🐸The Two Frogs - Die Beiden Frösche [GERMAN VER.]🐸 | Japanese Folktale 

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On the island of Hondo in Japan lived two frogs. One dwelt in a ditch outside the city of Osaka, while - the other dwelt in a crystal clear stream near Kyoto.
None of the frogs knew anything about the other because there was a high mountain between them. But on the same day, at exactly the same moment, each of the two frogs decided to climb over the mountain to visit the city that was on the other side. The frog from Osaka wanted to see the city of Kyoto, where the Mikado-the Emperor-had his palace. The frog from Kyoto wished to see Osaka, where there were no palaces at all.
The frogs set off very early the next morning. One frog went up this side of the mountain, the other went up the other. The way was long and arduous, but at last they reached the top of the mountain at exactly the same moment and in the same place. Each frog sat down in the long grass and stared at the other for a long while.
Finally, the Osaka frog asked, "Where are you going, noble wanderer?" The Kyoto frog cleared his throat a few times before answering Osaka, noble wanderer." "Really?" cried the Osaka frog. "Then let me tell you that your trouble is not worth it! I myself come from there, it is a poor place, full of ditch water. As for me, I want to visit Kyoto.”
"Really Kyoto?!" croaked the frog from this city. “It is true that there is no ditch water in Kyoto. Have you ever lived by a stream that sparkles all day? That tires your eyes!”
The two frogs sat staring at each other and didn't say anything for a long time.
Then the frog from Osaka sighed: "If I've climbed up one side of a mountain, I don't want to go down the other if there's nothing worthwhile to see below." If only we were bigger animals, we could look down from our height and see if the city we want to visit is worth our long journey. But alas, I can't see past this tall grass, and neither can you."
The frog from Kyoto cleared his throat in a conspicuous manner and finally said: “Yes, we will make it, my friend. Although we are both very small, we frogs from Kyoto are famous for our intelligence. Let me think about it for a while.”
The frog from Kyoto closed his eyes and thought hard; finally he said: “I got it! If you help me stand on my hind legs, I'll help you stand on yours too. So we will both be higher than the grass, and each can look down on the city he wishes to visit.”
Now the frog from Osaka fixed his gaze on the city of Kyoto, and the frog from Kyoto fixed his on Osaka. Then one helped the other to stand on his hind legs and supported him with his short front legs. In this way, the two frogs stood opposite each other for a long time, each looking at a different city, lost in their own thoughts.
But the stupid frogs had forgotten that their huge eyes were almost at the top of their heads. Everyone had been gazing at the city of their dreams while crouching on the ground. But now that he was standing, his eyes were turned backwards, and each of the two frogs was looking at the city from which they had just come.
"Pff!" croaked the disappointed frog from Osaka. "What do I see? Kyoto looks like my old Osaka's twin sister. I can really save myself the trip.”
"Pff!" the frog from Kyoto croaked in disappointment. "What do I see? Osaka looks just like Kyoto. I can save myself the tedious journey there.”
With that, each of the frogs let go of the other, and both fell into the long grass. Then, since they were both Japanese, they bowed politely to each other and went home separately.
Neither one of the frogs ever knew they were wrong.
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