Discipline

Desiring Order in Chaos

“We can’t live like this. There’s no discipline at all here. There must be some order. To bring order and law, we need a king” croaked the old Bullfrog. At these words, all the croaking stopped, and the frogs looked at each other in dismay.

A young frog responded, “A king! What do we need a king for, we’re all kings here!” Chaos ensued until the bullfrog’s voice once again brought silence to the millpond. But the old bullfrog’s words were undeniably true. The frogs in the millpond indeed needed a stern king!

The Millpond and Its Residents

Let’s begin at the beginning. In a certain millpond lived a number of frogs. Independent and strong-willed, these frogs did as they pleased, frequently engaging in quarrels and brawls that filled the air with cacophonous noise. Little boys took to throwing stones at them. In this millpond, there was no discipline, and control was but a far-fetched dream.

This lack of discipline prompted the elderly bullfrogs to hold regular meetings, searching for a way to control the unruly band of frogs. The oldest of them, a respected sage of sorts, proposed that they appoint a king. The frogs, unaware of what a king truly symbolised, looked at one another in utter dismay.

A King from the Heavens

The old bullfrog suggested, “We shall pray to Lord Varuna to send us a king.” Lord Varuna was, after all, the God of Frogs. They prayed to this deity, and in response, Lord Varuna sent down a massive boulder shaped like a prominent frog.

With the boulder’s splash, the frogs scattered in all directions, croaking fearfully. For the first few days, peace prevailed over the millpond, but soon enough, a few daring individuals approached this stone king. After finding it unresponsive, they began to scorn their passive ruler. Once again, the pond descended into disorder, even worse than before.

Perils of a Powerful King

Upon witnessing this chaos, the elder frogs gathered once again and decided to ask for a new king – one that will instil fear in the frogs. After their prayer to Lord Varuna, the following day welcomed a stealthy crocodile into the pond. Initially, the frogs croaked a chorus of welcome, but the crocodile swiftly proved to be a deadly predator, horrifying the frogs into silence.

The frogs quickly learned to hide under the rocks, hardly venturing out. Peace and calm finally reigned, but it was a peace born of fear, unease, and a significantly reduced population. The frogs had learnt a tumultuous lesson about the nature of authority, and the price of their much-wanted discipline.