TWO FROGS

Once upon a time, a frog was living in a well. Was born there, lived there and never left this small dwelling.

Its environment was one and a half meters wide and shallow.

Beyond the well's edge - nothing else existed for this frog...

One day a frog from other regions appeared...

It came from far, far away - from the beaches of the sea...

A little dazed, the frog felt his living space being invaded by the stranger.

But as the stranger was bigger and stronger, the frog decided not to fight, kept watching and limiting itself to passive defence...

After three days of absolute silence between the two, the frog who felt invaded began to speak:

–-- Where do you come from, strange invader?

–-- From the beaches of the sea, unknown hermit.

–-- What is the sea?

–-- The sea?... Well… The sea is a great plain of water.

–-- As big as this rock where my legs rest?

--- Much bigger.

--- As big as this water that reflects my body?

--- Bigger, much bigger.

--- As big as this well, my house.

--- Immense! Millions of these wells would fit in the sea I saw. The sea is so big that it always starts where it ends. It is so large that the whole sky fits in it, and there is still sea. All the frogs in the world, jumping all their lives, would not reach the other side... And it was exactly on the shores of this sea that I was born.

Get out of here, liar! Exclaimed the offended resident of the well. There can be a no bigger thing! More water than this well has is a lie!...

Since then, both lived on the warpath.

The story does not say if either of them won in this fierce fight... Nor does it tell if one of them managed to convince the other of the truth of their ideas...

It is only said that since that time there have been living in the world beings who only believe in themselves...

Beings who know everything others ignore...

Beings that give the label of fools to those who claim what they do not comprehend...

Beings of so vast wisdom that they consider foolishness, to learn more...

Do not speak, my friend, about seas – to whom seas have not seen!

Let live in the well - who in the well was born!

An environment of one meter and a half, shallow water, a rock to rest - what more does a frog that lives in a well want?

Let to the ignorant its blissful ignorance! Do not talk about seas to one who was born to a well!

Each one with its equal, for against stupidity the gods themselves fight in vain...