The Two Pots

On a warm summer afternoon, two frogs were hopping through a farmyard, chasing flies and laughing at each other's jumps. Neither of them noticed the two iron pots the cook had left out in the sun — until, in one careless leap, each of them tumbled into a pot.

Two Different Pots

The first frog landed in a pot of cold, fresh water. "Ah, this is pleasant!" he said, and stretched his legs comfortably. The second frog landed in a pot of water that was already warm — not hot, not painful, just a little warmer than the pond he knew. "A little warm," he thought, "but nothing to worry about. It will probably cool down soon." Both frogs decided to stay where they were. The first one drifted lazily, enjoying the cool water and congratulating himself on his good luck. The second one floated too, blinking in the sunshine, and when the water grew a touch warmer, he barely noticed, because his body had already grown used to it — the way we grow used to anything that changes slowly enough. The first one drifted lazily, enjoying the cool water. The second one floated too, and when the water grew a touch warmer, he barely noticed, because his body had already grown used to it.

The Water Grows Hot

But the cook returned, and seeing the pots, she lit a fire beneath each one. In the first pot, the cold water suddenly grew hot all at once. The frog felt the burn instantly, cried "This is too hot for me!" and jumped clean out of the pot in a single powerful leap, landing safely in the grass. In the second pot, the already-warm water heated very, very slowly. The second frog never felt a sudden change. Degree by degree, his strength drained away — and because his body kept adjusting, he never once thought of jumping. He felt a little sleepy, that was all. He told himself the warmth was pleasant, almost like a bath. He had no idea that each comfortable moment was costing him the very strength he would need to escape. By the time the water was truly boiling, he had no strength left to leap. He had been comfortable right up until the moment he was cooked.

The Lesson of the Pots

When the first frog told the other animals what had happened, an old tortoise nodded slowly. "The danger that burns you at once, you escape," he said. "It is the danger that warms you slowly that you must fear. A bad habit, a false friend, a compromise you make every day — none of them burns you today. They just make the water a little warmer, and a little warmer, until you cannot jump anymore."

Moral of the Story

Beware the slow changes. Sudden troubles wake us up, but gradual ones lull us to sleep. If something in your life is getting worse little by little — a habit, a relationship, a situation — do not wait until you have no strength left to jump. Jump while you still can.