|
一群小青蛙刚脱离蝌蚪阶段，看到自己的转变，个个兴奋得在池塘边的石头上跳来跳去。 一天，正当小青蛙们顾着玩乐时，一只黑色的大公牛来到池塘喝水。公牛的体积很大，没有留意到池塘边蹦蹦跳跳的小青蛙。他的脚正好踏在青蛙群中， 结果很多青蛙来不及闪开，被公牛踩个稀烂。 公牛并不知道自己踩死了很多小青蛙。喝过水，他转身离开了。 一只侥幸脱险的小青蛙，怀着害怕的心情去找妈妈。当时，他的妈妈在另一个池塘的岸边捕捉蚊虫吃。 “妈妈！妈妈！ ” “什么事？你干吗害怕成这个样子？ ” “妈妈，刚才发生了一件很可怕的事情！ ”小青蛙哭诉着，“一只庞大的怪物把兄弟姐妹们踩死了！ ” 青蛙妈妈也感到很震惊：“什么？怎会发生这种事情？ ” “是真的，妈妈。那只怪物的脚大得好像船一样，压在兄弟姐妹们的身上，他们全都被踩扁了！ ” “一只怪物有着像船一样大的脚！是什么怪物如此大胆到我池塘来杀害我的孩子。我要找他算帐！ ” “噢，妈妈！你是斗不过他的。他好大哟！他好可怕哟！ ” “他到底有多大？像这样吗？ ”青蛙妈妈鼓起她的肚皮问道。 “不！他比这还要大很多呢！ ” 青蛙妈妈再吸一口气，用力鼓，把自己鼓得好像一个大南瓜。 “是不是像这样大？ ” “噢不！妈妈，还要大，好像一座山那样。” 青蛙妈妈再次吸了好多好多的空气，使自己更加膨胀。现在，她的体积比原有的大了两倍。 “妈妈，别再鼓气了，否则你会爆裂的。”小青蛙哀求说。 “别傻，我可以任意鼓得大大，鼓得像山一样，才能和怪物对抗。”青蛙妈妈说完，又继续鼓气。 “像这样……”还没说完，忽然青蛙妈妈全身爆裂了，发出骇人的声响！引来了附近其他的青娃前来看个究竟。 小青蛙边哭边说出青蛙妈妈死去的原因。其他青蛙听了无不摇头叹息。其中一只青蛙说：“她好愚蠢啊！难道她不知什么可做，什么不可做的吗？ ” 不论做什么事，都要有自知之明。不适合自己做的事情，就不要去做。同样的，对自己的才疏学浅也要有自知之明，否则就会貽笑大方！ The Ox and the Frog There once lived a family of frogs beside a pool in a forest. There were many little frogs who had grown out of the tadpole stage. They spent a lot of time on the banks of the pool having a lot of fun among the plants and rocks. One day, while these little frogs were busy enjoying themselves, a great black ox came to drink water at the pool. The ox was so huge that he did not notice the little frogs at the edge of the pool. As he came tramping towards the water，his large black hooves plunged right into the middle of the frog family. The little frogs tried to hop away to safety but most of them were not quick enough many were squashed flat. Unaware that he had killed so many little frogs, the ox calmly walked to the edge of the pool and drank his fill. Then he returned to his herd in the jungle. Only one little frog managed to escape alive. He hopped away as quickly as he could to the other side of the pool. There he found his mother sitting on a rock, flicking her long and sticky tongue around to catch insects for food. “Mother! Mother!” the little frog cried out as soon as he saw her. “What is it?” the mother frog asked，as she flicked out her tongue again to catch a fly that flew past. “Mother! A dreadful thing has happened! A huge and ugly creature trod on my brothers and sisters and killed all of them，” the little frog wailed. The mother frog was so shocked that she missed catching the fly. “What? How could this have happened?” “It’s true, Mother. The monster had feet as big as ships. He placed his large feet on the heads of my brothers and sisters and squashed them flat!” “A creature with feet as big as ships!” exclaimed the mother frog. “How dare such a creature come to my pool and kill my family. He shouldn’t be allowed to come here any more. I’ll go and fight him.” “Oh，Mother! You can’t fight him. He’s so huge. Oh, Mother! He，s terrifying!” “How big is he? As big as this?” She took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks and sides. “Is he as big as this?” she asked, holding her breath carefully. “No, he is very much bigger than that，，，croaked the little frog. The frog’s mother took another deep breath. She huffed and puffed and sucked in a lot of air. She was soon as big and as round as a fat pumpkin. “Is he as big as this?” “Oh no，Mother, much bigger as big as a mountain. The mother frog sucked in more and more air and she began to swell up even bigger. Soon she was more than twice her natural size. “Mother，please stop swelling up like that，，，the little frog begged. “You might burst.” “Don’t be silly，” said the mother frog. “I can make myself as big as I want. I’ll make myself as big as a mountain too and fight that monster.” The mother frog carried on huffing and puffing. “Is he as” she began - and then she burst! It was such a loud and terrible noise that all the other frogs in the area came running to see what had happened. The poor little frog who was weeping over his dead mother explained how she had died. The other frogs shook their heads sadly when they heard this. “What a silly frog!” said one of the old frogs. “Didn’t she know what she could and couldn’t do?” |
