Dragon, Dragon
The central theme of this humorous story by John Gardner is to respect the views of one’s elders. A dragon ravages a medieval kingdom with some modern touches (clocks, novels, cars and cigars). When the king’s knights and wizard prove ineffective, he calls a town meeting to ask for ideas, promising his daughter’s hand and half his kingdom to anyone who can slay the dragon. After the two older sons of a wise cobbler ignore their father’s advice and fail, their nervous younger son heeds his words and succeeds. Other themes include social class, honor, and courage (overcoming one’s fears).
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Most ‘frog’ folktales involve a frog prince or at the very least a male frog. However, in this story from Italy, a female frog makes friends with a young man and helps him keep his mother happy as he searches for a wife. Little does the young man know that his perfect woman is sitting on a rock beside him. Three possible morals: 1) Sometimes we don’t appreciate those around us enough; 2) Often the thing we are looking for is right under our noses; 3) Or how about the English idiom beauty is only (frog) skin deep.
This Japanese folktale teaches some important lessons. Two frogs from different cities set off on a journey, each wanting to visit the other’s city. They meet on a mountaintop halfway and accidentally look back at their own city, thinking it their destination. Deciding that the two cities look the same, they each return home. Possible morals: 1) If you really want to do something, learn all you can about it before you start; and 2) Don’t look for reasons to give up in the middle of something important. They are too easy to find and you may be sorry later.
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