The Turtle and the Frogs

The Turtle and the Frogs. A turtle watched the frogs who lived in the same pond as she did and saw how they were so light and agile that they could easily leap wherever they wanted and jump incredibly far. She complained that Mother Nature had made her such a slow animal and weighed her down with such a burden so that she could not move easily and was constantly being crushed by her own great bulk. But when she saw the frogs eaten as food by the eels and falling victim to even the slightest blow of anyone at all, she felt somewhat better and said, "How much better it is to bear this burden which protects me against all blows rather than to risk death over and over again."

Testudo et Ranae. Testudo, conspicata Ranas quae in eodem stagno pascebantur, adeo leves agilesque ut facile quolibet prosilirent et longissime saltarent, Naturam accusabat quod se tardum animal et maximo impeditum onere procreasset ut neque facile se movere posset et magna assidue mole premeretur. At ubi vidit Ranas anguillarum escam fieri et cuiuscumque vel levissimo ictui obnoxias, aliquantulum recreata dicebat, "Quanto melius est onus quo ad omnes ictus munita sum ferre, quam tot mortis subire discrimina."

Notes. This is Abstemius 34. As usual with Abstemius, it is not found in Perry's inventory. This fable makes a nice pair with the traditional Aesopic fable about the turtle who was not at all happy with her situation in life and insisted on the eagle teaching her to fly - with fatal results.