Frog and the Turtle

A frog in a shallow well says to a turtle from the eastern sea: "How happy I am! Sometimes I jump into the well; at other times I rest on a broken brick inside. When I swim, the water in the well comes up under my arms and supports my chin; when I leap, the mud covers my feet. I look around and see that none of those insects, crabs, or tadpoles are better off than me. Besides, I alone have the whole well, the whole pleasure of the well. This is the highest plane in life! Why don't you often come here to visit and broaden your horizon?"
The turtle accepts the invitation. He lowers his right leg into the well. But before he can put his left leg in, he realizes the well is too small and has to give up. then the turtle tells the frog in the well about the sea. "The long distance of ten thousand li is not enough to describe the greatness of the sea; eight thousand inches is not enough to describe its depth. During the Dayu period, there were floods for nine out of ten years, yet the sea didn't rise. During the reign of Emperor Tang in the Shang dynasty, there were droughts for seven out of eight years, yet the sea didn't fall. The sea will not change over time and will not rise or fall because of floods or drought. It is the joy of living in the Eastern Sea!"
Upon hearing this, the frog is truly surprised. It then feels disappointed and lost for a long time.

--Zhuang Zi, Chinese philosopher, fourth century B.C.

(extract from Lijia Zhang's "Socialism is Great")