The King of Frogs


Our hero was out in the woods since morning, busying himself with building some building of sorts, looking for the right log, getting it, coming to the building, placing it there, searching for the next right log and so on.

This purpose of the edifice becomes apparent as our hero, after placing the last handful of mud and the last cane stick to the edifice, dives athletically in the swamp. He reaches out for air once in a while, all covered in mud, swims and sweeps, deep and shallow, as if looking for something. Eventually he comes out holding a frog, and puts it inside the edifice. The scared frog jumps back and forth, unable to reach over the other side; captured.

Our hero dives again, and again, and again…

Soon the edifice contains hundreds of frogs. Then he sits on a log and waits. The scared jumping frogs make a terrible noise but this seems not to bother our hero. He seems to actually enjoy it. Some time passes without much change, frogs jumping, hero sitting, all covered in mud that begins to dry.

Presently a new frog comes out of the swamp. He radiates tranquility, his self possession and grounded halo distinguish him from the other frogs, which seem to sense his presence and become calm and quiet. Even those unfamiliar with their ways can read the frogs’ mind: He’s here!

He stops in front of our hero, about six feet away, looks at the edifice and thinks: What is this new devilry? In a calm voice, radiating serenity, he affirms:

“You shall release my people from this edifice.”

“Ha ha ha, I feel greatly honored to be addressed by your majesty,” laughs our hero wickedly, “but, you see, this time around it is I who sets the terms of our agreement. As you set your foot out of that swamp onto this red sand you’re sitting on now, your powers have forever been forfeit.”

“You shall release my people, lest shall I turn you into what you hate most.”

As our hero did not submit, the King of Frogs jumps in the air, claps his feet and creates a spark, but then nothing happens.

“Ha ha ha, not this time, your majesty, not this time around…”

The loud laughter echoed in the woods, while the King of Frogs smiled.

Why is the King of Frogs smiling?

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41 comments ↓

#1 Cornelia on 07.19.11 at 6:23 pm

Could it have something to do with the fact that the hero is covered in mud… and the mud is drying up on his body making him unable to move?

#2 Gec on 07.19.11 at 10:36 pm

It could. But it doesn’t :) The answer is not in that direction.

Read again, more carefully :)

#3 Cornelia on 09.13.11 at 10:43 am

How about a clue, Gec?

#4 Gec on 09.14.11 at 1:02 am

Fair enough, a clue is due. Let’s say it’s got something to do with the red sand. And with an assumption. :)

#5 Mika on 09.14.11 at 10:38 am

jumping and not being on sand the spell had effect and he was laughing because he turned him into a barbarian (being a hero probably hated barbarians/rogues) ?

#6 Gec on 09.14.11 at 1:42 pm

Cool and plausible explanation, but that’s not what happened :) . This riddle is a little more subtle.

Besides, the King did not turn our hero into anything; the riddle says clearly that when the King clapped his feet, there was a spark, but then nothing happened.

Good answer, but no dice :) , try again.

#7 Mika on 09.14.11 at 2:40 pm

I thought that only his character/personality changed, nothing visible but I understand from your answer that really nothing happened, visible or not.

#8 Mika on 09.14.11 at 3:29 pm

he caught a fly when he jumped and that’s why he was smiling :) )

#9 Gec on 09.14.11 at 4:38 pm

Yes and no :)

Yes as in, yes nothing happened.

No as in, no he didn’t catch a fly.

As I said, this one is subtle.

#10 Gec on 09.14.11 at 4:39 pm

So it has to do with the red sand, and with an assumption. Here’s another hint: Pay close attention to the dialog.

#11 Mika on 09.14.11 at 6:02 pm

when he jumped say that it was sunset and after the sun goes down, the King of Frogs turns into a real King :) …more clues if not

#12 Gec on 09.14.11 at 11:27 pm

Did you pay attention to the dialog? In particular, the King’s words…

#13 Cornelia on 09.16.11 at 2:18 pm

Did the king turn him into a frog? That was my initial assumption, but it seems too easy :-)

#14 Gec on 09.17.11 at 12:40 am

No, the King did not turn him into a frog. When the king did his spell, nothing happened, as if the spell had indeed had no power. Yet the King smiled.

Now why did he smile? The answer is in the King’s words :)

#15 crys ;D on 12.08.11 at 10:49 pm

is it cus (this is gonna sound real wierd)but
the hero guy made it so that when u stepped on the redsand u forfiet ur power
BUT
the king found a flaw in this- he ould do one more spell or something
he made it so that the red sand releases them or somfink
OR
the king guy realises that the red sand can like allow an electric current 2 pass through it and disable it
so when he creates the spark it disables it?

