Once upon a time in Japan there lived two frogs. One frog lived in the city of Osaka in a quiet little ditch outside of town. The other frog lived in a clear, flowing stream near Kyoto. The frogs, of course, did not know each other. てU◎8Wｗw.ｆａIＲY－ＴAｌｅ。IＮＦｏЬ

One day the frog who lived in the ditch in Osaka overheard a man talking as he passed by. "There over the mountain, is beautiful Kyoto," said the man. At once the frog in the ditch came up with a plan. "I too would love to see the city of Kyoto, she said. "I think I will climb the mountain and go there to see for myself."

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At the very same time, the frog who swam through the crystal waters of Kyoto thought, "My home is lovely, but surely there is more to see in the world."

トЙКＷWW.ＦaＩＲＹ-ＴａLE。ｉnｆｏ～NmヒこAЯ

So, each frog set out to cross the tall mountain that separated the two cities. At last, huffing and puffing, the frog from Osaka came to the very top of the mountain. Just at that moment she felt a blade of grass beside her shiver. "Who's there?" cried the frog from Osaka. ゅЖWξwWｗ.ｆＡＩＲＹ-TALＥ。iｎｆo∵の◎èキr

Who indeed!? Of course it was the frog from Kyoto who had, at last, reached the mountain peak. "Hello," said he. "It is I, a frog from Kyoto."

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"Harrumph," croaked the frog from Osaka, "I am from Osaka. I have traveled far and wish to see your land."

"That is my plan precisely," said the frog from Kyoto. I mean to see the city of Osaka, for it is a place that I have never seen."

The frog from Kyoto puffed out his throat and said: "It is true that we are tiny and the grass is tall, but my gracious friend, we frogs of Kyoto are famous for our intelligence."

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The frog from Kyoto closed his eyes and thought for a long while. At last he leaped into the air. "Come, dear friend, and I shall stand upon my hind legs and turn toward you, and you shall stand upon your hind legs and turn toward me. We shall hold each other up this way. Then we shall be taller than this tall grass, and we will be able to see the cities of our dreams."

The frog from Osaka agreed. "A good plan," said she. %WｗＷ．FaＩry-TAｌE．ｉＮＦＯv

And so up they hopped, onto their hind legs. They held each other steady, and the frog from Kyoto looked one way, and the frog from Osaka looked the other. ЯWWW.faiｒY－tａLＥ。infｏ℃Nメēゑ∥

The frogs, alas, made one mistake. The frog from Kyoto faced Osaka, and the frog from Osaka faced Kyoto, but as you know, frogs' eyes are set so far back upon their heads that when they looked down both frogs were actually looking at their own city. The frog from Kyoto looked out and saw the city of Kyoto, and the frog from Osaka looked out and saw the city of Osaka. σǚャㄚWWＷ。ｆaＩｒｙ-TａLE.ｉＮfojЯ≌ヵo

"Oh my," said the frog from Kyoto, "Osaka looks very much like Kyoto." ゃＷww.ｆAＩRY-ＴａLE.IｎFｏぇ_ЩUv1E

"My thoughts precisely," said the frog from Osaka. "Your city looks almost exactly like the city I call home." ˊdJwwW。ＦAIRY-tａlｅ.ｉｎＦｏβТǜP∫

"There seems no point in traveling all the way down the mountain just to see a city so very like my own," said the frog from Kyoto. ˙トナ7∫Wｗw。FＡIＲy－taLE.inＦＯ∵ㄉǖδ((

"No point indeed," said the frog from Osaka. "I think I shall return back home. Farewell, dear friend." wＷＷ。fＡｉｒｙ－ｔAｌe.ＩNｆＯさㄏ※Оǐィㄛ

"And farewell to you." トЙКＷWW.ＦaＩＲＹ-ＴａLE。ｉnｆｏ～NmヒこAЯ

With that the frogs hopped down the mountain, back to their homes, happy to think that their home was as good as any other home, and almost exactly the same.