Throwback: King of the Frogs
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Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is a throwback episode. Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around.

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with Squarespace Payments. Onboarding is fast and simple. Get started in just a few clicks and start receiving payments right away. It's even easy to invoice clients and create proposals, estimates, and contracts. Simplify your workflow and manage your business on one platform. Also, Squarespace has integrated SEO tools. Every Squarespace website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions, an auto-generated site map, and more.

so you show up more often to more people in global search engine results. Head to squarespace.com for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, squarespace.com slash dragon to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com slash dragon for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Thanks! Enjoy the episode! King of the Frogs

Once upon a time, there was a pond full of frogs. They laid on every log and sat on every stone. There were jumpy frogs and lumpy frogs, muddy frogs and cruddy frogs. There were little itty-bitty frogs, and there were frogs so big they had legs like drumsticks. There were frogs of every size, shape, and color, and plenty of flies to go around.

The frogs spent their days in easy pleasure around the pond. They would eat all those flies with their leaping tongues. They would lay themselves on the flat rocks and bask in the sun. They would swim in happy laps in the water until they were so tired that they stretched out under an old stump to sleep.

Still, some of them weren't content. They'd seen the birds in the sky flying in a V, all behind a leader. They'd seen the wolves in their packs, all following an alpha. They'd even spied on regal cats, all bowing to one more regal than the rest.

My king, that's what we need, bellowed an old bullfrog one lazy afternoon. To be honest, all afternoons around the pond were lazy, but this one was especially so. Our king would get this lousy lot into shape. Rabbit!

The bullfrog croaked to emphasize his sentence, and some of the other frogs muttered their agreement. They were a grumpy group, most content when complaining, and they resented the other frogs for loudly having fun all day. "'What, are you crazy?' asked a warty woman. "'We do whatever we want all day. What in the world would you want a king for? And you know it could also be a queen, just for the record.'"

Look at the birds, always flying in the same direction. Look at the wolves, always hunting as a pack. Look even at the cats, sharing their prey with their leader. And...

And look at this lot! The bullfrog waved at the pond. Frogs were splashing each other and laughing. They were playing tag on the rocks and tumbling into the waters. They were dunking each other under and coming up sputtering under lily pads. It was chaos, but a joyful, wide-smiling kind of chaos. They look happy, said the warty one.

What's wrong with them? asked a tree frog. If they had some proper leadership, they'd be living the right way. They're a bunch of punks. The bullfrog bellowed and his growing crowd agreed. Odious. Orderless. Odorless. They need to be led the right way, the bullfrog finished.

Oh, okay, and what, pray tell, is the right way? Asked the wordy one. Enlighten us. Our way! The grumpy group growled, and they all croaked together. Your way? No, thanks, said the tree frog. You do you, man, and we'll do us, and no one has to tell anyone what to do.

At this point, unnoticed by the frogs, they had drawn the attention of the spirit of the swamp. She was a mischievous sprite, known to play jokes on the animals that lived in her mucky little kingdom. They couldn't see her, of course, but she was there, and she was listening. What is with all this leader stuff? The warty one said seriously. Everyone is doing just fine.

A good king is a good thing, the old bullfrog said, and others chimed in behind him. Oh, that's a good point. A good king is a good thing. It rhymes. It must be true. I just, I don't get why it needs to be a king. A queen would do the same thing.

Good king, good thing, good king, good thing, the grumpy group started to chant. Good king, good thing, good king, good thing. Suddenly, the pond water rippled and stirred. The scummy surface swirled and swayed and swelled into shape. What's going on? blubbered the bullfrog.

"'Oh, man, it's a... it's a ghost!' chattered the tree frog. The water rose and formed into the shape of a woman, the scummy moss her flowing gown. "'Oh, but the spirit of the swamp!' "'The spirit of the swamp! The spirit of the swamp!' "'The spirit of the swamp!' they gasped. "'Our lady!'

She laughed, spinning merrily in the air and spraying water drops. So, she said, still spinning, I hear you want a king. They keep saying that, my lady, yes, but I keep reminding them that a queen could also provide leadership, said the warty one with a pointed look at the bullfrog. But we don't need a king or a queen. We're perfectly happy leading ourselves.

We do need a king, said the bullfrog. The right sort of king for a bunch of frogs like this lot, said. The spirit waved her hands, raining muddy droplets. The right sort of king. Coming right up. Bye-bye now.

The spirit grew brighter and brighter until she was nothing more than a floating ball of swampy colored light. Then the light started to stretch and grow. Whoa, what is that? Asked the tree frog. It's our new king, said the bullfrog, pushing forward. Here it comes. The king, his majesty, it's crowning.

The light exploded and suddenly, from thin air, a fat, knobbly log appeared. It splashed into the water, soaking all the frogs, and then bobbed back to the surface. It floated well, offering plenty of places to sit and rest and shelter from the rain and the hot summer sun. The warty one laughed, and so did the tree frog and their friends.

A perfect queen for us, she said. The spirit is wise indeed. She hopped from her rock onto the new log. It was soft with moss and smelled like rich, earthy fungus. A perfect place to rest. Hey, that's no way to treat a king. The bullfrog and his grumpy group croaked, but they were ignored.

