During my beginning years at Chichester’s elementary school in the 1950s, our class was treated to a special lesson that captured our attention. The old film projector was set up and we watched a short animated movie called The Boastful Frog. There was a moral to this story.
The way I remember the cartoon, not only was this braggart frog big in size, he imagined that he was smarter, could leap farther, croak louder, swim faster and attract more girl frogs than all the other frogs. He was certain the lily pads flowered just for him. He could catch more flies, he claimed.
This blowhard even thought he could frighten away frog enemies. In his mind, frogs in other ponds were in awe of his size, brilliance and power. He was definitely a bullyfrog! Fellow frogs were actually more fearful than impressed.
One day the pompous frog got wind of an even bigger frog somewhere in the pond. Though leery of this news, the boastful frog wasn’t taking any chances. He inhaled a tremendous amount of air over and over again, each time extending his belly to the point that his eyes bugged out. His whole body became distorted as he continued to expand. “Now see how grand I am,” he bellowed to the world.
All of a sudden the misshapen frog exploded, spreading fragmented parts in all directions. The pond’s inhabitants felt no remorse. Instead, newfound harmony was welcome.
I hadn’t thought of The Boastful Frog in about 60 years, until Donald Trump came so bigly on the political scene. Now I see a distinct correlation between the cartoon character and the gloating President Trump. President, like frog, can’t control himself.
Long before Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president, he was known as being a surly braggart. As a wealthy celebrity he believed he was irresistible to attractive young women. His team of expert investigators would prove that Obama was born in Kenya. Trump alone witnessed “thousands and thousands” of Muslim Americans cheering as the towers crashed on 9/11.
During the campaign and onward to this day Trump’s self-aggrandizement has continued nonstop.
He ranted that Americans are going to win so much at everything we’ll be sick and tired of winning. We’ll say, “Please Mr. President, we beg you sir, we can’t win anymore.” Bluster is ongoing about his ratings for years as television host of The Apprentice and how many times his face has graced Time magazine’s cover.
He announced, “I will be the greatest jobs president God ever created.” Trump defies aerial photography clearly showing inauguration day crowd numbers, blaming the media for diminishing the mass of true believers he imagines.
Presidential bluster about his high I.Q. and that he knows more about ISIS than the generals is repulsive. Most recently, President Trump stated that he is going to straighten out the troubled world. Wow!
The boastful frog’s self-destruction hurt no one except his animated self. The Trump presidency is no jovial cartoon. Continuous bragging and purveyance of “alternative facts” would be humorous if it wasn’t so pathetic.
The American people aren’t meek amphibians to be bullied in the greater pond.
(Paul Nichols lives in Loudon.)