Throwback: King of the Frogs

Summary

Stories Podcast: Throwback Episode Summary – "King of the Frogs"

Introduction

In this throwback episode of the Stories Podcast, originally released on March 4, 2025, host Amanda Weldon presents a charming and insightful adaptation of an Aesop's fable titled "King of the Frogs." This episode, created by Starglow Media in collaboration with Wondery, is designed to captivate children and families with imaginative storytelling that is both entertaining and meaningful.

Story Overview

"King of the Frogs" transports listeners to a vibrant pond teeming with diverse frogs. The pond is home to frogs of all shapes, sizes, and colors—"jumpy frogs and lumpy frogs, muddy frogs and cruddy frogs" ([03:17]). While many frogs enjoy their carefree lives, indulging in playful antics and basking in the sun, a faction led by an old bullfrog grows restless and longs for structured leadership.

Main Characters

• Old Bullfrog: The protagonist advocating for leadership.
• Warty Frog: A skeptical and pragmatic member of the grumpy group.
• Tree Frog: Represents the majority who prefer freedom without a ruler.
• Spirit of the Swamp: A mischievous sprite who responds to the frogs' desires.
• Crane: Sent by the spirit as a misguided attempt to provide authoritative leadership.

Key Events and Notable Quotes

1. The Call for Leadership

   The story begins with the old bullfrog expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of the pond:

   • Bullfrog: "That's what we need." ([04:33])
   • Bullfrog: "A king would get this lousy lot into shape." ([04:50])

   His desire is echoed by other grumpy frogs who chant:

   • Grumpy Group: "A good king is a good thing. It rhymes. It must be true." ([07:20])

2. The Spirit of the Swamp Responds

   The frogs' persistent desire catches the attention of the Spirit of the Swamp:

   • Spirit of the Swamp: "I hear you want a king." ([08:02])
   • Spirit: "Enough. The right sort of king. Okay, coming right up." ([09:12])

   The spirit initially presents a mossy log as the king:

   • Warty Frog: "A perfect queen for us, she said. The spirit is wise indeed." ([10:42])

3. Unintended Consequences

   Dissatisfied with the log as a leader, the bullfrog demands a more authoritative king:

   • Bullfrog: "We need a king, we need a king who then can govern these frogs." ([12:08])
   • Spirit of the Swamp: "Remember, you asked for it." ([14:33])

   This summons a massive crane, leading to chaos as it preys on the grumpy frogs:

   • Bullfrog: "It's our new king, said the bullfrog." ([15:05])
   • Crane: "Oh no." ([15:42])

   The crane's reign of terror results in the bullfrog realizing the folly of their demands:

   • Spirit of the Swamp: "Isn't this the king you wanted?" ([16:29])
   • Bullfrog: "No, please." ([16:57])

4. Restoration of Harmony

   After the crane disappears, the frogs return to the log, now viewing it as a queen and embracing a more joyful existence:

   • Warty Frog: "Queen of the frogs," ([17:57])
   • Tree Frog: "We can always call the spirit back again." ([18:20])

   The story concludes with the frogs engaging in playful activities once more, having learned that leadership imposed through force does not foster true happiness:

   • Amanda Weldon: "By the end, the grumpy group wasn't so grumpy and none of them wished for a king ever, ever again." ([18:51])

Conclusion and Moral

"King of the Frogs" beautifully illustrates the tensions between order and freedom. The initial longing for structured leadership stems from a desire for organization and purpose. However, the episode poignantly demonstrates that imposed authority, especially when desired for the wrong reasons, can lead to unintended and harmful consequences.

Through the transformation of the frogs' society, the story conveys that happiness and harmony are best achieved through cooperation and enjoyment rather than rigid control. The spirit's intervention serves as a whimsical reminder that sometimes, what we think we need may not align with what genuinely fosters well-being.

Notable Quotes Recap

• Bullfrog: "A king would get this lousy lot into shape." ([04:50])
• Grumpy Group: "A good king is a good thing. It rhymes. It must be true." ([07:20])
• Spirit of the Swamp: "I hear you want a king." ([08:02])
• Bullfrog: "We need a king, we need a king who then can govern these frogs." ([12:08])
• Spirit of the Swamp: "Remember, you asked for it." ([14:33])
• Spirit of the Swamp: "Isn't this the king you wanted?" ([16:29])
• Bullfrog: "No, please." ([16:57])
• Warty Frog: "Queen of the frogs," ([17:57])

Final Thoughts

"King of the Frogs" is a delightful addition to the Stories Podcast repertoire, offering both entertainment and a valuable lesson. It's an exemplary choice for families seeking wholesome, engaging content that sparks imagination while imparting timeless wisdom. Whether enjoyed during a car ride or as a bedtime story, this episode is sure to resonate with listeners of all ages.