The fun frogs cozied in the king, or queen's, crooks, and leapt from its edges and swam happy laps around it. They laughed so hard their big rubbery cheeks hurt, and then they fell asleep burrowed in its bark.

The bullfrog watched them all and complained and complained and complained. I must have said it wrong to the spirit, he said. This, this log, this isn't the sort of king we need. Look at that lot over there, splashing and splishing and yelling. They need someone who can get them to fall in line.

Stay in line. And quiet down. And stay in line.

A good king is a good thing, oh friends you know it's true. Cause a good king will with him bring a more orderly worldview. What froggy doesn't crave structure? Obeying rules and laws is like Noah.

We need a king who then can govern these frogs into shape. Not just a log, a king will get us into shape.

Now for a quick ad break. We'll be back with the rest of the story after this. If you'd like Stories Podcast and other favorite kid podcasts ad-free, subscribe to Wondery Plus Kids on Apple Podcasts. This episode of Stories Podcast is sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all-in-one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online.

Whether you're just launching a new venture or managing a successful business, Squarespace makes it possible to create a beautiful website and engage with your audience. And Squarespace makes it so easy to sell anything from products to content to time, all in one place, all on your terms with Squarespace Payments. Onboarding is fast and simple. Get started in just a few clicks and start receiving payments right away.

It's even easy to invoice clients and create proposals, estimates, and contracts. Simplify your workflow and manage your business on one platform. Also, Squarespace has integrated SEO tools. Every Squarespace website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions, an auto-generated site map, and more, so you show up more often to more people in global search engine results.

Head to squarespace.com for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, squarespace.com slash dragon to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com slash dragon for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

The other frogs heard them complain and laughed at the grumpy group, but the spirit heard it as well. She had given them what they'd asked for, the leader they needed, but apparently it wasn't enough for them. "'Okay,' her voice said, coming from the water itself to talk to the old bullfrog and his friends. "'You want a king that will take charge?' "'Yes, we do.'

You want a king that will get those lazy laughers in line? Absolutely. You want a king that is smarter than any normal frog? Yes, please, yes. Okay, remember? You asked for it. Suddenly, there was a dark shadow cast over the grumpy group of frogs.

"'What's that?' one asked. "'Way up in the air.' The shadow grew larger as whatever it was approached from the sky. "'It's our new king,' said the bullfrog. "'The spirit has brought us the king we deserve.' He didn't know how right he was. A second later, the shadow landed before them and spread its wings.

It wasn't a king, but a bird. A massive crane with an elegant neck and a long, hungry beak. One of the grumpy frogs hopped up to it and bowed low. Greetings, my liege! The crane squawked, bent down, and swallowed the frog whole. Oh, oh no! cried the bullfrog.

The crane turned and let out a cry that sounded like a T-Rex roar to the poor little frogs. It launched forward and gobbled up another of the group before the rest scattered in every direction. Run, they cried. Everyone run!

The crane darted among them, swallowing the grumpy group of frogs one by one until only the bullfrog was left. He managed to jump inside the floating log the spirit had sent and wedged himself way in the back. Go away, he shouted. Don't eat me.

The bird balked and bore its beak in further, snapping bare inches from the bullfrog's saggy lips. Stop! Stop! He cried, and then the water next to him formed a face. Is this what you asked for? The spirit asked, even as the crane screamed and pecked harder, ripping free a piece of old wood and nearly biting the bullfrog in two.

Isn't this the king you wanted? Oh, please! The bullfrog whimpered, pressing his bulky body into the water, trying to avoid the screaming crane beak as it snapped at him over and over. But they're strong, they're sure, and they punish lazy frogs. The crane finally smashed in and grabbed the bullfrog in its beak.

He cried. No, we don't need a king. We don't need a king. The crane vanished in a puff of smoke and all the frogs it had gobbled rained from its belly and splashed back into the pond, the bullfrog included. They dragged themselves wide eyed and sputtering back to the log the spirit had given them.

So, um, how did the king go? The warty frog asked, smiling around a fly she was munching. Well, uh, wouldn't you know it, but we've come around to your way of thinking, the bullfrog said. This here log will make a perfect king of the frogs. Right, except, you know, queen of the frogs, said the warty one. Queen, king, either way is fine, the bullfrog mumbled.

But like, are you sure? Asked the tree frog. We can always call the spirit back again. No, no, that's quite all right. I think we're better off just, you know, uh- Having fun? The warty one offered. Yes, um, let's, uh, let's just have some fun. The bullfrog agreed. Then he paused, looking down at his big webbed feet.

Uh, we've never, uh, we've never had fun before. Could you maybe show us how? Oh, of course! She agreed, and the rest of the day was spent teaching the grumpy group how to play tag and hide and seek and lily pad leap and all their other favorite games.

And by the end, the grumpy group wasn't so grumpy. And none of them wished for a king ever, ever again. The End Today's story, King of the Frogs, was an adaptation of an Aesop's Fable written for you by Daniel Hines and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon.

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In case you missed it, Dan and I have a new show. On Stories RPG, we play games just like Starsworn with all your Max Goodname friends and Giga City Guardians featuring the brilliant Firefly. Click the link in the episode description or go to patreon.com slash stories RPG to get ad-free episodes, play along games, and coloring books. We've already got a bunch of episodes over there, so check them out now. Thanks for listening.