Twenty froggies

Talking about life two five year olds through a poem on frogs.

I remember this poem we had to memorise in second standard. Not the full poem but the gist of it. Here it goes:

Twenty froggies went to school, down beside a rushy pool,
Twenty little coats of green, twenty vests all white and clean.
“We must be in time”, said they; “First we study, then we play;
That is how we keep the rule, when we froggies go to school.”

Master Froggy, grave and stern, called the classes in their turn,
Taught them how to nobly strive; likewise how to leap and dive;
From his seat upon a log, showed them how to say “Kerchog!”
Also how to dodge a blow from the sticks which bad boys throw.

Twenty froggies grew up fast, big frogs they became at last;
Not one dunce among the lot; not one lesson they forgot;
Polished to a high degree, as each froggy ought to be,
Now they sit on other logs, teaching other little frogs.

Although I still have the book, instead of typing I have copied it from here, and its attributed to a compilation by H.R. Pattengill.

The poem tears past the years of dust that has settled on the memories. Why it does that I cant say. It does provide an interesting way to convey life to five year olds with amazing clarity. If life can be explained through a poem on frogs in this way, then it cannot be as complex as we consider it as grown-ups.

Share

Licensing and information about the blog available here.