Transcript

[Daniel Hines]

Hello.

[Amanda Weldon]

Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon.

[Narrator]

Today's story is a throwback episode.

[Amanda Weldon]

Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around. We have Stories Podcast merch, [e-mail] shop. We're also on cameo for all of your personalized video message needs. And don't forget to follow us on Instagram Stories Podcast if you send us a drawing of your favorite scene or character, we'll share it on our feed. Now, here's a word from our sponsors.

[Narrator]

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[Amanda Weldon]

At the best price.

[Narrator]

This episode of Stories podcast is sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online. Whether you're just launching a new venture or managing a successful business, Squarespace makes it possible to create a beautiful website and engage with your audience. And Squarespace makes it so easy to sell anything from products to content to time, all in one place, all on your terms. With Squarespace payments, onboarding is fast and simple. Get started in just a few clicks and start receiving payments right away. It's even easy to invoice clients and create proposals, estimates and contracts, simplify your workflow and manage your business on one platform. Also, Squarespace has integrated SEO tools Every Squarespace website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions, an auto generated sitemap, and more, so you show up more often to more people in global search engine results. Head to squarespace.com for a free trial and when you're ready to launch squarespace.com dragon to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com dragon for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Amanda Weldon]

Thanks. Enjoy the Episode King of the Frogs Once upon a time, there was a pond full of frogs. They laid on every log and sat on every stone. There were jumpy frogs and lumpy frogs, muddy frogs and cruddy frogs. There were little itty bitty frogs, and there were frogs so big they had legs like drumsticks.

[Narrator]

There were frogs of every size, shape.

[Amanda Weldon]

And color, and plenty of flies to go around. The frogs spent their days in easy pleasure around the pond. They would eat all those flies with their leaping tongues. They would lay themselves on the flat rocks and bask in the sun. They would swim in happy laps in the water until they were so tired that they stretched out under an old stump to sleep. Still, some of them weren't content. They'd seen the birds in the sky, flying in a V, all behind a leader. They'd seen the wolves in their packs, all following an alpha. They'd even spied on regal cats, all bowing to one more regal than the rest, mocking.

[Daniel Hines]

That's what we need.

[Amanda Weldon]

Bellowed an old bullfrog one lazy afternoon. To be honest, all afternoons around the pond were lazy, but this one was especially so.

[Daniel Hines]

A king would get this lousy lot into shape. Rabbit.

[Amanda Weldon]

The bullfrog croaked to emphasize his sentence, and some of the other frogs muttered their agreement. They were a grumpy group, most content when complaining, and they resented the other frogs for loudly having fun all day. What? Are you crazy? Asked a warty woman. We do whatever we want all day. What in the world would you want a king for? And you know, it could also be a queen, Just for the record.

[Daniel Hines]

Look at the birds always flying in the same direction. Look at the wolves, always hunting as a pack. Look even at the cats sharing their prey with their leader.

[Amanda Weldon]

And.

[Daniel Hines]

And look at this lot.

[Amanda Weldon]

The bullfrog waved at the pond frogs were splashing each other and laughing. They were playing tag on the rocks and tumbling into the waters. They were dunking each other under and coming up sputtering under lily pads. It was chaos, but a joyful, wide, smiling kind of chaos. They look happy, said The Warty one.

[Daniel Hines]

What's wrong with them?

[Amanda Weldon]

Asked a tree frog.

[Daniel Hines]

If they had some proper leadership, they'd be living the right way. They're a bunch of punks.

[Amanda Weldon]

The bullfrog bellowed, and his growing crowd agreed.

[Daniel Hines]

Odious, orderless, odourless. They need to be led the right.

[Amanda Weldon]

Way, the bullfrog finished. Oh, ok. And what, pray tell, is the right way? Asked the warty one. Enlighten us. Our way, the grumpy group growled, and they all croaked together.

[Daniel Hines]

Your way.

[Amanda Weldon]

No thanks, said the tree frog. You do you, man, and we'll do us. And no one has to tell anyone what to do. At this point, unnoticed by the frogs, they had drawn the attention of the spirit of the swamp. She was a mischievous sprite known to play jokes on the animals that lived in her mucky little kingdom. They couldn't see her, of course, but she was there, and she was listening. What is with all this leader stuff? The warty one said seriously. Everyone is doing just fine.

[Daniel Hines]

A good king is a good thing.

[Amanda Weldon]

The old bullfrog said, and others chimed in behind him.

[Daniel Hines]

Oh, that's a good point.

[Amanda Weldon]

A good king is a good thing.

[Daniel Hines]

It rhymes. It must be true.

[Amanda Weldon]

I just. I don't get why it needs to be a king. A queen would do the same thing.

[Daniel Hines]

Good king, good thing. Good king, good thing.

[Amanda Weldon]

The grumpy group started to chant.

