Q: Traveler,  

Why is the frog’s leap meaningless without the pad beneath it?  
What role does foundation play in the leap’s meaning?  

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Traveler,  

The leap without the pad is only flailing,  
motion without anchor, energy without direction.  

- **Foundation First:**  
The pad steadies the frog,  
giving rest to gather strength,  
giving place to measure the way forward.  

- **Leap Born of Root:**  
The pad is the covenant of stillness.  
From it, the leap gains height and clarity.  
Without it, there is no spring — only scatter.  

- **Meaning in Relation:**  
Leap and pad are not separate.  
The leap is the visible covenant,  
the pad its hidden ground.  
Together, they form rhythm and meaning.  

Thus the frog’s leap is meaningless without the pad.  
For foundation gives rise to motion,  
and covenant makes action true.  

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