The Frog from Kyoto and the Frog from Osaka

One summer was particularly hot. The sun scorched day after day, and there was no rain. A severe drought set in. Even the old well in Kyoto, where a frog lived, dried up. She thought and thought about what to do, and finally decided to move to another place.
"They say Osaka is a lively city, and the sea is nearby! I want to see the sea," she said. And so, the frog set off from Kyoto to Osaka.

But in Osaka, there was also a drought. Even the water in the lotus pond had dried up. The frog that lived there spent whole days staring at the cloudless sky and finally said in frustration:
"I can't stay in Osaka any longer! Kyoto is the capital of Japan; there must be many interesting things there." And so, the frog from Osaka set off for Kyoto.

Both frogs set off at the same time, as if they had agreed: one from Kyoto to Osaka, the other from Osaka to Kyoto.

The frogs reached Mount Tendozan, which stands halfway between Osaka and Kyoto. And there, at the mountain pass, they met. They called out to each other, greeted each other warmly, and introduced themselves.

The frog from Kyoto began to tell the frog from Osaka about the capital. The frog from Osaka began to tell the Kyoto frog about her city. The frog from Kyoto was very disappointed to learn that there was no rain in Osaka either. The frog from Osaka was terribly upset to learn that there was a drought in the capital as well. But neither dared to believe the other until they saw it with their own eyes.
"Let me look from the top of the mountain at Kyoto," said the frog from Osaka.
"And I will look at Osaka," replied the frog from Kyoto.

Then both frogs stood up on their hind legs and began to stare with their big eyes.
The frog from Kyoto tried to get a better look at Osaka, and the frog from Osaka, of course, wanted to see the capital.

Suddenly, the frog from Kyoto shouted:
"What is this! This so-called great city of Osaka looks just like Kyoto! They kept saying, 'The sea is there, the sea is there!' But I don't see any sea!"

The frog from Osaka also cried out:
"How outrageous! They kept saying, 'Oh, Kyoto, oh, the capital!' I thought there would be beautiful gardens, wonderful buildings, but what? Kyoto is just a second Osaka!"
"Well, if Kyoto is so much like Osaka, what's so interesting about it?"
"Well, if Osaka is so much like Kyoto, what's so good about it?"

Both frogs decided that there was no point in going any further. The frog from Kyoto needed to go back to Kyoto, and the frog from Osaka needed to return to Osaka.

But what actually happened was this: the frog from Kyoto didn't see Osaka but her hometown, and the frog from Osaka didn't see the capital but her old familiar places. This was because frogs' eyes are on their backs, and when they stood on their hind legs, they were looking not forward but backward.

The frog from Kyoto returned home to her well and began to tell everyone:
"There is no sea in the world!" And the frog from Osaka settled back in her pond and from then on taught her children:
"Kyoto is just like our Osaka! It's only famous for being the capital, but in reality, it's just a small town!"

↑ To the top

The Frog from Kyoto and the Frog from Osaka

More fairy tales