Spread the love

The Frog and the Nightingale Summary Class 10 English

Table of Contents

The Frog and the Nightingale Summary Class 10 English – In this blog post, we explore Vikram Seth’s poignant poem The Frog and the Nightingale, which delves into the themes of exploitation, manipulation, and blind trust. The story unfolds in Bingle Bog, where a loud and unpleasant frog croaks every night, disturbing the peaceful creatures living there. When a melodious nightingale arrives, her sweet song captivates everyone, but soon, the frog seizes the opportunity to manipulate her into “training” under his guidance. What follows is a tragic tale of the nightingale’s downfall due to excessive singing, leading to her untimely death.

The Frog and the Nightingale Summary Class 10 English

In this post, we’ll summarize the story, discuss its moral, and analyze its central theme. The poem teaches us the importance of being cautious of those who may flatter us for personal gain, and the dangers of blindly trusting manipulative individuals.

Introduction to the Frog in Bingle Bog

Once upon a time, in a place called Bingle Bog, there lived a frog who croaked loudly every night. His voice was not pleasant, and it echoed through the entire bog, disturbing all the creatures who lived there. No matter how much they complained, insulted, or even threw bricks at him, the frog continued croaking. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to bear with his loud and irritating noise every night.

The Arrival of the Nightingale

One night, a beautiful nightingale arrived in the bog. She perched on a sumac tree and began singing a sweet, melodious tune under the moonlight. The creatures in the bog were captivated by her music. Ducks swam over, toads, herons, and other animals gathered around to listen. When she finished singing, the creatures clapped, calling her song “divine.” The nightingale was so happy with their appreciation that she continued singing until morning.

The Frog Meets the Nightingale

The next evening, the frog, who was quite proud of himself, went to meet the nightingale. He introduced himself as the “owner” of the tree she was singing on, boasting about his famous baritone voice and claiming that he wrote songs for the Bog Trumpet magazine. When the nightingale asked him how he liked her song, he told her it was “not bad, but too long.” He also praised her technique but said that her song lacked “force.”

The Nightingale’s Flattery

Flattered by such a prestigious critic, the nightingale thanked the frog and listened carefully to his advice. The frog, seeing this as an opportunity, suggested that she could improve even more with proper training. He claimed to be the best teacher for her, and the nightingale, eager to learn, offered herself to be trained by him. She even compared him to Mozart, the great musician, in disguise.

Training Begins

Encouraged by the frog’s praise and eager to perfect her skills, the nightingale began singing more beautifully than ever before. Creatures from all around the bog, and even from distant places, came to hear her enchanting voice. The frog, taking advantage of her newfound fame, charged a fee for the entrance to her performances, making money from her singing. His so-called “training” involved making her sing non-stop, pushing her to sing more and more without any regard for her well-being.

The Frog’s Demand for More Singing

One morning, it began to rain heavily. Despite the poor weather, the frog told the nightingale she had to sing to continue her “training.” Reluctantly, the nightingale agreed to sing for six hours straight. By the time she stopped, her voice had become hoarse and shaky. However, when night fell and her throat recovered, she sang again, attracting a large crowd of birds and animals. Among her audience were several prestigious birds, including the Owl of Sandwich and the Duck of Kent. The frog, though pleased by the growing audience, began to feel both happy and bitter.

The Deteriorating Health of the Nightingale

Day after day, the frog demanded that the nightingale practice for longer hours. As she continued to sing excessively, she began to grow weak and pale. The constant strain on her voice took its toll, and soon, her songs lost the sweetness that had once captivated everyone. The animals and birds who had once flocked to hear her now stopped coming, as they could no longer enjoy her music.

The Frog’s Rebuke

The frog grew angry at the nightingale’s diminishing performance. He told her she needed to “puff up her lungs” to meet the standards of stage performances. He also reminded her that she still owed him sixty shillings for her “training.” Terrified, the nightingale tried to sing, but her body couldn’t take it anymore. She pushed herself so hard that she burst a vein and tragically died.

The Frog’s Escape from Blame

After the nightingale’s death, the frog quickly shifted the blame onto her. He called her “stupid” and said that she had been too easily influenced and was responsible for her own demise. He claimed that he had only tried to help her, but she was too nervous and fragile to handle his teachings. In the end, the frog proudly declared himself the undisputed king of Bingle Bog, continuing his loud, unpleasant croaking while dismissing the nightingale’s death as her own fault.

The Frog and the Nightingale Summary Class 10 English

Moral of the Story

The story of The Frog and the Nightingale teaches us about the dangers of blind flattery and manipulation. The frog used the nightingale’s desire for approval and her trust in him to exploit her, ultimately leading to her downfall. It reminds us to be cautious about those who claim to offer help or advice without genuine concern for our well-being.

Theme of the Story

The central theme of The Frog and the Nightingale revolves around exploitation and blind trust. The nightingale represents innocence, talent, and the desire for recognition, while the frog symbolizes manipulation and deceit. The frog takes advantage of the nightingale’s admiration for him, persuading her to sing excessively under the guise of “training” her. In doing so, he exploits her talents for his own personal gain, ultimately leading to her untimely death. This theme teaches readers the importance of being cautious of those who may not have their best interests at heart, especially when flattery and praise are used as tools for manipulation.