History Main / ShaggyFrogStory

* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' shows us what happens [[http://xkcd.com/872/ if a math professor starts rambling while reading fairy tales:]]

* When ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' doujins or fics do [[BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine manzai]] and/or has Cirno in it, this trope is bound to come up.

--->'''Patrick:''' Maybe a story will cheer you up. It's called "Literature/TheUglyBarnacle". Once there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that [[KillEmAll everyone died]]. The end.\\

** [[http://www.paranatural.net/index.php?id=334 More recently:]]

-->"If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight! [[Literature/TheArtOfWar Sun Tzu said that]], and I'd say he knows a little bit more about fighting than you do, pal, because he [[BigBookOfWar invented it]], and then he perfected it so that no living man could best him in the ring of honor. Then, he used his fight money to buy two of every animal on earth, and then he herded them onto [[TheArk a boat]], and then he [[MemeticBadass beat the]] ''[[MemeticBadass crap]]'' [[MemeticBadass out of every single one.]] And from that day forward any time a bunch of animals are together in one place it's called a ''[[{{Pun}} zoo]]''! (Beat) '''Unless it's a farm!'''"

* ''VisualNovel/DanganRonpa'''s Hagakure starts a story intending to show how his fortune-telling is different from 'occult' matters, and ends up explaining how aliens proved his 'all-beef' hamburger was 70% pork. Nobody else could follow it, either.

->''"It's just like the story of the grasshopper and the octopus. All year long the grasshopper kept burying acorns for winter while the octopus mooched off his girlfriend and watched TV. Then the winter came, and the grasshopper died, and the octopus ate all his acorns and also he got a racecar. Is any of this getting through to you?"''

--->'''Homer:''' Kids, let me tell you about another so-called ''wicked'' guy. He had long hair and some wild ideas. He didn't always do what other people thought was right. [[JesusChrist And that man's name was...]] I forget. But the point is... I forget that, too. Marge, you know what I'm talking about. He used to drive that blue car?

[[folder:AnimeAndManga]]

-->Once upon a time, there was a peasant who had a friend who had just been married. The married couple lived happily in a vacant house in the village. One day while he was going to work, the peasant saw the couple coming towards him, walking on their hands and holding vegetables in their mouths. Surprised, the peasant asked them what they were doing. The couple replied, "Of course..."

-->'''Natsu''': You've never heard the story of "The Tortoise and [[ItMakesSenseInContext the Cheerleader]]"?\\
'''Gajeel''': It was a hare, you moron! And the dumb bunny lost, remember?\\
'''Natsu''': Duh, the ''first'' time! Then it won the next hundred races, hands down!\\
'''Gajeel''': [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight Oh... uh... really. I guess that speedy varmint learned his lesson.]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Literature/{{Discworld}}'s Granny Weatherwax tries to tell the joke about the man who orders an alligator sandwich and [[DontExplainTheJoke says "and make it snappy!"]] but she can't remember the punchline, so she keeps coming up with things like "And I want it quickly!"
** It's explained at some point that, while she's not entirely missing a sense of humour, she tends not to understand ''why'' a certain joke is funny. In this case, she's simply repeating one she's heard, and doesn't understand why no-one laughs when she tells it.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/StargateSG1'' example:
-->'''Col. O'Neill''': Haven't you guys heard the story about the dog and the dancing monkeys? It's about getting along and... dancing.
** This a throwback to an earlier exchange between O'Neill and an old man who likes using proverbs and fables. The exchange is peppered with this.
--->'''Old Man:''' No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust them.
--->'''Jack:''' Don't judge a book by its cover.
--->'''Old Man:''' Enemies' promises were made to be broken.
--->'''Jack:''' And yet, honesty is the best policy.
--->'''Old Man:''' He who has too many friends has none.
--->'''Jack:''' Ahh, but, birds of a feather.
--->'''Old Man:''' I'm unfamiliar with that story, what lesson does it teach?
--->'''Jack:''' It has to do with flocking, and togetherness, and to be honest I'm not so familiar with the particulars myself.

--> '''Wilson''': You know Tim, there's an old folk saying. Obsessions are like fire and water. Good servants, but bad masters.
--> '''Tim (later)''': It's like Bad Masterson said. You can't get obsessed the way old people drive through water, if their servants are on fire.

-->'''Elliot:''' Why are you telling us that part?
-->'''Finch:''' Dude, I'm telling everybody that part.
* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' once did a reading on the Aesop of the Ant and the Grasshopper. Only in this version, when winter fell, [[spoiler:the grasshopper drove his sports car to Florida and the ant got stepped on]]. The reader, [[TheComicallySerious Sam the Eagle]], [[FlatWhat responds accordingly]] once he realizes what he's read.

* Music/WeirdAlYankovic's "Albuquerque" and "Everything you Know is Wrong".
** "Albuquerque" is definitely an example, but "Everything You Know Is Wrong" probably wasn't going anywhere in the first place.

* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': In the episode "Friday The Thirteenth", Mrs. Davis tries to assure Miss Brooks her troubles with Mr. Conklin are merely psychological. Mrs. Davis relates how her brother Victor was afraid to enter a yard because of a dog that was always barking. Victor went to a psychiatrist who told him that the only reason the dog was barking was because the dog was afraid Victor would kick him . . . .
-->'''Mrs. Davis''': After a couple months with the psychiatrist, my brother went right into that dog's yard and they stayed there together for over an hour.
-->'''Miss Brooks''': Really, what did they do?
-->'''Mrs. Davis''': They just stood around, biting and kicking each other. Luckily, a policeman came by and stopped it.
-->'''Miss Brooks''': [[SarcasmMode Yes, that was fortunate. Your brother couldn't have taken much more of that kicking.]]

[[folder:Theatre]]

-->'''[[TheOphelia Mad Margaret]]''': You pity me? Then be my mother! The squirrel had a mother, but she drank and the squirrel fled! Hush! They sing a brave song in these parts -- it runs somewhat thus: (sings)
--->'The cat and the dog and the little puppee\\
Sat down in a -- down in a -- in a --'
-->I forget what they sat down in, but so the song goes!

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': The Soldier has a memorable one in [[http://www.teamfortress.com/soldier.htm "Meet The Soldier"]]

* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'', Otacon takes over as Snake's VoiceWithAnInternetConnection, and takes all the roles of Snake's former team. However, he does [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW8QPIId6E8&feature=related not that great of a job imitating Mei-Ling's quoting of classic literature.]]
--> '''Otacon:''' ''Remember the Deep family's fish, Snake!''
** Call him enough and [[EasterEgg Mei-Ling hijacks his feed to tell him to shut up.]]

-->"But while the ant gathered food ... zzz ... the grasshopper contracted to a point on a manifold that was ''not'' a 3-sphere."
* Johnny in ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'' gives Max this sage advice:
--> "Listen, we're not so different, you n' me. Like, our faces are very similar. ... Point is Max, we live in a world of similar things. Lots of stuff is the same as other stuff. ...I forgot where I was going with this but the takeaway is your parent's don't love each other."

---> '''Isabel:''' Max, one of these days you're going to [[CryingWolf cry wolf]], and there won't be a wolf, and then you'll be sorry.
---> '''[[DeadpanSnarker Max]]:''' Yes Isabel that's exactly how that fable goes.
* Crystal from ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' gives one of these to Haley in ''Don't Split the Party'':

* Given [[CloudCuckoolander his style of speech]], [[LetsPlay Let's Player]] LetsPlay/{{raocow}} has many of his stories turn into these, as whatever he started out talking about will slowly morph into something completely unrelated and somewhat incoherent.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie", Homer tries explaining to Bart why his punishment is for his own good.
-->'''Homer''': You know, when I was a boy, I really wanted a catcher's mitt, but my dad wouldn't get it for me. So I held my breath until I passed out and banged my head on the coffee table. (''Cheerily'') The doctor thought I might have brain damage.
-->'''Bart''': Dad, what's the point of this story?
-->'''Homer''': I like stories.
** In a similar vein is Homer attempting to explain to Bart why he can't have the video game he covets;
-->'''Homer''': When I was your age, I wanted an electric football game more than anything in the world. And my parents bought it for me, and it was the happiest day of my life.
** Homer had a few actually, including this one from "Homer the Heretic"
--->"Kids, let me tell you about another so-called ''wicked'' guy. He had long hair and some wild ideas. He didn't always do what other people thought was right. [[JesusChrist And that man's name was...]] I forget. But the point is... I forget that, too. Marge, you know what I'm talking about. He used to drive that blue car?"

--> "We can't bust heads like we used to. But we have our ways. One trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m'shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt. Which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where was I... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. You couldn't get white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones..."

--> "I remember another gentle visitor from the heavens. He came in peace, and then died, only to come back to life. And his name was... Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial. [''sniffs''] I love that little guy..."
** When convincing Bart to donate blood to Mr Burns in hope of a reward;
-->'''Homer''': Don't you know the story of Hercules and the lion?
-->'''Bart''':Is it a Bible story?
-->'''Homer''': Yeah, probably. Anyway, once upon a time, there was a big mean lion, who got a [[AndroclesLion thorn in his paw]]. All the village people tried to pull it out, but nobody was strong enough! So, they got Hercules, and Hercules used his mighty strength, and bingo! Anyway, the moral is the lion was so happy, he gave Hercules this big...thing...of riches.
-->'''Bart''': How did a lion get rich?
-->'''Homer''': It was the olden days!

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':
** This absolute gem in "Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy VI: The Movie". When [=SpongeBob=] despairs about his lack of movie-making skills, [[CloudCuckooLander Mermaid Man]] tries to cheer him up thusly:
-->'''Mermaid Man''': Listen kid, this reminds me of Episode 902. We were surrounded. The Kelp Thing was to our right, and there was broccoli on the side. But if there's one thing I remember, it's how to forget! The rain in Spain stays mainly on the... SPACE! The final countdown. Skip to the... skip to the... loo, my darling! Loo! *dramatically collapses in [=SpongeBob=]'s arms* Now get out there, and let's finish this movie, kid.

