THE SHEEP AND THE DOG
羊群和狗
Once upon a time the Sheep complained to the shepherd about the difference in his treatment of themselves and his Dog.“Your conduct，”said they，“is very strange and，we think，very unfair.We provide you with wool and lambs and milk and you give us nothing but grass，and even that we have to find for ourselves：but you get nothing at all from the Dog，and yet you feed him with tit-bits from your own table.”Their remarks were overheard by the Dog，who spoke up at once and said，“Yes，and quite right，too：where would you be if it wasn’t for me？Thieves would steal you！Wolves would eat you！Indeed，if I didn’t keep constant watch over you，you would be too terrified even to graze！”The Sheep were obliged to acknowledge that he spoke the truth，and never again made a grievance of the regard in which he was held by his master.
｛中文阅读｝
从前，有一群羊向牧羊人抱怨自己和狗受到了差别待遇。“你的行为很奇怪，”羊群说，“我们认为非常不公平。我们为您提供羊毛、羔羊肉和羊奶，你却只给我们吃草，甚至于我们还要自己去找草吃。你从狗那里什么也没得到，可你却从自己的餐桌上拿些精美的食物喂他。”狗听到了他们的言论，立刻开口说：“是的，的确如此。要不是有我在，你们会在哪里呢？小偷早就偷走你们了！狼也会吃掉你们！其实，如果没有我守护着你们，你们可能连吃草都吓得不敢去！”羊群不得不承认他说的有道理，便不再提受到主人差别待遇的意见了。
210
THE SHEPHERD AND THE WOLF
牧羊人和狼
A Shepherd found a Wolf’s Cub straying in the pastures，and took him home and reared him along with his dogs.When the Cub grew to his full size，if ever a wolf stole a sheep from the flock，he used to join the dogs in hunting him down.It sometimes happened that the dogs failed to come up with the thief，and，abandoning the pursuit，returned home.The Wolf would on such occasions continue the chase by himself，and when he overtook the culprit，would stop and share the feast with him，and then return to the Shepherd.But if some time passed without a sheep being carried off by the wolves，he would steal one himself and share his plunder with the dogs.The Shepherd’s suspicions were aroused，and one day he caught him in the act；and，fastening a rope round his neck，hung him on the nearest tree.
What’s bred in the bone is sure to come out in the ？esh.
｛中文阅读｝
牧羊人在牧场里捡到一只失散了的小狼崽，于是把它带回家，和狗一起喂养。小狼崽长大以后，倘若有狼来偷羊吃，它就会和狗一起去追赶狼。有一次，狗没追上就回去了，那只狼却继续追捕，待追上后，他看了看自己的同类，便与其一同分享了羊肉，然后回到牧羊人家里。从此以后，即便有时狼并没有来偷羊，他也会偷偷咬死一只羊，和狗一起分享战利品。后来，牧羊人对它产生了怀疑，有一天终于发现了事实真相，便用绳子套住狼的脖子，将它吊死在旁边的树上。
江山易改，本性难移。
211
THE LION，JUPITER，AND THE ELEPHANT
狮子、朱庇特和大象
The Lion，for all his size and strength，and his sharp teeth and claws，is a coward in one thing：he can’t bear the sound of a cock crowing，and runs away whenever he hears it.He complained bitterly to Jupiter for making him like that；but Jupiter said it wasn’t his fault：he had done the best he could for him，and，considering this was his only failing，he ought to be well content.The Lion，however，wouldn’t be comforted，and was so ashamed of his timidity that he wished he might die.In this state of mind，he met the Elephant and had a talk with him.He noticed that the great beast cocked up his ears all the time，as if he were listening for something，and he asked him why he did so.Just then a gnat came humming by，and the Elephant said，“Do you see that wretched little buzzing insect？I’m terribly afraid of its getting into my ear：if it once gets in，I’m dead and done for.”The Lion’s spirits rose at once when he heard this：“For，”he said to himself，“if the Elephant，huge as he is，is afraid of a gnat，I needn’t be so much ashamed of being afraid of a cock，who is ten thousand times bigger than a gnat.”
