The Frog Who Became an Emperor青蛙变皇帝-壮族经典民间故事英语版
the frog who became an emperor
china (chuang)
once upon a time there lived a very poor couple. a baby was on the way when the husband was forced to leave his home to find a living somewhere far away. before he left, he embraced his wife fondly and gave her the last few silver pieces he had, saying, "when the child is born, be it a boy or a girl, you must do all you can to bring it up. you and i are so poor that there is no hope for us now. but our child may be able to help us find a living."
three months after her husband's departure, the wife gave birth. the baby was neither a boy nor a little girl, but a frog!
the poor mother was heart-broken, and wept bitterly. "ah, an animal, not a child!" she cried. "our hopes for someone to care for us in our old age are gone! how can i ever face people again!" she thought at first she would do away with him, but she did not have the heart to do so. she wanted to bring him up, but was afraid of what the neighbors would say.
as she brooded over the matter, she remembered her husband's words before he went away, and she decided not to kill the child but always keep him hidden under the bed. in this way, no one knew she had given birth to a frog-child. but within two months, the frog-child had grown so big that he could no longer be kept under the bed. and one day, he suddenly spoke in a human voice.
"mother," he said, "my father is coming back tonight. i am going to wait for him beside the road." and sure enough, the husband did come home that very night.
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