Once upon a time, a frog croaked in Bingle Bog throughout the entire night, starting from dusk and lasting until dawn. Despite the hatred of all the creatures towards its loud and unpleasant voice, they had no alternative. The voice emanated from the sumac tree, where the frog sang every night until morning.
Despite facing stones, prayers, sticks, insults, and complaints, he remained determined and shameless in his determination to sing. One night, in the moonlight, a nightingale began to sing and amazed both the frog and other creatures. The entire bog was captivated by her voice and applauded her when she finished. The frog, fueled by jealousy, made up his mind to get rid of his competitor.
When the nightingale was about to sing the next night, she was disturbed by the croak of the frog. The nightingale inquired about the frog and he responded that he possessed the sumac tree and was renowned for his wonderful voice. He also mentioned that he had composed numerous songs for the Bog Trumpet. The nightingale then asked his opinion on her song.
The frog criticized the song, stating that it was not bad but too long and lacked force. The nightingale was impressed that the frog had critiqued her song. She expressed happiness that the song was her own creation. In response, the frog advised her to undergo proper training in order to attain a strong voice, otherwise she would remain a beginner.
He also mentioned that he would provide training to her but would require a fee. At present, the nightingale was brimming with confidence and had become a sensation, drawing animals from far distances. The frog, with precision, collected admission fees from all of them. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, the frog initiated vocal training for the nightingale, even though initially she had declined to sing. However, the frog persisted and made her sing continuously for six hours until she was trembling and her voice had turned hoarse and indistinct.
However, the next day, her neck miraculously cleared up and she regained her ability to sing. This attracted a breathless audience, including rich ladies, kings, queens, and others. The frog had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, he was happy to be earning lots of money. On the other hand, he was jealous of his rival’s newfound fame and success. Every day, the frog would scold her and make her practice even longer, pointing out her small errors such as nervousness and not adding more trills and frills to her performance.
He reminded her about the sixty shillings she owed him, which was why he wanted the crowd to gather. However, the nightingale’s condition was deteriorating, causing her song to become tired and uninspired. She couldn’t bear this, as she had become accustomed to applause and had therefore become miserable.
The heartless frog scolded the brainless bird, causing her to tremble and eventually die from bursting a vein. The frog claimed to have tried teaching her but deemed her foolish, nervous, and easily influenced. Afterwards, the frog’s fog horn began blearing once more, unchallenged in the bog.
The poem teaches us that it is foolish to be inspired or influenced by someone who is unknown and strange. The nightingale made a mistake by not considering how a frog with a harsh voice could be a music maestro, and she ended up suffering for her misjudgment. This lesson applies to human society too, where people often try to exploit the innocence or ignorance of others.
