The Hares and the Frogs

The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts, they did not know where to go. As soon as they saw a single animal approach them, off they used to run. One day they saw a troop of wild Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares scuttled off to a lake hard by, determined to drown themselves rather than live in such a continual state of fear. But just as they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened in their turn by the approach of the Hares, scuttled off, and jumped into the water. "Truly," said one of the Hares, "things are not so bad as they seem:

"There is always someone worse off than yourself."

From The Hares and the Frogs by Aesop, translated by Joseph Jacobs (1894). Public domain.

Check your understanding

1. Based on the passage, what does the word "persecuted" most likely mean?

Hunted and chased constantlyIgnored by everyone elseProtected by larger animalsGiven special treatment

2. Why did the Hares run to the lake when they saw the wild Horses?

To drink water after running so fastTo hide from the frogs in the mudTo drown themselves to escape their fearTo swim across to the other side

3. How does the Hares' reaction to the wild Horses compare to the Frogs' reaction to the Hares?

4. The author uses the word "scuttled" to describe how both the Hares and the Frogs move. What does this word choice suggest about how the animals are feeling?

5. What makes the Hare change his mind about drowning himself at the end of the story? Use evidence from the text to explain.