1. THE FISH,THE FROG,
ANDTHE SNAKE
An adaptation of the movie Spring, Summer, Autumn,Winter, and Spring
Again

2. In medieval times,
there once was an
abbey.

3. •The abbot’s name was Father John; he was a
wise, generous man.

4. One day, a basket was
left at the abbey’s door.
Inside it, there was a
baby. He was very cute
and smiley, and Father
John and all the friars
and monks decided to
raise him.

5. •They named the child Benjamin, and everybody took
care of him, but Father John was really keen on looking
after his education.
Surrounding the
abbey, there was a
forest.

6. And in the forest,
there was a pond
where Father
John used to go,
because there he
would find mint,
rosemary, basil,
and other useful
herbs.

7. When Ben was
old enough to
come with him,
Father John
would take him
to the pond. This
made Ben very
happy.

8. One day, Ben decided to have fun with
the pebbles he found at the pond.

9. •When father John took him there, he brought
three pieces of cord, and he tied them to pebbles.
Then, he caught a pond fish and tied a cord around
it, with a stone at the other end.

10. Ben’s laughter was delightful, as he played and
saw the fish struggling to swim in spite of the
new weight

11. Then, he saw a frog and decided to do
the same.

12. He also tied a rock to a water snake.

13. •Ben’s laughter was delightful and catchy, it
sounded like tens of small bells ringing.

14. Father John watched the incident in
silence

15. The next morning, when Ben woke up,
he felt really heavy and awkward.
A big Stone
had been
fastened to
his back,
around his
waste.

16. He went to see Father John, asking for help.
-Untie me! –He pleaded.
-Not until you untie the animals that you tied, and if one
of them has died, you will carry the weight of the stone in
your heart for as long as you live.

17. •Father John accompanied Ben to the pond. He found that
only the frog had survived. When he found the snake,
which had cut its head attempting to release itself from
the cord, he couldn´t stop crying. He knew that he would
carry the burden forever.

18. Discussion
•Do you think Father John loved Ben?
•Why did he react as he did?
•What were the natural consequences of Ben’s
behavior?
•Which were the logical consequences of his attitude?
•How would you have reacted if he had been your
child? Would you laugh with him and give him more
cord?

19. Personal reflection
1. Have you ever harmed anybody on purpose? Why?
2. Have you ever done anything that you know will be
harmful to yourself? Why?
3. Does lack of self esteem and completeness lead to
aggression?
4. Does lack of self esteem lead to self harm?
5. Is it important to be aware of the posible consequences
before acting?

20. Evaluation
1.What is love?
2. What is freedom?
3. What types of consequences are there?
4.What did you learn today?