Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together
August 3rd, 2008 | by Vijayaraghav |
Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together! Today is friendship day. Yesterday night, before I plunge into deep sleep, I was thinking about friendship but couldn’t sketch any thing spectacular in my mind. I had a dream afterwards and in that dream this frog and snake came together to tell everything about friendship. Though it was vague in my dream, I could recollect the complete story today morning and thought to recreate for you all to read and enjoy. It’s a cute African folk tale. Let’s begin. Once upon a time, the child of a frog was hopping along in the bush when he spied someone new lying across the path before him. This someone was long and slender, and his skin seemed to shine with all the colors of the rainbow. “Hello there” called Frog-child. “What are you doing lying here in the path”? “Just warming myself in the sun,” answered the someone new, twisting and turning and uncoiling himself. “My name is Snake-child. What’s yours?” “I’m Frog-child. Would u like to play with me?” So Frog-child and Snake-child played together all morning long in the bush. “Watch what I can do,” said Frog-child, and he hopped high into the air. “I’ll teach you how, if you want,” he offered. So he taught Snake-child how to hop, and together they hopped up and down the path through the bush. “Now watch what I can do,” said Snake-child, and he crawled on his belly straight up the trunk of a tall tree. “I’ll teach you if you want.” So he taught Frog-child how to slide on his belly and climb into trees. After a while they both grew hungry and decided to go home for lunch, but they promised each other to meet again the next day. “Thanks for teaching me how to hop,” called Snake-child. “Thanks for teaching me how to crawl up the trees,” called Frog-child. Then they each went home. “Look what I can do, Mother!” cried Frog-child, crawling on his belly. “Where did you learn how to do that?” his Mother asked. “Snake-child taught me,” he answered. “We played together in the bush this morning. He’s my new friend.” “Don’t you know the Snake family is a bad family?” his Mother asked. “They have poison in their teeth. Don’t ever let me catch you playing with one of them again. And don’t let me see you crawling on your belly, either. It isn’t proper.” Meanwhile, Snake-child went home and hopped up and down for his Mother to see. “Who taught you to do that?” she asked. “Frog-child did” he said. “He’s my new friend.” “What foolishness,” said his Mother. “Don’t you know we’ve been on bad terms with Frog family for longer than anyone can remember? The next time you play with Frog-child, catch him and eat him up. And stop that hopping. It isn’t our custom.” So the next morning when Frog-child met Snake-child in the bush’ he kept distance. “I’m afraid I can’t go crawling with you today,” he called, hopping back a hop or two. Snake-child eyed him quietly, remembered what his mother had told him. “If he gets too close, I’ll spring at him and eat him,” he thought. But then he remembered how much fun they had had together and how nice Frog-child had been to teach him how to hop. So he sighed sadly to himself and slid away into the bush. And from that day onwards, Frog-child and Snake-child never played together again. But they often sat alone in the sun, each thinking about their one day of friendship. This African folktale makes us think about how much companionship the world has missed because people are told they can’t be friends with each other. Each person approaches friendship in a different way. There are people we call “acquaintances”, and then there are people we call “friends” and there are the select few who are confidants and are our “best friends”. What defines your friends? What are the ground rules of your friendships? Is there any rule for friendship? All these are mere questions! Human relationships can never be dictated or limited by a set of rules. No relationship is an imitation of the other and no fixed law can claim to envelope all the aspects of even one relationship. Your friend must know you, your feelings, your likes and dislikes, hobbies, passions, tastes, choices and everything in between. Knowing a person is a satisfaction in itself and makes your friendship flourish and all the more special. Wish you all a happy friendship day. Enjoy your special day with fun and frolic.
25 Responses to “Why Frog and Snake Never Play Together”
By Muktadhara on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
really nice …your story makes me probe deeper into the friendships i had in the past …why some lasted and why some didnot?
By ClickVista on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
Nice friendship story. Once you loose a friendship, but memories are still there for you to think back and remember a good time you had. It never fade away, no matter what how long it will take in some cases.
