THE OLD WOMAN AND THE DOCTOR

老太婆與醫生

An Old Woman became almost totally blind from a disease of the eyes，and，after consulting a Doctor，made an agreement with him in the presence of witnesses that she should pay him a high fee if he cured her，while if he failed he was to receive nothing.The Doctor accordingly prescribed a course of treatment，and every time he paid her a visit he took away with him some article out of the house，until at last，when he visited her for the last time，and the cure was complete，there was nothing left.When the Old Woman saw that the house was empty she refused to pay him his fee；and，after repeated refusals on her part，he sued her before the magistrates for payment of her debt.On being brought into court she was ready with her defense."The claimant，"said she，"has stated the facts about our agreement correctly.I undertook to pay him a fee if he cured me，and he，on his part，promised to charge nothing if he failed.Now，he says I am cured；but I say that I am blinder than ever，and I can prove what I say.When my eyes were bad I could at any rate see well enough to be aware that my house contained a certain amount of furniture and other things；but now，when according to him I am cured，I am entirely unable to see anything there at all."

｛中文閱讀｝

有個老太婆，幾乎因為眼疾而失明了，在咨詢過醫生之后，他們達成了協議——如果醫生能治好她的病，她將支付高額費用；如果醫生治不好她的病，她就分文不給。根據療程計劃，醫生定期來她家里進行治療，而且，每次來時總會順手牽羊地偷走一些物品。終于，當他來做最后一次治療時，老太婆家里的東西已經所剩無幾了。雖然眼疾治好了，但是看到家里空蕩蕩的，老太婆便拒絕支付醫療費，幾次三番地拒付之后，醫生便起訴了老太婆，讓法官幫他追討欠款。被帶到法官那里時，老太婆已經準備好為自己辯護了。她說：“原告的確如實地陳述了我們之間的協議，我曾經許諾過，如果他能治好我的病，就會支付給他治療費，而且，他也曾應允過我，如果治不好我的病，就分文不取。現在，他說我已經痊愈了，可是我認為我的眼睛比以前更瞎了，就此而言，我完全能證明情況屬實。以前，當我的視力下降之后，尚且能看見家里的一些家具和物品，可是現在，當醫生說我已經痊愈時，我卻看不見任何東西了。”

THE MOON AND HER MOTHER

月亮和媽媽

The Moon once begged her Mother to make her a gown."How can I？"replied she；"there's no fitting your figure.At one time you're a New Moon，and at another you're a Full Moon；and between whiles you're neither one nor the other."

｛中文閱讀｝

有一次，月亮祈求媽媽給她做一件長袍。“怎么做呀？”媽媽回答說，“根本沒有適合你的尺寸呀。你有時是新月，有時又是滿月，而且你時常變化著。”

MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN

墨丘利和樵夫

A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river，when his axe，glancing off the trunk，flew out of his hands and fell into the water.As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss，Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief；and on learning what had happened，out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and，bringing up a golden axe，asked him if that was the one he had lost.The Woodman replied that it was not，and Mercury then dived a second time，and，bringing up a silver axe，asked if that was his."No，that is not mine either，"said the Woodman.Once more Mercury dived into the river，and brought up the missing axe.The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property，and thanked his benefactor warmly；and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes.When the Woodman told the story to his companions，one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself.So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river，and presently contrived to let his axe drop into the water.Mercury appeared as before，and，on learning that his axe had fallen in，he dived and brought up a golden axe，as he had done on the previous occasion.Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not the fellow cried，"That's mine，that's mine，"and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize：but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe，but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream.

Honesty is the best policy.

｛中文閱讀｝

有一個樵夫正在河邊砍樹，突然，就在他將斧子抽離樹干的一剎那，斧子從他的手中滑落，掉進了水里。他站在水邊悲嘆那丟失了的斧子時，墨丘利出現了，問他為什么如此傷心。問清緣由之后，出于對樵夫的同情，墨丘利跳進河里，舉起一把金燦燦的斧子問他，這是不是他丟失了的那一把。樵夫說這不是他丟的。于是，墨丘利又跳進河中，撈起一把銀光閃閃的斧子，問他是不是這一把。“不是，這也不是我丟的。”樵夫回答道。墨丘利再一次跳進河里，撈起那把樵夫真正丟失了的斧子。看到失而復得的斧子，樵夫喜出望外，對墨丘利感激萬分。然而，墨丘利也很贊賞樵夫的忠厚老實，就將另外兩把斧子作為禮物送給了他。樵夫把自己的經歷講給同伴聽，其中一個人十分羨慕他的好運氣，決定也去碰一碰運氣。于是，他也來到河畔砍樹，并故意將自己的斧子丟入河中。墨丘利像以前一樣出現了，知道樵夫的斧子落入水中之后，他像上次一樣跳進河里撈起一把金斧子。還沒等到墨丘利開口問他，這個人就大喊道：“是我的，這就是我的斧子。”并且迫切地伸手想去拿那把斧子，但墨丘利對他的不誠實很氣憤，不僅拒絕把金斧子送給他，而且還拒絕幫他尋找掉入水中的那把斧子。

正直誠實才是上策。

THE ASS，THE FOX，AND THE LION

驢、狐貍和獅子

An Ass and a Fox went into partnership and sallied out to forage for food together.They hadn't gone far before they saw a Lion coming their way，at which they were both dreadfully frightened.But the Fox thought he saw a way of saving his own skin，and went boldly up to the Lion and whispered in his ear，"I'll manage that you shall get hold of the Ass without the trouble of stalking him，if you'll promise to let me go free."The Lion agreed to this，and the Fox then rejoined his companion and contrived before long to lead him by a hidden pit，which some hunter had dug as a trap for wild animals，and into which he fell.When the Lion saw that the Ass was safely caught and couldn't get away，it was to the Fox that he first turned his attention，and he soon finished him off，and then at his leisure proceeded to feast upon the Ass.

Betray a friend，and you'll often find you have ruined yourself.

｛中文閱讀｝

驢和狐貍商量好一起去覓食。還沒走出多遠，突然看見一只獅子走過來，他們倆都嚇得不得了。然而，狐貍卻想出一條妙計，可以保全自己的性命。他立即跑到獅子面前，附耳小聲地說：“如果你答應放我走，我就能保證讓你毫不費力地抓住那頭驢。”獅子應允了他的提議，狐貍便引誘驢掉進了一個陷阱里，這是某些獵人為捕獲野生動物而事先挖掘出的洞。獅子見驢已被俘獲，再也逃不掉了，于是便轉向剛才和他說話的那只狐貍，很快便抓住狐貍吃掉了，然后再慢慢地去享受陷阱里的驢。

背叛朋友，你也不會有好下場。