self-worth that he found it quite challenging for him to form meaningful connections for years to come. Further, the black mark on his record barred him from getting a foot in the door at several meaningful career opportunities for many years after the fact.
The Modern Moral of the Story: "The Frog and the Ox" serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of staying true to oneself. Frog's attempt to be someone he wasn't led to a series of unfortunate events, emphasizing the significance of authenticity and the dangers of succumbing to societal pressures.
Modern Day Frog & Ox #2:
In small company, a new associate, Frog, was hired, but was not given much responsibility. Amongst his peers and even among management, he often overstated his experiences, relating them only to theory he learned in school.
The company had a seasoned veteran, the Ox, who was renowned for her great strengths, which she frequently employed to effortlessly deliver on countless projects. Ox was held in very high regard amongst all the top leadership at the company.
Frog was jealous the of the accolades, salary, and attention the Ox always seemed to get. Frog, you see, had been a top performer at school and felt these work situations would be no different. How hard could it be to do what the Ox did, after all? She wasn't much older than he, and she couldn't even swim very well.
So not long into his tenure, he started volunteering to take on things beyond his capabilities. One particular high stakes client landed in front of Frog. Instead of swallowing his pride and admitting this was better suited to the Ox, he acted selfishly and tried to copy the materials and methods the Ox had spent years creating for herself. Without having the necessary physical stature to make it all work, he was flattened by the pressure and had no way to fix the mess he had made. The company relationship to the client was in serious jeopardy, and there would be substantial financial implications and rework behind this failure.
The company, recognizing the consequences of his actions, had no choice but to let the Frog go. The tale serves as a cautionary reminder about the pitfalls of overestimating one's abilities and the importance of humility, authenticity, and self-development in the professional world.
Afterthoughts...
I couldn't really pick a version I liked better, so as a bonus. You get both. Although these are works of fiction, I've drawn inspiration from my own early blunders in life, acting as a frog, you see.
If only the frog had realized sooner that his skills are different than the Ox; not worse. not better.
Which modern version did you prefer?
The school aged frog
The entry level frog
Tell me some of your frog stories in the comments below!
Comentários