有一头生活在园丁家里的驴，过着艰辛的日子，不仅吃得少、干得多，还经常挨主人的鞭打。于是，驴请求朱庇特让他离开园丁，换另外一个主人。于是朱庇特派墨丘利去找园丁，让他把驴卖给一个陶艺工人，园丁照做了。然而，驴仍然像以前一样不满足，因为他现在过得比以前还辛苦。于是，他又请求朱庇特让自己离开第二个主人，再换另外一个。朱庇特又安排第二个主人把他卖给一个皮匠。可是，当驴一看到新主人的生意，就绝望地哭起来：“为什么我总对以前的主人不满意呀！为什么不满足于自己的辛苦工作和微薄待遇呀？至少，我会慢慢地消耗至死，而现在，我就要在制皮桶里结束性命了。”
到了更坏的主人那里，才知道前主人的好。
199
THE PACK-ASS，THE WILD ASS，AND THE LION
家驴、野驴和狮子
A Wild Ass saw a Pack-Ass jogging along under a heavy load，and taunted him with the condition of slavery in which he lived，in these words：“What a vile lot is yours compared with mine！I am free as the air，and never do a stroke of work；and，as for fodder，I have only to go to the hills and there I ？nd far more than enough for my needs.But you！you depend on your master for food，and he makes you carry heavy loads every day and beats you unmercifully.”At that moment a Lion appeared on the scene，and made no attempt to molest the Pack-Ass owing to the presence of the driver；but he fell upon the Wild Ass，who had no one to protect him，and without more ado made a meal of him.
It is no use being your own master unless you can stand up for yourself.
｛中文阅读｝
一头野驴看到一头家驴背负着沉重的货物一路小跑，便讥讽他过着奴隶般的生活：“和我相比，你过得多么卑微呀！我自由自在地享受着大自然，从不下苦力，说到食物，我只需要跑到山上去，就能发现大量吃的东西。再看看你！只能依靠主人施舍点吃的，他不仅每天都让你驮重物，还无情地鞭打你。”这时，一只狮子出现在他们视野中，由于驴夫的出现，狮子没有骚扰家驴，直接扑向了没有保护者的野驴，立即吃掉了野驴。
除非能照顾好自己，否则做自己的主人一点儿用也没有。
THE ANT
蚂蚁
Ants were once men and made their living by tilling the soil.But，not content with the results of their own work，they were always casting longing eyes upon the crops and fruits of their neighbours，which they stole，whenever they got the chance，and added to their own store.At last their covetousness made Jupiter so angry that he changed them into Ants.But，though their forms were changed，their nature remained the same：and so，to this day，they go about among the corn？elds and gather the fruits of others’labour，and store them up for their own use.
You may punish a thief，but his bent remains.
｛中文阅读｝
很久很久以前，蚂蚁本来是人，以耕地为生。但是，他们不满足于自己的劳动所得，总是盯着邻居的水果和庄稼羡慕不已，只要一有机会，他们就会偷邻居的食物，放在自己的储藏室。后来，他们的贪婪让朱庇特十分生气，便把他们变成了现在的蚂蚁。然而，虽然他们的模样改变了，本性却依然未变。直到现在，他们仍然会到别人的田里采集人家的劳动成果，贮存起来留作自己的食物。
你可以惩罚小偷，但他们的恶习依然如故。
THE FROGS AND THE WELL
青蛙和水井
Two Frogs lived together in a marsh.But one hot summer the marsh dried up，and they left it to look for another place to live in：for frogs like damp places if they can get them.By and by they came to a deep well，and one of them looked down into it，and said to the other，“This looks a nice cool place：let us jump in and settle here.”But the other，who had a wiser head on his shoulders，replied，“Not so fast，my friend：supposing this well dried up like the marsh，how should we get out again？”
Think twice before you act.
｛中文阅读｝
两只青蛙住在一片沼泽地里。在一个炎热的夏季，沼泽地干涸了，他们不得不去寻找另一块湿地，因为他们很喜欢潮湿的地方。不久，他们找到了一口深井，其中一只青蛙向下看了看，对另一只说：“看上去，这是个凉快的好地方，我们跳进去，就住在这里吧。”而另一只青蛙头脑比较聪明，回答说：“别着急，朋友，如果这口井也干了的话，我们可怎么出来呢？”
凡事应三思而后行。
THE CRAB AND THE FOX
螃蟹和狐狸
A Crab once left the sea-shore and went and settled in a meadow some way inland，which looked very nice and green and seemed likely to be a good place to feed in.But a hungry Fox came along and spied the Crab and caught him.Just as he was going to be eaten up，the Crab said，“This is just what I deserve；for I had no business to leave my natural home by the sea and settle here as though I belonged to the land.”
Be content with your lot.
｛中文阅读｝
有一次，一只螃蟹离开海边，定居在内陆的一块草地上，那里看着很美，有青青的绿草，是个养分充足的好地方。然而，一只饥饿的狐狸走过来，看见螃蟹并捉住了他。就在狐狸将要吃掉他之前，螃蟹说：“我真是活该！我没有理由要离开海边那个天然的家，像陆地栖息的动物一样，偏要到这里来定居。”
知足才能常乐。
THE FOX AND THE GRASSHOPPER
狐狸和蚂蚱
A Grasshopper sat chirping in the branches of a tree.A Fox heard her，and，thinking what a dainty morsel she would make，he tried to get her down by a trick.Standing below in full view of her，he praised her songin the most ？attering terms，and begged her to descend，saying he wouldlike to make the acquaintance of the owner of so beautiful a voice.But she was not to be taken in，and replied，“You are very much mistaken，my dear sir，if you imagine I am going to come down：I keep well out of the way of you and your kind ever since the day when I saw numbers of grasshoppers’wings strewn about the entrance to a fox’s earth.”
｛中文阅读｝
一只蚂蚱坐在树枝上叽叽喳喳地鸣唱。一只狐狸听到她的叫声，心想这可是一顿美餐呀，便想出了一个诡计诱使蚂蚱下来。他站在树下一个能完全看见蚂蚱的地方，用尽各种方法赞美蚂蚱的歌声悦耳动听，并劝蚂蚱下来，想要看一看是什么样的动物才能发出如此悦耳的声音。可是，蚂蚱识破了他的诡计，回答说：“喂，若是你以为我会飞下来，那就大错特错了。自从那天见到狐狸的洞口四周散布着无数蚂蚱的翅膀之后，我就开始警惕着你和你的同类了。”
THE FARMER，HIS BOY，AND THE ROOKS
农夫、伙计和白嘴鸦