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The Frog

A large frog leaves his home pond and village to travel down the imperial highway, confident that no dogs or pigs could disturb him. However, an unaware wagon runs him over as he stops to cool down. With his dying breath, the frog laments leaving the familiar safety of his byeway for the dangers of the highway, realizing that even great frogs can die. The whistling wagoner continues on without noticing, oblivious to taking the frog's life.

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Chae
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64 views

The Frog

A large frog leaves his home pond and village to travel down the imperial highway, confident that no dogs or pigs could disturb him. However, an unaware wagon runs him over as he stops to cool down. With his dying breath, the frog laments leaving the familiar safety of his byeway for the dangers of the highway, realizing that even great frogs can die. The whistling wagoner continues on without noticing, oblivious to taking the frog's life.

Uploaded by

Chae
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Frog

by Christina Rossetti

Contemptuous of his home beyond


The village and the village pond,
A large-souled Frog who spurned each byeway,
Hopped along the imperial highway.

Nor grunting pig nor barking dog


Could disconcert so great a frog.
The morning dew was lingering yet
His sides to cool, his tongue to wet;
The night dew when the night should come
A travelled frog would send him home.

Not so, alas! the wayside grass


Sees him no more: - not so, alas!

A broadwheeled waggon unawares


Ran him down, his joys, his cares.
From dying choke one feeble croak
The Frog's perpetual silence broke:
"Ye buoyant Frogs, ye great and small,
Even I am mortal after all.
My road to Fame turns out a wry way:
I perish on this hideous highway,-
Oh for my old familiar byeway!"

The choking Frog sobbed and was gone:


The waggoner strode whistling on.

Unconscious of the carnage done,


Whistling that waggoner strode on,
Whistling (it may have happened so)
"A Froggy would a-wooing go:"
A hypothetic frog trolled he
Obtuse to a reality.

O rich and poor, O great and small,


Such oversights beset us all:
The mangled frog abides incog,
The uninteresting actual frog;
The hypothetic frog alone
Is the one frog we dwell upon.

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