The Frog and the Ox
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
When a mother frog hears about the giant creature that trampled her son, she's determined to prove she can grow just as big herself — no matter the cost.
Two little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them and crushed the life out of him. When the old Frog missed him, she asked his brother where he was. "He is dead, mother," said the little Frog; "an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this morning and trampled him down in the mud."
Duas pequenas Rãs brincavam à beira de uma lagoa quando um Boi desceu até a água para beber e, por acidente, pisou em uma delas, esmagando-a. Quando a velha Rã sentiu falta dela, perguntou ao irmão dela onde ela estava. "Ela morreu, mãe", disse a pequena Rã; "uma criatura enorme, com quatro patas, veio à nossa lagoa esta manhã e a pisoteou na lama."
"Enormous, was he? Was he as big as this?" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big as possible. "Oh! yes, _much_ bigger," was the answer. The Frog puffed herself out still more. "Was he as big as this?" said she. "Oh! yes, yes, mother, _MUCH_ bigger," said the little Frog. And yet again she puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball. "As big as…?" she began—but then she burst.
"Enorme, era? Era do tamanho disso?", disse a Rã, inflando-se para parecer o maior possível. "Ah! sim, muito maior", foi a resposta. A Rã se inflou ainda mais. "Era do tamanho disso?", perguntou ela. "Ah, sim, sim, mãe, muito maior", disse a pequena Rã. E de novo ela inflou e inflou até ficar quase redonda como uma bola. "Do tamanho de…?", começou ela — mas então estourou.