｛中文阅读｝
狮子有着健壮魁梧的体魄、锐利的牙齿和四爪，然而有一件事却让他成了懦夫。他受不了公鸡的啼鸣声。只要一听到这个声音，狮子立刻就会逃跑。他痛苦地向朱庇特哭诉，为何把自己造成这样，可朱庇特却说这不是自己的错，他已经尽可能地把优点都给了狮子，这不过是唯一的缺点，狮子应该知足了。然而，狮子仍然觉着不舒服，为自己的胆小和懦弱羞愧得无地自容。正在这时候，他遇见了大象，便和大象聊起来。他看见这头巨兽总是不停地扇动着耳朵，好像在倾听什么，于是便问为什么总这样。恰好，有一只小飞虫在大象耳边嗡嗡地叫，大象回答说：“你看见这些嗡嗡叫的虫子了吗？我很担心他们钻进我的耳朵里，一旦让他们飞进去，我就完蛋了。”一听到这话，狮子立刻打起了精神，自言自语地说：“如果像大象那么大的动物都害怕一只小虫子，我也不必为自己害怕公鸡而羞愧了，公鸡可比虫子大得多了。”
THE PIG AND THE SHEEP
猪和绵羊
A Pig found his way into a meadow where a ？ock of Sheep were grazing.The shepherd caught him，and was proceeding to carry him off to the butcher’s when he set up a loud squealing and struggled to get free.The Sheep rebuked him for making such a to-do，and said to him，“The shepherd catches us regularly and drags us off just like that，and we don’t make any fuss.”“No，I dare say not，”replied the Pig，“but my case and yours are altogether different：he only wants you for wool，but he wants me for bacon.”
｛中文阅读｝
有一头猪跑进正在牧场里吃草的羊群中，牧羊人抓住了他，要把他送到屠夫那里，猪鬼哭狼嚎般拼命挣扎着想逃出来。羊群指责他大惊小怪，对猪说：“我们经常被牧羊人抓住，就像刚才那样被拖走，可从来不这样叫喊。”猪回答说：“我和你们绝对不一样，他抓你是为了你的毛，抓我却是为了吃我的肉呀。”
THE GARDENER AND HIS DOG
花匠和他的狗
A Gardner’s Dog fell into a deep well，from which his master used to draw water for the plants in his garden with a rope and a bucket.Failing to get the Dog out by means of these，the Gardener went down into the well himself in order to fetch him up.But the Dog thought he had come to make sure of drowning him；so he bit his master as soon as he came within reach，and hurt him a good deal，with the result that he left the Dog to his fate and climbed out of the well，remarking，“It serves me quite right for trying to save so determined a suicide.”
｛中文阅读｝
花匠的狗掉进了一口深井里，井旁边有绳子和桶，是花匠经常用来打水去浇花的工具，可无论用什么办法，他也没能把狗捞上来。于是，为了救小狗，花匠自己跳进了井中。可是，狗却以为主人下来是要淹死它。所以，当花匠靠近狗时，狗立刻狠狠地咬了他一口。花匠着实受了重伤，决定让狗自生自灭，不再管它了。花匠一边往上爬，一边说：“我真是活该！为什么要去救一个想要寻死的畜生呢？”
THE RIVERS AND THE SEA
河流和大海
Once upon a time all the Rivers combined to protest against the action of the Sea in making their waters salt.“When we come to you，”said they to the Sea，“we are sweet and drinkable：but when once we have mingled with you，our waters become as briny and unpalatable as your own.”The Sea replied shortly，“Keep away from me and you’ll remain sweet.”
｛中文阅读｝
从前，所有河流都联合起来抵抗大海的行为，不想让水变咸了。“当我们流向你时，”河流对大海说，“我们本是甘甜可口的，可一旦与你混合，我们就变得跟你们一样，又咸又涩，一点儿都不好喝了。”大海只是简单地回答道：“离我远一点，你们就会一直甘甜可口了。”
THE LION IN LOVE
恋爱的狮子