#16 Gec on 12.09.11 at 11:15 pm

Wow that’s impressive :) great imagination, but that’s not actually what goes on. Read the riddle again, more carefully, and you’ll realize what the answer is.

Good luck!

#17 Tom on 04.05.12 at 12:52 am

Any chance that “our hero” is a frog himself?

#18 Gec on 04.06.12 at 12:39 pm

Good thinking Tom, but no, our hero is not a frog. You are getting very close to the answer though, if you’re thinking of what I think you’re thinking of :p

#19 u on 09.06.12 at 4:41 am

His laugh echoed through the woods when he wanted it to after the kings magic did not work.

#20 u on 09.06.12 at 4:44 am

The magic actually backfired.

#21 Gec on 09.19.12 at 7:34 pm

Well, this riddle which I thought to be very easy actually seems troublesome. That’s not it u, try again?

#22 Bilbo Bobkins on 10.09.12 at 7:01 am

He turned the hero into what the hero hated most.

#23 Clashionista Psychedelic on 11.04.12 at 4:03 pm

there was no magic, so… did the frog not turn him into anything… wait, why is he the hero?

#24 Clashionista Psychedelic on 11.04.12 at 4:17 pm

he assumes the red sand either doesnt have magic, the hero assumes the frog king HAS magic and will give it to him, and the frog king doesnt, the red sand allowing him to create a spark proves it isnt magic taking, or the hero is a good guy who wanted to be a frog and was a kind ruler to all of frogkind, but the new frog king overthrew him and the hero is taking the frogs to create a new kingdom, what the hero doesnt want to be is a cruel or unjust ruler and by taking the frogs, the new king is saying that that is a cruel thing to do, when he jumped and created a spark, nothing happened, proving to our hero how cruel he was to completely almost demolish the kings powers. The hero will try to grab the frog king and realize this, and release all of the frogs, the king will smile and say, never mess with the king of frogs and his people, and the hero will get a land of his kind to rule instead.

#25 Clashionista Psychedelic on 11.26.12 at 10:35 pm

The hero was a villain. He, being a hero, hated villains.

#26 Gec on 11.28.12 at 12:08 am

Bilbo, care to elaborate on that a bit? It sounds like the right answer :)

Clashionista very imaginative :) but no that’s not it.

Thanks for your comments.

#27 Clashionista Psychedelic on 01.23.13 at 10:10 pm

could it possibly be that the frog turned the hero into somethng else… bt only menTAL ? Is the frog a sculpter and he’ll make he heros sculpture into what he hates the most?

#28 Clashionista Psychedelic on 02.13.13 at 9:59 pm

42?

#29 Clashionista Psychedelic on 02.13.13 at 10:08 pm

He has really low self esteem? Therefore he hates himself most, and so nothing happened.

#30 Zaan Kaolize Makamitire on 02.13.13 at 10:10 pm

He was happy?

#31 Gec on 02.25.13 at 8:13 pm

Clashionista Psychedelic: YES! that is correct. Finally, someone cracked this riddle. I can’t believe it took so long.

Thank you, you rock!

#32 Clashionista Psychedelic on 03.07.13 at 4:31 am

YAY!!

#33 Clashionista Psychedelic on 03.08.13 at 2:28 am

Wait, which one?

#34 Zaan Kaolize Makamitire on 03.08.13 at 3:39 pm

Yes, I admit to having stolen the computer from Clashy. I, however, forgot to change the name until Clashy told me I should. I posted 42 and self-esteem, she posted sculpture. I think she is right, she thinks I am right.

#35 Clashionista Psychedelic on 03.08.13 at 3:46 pm

Yeah… I am confused… I think hers is more obvious…

#36 Zaan Kaolize Makamitire on 03.08.13 at 3:56 pm

Yet I was so desperate that I posted a random guess that I thought would be somewhat funny. I was desperate, look at 42!

#37 Clashionista Psychedelic on 03.08.13 at 5:10 pm

Okay, now we stop arguing that other is right.

#38 Zaan Kaolize Makamitire on 03.10.13 at 9:35 pm

Well, we’ll both be right either way. (Unless it was 42.)

#39 Gec on 03.11.13 at 11:31 pm

:) :) :)

It was the low self esteem. Our hero actually hated frogs, and the whole world, thereby hating himself as well, for all conflict is inner conflict, all love is self love, and all hate is self hate.

The King realized this. His magic did work, but it didn’t turn the hero into anything, because he was already that into which he would be turned.

Congrats again!

#40 Clashionista Psychedelic on 03.14.13 at 3:59 am

See, Zaan Kaolize Makmitire, I told you! Wait… The Hero was a frog? Okay….a

#41 Gec on 03.20.13 at 1:43 am

He hated frogs, and thus hated himself too, he was not a frog (although, even if he were, the riddle is still the same).

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