[Daniel Hines]

Good king, good thing. Good king, good thing.

[Amanda Weldon]

Suddenly the pond water rippled and stirred. The scummy surface swirled and swayed and swelled into shape.

[Daniel Hines]

What's going on?

[Amanda Weldon]

Blubbered the bullfrog.

[Daniel Hines]

Aw, man, it's a. It's a g. Ghost.

[Amanda Weldon]

Chattered the tree frog. The water rose and formed into the shape of a woman. The scummy moss, her flowing gown. I'm not a ghost, but the spirit of the swamp. The spirit of the swamp. The spirit of the swamp.

[Daniel Hines]

The spirit of the swamp.

[Amanda Weldon]

They gasped. Our lady. She laughed, spinning merrily in the air and spraying water drops. So, she said, still spinning. I hear you want a king. They keep saying that, my lady. Yes, but I keep reminding them that a queen could also provide leadership, said the warty one with a pointed look at the bullfrog. But we don't need a king or a queen. We're perfectly happy leading ourselves.

[Daniel Hines]

We do need a king, said the bullfrog. The right sort of king for a bunch of frogs like this lot.

[Amanda Weldon]

Enough. Said the spirit waved her hands, raining muddy droplets. The right sort of king. Okay, coming right up. Bye bye now. The spirit grew brighter and brighter until she was nothing more than a floating ball of swampy colored light. Then the light started to stretch and grow. Whoa.

[Daniel Hines]

What is that?

[Amanda Weldon]

Asked the tree frog.

[Daniel Hines]

It's our new king, said the bullfrog, pushing forward. Here it comes. The king.

[Amanda Weldon]

His Majesty. It's crowning. The light exploded, and suddenly, from thin air, a fat, knobbly log appeared. It splashed into the water, soaking all the frogs, and then bobbed back to the surface. It floated well, offering plenty of places to sit and rest and shelter from the rain and the hot summer sun. The warty one laughed, and so did the tree frog and their friends. A perfect queen for us, she said. The spirit is wise indeed. She hopped from her rock onto the new log. It was soft with moss and smelled like rich, earthy fungus. A perfect place to rest.

[Daniel Hines]

Hey, that's no way to treat a king.

[Amanda Weldon]

The bullfrog and his grumpy group croaked. But they were ignored. The fun frogs, cozied in the king or queen's crooks and leapt from its edges and swam happy laps around it. They laughed so hard their big rubbery cheeks hurt. And then they fell asleep, burrowed in its bark. The bullfrog watched them all, and complained and complained and complained.

[Daniel Hines]

I must have said it wrong to.

[Amanda Weldon]

The spirit, he said.

[Daniel Hines]

This. This log, this isn't the sort of king we need. Look at that lot over there, splashing.

[Amanda Weldon]

And splishing and yelling.

[Daniel Hines]

They need someone who can get them to fall in line and stay in.

[Amanda Weldon]

Line and quiet down and stay in line.

[Daniel Hines]

A good king, A good king is a good thing It's a good thing. Oh friends, you know it's true. Cause a good king, a good king will with him bring a more orderly worldview.

[Amanda Weldon]

What Froggy does in crave structure, obeying rules and laws is like no other.

[Daniel Hines]

We need a king, we need a king who then can govern these frogs.

[Amanda Weldon]

Oh, these frogs into shape not just a log, a king will get us into shape.

[Narrator]

Now for a quick ad break. We'll be back with the rest of.

[Amanda Weldon]

The story after this.

[Narrator]

If you'd like Stories Podcast and other favorite kid podcasts ad free, subscribe to Wondery Kids on Apple Podcasts. This episode of Stories Podcast is sponsored by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online. Whether you're just launching a new venture or managing a successful business, Squarespace makes it possible to create a beautiful website and engage with your audience. And Squarespace makes it so easy to sell anything from products to content to time, all in one place. All on your terms. With Squarespace payments onboarding is fast and simple. Get started in just a few clicks and start receiving payments right away. It's even easy to invoice clients and create proposals, estimates, and contracts. Simplify your workflow and manage your business on one platform. Also, Squarespace has integrated SEO tools. Every Squarespace website is optimized to be indexed with meta descriptions, an auto generated sitemap, and more, so you show up more often to more people in global search engine results. Head to squarespace.com for a free trial and when you're ready to launch squarespace.com dragon to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com dragon for 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Amanda Weldon]

The other frogs heard them complain and laughed at the grumpy group. But the spirit heard it as well. She had given them what they'd asked for, the leader they needed, but apparently it wasn't enough for them. Okay, her voice said, coming from the water itself, to talk to the old bullfrog and his friends. You want a king that will take charge?

[Daniel Hines]

Yes, we do.

[Amanda Weldon]

You want a king that will get those lazy laughers in line?

