[Illustration: THE FROGS DESIRING A KING.]
The Frogs, living an easy free life every where among the lakes and
ponds, assembled together, one day, in a very tumultuous manner, and
petitioned Jupiter to let them have a King, who might inspect their
morals, and make them live a little honester. Jupiter, being at that
time in pretty good humour, was pleased to laugh heartily at their
ridiculous request; and, throwing a little log down into the pool,
cried, 'There is a King for you.' The sudden splash which this made by
its fall into the water, at first terrified them so exceedingly, that
they were afraid to come near it. But in a little time, seeing it lay
still without moving, they ventured, by degrees, to approach it; and at
last, finding there was no danger, they leaped upon it; and, in short,
treated it as familiarly as they pleased. But not contented with so
insipid a King as this was, they sent their deputies to petition again
for another sort of one; for this they neither did nor could like. Upon
that he sent them a Stork, who, without any ceremony, fell a devouring
and eating them up, one after another, as fast as he could. Then they
applied themselves privately to Mercury, and got him to speak to Jupiter
in their behalf, that he would be so good as to bless them again with
another King, or to restore them to their former state. 'No,' says he,
'since it was their own choice, let the obstinate wretches suffer the
punishment due to their folly.'