A frog lived in a shallow well.

 

One day, it met beside the well a large soft-shelled turtle which had just crawled up from the sea.

 

The frog bragged¹ to the turtle: "Look, how happy I am to live here! When I feel glad, I would bounce for a while near the well; and when I am tired, I would return to the well to sleep and rest for a while by the brick hole. Sometimes, I would quietly soak my whole body in the water, showing only my head and mouth. Sometimes, I would stroll in the soft mud, which is very comfortable. None of those tiny crabs² and tadpoles³ can compare whit⁴ me. I am the master of this well, free and unrestrained. Why don't you come often to play in the well?"

 

Hearing this, the turtle was itching⁵ to go down to take a look. But before he put his left foot into the well, his right foot stumbled. He quickly retreated two steps and told the frog about the sea: "Have you ever seen the sea? The sea is very, very wide, over 1000 li. The sea is very, very deep, over 1000 Zhang. In ancient times, in nine years out of ten there were floods, but the water in the sea did not rise much. Later, in seven years out of eight there were droughts, but the water in the sea did not drop much. Neither big floods nor big droughts can affect the sea. Only living in the sea can you feel real happiness!"

 

Amazed at what the big turtle had said, the frog was dumbstruck.

 

一只青蛙住在一口浅井里。

 

有一天，青蛙在井边碰上了一只刚从海里爬上来的大海龟。

 

青蛙对大鳖夸口说：“你看，我住在这里多么快乐！高兴了，就在井边跳跃一阵子；疲倦了，就回到井里，睡在砖洞边上休息一会儿。有时候，我静静地把全身泡在水里，只露出头和嘴巴；有时候，我静静地把全身泡在水里，只露出头和嘴巴；它们谁也比不上我。我是这个井的主人，自由自在，你不常到井里来有玩游玩呢！”

 

海龟听了青蛙的话，心里痒痒的，准备下去看看。但是它的左脚还没伸进去，右脚就已经绊住了。它连忙后退了两步，把大海的情形告诉青蛙，说：“你见过大海吗？海很大很大， 那止千里；海很深很深，哪止千丈。古时候，十年里有九年发大水。但是海里的水涨高不了多少。后来，八年里有七年要大旱，可是海里的水也不见得浅了多少。大涝和大旱都影响不了大海。住在大海里，才是真正的快乐呢！”

 

听了大鳖的这一番话，青蛙非常吃惊，呆在那里，无话可说了。

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