Story: The Fox and the Ox

The Frog and the Ox illustrated by John Rae.

I chose this picture because the perspective of the drawing, which is from the original story, makes the frog almost appear as large as the ox. The frog in the story thinks he is as big as the fox, so I thought the picture was relevant.

A frog named Puff lived in a corner of Croaky Cavern with his family. Croaky Cavern is an underground frog civilization that has been thriving in the sewers of Paris for over one hundred years. Puff and his family had never left Croaky Cavern and they didn’t intend to because, to them, it was paradise. Also, they had heard the horror stories from other frogs who had travelled beyond the sewer. Everyone who left Croaky Cavern always returned with the same response: “I felt so small and invisible.” This, however, did not crush Puff’s dreams of one day venturing outside of Croaky Cavern and exploring the world.

            Before our story began, Puff spent most his days alone on a lily pad or seeking his family’s approval; he was born the runt of the family, so he was constantly being overshadowed by his siblings. He knew that his parents had other children to take care of too, but Puff simply wanted them to notice him. However, there was one minor detail that put him at a disadvantage: he thought he was big. Now, when I say “big,” I mean elephant-big, not bullfrog-big. Puff’s sight was distorted at birth and his depth perception had been skewed ever since. Until now, Puff had never come in contact with larger animals, since the only creatures he knew were the other frogs and occasional rats who lived in the sewer. This was what kept Puff’s belief that he was big alive. He also wanted to make a big difference in the world. He knew that even though he was small, he could take on the world like any giant animals would. His voice could be heard at night echoing throughout the sewer. “See me puff!” he would call out to his brothers and sisters. He blew up like a pufferfish and Puff was convinced that doing this made him become giant. His family would laugh at him, but it never discouraged Puff.

            One night, a rumbling came from one end of the sewer. Puff had been awake practicing his puffing, when the water hit him like a wall. The sewer was completely full of rushing water, sweeping away everything in its path, including Croaky Cavern. Puff could swim underwater, but the current made it nearly impossible to see anything. He had no idea where his parents were, and he knew they would probably never see each other again. After minutes of struggling, Puff finally shut his eyes and let the water carry him far, far away from the only place he had ever known.

            Puff’s squishy body slammed against the hard earth and he was jolted awake. He must have dozed off during his strangely peaceful ride through the tunnels of France. The sun was beating down on him now, which was strange, but, not unfamiliar to Puff. The occasional ray of sunshine would stream through the sewer grate when he lived in Croaky Cavern, and Puff had always enjoyed these moments when he could bask in the sun. Now, Puff could hear and see thousands of frogs all around him. Finding his parents would be like finding a needle in a haystack, so he decided to seek shade under the nearest tree. Puff stopped by a furry, brown mass, an ox, and croaked at it to start a conversation.

            No response.

            Puff croaked again.

            No response.

            He knew what he had to do and he blew himself up like a pufferfish.

            The brown mass, which turned out to be an ox, heard the rustling in the grass near her foot and looked down at Puff.

            “Hi! My name is Puff! What’s your name?”

            The ox responded in a low, sultry voice, “I’m Oxanne. You must be new around these parts!”

            Puff smiled and said, “Yes, I am. I was living in Croaky Cavern with my family before a giant storm washed me here. Speaking of giant, boy, am I glad to see someone like me for a change!”

            Oxanne tilted her head and asked, “And what do you mean by that, Puffy? I don’t think we could be any more opposite if we tried!”

            “We are both giants living in this giant world!”  responded Puff excitedly.

            Oxanne let out a loud howl and said, “Oh, baby, are you mistaken!” She kicked Puff with her back hoof and he landed on her back.

            Puff was utterly speechless. His feet had never left the ground, so this perspective was completely new to him.

            Oxanne said to Puff, “Honey, you are almost as small as the eye in my head; but that doesn’t mean you can’t be mighty. Actually, this reminds me of a little friend I met not too long ago. My calves and I were by the watering hole one day and a bird came plunging toward my baby’s backside. Luckily, I noticed before it got any closer and directed it the other way, but when the same bird returned later, I decided to ask him what he wanted. I told him that he is going to get himself killed if he continued to try for such large animals. He told me that he too was big and that the size of my babies didn’t intimidate him. I have heard of animals having this problem before, this miscommunication between the brain and the eyes that causes them to have problems with size and distance. I think you have this disorder, Puff, but with this, a passion has been born.”

            Puff asked, “What do you mean?”

            Oxanne looked at Puff and said something that he never forgot, “You have a passion and a desire to make a difference in this world. Just because you aren’t big doesn’t mean that you can’t make that same difference that, say, an elephant can make. I am going to help you, Puffy. I am going to help you make your mark.”

            Puff stared in disbelief at this ox he met mere minutes before. “What are you planning to do?”

            Oxanne replied, “We are going to travel and see everything there is to see. I have seen a lot in my days, but I have always wanted to travel with a friend. Let’s see, Puff, where shall we go first?”

Author's Note: The original story was a rhyme for children by W. T. Larned from the book "Fables in Rhyme for Little Folks." The stories are simple, but I wanted to add a personal touch with names, details, and a storyline. In the original story, a frog is constantly trying to impress his family and friends because he feared he was too small. He would puff up and on the last try, he blew too hard and exploded. Although the first story was still directed more towards children, I decided to change the ending to result in a newfound friendship. The character Puff that I created was unnamed in the nursery rhyme, but I based his name on the line from the original story, "'See me puff!'" I wrote this story with the intention of a young audience, so I kept the message and details light and positive. The main characters are Puff, an ambitious frog who thinks his is big, and Oxanne, a sassy ox who befriends Puff. Oxanne sees the potential in this small, but giant-minded frog and decides to go an adventure with him. Puff lost his entire family and Oxanne had nothing but time, so they decided to travel the world and go on the journey of a lifetime.

"Fables in Rhyme for Little Folks" by W. T. Larned.