｛中文閱讀｝

蝙蝠落到地上，被黃鼠狼捉住了，就在快要被殺死、吃掉之前，他乞求黃鼠狼放了他。黃鼠狼說不能放了他，因為他向來是所有鳥類的敵人。蝙蝠說：“噢，我根本不是鳥兒，只不過是一只老鼠。”黃鼠狼說：“原來你是老鼠呀，現在我才看清你。”

于是，黃鼠狼放走了蝙蝠。不久，蝙蝠又以同樣方式被另一只黃鼠狼捉住了，像從前那樣，他又求黃鼠狼放了自己。“不行，”黃鼠狼說，“我絕不放過任何一只老鼠。”“可我不是老鼠呀，”蝙蝠說，“我是一只鳥兒。”“哎呀，原來你是一只鳥兒呀，”黃鼠狼說著，也放走了蝙蝠。

見風使舵。

THE DOG AND THE SOW

狗和母豬

A Dog and a Sow were arguing and each claimed that its own young ones were finer than those of any other animal."Well，"said the Sow at last，"mine can see，at any rate，when they come into the world：but yours are born blind."

｛中文閱讀｝

狗和母豬爭辯，都說自己的孩子更加出色。“嗯，”母豬最后說，“至少我的孩子一生下來就能看見東西，你的孩子生下來卻是個瞎子。”

THE FOX AND THE CROW

狐貍和烏鴉

A Crow was sitting on a branch of a tree with a piece of cheese in her beak when a Fox observed her and set his wits to work to discover some way of getting the cheese.Coming and standing under the tree he looked up and said，"What a noble bird I see above me！Her beauty is without equal，the hue of her plumage exquisite.If only her voice is as sweet as her looks are fair，she ought without doubt to be Queen of the Birds."The Crow was hugely flattered by this，and just to show the Fox that she could sing she gave a loud caw.Down came the cheese，of course，and the Fox，snatching it up，said，"You have a voice，madam，I see：what you want is wits."

｛中文閱讀｝

烏鴉坐在樹枝上，嘴里叼著一塊奶酪。這時，狐貍在觀察烏鴉，轉動鬼腦筋想得到那塊奶酪。于是，狐貍走過去，站在樹下，仰起頭說道：“我的頭上有一只多么高貴的鳥兒呀！她的美貌天下無雙，她的羽毛精致纖美。要是她的聲音也像外貌和羽毛那樣美好，毫無疑問，她真該成為鳥類的女王！”聽到這番恭維，烏鴉簡直受寵若驚，一心只想著向狐貍炫耀一下自己的歌喉，就“呱”地大叫了一聲。理所當然，她嘴里的那塊奶酪就掉了下去，狐貍立刻抓起奶酪，說：“烏鴉夫人，我知道你的歌喉很不錯，可你需要的是智慧。”

THE HORSE AND THE GROOM

馬和馬夫

There was once a Groom who used to spend long hours clipping and combing the Horse of which he had charge，but who daily stole a portion of his allowance of oats，and sold it for his own profit.The Horse gradually got into worse and worse condition，and at last cried to the Groom，"If you really want me to look sleek and well，you must comb me less and feed me more."

｛中文閱讀｝

從前，有一個馬夫，常常花費幾個鐘頭來為他負責照管的馬修剪和梳理毛發，可是他卻每天都會偷一部分喂馬的燕麥，拿去賣了以謀私利。逐漸地，馬的健康狀況越來越糟糕，最后忍不住對馬夫大叫：“你要是真想讓我看上去光滑閃亮，就應該少給我梳毛，多喂我燕麥。”

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB

狼和小羊

A Wolf came upon a Lamb straying from the flock，and felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some plausible excuse；so he cast about for a grievance and said at last，"Last year，sirrah，you grossly insulted me.""That is impossible，sir，"bleated the Lamb，"for I wasn't born then.""Well，"retorted the Wolf，"you feed in my pastures.""That cannot be，"replied the Lamb，"for I have never yet tasted grass.""You drink from my spring，then，"continued the Wolf."Indeed，sir，"said the poor Lamb，"I have never yet drunk anything but my mother's milk.""Well，anyhow，"said the Wolf，"I'm not going without my dinner"：and he sprang upon the Lamb and devoured it without more ado.

｛中文閱讀｝

狼偶然碰見一只離群的小羊，似乎覺著平白無故殺死這么弱小無助的生命有點良心不安，于是他竭力尋找自己受過的各種委屈，最后說：“小子，去年你可是侮辱過我。”“這不可能，先生。”小羊低聲說，“那時，我還沒出生呢。”狼反駁道：“嗯，你在我的牧場里吃草來著。”“這更不可能啦，”小羊回答說，“我到現在還沒嘗過草的滋味呢。”“那么，你喝過我的泉水。”狼繼續編造借口。“說實在的，先生，”可憐的小羊說，“除了媽媽的奶水，我從沒喝過其它東西呢。”“好吧，不管怎么說，”狼說，“我總不能不吃晚飯。”于是，他撲向小羊，干脆痛快地把他吞了下去。

THE PEACOCK AND THE CRANE

孔雀與鶴

A Peacock taunted a Crane with the dullness of her plumage."Look at my brilliant colors，"said she，"and see how much finer they are than your poor feathers.""I am not denying，"replied the Crane，"that yours are far gayer than mine；but when it comes to flying I can soar into the clouds，whereas you are confined to the earth like any dunghill cock."

｛中文閱讀｝

孔雀嘲諷鶴的羽毛色澤暗淡，她奚落道：“看看我的羽毛，多么鮮艷華麗呀，比你那灰暗難看的羽毛強出百倍。”“我不否認，”鶴說道，“你的羽毛比我的華麗，可是，要說到飛行能力，我翅膀上的羽毛能在空中翱翔，而你卻只能像公雞一樣，在地上行走。”

THE CAT AND THE BIRDS

貓和鳥

A Cat heard that the Birds in an aviary were ailing.So he got himself up as a doctor，and，taking with him a set of the instruments proper to his profession，presented himself at the door，and inquired after the health of the Birds."We shall do very well，"they replied，without letting him in，"when we've seen the last of you."

A villain may disguise himself，but he will not deceive the wise.

｛中文閱讀｝

有一只貓，聞言某處鳥舍里的鳥兒們全都生病了。于是，他便扮作醫生，帶著醫生所使用的專業器具，裝模作樣地來到鳥房前，假裝問候里面的鳥兒身體狀況。“我們都很健康，”鳥兒們回答說，并沒有讓貓進去，“一看到你的大尾巴，我們就全好了。”

騙子會偽裝自己，但決騙不過聰明人。

THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW

敗家子與燕子

A Spendthrift，who had wasted his fortune，and had nothing left but the clothes in which he stood，saw a Swallow one fine day in early spring.Thinking that summer had come，and that he could now do without his coat，he went and sold it for what it would fetch.A change，however，took place in the weather，and there came a sharp frost which killed the unfortunate Swallow.When the Spendthrift saw its dead body he cried，"Miserable bird！Thanks to you I am perishing of cold myself."

One swallow does not make summer.

｛中文閱讀｝

一個敗家子因為揮霍無度而白白耗費了所有的財產。在一個早春的日子里，除了身上的衣服之外，已經別無所有的他，看到一只燕子。他心里想著，應該是夏天來臨，可以不再需要身上的外套了。于是，他出去想賣掉外套，換點什么東西。不料，天氣驟變，忽然降臨的一場霜凍凍死了不幸的燕子。敗家子看到燕子的尸體后，大喊道：“可憐的小鳥！都是因為你，我才會也跟著挨凍呀。”

一燕不成夏。