The Frog and Snake Story In English For Kids

We have been listening to Panchatantra stories as a kid, and these are the ancient surviving fables of India. "Frog and snake" is one of the stories in Panchatantra which has many hidden morals told in the form of an interesting story. The story tells us that in order to take revenge on our fellow beings, we should never make friends with our natural enemies. This article strives to present this famous story in an engaging manner so that kids enjoy as well as understand the real meaning of the story effortlessly.

The Origin of Frog and Snake Story

The story is part of the famous Panchatantra fables which was written by Vishnu Sharma, who lived in Varanasi in the 3rd century BC. Panchatantra means five treatises or chapters and is a collection of short stories that feature animals who can think and speak like humans. Panchatantra is based on five principles which are; loss of friends, gaining friends, causing discord between friends, separation, and union. 

Panchatantra was originally written in Sanskrit, and it was originally written to teach three sons of a king who were dull-witted. The main aim of the stories back then was to convey the principles of kingship and to impart other valuable life lessons. Panchatantra has been translated more than two hundred times into fifty different languages around the world.

Summary- The Clever Frog Story

The story begins with a frog king, Gangadatta, who lives with his family and subjects inside a well. But the king was constantly troubled by some of his relatives who wanted to take over his throne. To teach all his enemies a lesson, the frog king decides to venture out while his wife advises him to be careful and not try to harm his enemies. The frog king then meets a snake, Priyadarshan, with whom he wants to partner to take revenge on his enemies. The snake is taken by surprise since frogs never make friends with snakes, as it is well known that snakes eat up frogs. 

But the frog king explained the plan of taking the snake to the well and giving him his enemy frogs to eat up, barring the frog king's family.  The snake agrees as he is getting his meals handed over to him easily and goes to the well. The king starts to supply one frog every day, and he starts eating all the enemies of the king one by one till all of them are eaten up. The only frogs remaining were the king and his family and the snake started eating them too. The frog king by now has realized his mistake of choosing the snake to take revenge, but it is too late. 

Finally, only the frog king and his wife, the queen frog, are the only surviving frogs in the well. The snake says he will have to eat them up too. The king thinks of another plan and tells the snake not to eat them, but he will go to other nearby wells and ponds and gather frogs for the snake to eat. The snake agrees, and the frog king and queen hop away, never to return to the well.

Frog and Snake Talking to Each Other

Snake Trying to Eat the Frog

Frog and Snake Story Moral

The two frogs short story is a gem with respect to the many morals it teaches young students. In a nutshell, you learn the following from the frog and snake story:

• Never take a decision in anger and haste.

• Do not rely on someone who has been your enemy in the past.

• Do not try to harm your own people, as it will backfire. Try to think of better ways of dealing with internal discord.

• An enemy of your enemies is not always your friend, and do not trust them blindly.

• Before you venture into unknown terrain, calculate all your risks.

• Selfishness always harms the selfish person and motive in the end.

Note to Parents

When talking about the frog in a good story, parents can introduce some real-life incidents or situations so that the child is able to understand the gist and moral of the story in a more relatable manner. The story is a good example of teaching children not to be selfish and act in haste. Through the story, parents can also teach their children the consequences of their actions and how to be responsible for their mistakes.