From A Tale of Songs by Swami Kriyananda
“This song was based on a story Paramhansa Yogananda used to tell, with smiles and laughter. It told of the importance of hanging in there, despite the obstacles.”
LYRICS
There were two frogs went hopping out one day
To see what they could see, oh!
Now one of them was big and strong they say:
The other one was wee, oh!
As they hopped about so merrily,
They came upon a mystery:
Something shiny bright and high and round:
What luck was this they’d found?
They thought they’d never rest again until
The mystery was clear, oh!
As things so round and high and shiny will,
It tempted them too near, oh!
For they jumped up in a soaring arc,
As though each frog had been a lark;
And they dropped in something smooth as silk:
It was a pail of milk.
Just give a thought: I’m sure you will agree
Theirs was a sorry plight, oh!
The bucket’s sides were smooth and steep, and gee,
Their jumping power was slight, oh!
Though they tried and tried to leap back out,
A frog’s a frog, he’s not a trout.
On dry land he’ll hop and hop at whim:
In milk he has to swim.
Well, so they swam and swam and swam – poor things!
They’d nothing else to do, oh!
God gave them legs, but not a hint of wings.
Soon both were turning blue, oh!
Then the big frog gasped, and cried, “I can’t!
My legs won’t move; I can hardly pant!
What’s the use of trying? We’ll never win.”
The big frog thus gave in.
But now the little frog swam harder still:
The milk churned with his feet, oh!
He thought, “Though tired, I’d rather use my will
Than be a lump of meat, oh!
Suddenly, as strength was failing him,
A large lump touched him on a limb:
Firm at last upon this butter mound,
He hopped out to the ground!
