The Ants and the Colossal Turtle | 群蚁观鳌

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In the vast East China Sea lived a colossal turtle. It carried the mythical Penglai Mountain on its head, swimming through the great ocean, sometimes soaring to the heavens and sometimes diving to the seabed.

A red ant on land heard of the turtle's magnificent feat and was amazed. It gathered a large swarm of ants and led them to the shore, hoping to witness this wonder and broaden their horizons. They waited for over a month, but the turtle did not appear. Just as they were about to leave, a fierce wind suddenly arose. Great waves surged, shaking the land like thunder. The ants exclaimed, "Ah! The great turtle must be coming out now!"

A few days later, the wind subsided, the waves calmed, and the sea grew tranquil once more. A mountain that seemed to touch the sky rose faintly from the water, drifting slowly westward. The ants craned their necks to watch for a while, then shared their opinions: "Hah! What's the difference between it carrying a mountain on its head and us carrying grains of rice? We crawl leisurely over our anthills and return to our holes to rest. Each to his own. Why should we waste our energy traveling hundreds of li just to see this?"

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