THE OLD LION

老獅子

A Lion，enfeebled by age and no longer able to procure food for himself by force，determined to do so by cunning.Betaking himself to a cave，he lay down inside and feigned to be sick：and whenever any of the other animals entered to inquire after his health，he sprang upon them and devoured them.Many lost their lives in this way，till one day a Fox called at the cave，and，having a suspicion of the truth，addressed the Lion from outside instead of going in，and asked him how he did.He replied that he was in a very bad way："But，"said he，"why do you stand outside？Pray come in.""I should have done so，"answered the Fox，"if I hadn't noticed that all the footprints point towards the cave and none the other way."

｛中文閱讀｝

有一頭上了年紀的獅子，已經不能憑借蠻力去搶奪食物了，暗自思忖著只能用智取的辦法才能獲得必要食物。于是，他鉆進一個山洞里，躺在地上假裝生病，只要有其它小動物走過來窺探他的健康狀況，他就會上前抓住他們，然后吃掉。就這樣，許多動物都喪失了性命。直到有一天，懷疑事實真相的狐貍識破了獅子的詭計，他遠遠地站在洞外，詢問獅子現在感覺如何。獅子回答說自己感覺很不好，他問狐貍：“不過，你為什么站在外面問，快進洞里來吧。”狐貍回答說：“我發現只有進去的腳印，卻沒有一個出來的腳印，若不是看到這些腳印，我也許已經進洞里去了?！?

THE BOY BATHING

洗澡的小男孩

A Boy was bathing in a river and got out of his depth，and was in great danger of being drowned.A man who was passing along a road heard his cries for help，and went to the riverside and began to scold him for being so careless as to get into deep water，but made no attempt to help him."Oh，sir，"cried the Boy，"please help me first and scold me afterwards."

Give assistance，not advice，in a crisis.

｛中文閱讀｝

一天，有個小男孩正在河里洗澡，他走到了水深沒頂的地方，眼看就要被淹死了。一個正經過此路的行人聽到了男孩的呼救聲，他走到河邊，開始教訓小男孩太魯莽地進入深水區，但是并沒有要去救人的意思。小男孩大聲喊道：“先生，拜托你，還是先把我救起來，再好好教訓吧。”

危急之中應伸出援手，而非建議。

THE QUACK FROG

庸醫青蛙

Once upon a time a Frog came forth from his home in the marshes and proclaimed to all the world that he was a learned physician，skilled in drugs and able to cure all diseases.Among the crowd was a Fox，who called out，"You a doctor！Why，how can you set up to heal others when you cannot even cure your own lame legs and blotched and wrinkled skin？"

Physician，heal thyself.

｛中文閱讀｝

從前，有一只青蛙從他那濕地中的家里蹦了出來，向所有的動物宣稱自己是一個博學多才的醫生，精通于藥學，能治百病。其中，有一只狐貍問他：“你這樣的醫生，連自己的跛足和斑駁起皺的皮都治不好，怎么還敢吹牛說能給別人治病呢？”

要醫人，先醫己。

THE SWOLLEN FOX

脹肚的狐貍

A hungry Fox found in a hollow tree a quantity of bread and meat，which some shepherds had placed there against their return.Delighted with his find he slipped in through the narrow aperture and greedily devoured it all.But when he tried to get out again he found himself so swollen after his big meal that he could not squeeze through the hole，and fell to whining and groaning over his misfortune.Another Fox，happening to pass that way，came and asked him what the matter was；and，on learning the state of the case，said，"Well，my friend，I see nothing for it but for you to stay where you are till you shrink to your former size；you'll get out then easily enough."

｛中文閱讀｝

饑餓的狐貍在一棵中空的樹干中發現了一些牧羊人存留的面包和肉。高興之余，他立即通過那狹窄的縫隙擠進去，貪婪地大吃起來。然而，當他吃飽之后，卻發現自己的肚子脹鼓鼓的，即便費了九牛二虎之力，卻怎么也鉆不出那個洞來，便在樹洞里唉聲嘆氣。另一只狐貍恰巧經過那里，聽到他的呻吟，便過去問他原因。聽明白緣由后，那只狐貍便說道：“我的朋友，你就老老實實待在里邊吧，等到恢復了鉆進去之前的身材，你就能輕松地出來了?！?

