HSK 4 · Story · 415 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/jing-di-zhi-wa-the-frog-in-the-well

井底之蛙

The frog in the well: the frog who had never seen the sea

Name: ________________ Date: ________

很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，在zài一个yígè又yòu破pò又yòu旧jiù的de井底jíngdǐ，住zhù着zhe一yì只zhī青蛙qīngwā。

青蛙qīngwā觉得juéde，自己zìjǐ的de生活shēnghuó好hǎo极了jíle。高兴gāoxìng的de时候shíhou，它tā就jiù跳tiào到dào井jǐng边上biānshang玩wán一会儿yíhuìr；累lèi了le，就jiù回到huídào井底jíngdǐ睡shuì一会儿yíhuìr。井jǐng里的de水shuǐ不太bútài深shēn，水下shuǐxià的de地dì软软ruánruǎn的de，走zǒu起来qǐlai很hěn舒服shūfu。井jǐng里别的biéde小xiǎo动物dòngwù，谁shéi也yě没有méiyǒu它tā过得guòde好hǎo。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，从cóng东海dōnghǎi来lái了le一yì只zhī海龟hǎiguī，它tā走zǒu到dào了le井jǐng边上biānshang。青蛙qīngwā高兴gāoxìng地de叫jiào它tā：“海龟hǎiguī先生xiānsheng，快kuài下来xiàlái看看kànkan！这里zhèlǐ的de水shuǐ，全quán是shì我wǒ一yí个gè人rén的de。世界shìjiè上shàng还有háiyǒu比bǐ这zhè更gèng快乐kuàilè的de事shì吗ma？”

海龟hǎiguī也yě想到xiǎngdào井jǐng里看看kànkan。可是kěshì它tā的de左脚zuójiǎo还hái没méi进去jìnqu，右腿yòutuǐ就jiù已经yǐjīng卡住qiǎzhù了le。它tā只好zhíhǎo慢慢mànmàn地de退tuì了le回来huílai。

它tā对duì青蛙qīngwā说shuō：“你nǐ见jiàn过guò大海dàhǎi吗ma？大海dàhǎi有yǒu多大duōdà？走zǒu一千yìqiān里lǐ，也yě走不到zǒubudào它tā的de另一边lìngyìbiān。大海dàhǎi有yǒu多duō深shēn？一千yìqiān座zuò山shān放fàng进去jìnqu，也yě到dào不bù了liǎo底dǐ。”

“很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，十shí年nián里有yǒu九jiǔ年nián发fā大水dàshuǐ，大海dàhǎi里的de水shuǐ也yě没有méiyǒu多duō一点儿yìdiǎnr。后来hòulái，八bā年nián里有yǒu七qī年nián不bú下雨xiàyǔ，大海dàhǎi里的de水shuǐ也yě还是háishi那么nàme多duō。住zhù在zài大海dàhǎi里，这zhè才cái是shì真的zhēnde快乐kuàilè。”

青蛙qīngwā一yì听tīng，眼睛yǎnjing变得biànde大大dàdà的de，半天bàntiān说不出shuōbuchū话huà来lái。它tā抬头táitóu看kàn了le看kàn上面shàngmiàn那nà一yì小xiǎo块kuài天tiān，第一次dìyīcì觉得juéde，自己zìjǐ的de家jiā好像hǎoxiàng有点儿yóudiǎnr小xiǎo。

这zhè个gè故事gùshi来自láizì两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián的de《庄子zhuāngzǐ》。今天jīntiān，人们rénmen用yòng“井底之蛙jíngdǐ-zhīwā”说shuō那些nàxiē见jiàn过guò的de东西dōngxī很hěn少shǎo、可是kěshì以为yǐwéi自己zìjǐ什么shénme都dōu知道zhīdào的de人rén。也yě有人yǒurén这样zhèyàng说shuō自己zìjǐ：“去qù了le一次yícì国外guówài，我wǒ才cái发现fāxiàn，以前yǐqián的de我wǒ真是zhēnshì井底之蛙jíngdǐ-zhīwā。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
久jiǔlong (time)
以前yǐqiánbefore; previously; formerly
旧jiùold; used; worn
生活shēnghuólife; to live
跳tiàoto jump; to leap
别的biédeother; else
动物dòngwùanimal
世界shìjièworld
山shānmountain; hill
放fàngto put; to place
后来hòuláiafterwards; later
才cáitalent; ability

English (for the teacher)

Long ago, at the bottom of a battered old well, there lived a frog.

The frog thought its life was wonderful. When it felt happy it hopped up onto the edge of the well to play for a while; when it was tired it went back down to the bottom for a nap. The water in the well wasn’t too deep, the ground under the water was soft, and it felt lovely to walk on. None of the other little creatures in the well had it as good.

One day a turtle from the Eastern Sea came along and walked up to the edge of the well. The frog called out happily, “Mr Turtle, come down and have a look! All the water here belongs to me alone. Is there anything in the world happier than this?”

The turtle wanted to have a look inside the well too. But before its left foot was even in, its right leg was already stuck. It had no choice but to back slowly out again.

It said to the frog, “Have you ever seen the sea? How big is the sea? You could walk a thousand li and never reach the other side. How deep is the sea? Drop a thousand mountains into it and they still wouldn’t reach the bottom.”

“Long ago there were floods nine years out of ten, and the sea didn’t rise one bit. Later there was no rain seven years out of eight, and the sea was still just as full. Living in the sea: that’s real happiness.”

When the frog heard this, its eyes went wide and for a long time it couldn’t say a word. It looked up at the little patch of sky above it, and for the first time it felt that its home might be a bit small.

This story comes from the Zhuangzi, written more than two thousand years ago. Today people use 井底之蛙, “the frog at the bottom of the well”, for someone who has seen very little but thinks they know everything. Some people say it about themselves: “It wasn’t until I went abroad that I realised what a frog in a well I used to be.”