The Frog and the Ox
　牛和蛙

　　"Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two."

 

　　"Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you see." So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew himself out. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.

 

　　"Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.

 

　　Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if the Ox was as big as that.

 

　　"Bigger, father, bigger," was the reply.

 

　　So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew, and swelled and swelled and swelled. And then he said: "I'm sure the Ox is not as big as But at this moment he burst.

 

　　Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.

　

　　一头牛到水潭边去喝水，踩着了一群小蛙，并踩死了其中一只。小蛙妈妈回来后，见到少了一个儿子，便问他的兄弟们，他到哪里去了。一只小蛙说：「亲爱的妈妈，他死了。刚才有一头巨大的四足兽来到潭边，用他的蹄子踩死了我们的兄弟。」蛙妈妈一边尽力鼓气，一边问道：「那野兽是不是这个样子，这般大小呢？」小蛙说：「妈妈，您别再鼓气了。我想您不可能和那怪物一样大小，再鼓气就会把肚子胀破。」

 

　　这个故事带出的启示就是：渺小无论如何也不能与伟大相比。