올드코난의 이솝우화 제 110화 개구리가 선택한 왕 (Perry 44. The Frogs ask Zeus for a King(The Frogs Pick a King) * 개구리와 제우스 신

올드코난 (Old Conan)이 재해석하는 현대판 이솝우화 (Aesop's Fables, Aesopica) => 원 저작자: Aesop; 참고 번역본 저자: 조지 파일러 타운센드(George Fyler Townsend, 1814-1900) 외 / 현재 알려진 이솝우화들을 현대적으로 해석해  소개해 드리겠습니다.

올드코난의 이솝우화 제 110화 개구리가 선택한 왕 (Perry 44. The Frogs ask Zeus for a King(The Frogs Pick a King) *혹은 개구리와 제우스 신; 개구리가 선택한 왕

연못에 모여 평화롭게 살던 개구들은 언제부터인가 자신들을 통솔해줄 강력한 왕이 있기를 소망했다. 그리고 의견을 모아 제우스 신에게 요청했다. 제우스 신은 개구리들이 부탁을 들어주기로 한다. 그리고 개구리들이 사는 연못에 통나무 하나를 던져주었다. 통나무가 큰 소리를 내며 연못에 빠지고 사방에 물이 튀었다. 개구리들은 모두 놀라 숨어 버렸다. 시간이 조금 지나 처음에는 통나무가 무서웠던 개구리들은 통나무가 사실은 아무거도 아닌 나무토막에 지나지 않는 다는 것을 깨달았다.

개구리들은 이내 통나무 위에 드러눕기도하면서 비웃었다.

다시 시간이 지나 개구리들은 제우스 신에게 자신들을 통치할 수 있는 살아있는 왕을 요청했다. 제우스 신이 개구리에게 보낸 두 번째 왕은 뱀장어였다. 하지만, 개구들에게 순한 뱀장어는 너무 약해 보였다.

개구리들은 한 번 더 왕을 요청했다. 제우스 신은 개구들이 계속해서 강력한 왕을 요구하자, 내심 화가 났다. 결국 제우스 신은 세 번째로 왕을 보내는데, 바로 왜가리(Heron, 백로류)였다.  왜가리를 처음 본 개구리들은 강해 보이는 왜가리의 풍모에 환호하며 기뻐했다. 하지만, 이 기쁨은 얼마가지 않았다.

왜가리는 개구리들을 한 마리씩 잡아 먹기 시작했고, 결국 연못의 모든 개구리들을 다 잡아 먹고 말았다.

독재자의 허상에 속지 마라.   

[올드코난 한마디]

이 이야기는 바로 지금의 한국 사회에 꼭 필요하다고 생각한다. 

이승만부터 박정희, 전두환, 노태우라는 독재시기를 거친 한국인들은 아직까지도 강력한 지도자 상에 대한 환상에서 깨어나지 못하고 있다. 스스로 생각하고 살아가는 민주주의 시민 보다는 권력자의 지시대로 움직이는 수동적인 노비 근성에서 깨어나지 못하고 있다. 

강력한 왕을 원했던 개구리들은 모두 다 죽고 말았다. 히틀러에 환호했던 독일의 나치는 패망했고, 스탈린을 찬양했던 구 소련인들은 수천만이 학살을 당했다. 김일성, 김정일 김정은 3대 세습으로 이어진 북한 사회는 세계에서도 가장 인권이 낙후된 국가로 꼽힌다.

강력한 지도자는 곧 독재를 의미한다. 진정한 지도자는 강한 군주가 아니라 바보처럼 국민들에게 화를 내지 않고 내 탓이라고 말할 수 있는 용기있는 사람인 것이다. 이제 박정희와 이승만의 허상에서 벗어나야 하지 않을까. 

[영어 문장] 

The Frogs ask Zeus for a King(The Frogs Pick a King)

Frogs prayed for a king but got a log. Prayed again and got a stork who started to have a feast on them.

People are never satisfied.

1.Townsend version

The Frogs, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to Jupiter entreating for a King. Perceiving their simplicity, he cast down a huge log into the lake. The Frogs were terrified at the splash occasioned by its fall and hid themselves in the depths of the pool. But as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up, and began squatting on it in contempt. After some time they began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over them another sovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern them. When the Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent yet a third time to Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still another King. Jupiter, displeased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed upon the Frogs day by day till there were none left to croak upon the lake.

2.Caldecott

The Frogs were grieved at their own lawless condition, so they sent a deputation to Zeus begging him to provide them with a King. Zeus, perceiving their simplicity, dropped a Log of wood into the pool. At first the Frogs were terrified by the splash, and dived to the bottom; but after a while, seeing the Log remain motionless, they came up again, and got to despise it so much that they climbed up and sat on it. Dissatisfied with a King like that, they came again to Zeus and entreated him to change their ruler for them, the first being altogether too torpid. Then Zeus was exasperated with them, and sent them a Stork, by whom they were seized and eaten up.