By Idle Mind on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
My friends are not exactly based on matching mental levels. We just feel happy to exchange thoughts, yet there are many who are way above me in understanding the facets of life … so I feel blessed!
By Nakshathraa on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
We can’t just go and find a god friend..It just happens in course of time and as u said cannot be limited to certain rules….if u have a good friend to whom u can share everything u r gifted..
By InkTank on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
lovely story, real good friends are rare…am lucky to have a few here on ibibo. i had read this somewhere - i true friend is one who agrees with u even when u r wrong, everyone wud agree with u if u are right! i will be in mumbai in sept last week for 4
By Santosh n on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
Very touching and beautifully said. A true friendship takes time to shape up. When the liking for each other exceeds the need for each other, friendship blossoms. No external forces could ever influence such soul mates. Thnx my friend, an apt post for the
By Priya on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
NICE STORY WITH CUTE PICTURE..Nzar mila k humse nzar n chura lena,Dost bana k humko begana n bana dena,Mana k hum dur he apse,Isi bat ko bahana banakr humko bhula na dena
By Sumit Ghost on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
Nice story with a good moral.Sometimes in life u go through the situation that only a best friend can only make u feel better nobody else.I also wish all my new friends a happy friendship day.
By A Banerji on Aug 3, 2008 | Reply
what a lesson on friendship…
the story is so true… we face this problem even in our life….
friendship must not have any limitation and it must be allowed to grow…
By Dr Raj on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Dear Vijay, an excellent story, and in ur recounting, u hv added a sense of tale-telling that u truly possess, which I believe is unique, and beg u to develop it further…for our benefit! As for the story itself, I like to look at psychology rather than
By Pavalamani P on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Am not very satisfied with the way the African folk tale is twisted round to suit a convenient message for friendship day! Does the tale not give hard facts of life’s survival, food chain & difference among species?
By Anonymous on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
"how much companionship the world has missed because people are told they can’t be friends with each other". Its so true..i could easily relate to it..parents say dnt talk to him/her cos she is not of our status or caste or sumthg like that..bu
By * G U R U on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
SO TRUE STORY…..IT GENERALLY HAPPEN WITH HUMAN BEINGS…..GREAT WRITE UP..AS USUAL…
By Umbrella on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Oh yes..society and our culture sometimes make it hard to reach out to the true friendship. Religion bias, gender bias and the resulting narrow mindedness r the reasons for this statement>>> ;"how much companionship the world has missed becaus
By V Manohar on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Good do visit my blog on global warming on 8th august
By Nishu's on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Lovely story…Pls visit my previous post and today’s post….
By . Rashmi on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Wonderful tale..you are right, friendship or for that matter any relationship can’t be defined…it is a feeling in the hearts…happy friendship day!!
By Rajiv S. on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Very true this folk tale is and how well did you bring it for us to read, right on time…….Happy Friendship Day
By . Miranda on Aug 4, 2008 | Reply
Lovable African tale…….a true friendship is forever for share "feelings, likes, dislikes, hobbies, passions, tastes, choices, pain and everything in life"…Happy Friendship Day belated my dear Vijay…!!
By Anuchinta on Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
Yeah…social customs prevent a lot of healthy things…enjoyed your blog.
By Raja on Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
nice and interesting. I call it prejudice. When we meet a person for the first time we dont give him a chance to express himself. We are already prejudiced against him or her based on his attire, speech, body language and of course the most vital other pe
By Nishu's on Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
hello…written a poem on Frienship..pls check it how is it…..
By Ansyton on Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
Well writen story….Whatever you told is true…
By Sonia Sonia on Aug 5, 2008 | Reply
That wqs a beautiful read. Friends are forever and some do touch the soul. One shares the deepest of secrets, likes, hobbies.They tell you exactly what u hear, including things one might not want to hear. Blessed is a person who has found one and as they
By Sumit Ghost on Aug 8, 2008 | Reply
that is good story to read and keep in the mind