A long time ago, there lived two frogs in Japan. One of the frogs lived in the city of Osaka near the sea. The other lived in a stream that ran through the city of Kioto.
They did not know each other, nor had they heard about each other. But one day, they both had the same idea. The frog in Osaka wished to see the city of Kioto, and the frog in Kioto wanted very much to visit Osaka.
The two frogs set off on a bright spring morning on the road that linked Osaka and Kioto. They hopped along all the way, often resting when they felt tired. On the way, there was a high mountain. The two little frogs hopped all the way up the mountain and were taken aback when they came face to face with each other.
They were both tired and sat down to rest in the cool shade of a tree. As they began to chat, their surprise was increased when they realised they had both set off with the same purpose.
“It would be wonderful if we were tall enough see the cities from here, wouldn’t it?” said the frog from Osaka. “Then we’ll know whether our journey is really worth all the effort we are making to hop all the way to that city!”
“That’s easy!” said the bright frog from Kioto, “Let’s stretch ourselves up on our toes, holding each other so that we may not fall. Then we’ll be able to see the cities from the mountain-top.”
The two frogs carried out their plan. The frog from Osaka faced Kioto and the one from Kioto faced Osaka. Standing on tiptoes they stretched out. What the silly fellows forgot was that when they stood on their toes,
their eyes were at the backs of their heads. They were looking backwards at their own cities!
“I say! Kioto looks exactly like Osaka!” said the frog from Osaka.
“”You’re right!” said the frog from Kioto, “I also find that Osaka looks exactly like Kioto!”
“What a lot of efforts wasted!” said the Osaka frog, “I think I’ll go home.”
“I too will go back,” said the Kioto frog, “It seems pointless to travel so much just to see the same thing!”
So, the two frogs said goodbye politely to each other and began the long journey back to their own cities. There they were very contented and if anyone asked them they always said that Osaka and Kioto were exactly alike!
