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Prompt: Retell the story of The Frog at the Bottom of the Well and share the lesson you learned from it.
Two exemplary essays recounting the story of The Frog at the Bottom of the Well and sharing the lessons learned from it.
Listening to the story she told, I couldn't help but find the young frog truly deserving of criticism. Young people, despite their lack of experience and knowledge, often exhibit the most aggressive, arrogant, and conceited personalities. Perhaps it's because they still have much to learn that they engage in such ignorant behavior. Therefore, young individuals must strive to broaden their knowledge not only through books but also in various other fields, avoiding complacency or arrogance. Such traits not only ruin an individual but sometimes also cause harm to others.
Every time she finishes a story, she always helps me derive valuable lessons, not lofty or distant, but very practical and down-to-earth. I always heed her advice to apply to my life. Like everyone else, I am not perfect, so I must always be willing to learn from each other; my shortcomings will be supplemented by the knowledge of others, and vice versa. Therefore, one must not conceal their weaknesses. She also advises me to study diligently so as not to be lacking in knowledge, only then can one avoid thoughts or actions lacking understanding. Indeed, the advice she gives requires great perseverance and self-discipline, but no matter what, I cannot allow myself to be like the frog at the bottom of the well.
The fable of the Frog at the Bottom of the Well from our ancestors is truly profound: Speaking of animals but aiming to talk about humans. Anyone who reads the story will naturally draw essential and beneficial lessons for themselves.
Model Essay 2: Retell the story of the Frog at the Bottom of the Well and explain the lesson you learned from it
There was once a frog that lived for many years in a particular well. Around it were only a few tadpoles, crabs, and small snails. Looking up from the bottom of the well, our frog only saw a sky as small as a bowl. It thought: That's all there is to the universe, so the frog deemed itself the ruler. Every day it croaked loudly, echoing throughout the well, frightening the other creatures. The frog believed the sky above was only as big as the bowl, and it strutted around like a lord.
One year, heavy rain caused the water in the well to rise, overflowing and carrying our frog outside.
Accustomed to its usual habits, the frog looked up at the sky and suddenly saw a sky much larger than the small patch it was used to seeing. Our frog couldn't believe it and felt irritated by this revelation. To assert its dominance, it croaked loudly. The frog hoped that after its cries, everything would return to normal. But the sky remained unchanged. Meanwhile, the frog, so absorbed in looking up at the sky, didn't pay attention to its surroundings and was crushed by a passing buffalo.
From the story about perception and evaluation of the outside world solely through the narrow mouth of the well by the frog, the tale implicitly criticizes those with limited understanding who are prone to arrogance and boasting. It also advises people to strive to broaden their perspectives and knowledge, avoiding complacency and arrogance.
Though short, the structure of the story is clearly divided into two distinct parts. The first part describes the living conditions and limited knowledge of the frog. The second part recounts the disastrous consequences of its arrogant and complacent attitude. From this, a lesson is drawn for everyone.
The story can be summarized as follows: Due to living long in a narrow well, the frog thought the sky above was only as big as the well's opening, and it strutted around like a lord. One year, heavy rain caused the well to overflow, carrying the frog outside. Accustomed to its habits, it arrogantly looked up at the sky, paying no attention to its surroundings, and was crushed by a passing buffalo.
The folk author cleverly imagined the setting of the story and the character's psyche. Why would the frog have such narrow-minded thoughts? Because it lived at the bottom of a small well, so from below, it saw the sky as small as the opening of a pot. Seeing this every day, it asserted that the sky was only that big.
Under the well, there were only a few ordinary small creatures like tadpoles, crabs, and snails... Every time the frog croaked loudly, echoing throughout, the other creatures would panic.
This detail holds both practical and symbolic significance. The small well, despite its depth, echoes loudly with any sound. Similar to in old rural areas, when something happens in one household, the whole neighborhood, even the entire village, knows about it. The village is far from the king and officials, so the bullies and thugs roam freely, harassing the innocent.
In that tiny world, the frog deemed itself the ruler, disregarding everyone else. It has never had the opportunity to learn about another environment, another world, so its perspective is very narrow, with limited knowledge and understanding. Yet the frog remains arrogant, thinking itself superior to all. This has become its habit, its vice.
After a heavy rain, the well overflowed, pushing the frog out. The frog's living conditions suddenly changed from a very confined space at the bottom of the well to a vast expanse. Initially, the frog thought the ground was just like the bottom of the well, and the sky above was still the same sky it had been accustomed to seeing through the mouth of the well all along, and it still considered itself the ruler.
To survive, the frog must change its perspective and way of life. But stuck in its old habits, it continues to swagger around and croak loudly.
The heavy rain only changed the frog's living conditions, not the cause of its death, which was its own arrogance and complacency.
Through the story, our ancestors advise us to strive for learning and broaden our perspectives regardless of our circumstances. Education doesn't only happen in schools but also in life. Life itself is a vast ocean of knowledge and experience. We must overcome our limitations and continuously learn to attain higher education and broader perspectives. We should not be complacent or arrogant because complacency and arrogance often lead to failure in both career and life. We should deeply reflect on the lessons the story presents, rather than turning ourselves into the Frog at the Bottom of the Well, thinking the sky is no bigger than a bowl.
Above is the section Retell the story of the Frog at the Bottom of the Well and explain the lesson you learned from it to provide additional knowledge for answering, practicing writing, you can also refer to the section Compose the story of the Frog at the Bottom of the Well and along with the section Express your thoughts on the frog in the fable of the Frog at the Bottom of the Well as well.
