Long, long ago, in the country of Japan, there were two frogs.
One of the frogs lived in a pond near Tokio, and the other lived in a
little stream near Kioto.
One fine morning in early spring, these two frogs decided that they
would travel forth to see the world.
Strangely enough, though they had never heard of each other, the same
thought came to each frog at the same time.
The first frog started along the road which led from Tokio to Kioto.
He found the journey difficult and the road hard to travel. So, when he
had hopped to the top of a high hill halfway, he decided to stop a while
and rest.
The other frog started out on the same road, but from Kioto.
It took him a long time to reach the hill where the first frog was
resting.
The two frogs met at the top of the hill. They were delighted to make
each other's acquaintance.
"Greetings, friend!" said the first of the two frogs. "Where are you
going?"
"I have a great desire to see the world, and especially to visit Tokio.
I am on my way for a visit to Tokio now," replied the second frog.
"There is no need of hurrying. Let us rest here and stretch our limbs,"
said the first frog.
"What a pity that we are not taller!" said the Kioto frog.
"Why?" asked the Tokio frog.
"If we were taller, we could see both towns from this hill. Then we
should be able to tell whether or not it were worth while to continue
our journey," said the Kioto frog.
"Oh, we can easily find that out!" replied the other.
"We can stand on our hind legs and take hold of one another. Then each
can look at the town toward which he is traveling," he added.
"A fine idea! Let us try it at once."
The two frogs stood upon their hind legs, holding each other tightly to
keep from falling.
The Tokio frog turned toward Kioto, and the Kioto frog turned toward
Tokio.
The foolish frogs forgot that their eyes were on the backs of their
heads.
Although their noses pointed toward the places to which they wished to
go, their eyes beheld the towns from which they had just come.
"Indeed, I shall travel no further!" the first frog exclaimed.
"Kioto is exactly like Tokio. I shall go home at once," he added.
"Tokio is only a copy of Kioto," said the other frog.
"It is not worth while to take the trouble to journey there!" he added
disdainfully.
The two frogs bade each other a polite farewell, and each returned to
his own home town.
To the end of their lives, the two frogs believed that Tokio and Kioto
were really exactly alike.
Neither of the frogs ever again tried to see the world.