THE MOUSE，THE FROG，AND THE HAWK

老鼠、青蛙和老鷹

A Mouse and a Frog struck up a friendship；they were not well mated，for the Mouse lived entirely on land，while the Frog was equally at home on land or in the water.In order that they might never be separated，the Frog tied himself and the Mouse together by the leg with a piece of thread.As long as they kept on dry land all went fairly well；but，coming to the edge of a pool，the Frog jumped in，taking the Mouse with him，and began swimming about and croaking with pleasure.The unhappy Mouse，however，was soon drowned，and floated about on the surface in the wake of the Frog.There he was spied by a Hawk，who pounced down on him and seized him in his talons.The Frog was unable to loose the knot which bound him to the Mouse，and thus was carried off along with him and eaten by the Hawk.

｛中文閱讀｝

一只老鼠與一只青蛙建立起了友誼。但是他們并非十分相配，因為老鼠完全生活在陸地上，而青蛙則除了陸地上的生活外，還時常在水中生活。為了永遠不分開，青蛙用一根繩子把自己的腿和老鼠的腿綁在了一起。他們在干燥的地面上行走時，一切都正常，可是當他們來到池塘邊時，青蛙帶著老鼠一起跳進了水里，一邊游泳，一邊高興得呱呱大叫。然而，可憐的老鼠很快就被淹死了，并且尾隨著青蛙漂浮在水面。這時，一只鷹發現了老鼠，猛然沖向水面，用鷹爪把他抓了起來。青蛙無法松開與老鼠綁在一起的繩結，于是也一同被抓走，成了老鷹的美食。

THE BOY AND THE NETTLES

男孩和蕁麻

A Boy was gathering berries from a hedge when his hand was stung by a Nettle.Smarting with the pain，he ran to tell his mother，and said to her between his sobs，"I only touched it ever so lightly，mother.""That's just why you got stung，my son，"she said；"if you had grasped it firmly，it wouldn't have hurt you in the least."

｛中文閱讀｝

一個小男孩在籬笆叢中采集漿果，一不小心被蕁麻刺傷了。帶著難受的刺痛感，他急忙跑回家，邊哭邊對媽媽說：“媽媽，我只是輕輕地碰了它一下?！眿寢屨f：“這就是你被刺痛的原因，我的兒子。如果你勇敢地一把抓住它，就不會被刺傷了?！?

THE PEASANT AND THE APPLE-TREE

農夫和蘋果樹

A Peasant had an Apple-tree growing in his garden，which bore no fruit，but merely served to provide a shelter from the heat for the sparrows and grasshoppers which sat and chirped in its branches.Disappointed at its barrenness he determined to cut it down，and went and fetched his axe for the purpose.But when the sparrows and the grasshoppers saw what he was about to do，they begged him to spare it，and said to him，"If you destroy the tree we shall have to seek shelter elsewhere，and you will no longer have our merry chirping to enliven your work in the garden."He，however，refused to listen to them，and set to work with a will to cut through the trunk.A few strokes showed that it was hollow inside and contained a swarm of bees and a large store of honey.Delighted with his find he threw down his axe，saying，"The old tree is worth keeping after all."

Utility is most men's test of worth.

｛中文閱讀｝

有一個農夫，他的園子里有一棵蘋果樹，這棵樹并不茂盛，只能為麻雀和蟬提供一個可棲息的地方，讓他們坐在枝椏上歇息和喋喋不休地吵鬧。農夫認為這棵樹沒有什么大用處，決定把它砍掉，于是便拿起斧頭走過去砍起樹來。然而，那些蟬和麻雀看到農夫的行為后，便請求農夫留下這棵樹，并且對他說：“如果你砍掉這棵樹，我們還得另外再找一個窩，而你也不會在園子里干活時聽到我們為你鼓勁的歡快歌聲了?！鞭r夫沒理睬他們，繼續拿起斧頭砍這棵樹。幾斧下去之后，樹上出現了一個洞，他發現樹洞里有蜂巢和蜂蜜。他高興地連忙拋下斧頭，說：“這棵老樹還真是值得保留下來?！?

實用性是大多數人對價值的檢驗。