The Little Horse Crosses the River
“The Little Horse Crosses the River” is a Chinese children’s story written by Peng Wenxi in the 1950s, meant to teach children to try things themselves instead of just listening to others. A little horse wants to cross a river: the squirrel says the water is deep, the ox says it is shallow — only by stepping in himself does he find it is just right. Long a Chinese primary-school text, the story taught generations of children that you must learn by doing.
Little Horse lived with his mama on a green farm. A wide river ran past their home.
One morning, Mama Horse gave him a bag of wheat. "Please take it to the mill across the river," she said.
At the river, Little Horse stopped. He did not know if the water was deep.
A squirrel jumped down from a tree. "Don't go in! The water is very, very deep!" she cried.
Then Old Cow walked by slowly. "The water is shallow," he said. "It only comes up to my knees."
Little Horse felt confused. "Who is right?" he asked himself.
Mama Horse smiled kindly. "Try it yourself," she said. "Step in slowly and feel the water."
Little Horse stepped into the river. The water was not deep and not shallow — it was just right!
