Misadventures in the Land of Fables #30
This illustration in the traditional Chinese ‘ink wash’ style* inspired the following fable:
~~~
A butterfly saw a frog squatting on a rock.
“I wonder how long its tongue might be,” the butterfly asked itself.
“This long,” answered the frog, as it grabbed the butterfly and swallowed it whole.
~~~
These two creatures could be in conversation, judging by their inclination, but the butterfly seems also to be within range of the frog’s tongue. Does it not understand the danger? Has it forgotten that frogs eat butterflies? Does it feel protected somehow, perhaps by its exquisite painterly markings, its beauty and goodness?
A fable about the consequences of naivete. Beware the predator. Keep your distance.
*artist unknown, but best guess is a pastiche by Russian artist, Anna Donchenko