3. JBR Collection

The Frogs living an easy, free sort of life among the lakes and ponds, once prayed Jupiter to send them a King. Jove being at that time in a merry mood, threw them a Log, saying, as he did so, “There, then, is a King for you.” Awed by the splash, the Frogs watched their King in fear and trembling, till at last, encouraged by his stillness, one more daring than the rest jumped upon the shoulder of his monarch. Soon, many others followed his example, and made merry on the back of their unresisting King. Speedily tiring of such a torpid ruler, they again petitioned Jupiter, and asked him to send them something more like a King. This time he sent them a Stork, who tossed them about and gobbled them up without mercy. They lost no time, therefore, in beseeching the god to give them again their former state. “No, no,” replied he; “a King that did you no harm did not please you. Make the best of the one you have, or you may chance to get a worse in his place.”

4.Eliot/Jacobs Version

The Frogs were living happily in a swamp that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody and nobody troubling with them. But some of them thought this was not right; they should have a king. They therefore sent a petition to Jove to give them what they wanted. “Mighty Jove,” they cried, “send us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order.” Jove laughed at their croaking, and threw down a huge Log. The Frogs were frightened by the commotion in their midst. After a time, seeing that it did not move, one or two of the boldest of them ventured towards the Log, and even dared to touch it. Then all the Frogs came and did the same; and for some time the Frogs went about their business every day without taking the slightest notice of their new King Log. But this did not suit them, so they sent another petition to Jove, and said to him, “We want a real king; one that will really rule over us.” This made Jove angry, so he sent among them a big Stork that soon set to work gobbling them all up. The Frogs repented too late.

5.L’Estrange version

In the days of old, when the frogs were all at liberty in the lakes, and grown quite weary of living without government, they petition’d Jupiter for a king, to the end that there might be some distinction of good and evil, by certain equitable rules and methods of reward and punishment. Jupiter, that knew the vanity of their hearts, threw them down a log for their governour; which upon the first dash, frighted the whole mobile of them into the mudd for the very fear on’t. This panick terror kept them in awe for a while, ’till in good time, one frog, bolder than the rest, put up his head, and look’d about him, to see how squares went with their new king. Upon this, he calls his fellow-subjects together; opens the truth of the case; and nothing would serve them then, but riding a-top of him, insomuch that the dread they were in before, is now turned into insolence, and tumult. This king they said was too tame for them, and Jupiter must needs be entreated to send ’em another: he did so, but authors are divided upon it, whether ’twas a stork, or a serpent; though whether of the two soever it was, he left them neither liberty, nor property, but made a prey of his subjects. Such was their condition in fine, that they sent Mercury to Jupiter yet once again for another king, whose answer was this: They that will not be contented when they are well, must be patient when things are amiss with them; and people had better rest where they are, than go farther, and fare worse.

Moral: The mobile are uneasie without a ruler: they are as restless with one; and the oft’ner they shift, the worse they are; so that government or no government; a king of God’s making, or of the peoples, or none at all; the multitude are never to be satisfied.

6. Ranae et Iuppiter

Ranae olim clamore magno regem petierunt a Iove. Ridet Pater Deorum atque magnum truncum e caelo in paludem deiicit. Subito motu aquarum sonoque perterritae, mergunt et latent in limo. Forte una profert e stagno caput et, explorato rege, cunctas evocat. Illae, timore posito, adnatant; mox petulans turba in truncum insilit. Alium regem postulant, quoniam inutilis esset qui fuerat datus. Tum Iuppiter misit ciconiam. Ea uno die magnum ranarum numerum dilacerat, iugulat, vivas alias devorat. Reliquae, mersae, lugent, flent, orant ut ab hac calamitate liberentur. Sed Deum non movent querelae ac lacrimae. “Benignum,” inquit, “et placidum regem non tulistis; iam ferum et barbarum fertote!”

Moral: Minus perferte, maius ne veniat malum.

7. Aesop For Children (The Frogs Who Wished For a King)

The Frogs were tired of governing themselves. They had so much freedom that it had spoiled them, and they did nothing but sit around croaking in a bored manner and wishing for a government that could entertain them with the pomp and display of royalty, and rule them in a way to make them know they were being ruled. No milk and water government for them, they declared. So they sent a petition to Jupiter asking for a king.

Jupiter saw what simple and foolish creatures they were, but to keep them quiet and make them think they had a king he threw down a huge log, which fell into the water with a great splash. The Frogs hid themselves among the reeds and grasses, thinking the new king to be some fearful giant. But they soon discovered how tame and peaceable King Log was. In a short time the younger Frogs were using him for a diving platform, while the older Frogs made him a meeting place, where they complained loudly to Jupiter about the government.

To teach the Frogs a lesson the ruler of the gods now sent a Crane to be king of Frogland. The Crane proved to be a very different sort of king from old King Log. He gobbled up the poor Frogs right and left and they soon saw what fools they had been. In mournful croaks they begged Jupiter to take away the cruel tyrant before they should all be destroyed.

“How now!” cried Jupiter “Are you not yet content? You have what you asked for and so you have only yourselves to blame for your misfortunes.”

Moral: Be sure you can better your condition before you seek to change. 

글 작성/편집 올드코난 (Old Conan)

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