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Lalanne, Jean-Barnard (French, b. 1952) la Grenouille qui Vout se Faime Aussi Grosse que la Bouef Oil on canvas, 39 1/4" x 47" , Signed, inscribed verso A Frog saw an Ox Which seemed to him to be of a good size. He, who was not as big as an egg, Enviously, he stretched out, swelled, and worked To match the animal in size, Saying: Look carefully, my brother; Is it enough? Tell me; am I not there yet? —No. —So I am there? —Not at all. —I am there? —You are not even close. The puny frog Swelled up so much that he burst. The world is full of people who are no wiser: Every Bourgeois wants to build like the great Lords, Every little Prince has Ambassadors, Every Marquis wants to have Pages. Based on Aesop’s Fable The Frog Who Wished to Be as Big as the Ox, this piece tells the tale of a frog who, envious of the cow’s size, tries to puff himself up to match it—only to burst in the end. The story serves as a cautionary lesson: Striving to imitate those we perceive as greater can lead to our own downfall if we lose sight of our limitations.