1. CAMBODIA INTERNATIONALCOOPERATION INSTITUTE
THE THIRSTY FROG
Rain
In Malaysia.it rains a lot. There are many rivers there are lakes full of water.
Plants grow quickly. There aretrees everywhere. There are many birds and
animals there are many insects it is easy for them to live here.
But many other countries are very different. Some places in Australia have
lots of rain. But in some places it does not rain much.it is called “The bush”.Some
trees and plants can grow there. Bird and animals can live there. But it is harder
for them to live there. It is always dry.
Some places are desert. It is very hot. Sometimes there is no rain for many
years. The ground is hard and dry. Very few plants grow. But there are seeds in
the ground. When it does rain a little, the seeds grow very quickly. Soon there are
small green plants and flowers. Their seeds fall on the plants die. But the seeds
wait for the next rain.
The thirsty frog
Long ago, there was a lot of water. There were rivers and lakes. The country
was green and beautiful. There was food for the animals to eat. There was water
for them to drink. All the animals were happy. But there was one very big animal.
It was bigger than the mountains. Sometimes this animal felt angry. There was
thunder. The mountains shook. All the other animals were afraid of him. The
animal was a big frog.
One day the big frog felt very thirsty. He drank some water from the lake.
But he still felt thirsty. So he drank some more. He drank more and more. There
was a lot of water inside him. He got bigger and bigger. He drank all the water in
the lake. Then he drank all the water in the river too. Now he was very, very full of
water. Now he was very, very big.

2. Soon there was no water left to drink. The country became very dry. There
other animals became thirsty. The plants started to die. There was no food for the
animals to eat. They were very unhappy.
“All the water is inside the frog” They said “We have no water to drink. We
will die.” What can we do? One man asked.
“We must ask the frog to give us back some water,” said another. “But we are all
afraid of the frog,” a third man said. “Who will go?” they all asked.
Then the kangaroo spoke. “I am afraid of the frog” he said “but I will die with no
water. I will go.” So the kangaroo went to the frog. “Help us. Please open your
mouth,” she said “Give us back some water.” The frog opened one eye. HE did not
speak then he shut his eye again. The kangaroo went back to other animals.
“I will ask him,” said the dingo or will dog. He went to the frog. “Give us.
Please open your mouth,” he said “Give us back some water.” the frog did not
speak.
All the animals asked the frog. They asked him, one by one. But the frog did
not open his mouth.
Then the kookaburra spoke. The kookaburra is a bird that laughs. “We must
make the frog laugh” said the kookaburra. When I laugh, he will laugh too. Then
he will open hos mouth. The water will come out.
But the kookaburra could not make him laugh. Then all the animals told the
frog funny stories. None of them made him laugh. Soon the animals were very
tired. They were very vey thirsty. The thirstiest animal was little fish.
The clever little fish
“I will try to make him laugh” said the fish. He jumped on top of the big
frog. He touched the frog softly on his soft skin. He was like a bird’s feather. He
tickled the frog.
The frog opened his mouth and laughed. The fish still tickled him softly. The
frog laughed more and more. His mouth opened wide. Rivers of water came out.

3. There was water everywhere. Everyone was happy. ”thank you, little fish,” they
all said “you are very clever.”
Soon there were new rivers and new lakes. The animals drank the water. All
the animals were happy again. But sometimes there is no rain. The ground
becomes dry. The people tell the story of the big frog.