Monday, June 16, 2008

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I am not

My friend Kristy just posted here about a rhyming verse (I hesitate to call it a poem) that's always bothered her. It reminded me of my feelings about this one:

Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl,
One was an optimistic soul;
But the other took the gloomy view,
"I shall drown," he cried, "and so will you."

So with a last despairing cry,
He closed his eyes and said, "Good-bye."
But the other frog, with a merry grin
Said, "I can't get out, but I won't give in!

I'll swim around till my strength is spent.
For having tried, I'll die content."
Bravely he swam until it would seem
His struggles began to churn the cream.

On the top of the butter at last he stopped
And out of the bowl he happily hopped.
What is the moral? It's easily found.
If you can't get out -- keep swimming around!


Every time I hear this, I think, "No, the moral is 'Always check your butter for dead frogs.'"




3 comments:

glassGirl said...

Doggerel: one of the great ills of our society.

Vern said...

Your conclusion is much more sound. I think Elizabeth would be proud.

The Leavitt Crew said...

I will be much more cautious when buttering my toast in the future! I am Don Leavitt's wife and he would really like to get together with you guys! Please give us a call - we're in the book.