The Quack Frog by Aesop for ESL Students

The Quack Frog by Aesop for ESL students with a podcast and vocabulary practice in real context

The Quack Frog is now in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project.

Podcast of the Quack Frog

The Quack Frog

Once upon a time, a frog came forth from his home in the marshes and proclaimed to all the world that he was a learned physician, skilled in drugs and able to cure all diseases.

Among the crowd was a fox, who called out, “You a doctor! Why, how can you set up to heal others when you cannot even cure your own lame legs and blotched and wrinkled skin?”

English proverbs from the short story

Physician, heal thyself.

All bark and no bite.

This proverb applies to someone who boasts loudly but has no real ability or courage to back it up, similar to the frog who puffed himself up to be the size of an ox.

Don’t be deceived by appearances.

Just because something seems impressive or important on the surface, doesn’t mean it has any real substance.

Pride comes before a fall.

The frog’s inflated sense of self-importance ultimately led to his demise. This proverb warns against arrogance, megalomania and overconfidence.

Vocabulary in real context

1. once upon a time: some time ago, a long time ago
2. marshes: swampland, swamp, wetland
3. quack: charlatan, fraud, pretender
4. proclaim: to state publicly, announce, declare
5. physician: medical doctor
6. lame: ineffective, unsteady, wobbly
7. blotched: marked with spots or stains
8. wrinkle: lines on the skin due to aging

Questions and answers

Answer the following questions about the short story in the comment box below.

1. The story mentions the frog lived in a deep marsh. Was there anything specific about his environment that made him feel unloved or unimportant?
2. Did the frog provide any actual cures or treatments, or was it all a façade?
3. Who exposed the quack frog as a fraud? Was it just the fox, or did something else happen to reveal the truth?