Title: Wang Xiaoliang Catches Frogs
Column: Fairy Tale Added Time: January 13, 2011, 1:50:53 PM Source: Admin Clicks: 40
The troublemaker Wang Xiaoliang went to his grandmother's house and saw many frogs in the rice field beside her house, so he started catching them. Someone saw him and said that frogs are friends of humans, and advised him not to catch them, but he didn't listen, just like in the story of an abandoned baby (Part One). As a result, he caught until it was dark, filling a large bucket with frogs, catching all the frogs in the field. When he returned home that night, he couldn't sleep peacefully.
First, the loud croaking of the frogs in the bucket gave him a headache. His uncle scolded him and ordered him to release the frogs back into the field the next morning. Then, just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard knocking on the door. He got up and opened the door, only to see a group of grasshoppers, leeches, and rice insects banging gongs, playing drums, and setting off firecrackers to thank him. They also held several large banners that read: "Thank you, great hero Wang Xiaoliang, for eliminating our natural enemies and pests. The insect population of the Xishuigou rice fields will forever be grateful to you. We hope you don't let those bad frogs go." Afraid that his uncle would hear the noise and come out to yell at him again, Wang Xiaoliang hurriedly asked them to stop the gongs, drums, and fireworks, and return to the rice fields.
Just after the grasshoppers and rice insects left, there was another commotion outside. There was more knocking on the door. Wang Xiaoliang thought the grasshoppers had returned, but when he opened the door, he saw a large group of frogs, toads, and even some toadstools. They were also banging gongs, playing drums, and holding banners, but they did not set off any fireworks. The banners read: "Return our flesh and blood compatriots. If you do not return them, blood debts must be repaid in blood. Illegal confinement is a crime." Standing by the door, Wang Xiaoliang was pondering what it meant to repay blood debts in blood when the frogs inside the house heard their kindred coming to rescue them and began to croak. Outside, hearing the cries from inside, they became more anxious. A toad jumped onto Wang Xiaoliang's foot and looked up at him threateningly: "Wang Xiaoliang, will you release my frog brothers? If not, I'll bite you to death!" Before Wang Xiaoliang could react, a toad hopped onto his shoulder, its tongue flickering as it spoke: "I am the cousin of the frogs. If you don't release my cousins, I'll spray poison into your mouth. Will you release them or not?" Scared, Wang Xiaoliang's legs trembled uncontrollably, and he hastily said: "Yes, yes, I'll release them immediately. Please get down."
He released all the frogs, who then happily banged their gongs and played their drums as they left. Wang Xiaoliang thought to himself in fear: "I will never catch beneficial insects again."