-->'''Patrick''': Maybe a story will cheer you up. It's called "Literature/TheUglyBarnacle". Once there was an ugly barnacle. He was so ugly that [[KillEmAll everyone died]]. The end.
-->'''Spongebob''': That didn't help at all!

* From ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', "White Rice":
-->'''Francine''': Are you sure about all this?
-->'''Roger''': Remember when Rudy from ''Series/TheCosbyShow'' got old and stopped being cute? I brought them Raven-Symone! Saw her on a Philadephia playground and knew she was a star, snatched her right up! Six months later, her parents saw her on TV and realized she was still alive... did some time for that. So, you ask, am I sure about this? I dunno.
** When Stan makes an offhanded reference to ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'', Roger angrily responds with a story:
-->'''Roger''': How dare you quote ''Ghostbusters'' to me! I wrote a movie called "Rump Busters" and threw it at a guy on the bus who looked like Creator/HaroldRamis. Two weeks later, ''Ghostbusters'' came out. Coincidence? Absolutely!

-->'''Roger''': Trust me, I know the restaurant business. I managed a Hardees down in Myrtle Beach for three years. Everybody called it "Party Hardees" because of the butt-load of drugs I was moving through there. I was "sick" the day of the raid--got tipped off by this detective whose daughter I saved from drowning. But [[PersonaNonGrata I can't go back there]], he won't look the other way again.
* ''Mater's Tall Tales'' is, as it suggests, Mater telling stories about how he supposedly met aliens, was a firetruck and a matador, amongst other things. Hilariously, around half-way through each retelling;
-->'''Lightning [=McQueen=]''': I'm pretty sure that didn't happen!
-->'''Mater''': Sure it did! You was there too!
--> *Scene instantly depicts Lightning in the story, regardless of how bizarre the appearance. Lightning is usually screaming and requires Mater to save him.*

-->'''Meatwad''': How else am I gonna face the day? I ain't got no job, my wife left me, bills pilin' up, I got child support payments, and I don't know if any of what I just said is true, but I believe it.
-->'''Master Shake''': He ''is'' right.

* "You know, something just like this happened [[Series/TheGoldenGirls back in St. Olaf...]]"
** "Picture it, Sicily, 19xx..."

!!'''Examples:'''

[[quoteright:210:[[Webcomic/{{xkcd}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xkcdfairytales_53.png]]]]

[[quoteright:210:[[Webcomic/{{XKCD}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xkcdfairytales_53.png]]]]

[[quoteright:252:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The_Continued_Adventures_of_Furry_Frog_2097.png]]
[[caption-width-right:252:[[MemeticMutation Ur doin it wrong]].]]

-->-- '''[[CloudCuckoolander Fry]]''', ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', "My Three Suns"

The CloudCuckoolander is often prone to this. May overlap with NoSenseOfHumor.

* In ''PandoraHearts Retrace LXXVII'', [[NotSoStoic Echo]] tries to tell one of these to an [[HeroicSafeMode emotionally fragile]] Oz in order to cheer him up while he's [[spoiler:locked up in Pandora's dungeon, awaiting execution at the hands of the Baskervilles]]. It works ''because'' Echo forgets the ending of the story, as it reminds Oz of something [[HeterosexualLifePartners Gil]] would have done. From what we get of the story, it was definitely already this trope with or without an ending:

-->'''Roger''': Trust me, I know the restaurant business. I managed a Hardy's down in Myrtle Beach for three years. Everybody called it "Party Hardy's" because of the butt-load of drugs I was moving through there. I was "sick" the day of the raid--got tipped off by this detective whose daughter I saved from drowning. But [[PersonaNonGrata I can't go back there]], he won't look the other way again.

* Done on ''Russell Coight's Series/AllAussieAdventures'' when Russell tells a tour group a supposed Aboriginal dreamtime story, that somehow includes a fox (not native to Australia) and a three-eyed snake. His tourists point out the holes in it.

** This absolute gem in "Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy V: The Movie". When [=SpongeBob=] despairs about his lack of movie-making skills, [[CloudCuckooLander Mermaid Man]] tries to cheer him up thusly:

-->'''Roger''': Trust me, I know the restaurant business. I managed a Hardy's down in Myrtle Beach for three years. Everybody called it "Party Hardy's" because of the butt-load of drugs I was moving through there. I was "sick" the day of the raid--got tipped off by this detective whose daughter I saved from drowning. But I can't go back there, he won't look the other way again.

-->'''Master Shake''': He is right.

* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' once did a reading on the Aesop of the Ant and the Grasshopper. Only in this version, [[spoiler:the grasshopper drove his sports car to Florida when winter fell, and the ant got stepped on]]. The reader, [[TheComicallySerious Sam the Eagle]], [[FlatWhat responds accordingly]] once he realizes what he's read.

* A DummiedOut line from Cave Johnson in ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' has Cave bring up the story of "The Frog and the Scorpion" - but he's gotten it mixed up with the saying "You say jump, I say how high", and he's inverted it to "When I say ‘jump’ I don’t want to hear ‘how high?’ That means you’re not jumping!"