The Parable of the Cloned Frog

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, as cloning becomes more sophisticated, what’s to stop us from cloning whole human populations?”

Josh spoke thus:

A scientist was telling an audience of one about a recent development in cloning.  The audience of one was not impressed by the scientist’s story.

“You cloned a frog?” the audience of one asked.

“We cloned a frog,” the scientist replied.

“What’s impressive about cloning a frog?” the audience of one asked, “They cloned dinosaurs already.”

“They haven’t cloned dinosaurs already,” the scientist said, “That was a movie.”

“It was a book too,” the audience of one said, “Didn’t they use frogs in the movie and the book?”

“They did use frogs,” the scientist said, “But it wasn’t real.”

“And now it’s real?” the audience of one asked.

“The frogs are real,” the scientist said

“You used frogs to make frogs?” the audience of one asked, “Don’t frogs make frogs already?”

“We put the eggs of the one kind of frog into a substitute mother of another kind of frog,” the scientist said.

“Why didn’t you put the eggs of one kind of frog into a substitute mother of the same kind of frog?” the audience of one asked.

“Because the same kind of frog didn’t exist anymore,” the scientist said.

“And now it does exist again, next time will you use a mother of the same kind of frog?” the audience of one asked.

“We’ll see,” the scientist said.

“Why didn’t you clone something good?” the audience of one asked.

“Cloning this frog is good,” the scientist said.

“A frog isn’t good,” the audience of one said, “Why didn’t you clone chocolate?”

“You don’t clone chocolate,” the scientist said, “You make chocolate.”

“So why didn’t you make chocolate?” the audience of one asked, “Or shoes?”

“Why would I make shoes?” the scientist asked.

“I need new shoes,” the audience of one said, “I don’t need a frog.”

“Maybe I’ll make another you,” the scientist said, smiling.

“You can’t make another me,” the audience of one said.

“Why not?” the scientist asked.

“Because I wouldn’t fit in a frog,” the audience of one said, “I want a better story.  Tell the one where the girl kisses the frog.”

“Kiss me goodnight and I’ll tuck you in, and you can dream about kissing a frog,” the scientist said.

“I wouldn’t kiss a frog,” the audience of one said.

“Even if it was a prince?” the scientist asked.

The audience of one replied, “Even if it was a dinosaur.”