English Original
A frog, watching a bullock grazing nearby, resolved to match his girth and height. She was an envious frog. See how she puffs and swells and strains with all her might.
"Come, tell me quickly, dear, am I as big as he?" she asks a froggy friend.
"Oh no, my dear, not nearly."
"Now just you watch me stretch! Look close, and tell me clearly. Well, then! You see? I'm filling out?"
"It doesn't seem much to me."
"Well—now?"
"Just like you were at first."
At last, her wild attempts passed the bounds of nature. She never swelled to the bullock's size, but strained so hard that she cracked and burst.
She's not the first, and not the last. No wonder, when the little shopkeeper tries to match the splendor of the Provost's board, or Hodge the farmer's son spends money like a lord.
中文翻译
一只蛤蟆看见一头牯牛在附近吃草，便决心要与之比试肥壮和高矮。她是一只善妒的蛤蟆。瞧，她正用尽全力喘息、鼓气、挺着肚皮。
“快告诉我，亲爱的，我和他一样大了吗？”她问一位青蛙朋友。
“噢，没有，亲爱的，还差得远呢。”
“那你现在瞧好了！看仔细点，跟我说清楚。嘿，你看！我是不是越来越大了？”
“我看没什么区别。”
“呃——那现在呢？”
“还是和原来的你一样。”
最终，她狂妄的尝试超越了自然的限度。她永远没能膨胀到牯牛那般大小，却因用力过猛，胀裂而亡。
她不是第一个，也不会是最后一个。难怪小店主想与富豪比排场，农夫的儿子花钱如王侯。