What Happened to the Toad?

Aside from this story, the toad is often overlooked these days—just another common creature.
Yet across ancient Egypt, Mesoamerica, and China, the toad has long been seen as a powerful spiritual symbol.
It appears in folklore and myth as both hero and villain—and like many symbolic creatures, its meaning begins with transformation.

Toads represent:
🌀 Transformation & renewal
🌿 Humility and simplicity
💫 Wisdom & patience
🌱 Healing & connection to the earth
🍀 Opportunity & abundance
✨ Hidden beauty & inner worth

All this… in a humble toad.
The toad has its own kind of beauty.

But with so much promise, how did the toad in the story become the greedy and gluttonous toad?
Who—or what—does the toad represent in our world today?

Taking far beyond any true need.
Consuming without care.
When did ego begin to overshadow the true self?