Jumping for Joy

(adapted from a European fable) · 欧洲寓言 · 做自己最好

There once was a frog who sat and watched the birds all day long. He wanted so much to be a bird. "But I am just an ugly frog," he thought. He loved how the birds soared through the sky and moved in the wind.

He decided that he would practise his jumping every day. "If I keep practising," he reasoned, "I might one day be able to jump so high that I might fly."

There was another frog who loved being a frog. He believed that it was the best life in the world. How he loved to sit in the warm water and bathe in the mud. He felt sorry for birds, who did not like the rain. They could not swim underwater and taste the delicious little insects that he loved to eat. He jumped simply for the joy of jumping. There was nothing more fun. He practised jumping all the time.

One day, the crow, who liked to stir things up at the pond, challenged the two frogs to a jumping contest. "You two should see who can jump highest," he said.

The two frogs accepted the challenge. The happy frog made a graceful jump, high up into the air. "Oh, that was nothing," said the frog who wanted so badly to be a bird. "Watch this!"

He crouched down low and then sprung into the air, higher than anyone had imagined. All the creatures were amazed. "Look, I'm a bird!" he croaked.

Just then, a huge blue heron swooped down from the sky and grabbed the soaring frog in mid-air. In just one gulp, the frog was gone.

That night, a wise old frog told the young frogs, "There are three lessons to learn from what happened today.

One: It is good to have a dream, but make sure that it's realistic.

Two: Never try hard to impress anyone.

Three: There can be great joy in simply being who you are."

Jumping for Joy — A European fable about being who you are · 做自己最好

There once was a frog who sat and watched the birds all day long. He wanted so much to be a bird. "But I am just an ugly frog," he thought. He loved how the birds s(1)__________oared through the sky and moved in the wind.

He decided that he would p(2)__________ractise his jumping every day. "If I keep practising," he reasoned, "I might one day be able to jump so high that I might fly."

There was another frog who b(3)__________elieved that it was the best life in the world. How he loved to sit in the warm water and b(4)__________athe in the mud. He felt sorry for birds, who did not like the rain. They could not swim underwater and taste the delicious little i(5)__________nsects that he loved to eat. He jumped simply for the joy of jumping. There was nothing more fun. He practised jumping all the time.

One day, the crow, who liked to stir things up at the pond, c(6)__________hallenged the two frogs to a jumping contest. "You two should see who can jump highest," he said.

The two frogs accepted the challenge. The happy frog made a g(7)__________raceful jump, high up into the air. "Oh, that was nothing," said the frog who wanted so badly to be a bird. "Watch this!"

He c(8)__________rouched down low and then sprung into the air, higher than anyone had imagined. All the creatures were amazed. "Look, I'm a bird!" he croaked.

Just then, a huge blue heron s(9)__________wooped down from the sky and grabbed the soaring frog in mid-air. In just one gulp, the frog was gone.

That night, a wise old frog told the young frogs, "There are three lessons to learn from what happened today.

One: It is good to have a dream, but make sure that it's r(10)__________ealistic.

Two: Never try hard to impress anyone.

Three: There can be great joy in simply being who you are."

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

🐸 文化拓展 · The Wisdom of Being Yourself

本文改编自一则欧洲寓言。寓言（fable）是一种以动物为主角、借故事讲道理的文学体裁，古希腊的《伊索寓言》（Aesop's Fables）就是其中最著名的代表，如《龟兔赛跑》《乌鸦喝水》。寓言中的动物往往代表人类的某种性格：本文中，爱惹事的乌鸦（crow）挑起争端，聪明的老青蛙（wise old frog）则充当讲道理的智者。

故事中两只青蛙形成鲜明对比：一只整天羡慕鸟儿、拼命练习跳跃想飞上天；另一只享受做青蛙的快乐，泡温水、洗泥浴、吃小虫，"jumped simply for the joy of jumping"。想飞的青蛙最终被苍鹭叼走，警示我们：盲目模仿别人、刻意炫耀，可能带来致命的代价。

老青蛙的三条忠告是全文的点睛之笔：一、有梦想是好事，但要切合实际（realistic）；二、永远不要为了 impress（打动、给……留下深刻印象）别人而勉强自己；三、 simply being who you are（单纯做自己）本身就是最大的快乐。这与西方谚语 "The grass is always greener on the other side"（这山望着那山高）所传递的智慧不谋而合：与其仰望别人的生活，不如珍惜并享受自己拥有的一切。