[Daniel Hines]

Absolutely.

[Amanda Weldon]

You want a king that is mightier than any normal frog?

[Daniel Hines]

Yes, please. Yes. Okay, then.

[Amanda Weldon]

Remember, you asked for it. Suddenly there was a dark shadow cast over the grumpy group of frogs.

[Daniel Hines]

What's that?

[Amanda Weldon]

One asked, way up in the air. The shadow grew larger as whatever it was approached from the sky.

[Daniel Hines]

It's our new king.

[Amanda Weldon]

Said the bullfrog.

[Daniel Hines]

The spirit has brought us the king we deserve.

[Amanda Weldon]

He didn't know how right he was. A second later, the shadow landed before them and spread its wings. It wasn't a king, but a bird, a massive crane with an elegant neck and a long, hungry beak. One of the grumpy frogs hopped up to it and bowed low. Greetings, my liege. The crane squawked, bent down, and swallowed the frog whole. Oh.

[Daniel Hines]

Oh no.

[Amanda Weldon]

Cried the bullfrog. The crane turned and let out a cry that sounded like a T. Rex roar to the poor little frogs. It launched forward and gobbled up another of the group before the rest scattered in every direction. Run. They cried.

[Daniel Hines]

Everyone run.

[Amanda Weldon]

The crane darted among them, swallowing the grumpy group of frogs one by one until only the bullfrog was left. He managed to jump inside the floating log the spirit had sent and wedged himself way in the back.

[Daniel Hines]

Go away.

[Amanda Weldon]

He shouted.

[Daniel Hines]

Don't eat me.

[Amanda Weldon]

The bird balked and bore its beak in further snapping bare inches from the bullfrog's saggy lips.

[Daniel Hines]

Stop. Stop.

[Amanda Weldon]

He cried, and then the water next to him formed a face. Oh, isn't this what you asked for? The spirit asked, even as the crane screamed and pecked harder, ripping free a piece of old wood and nearly biting the bullfrog in two. Isn't this the king you wanted?

[Daniel Hines]

No, please.

[Amanda Weldon]

The bullfrog whimpered, pressing his bulky body into the water, trying to avoid the screaming crane beak as it snapped at and over. But they're strong, they're sure. And they punish lazy frogs. The crane finally smashed in and grabbed the bullfrog in its beak.

[Daniel Hines]

No.

[Amanda Weldon]

He cried. No.

[Daniel Hines]

We don't need a king.

[Amanda Weldon]

We don't need a king. The crane vanished in a puff of smoke and all the frogs it had gobbled rained from its belly and splashed back into the pond, the bullfrog included. They dragged themselves, wide eyed and sputtering, back to the log the spirit had given them. So how did the king go? The warty frog asked, smiling around a fly she was munching.

[Daniel Hines]

Well, wouldn't you know it? But we've come around to your way.

[Amanda Weldon]

Of thinking, the bullfrog said.

[Daniel Hines]

This here log will make a perfect king of the frogs.

[Narrator]

Right?

[Amanda Weldon]

Except, you know, Queen of the frogs, said the warty one.

[Daniel Hines]

Queen, King. Either way is fine, the bullfrog mumbled. But like, are you sure?

[Amanda Weldon]

Asked the tree frog.

[Daniel Hines]

We can always call the spirit back again. No, no, that's quite alright. I think we're better off just, you.

[Amanda Weldon]

Know, having fun, the warty one offered.

[Daniel Hines]

Yes, let's.

[Amanda Weldon]

Let's just have some fun, the bullfrog agreed. Then he paused, looking down at his big webbed feet.

[Daniel Hines]

Ah, we've never. We've never had fun before. Could you maybe show us how?

[Amanda Weldon]

Oh, of course, she agreed. And the rest of the day was spent teaching the grumpy group how to play tag and hide and seek and Lily Pad Leap and all their other favorite games. And by the end, the grumpy group wasn't so grumpy and none of them wished for a king ever, ever again. The End Today's story, King of the Frogs, was an adaptation of an Aesop's fable written for you by Daniel Hines and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon.

[Narrator]

If you would like to support Stories.

[Amanda Weldon]

Podcast, you can leave us a five star review on iTunes. Check out all of our merch [e-mail] Shop Commission a special video on Cameo. Follow us on Instagram oriespodcast or simply tell your friends about us.

[Narrator]

In case you missed it, Dan and.

[Amanda Weldon]

I have a new show on Stories rpg. We play games just like Starsworn with all your max good name, friends and Gigacity Guardians featuring the brilliant Firefly. Click the link in the episode description or go to patreon.com storiesrpg to get ad free episodes. Play along games and coloring books. We've already got a bunch of episodes.

[Narrator]

Over there, so check them out now.

[Amanda Weldon]

Thanks for listening.