伊索寓言英文版上.docx

伊索寓言英文版上.docx

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伊索寓言英文版上

1.THEWOLFANDTHEKID

TherewasoncealittleKidwhosegrowinghornsmadehimthinkhewasagrown-upBillyGoatandabletotakecareofhimself.Sooneeveningwhentheflockstartedhomefromthepastureandhismothercalled,theKidpaidnoheedandkeptrightonnibblingthetendergrass.Alittlelaterwhenheliftedhishead,theflockwasgone.

Hewasallalone.Thesunwassinking.Longshadowscamecreepingovertheground.Achillylittlewindcamecreepingwiththemmakingscarynoisesinthegrass.TheKidshiveredashethoughtoftheterribleWolf.Thenhestartedwildlyoverthefield,bleatingforhismother.Butnothalf-way,nearaclumpoftrees,therewastheWolf!

TheKidknewtherewaslittlehopeforhim.

"Please,Mr.Wolf,"hesaidtrembling,"Iknowyouaregoingtoeatme.Butfirstpleasepipemeatune,forIwanttodanceandbemerryaslongasIcan."

TheWolflikedtheideaofalittlemusicbeforeeating,sohestruckupamerrytuneandtheKidleapedandfriskedgaily.

Meanwhile,theflockwasmovingslowlyhomeward.InthestilleveningairtheWolf'spipingcarriedfar.TheShepherdDogsprickeduptheirears.TheyrecognizedthesongtheWolfsingsbeforeafeast,andinamomenttheywereracingbacktothepasture.TheWolf'ssongendedsuddenly,andasheran,withtheDogsathisheels,hecalledhimselfafoolforturningpipertopleaseaKid,whenheshouldhavestucktohisbutcher'strade.

Donotletanythingturnyoufromyourpurpose.

2.THETORTOISEANDTHEDUCKS

TheTortoise,youknow,carrieshishouseonhisback.Nomatterhowhardhetries,hecannotleavehome.TheysaythatJupiterpunishedhimso,becausehewassuchalazystay-at-homethathewouldnotgotoJupiter'swedding,evenwhenespeciallyinvited.

Aftermanyyears,Tortoisebegantowishhehadgonetothatwedding.WhenhesawhowgailythebirdsflewaboutandhowtheHareandtheChipmunkandalltheotheranimalsrannimblyby,alwayseagertoseeeverythingtherewastobeseen,theTortoisefeltverysadanddiscontented.Hewantedtoseetheworldtoo,andtherehewaswithahouseonhisbackandlittleshortlegsthatcouldhardlydraghimalong.

OnedayhemetapairofDucksandtoldthemallhistrouble.

"Wecanhelpyoutoseetheworld,"saidtheDucks."Takeholdofthisstickwithyourteethandwewillcarryyoufarupintheairwhereyoucanseethewholecountryside.Butkeepquietoryouwillbesorry."

TheTortoisewasverygladindeed.Heseizedthestickfirmlywithhisteeth,thetwoDuckstookholdofitoneateachend,andawaytheysaileduptowardtheclouds.

JustthenaCrowflewby.Hewasverymuchastonishedatthestrangesightandcried:

"ThismustsurelybetheKingofTortoises!

"

"Whycertainly——"begantheTortoise.

Butasheopenedhismouthtosaythesefoolishwordshelosthisholdonthestick,anddownhefelltotheground,wherehewasdashedtopiecesonarock.

Foolishcuriosityandvanityoftenleadtomisfortune.

3.THEBOYANDTHEFILBERTS

ABoywasgivenpermissiontoputhishandintoapitchertogetsomefilberts.Buthetooksuchagreatfistfulthathecouldnotdrawhishandoutagain.Therehestood,unwillingtogiveupasinglefilbertandyetunabletogetthemalloutatonce.Vexedanddisappointedhebegantocry.

"Myboy,"saidhismother,"besatisfiedwithhalfthenutsyouhavetakenandyouwilleasilygetyourhandout.Thenperhapsyoumayhavesomemorefilbertssomeothertime."

Donotattempttoomuchatonce.

4.THEYOUNGCRABANDHISMOTHER

"Whyintheworlddoyouwalksidewayslikethat?

"saidaMotherCrabtoherson."Youshouldalwayswalkstraightforwardwithyourtoesturnedout."

"Showmehowtowalk,motherdear,"answeredthelittleCrabobediently,"Iwanttolearn."

SotheoldCrabtriedandtriedtowalkstraightforward.Butshecouldwalksidewaysonly,likeherson.Andwhenshewantedtoturnhertoesoutshetrippedandfellonhernose.

Donottellothershowtoactunlessyoucansetagoodexample.

5.THEFROGSANDTHEOX

AnOxcamedowntoareedypooltodrink.Ashesplashedheavilyintothewater,hecrushedayoungFrogintothemud.TheoldFrogsoonmissedthelittleoneandaskedhisbrothersandsisterswhathadbecomeofhim.

"Agreatbigmonster,"saidoneofthem,"steppedonlittlebrotherwithoneofhishugefeet!

"

"Big,washe!

"saidtheoldFrog,puffingherselfup."Washeasbigasthis?

"

"Oh,muchbigger!

"theycried.

TheFrogpuffedupstillmore.

"Hecouldnothavebeenbiggerthanthis,"shesaid.ButthelittleFrogsalldeclaredthatthemonsterwasmuch,muchbiggerandtheoldFrogkeptpuffingherselfoutmoreandmoreuntil,allatonce,sheburst.

Donotattempttheimpossible.

6.THEDOG,THECOCK,ANDTHEFOX

ADogandaCock,whowerethebestoffriends,wishedverymuchtoseesomethingoftheworld.Sotheydecidedtoleavethefarmyardandtosetoutintotheworldalongtheroadthatledtothewoods.Thetwocomradestraveledalongintheverybestofspiritsandwithoutmeetinganyadventuretospeakof.

AtnightfalltheCock,lookingforaplacetoroost,aswashiscustom,spiednearbyahollowtreethathethoughtwoulddoverynicelyforanight'slodging.TheDogcouldcreepinsideandtheCockwouldflyupononeofthebranches.Sosaid,sodone,andbothsleptverycomfortably.

WiththefirstglimmerofdawntheCockawoke.Forthemomentheforgotjustwherehewas.Hethoughthewasstillinthefarmyardwhereithadbeenhisdutytoarousethehouseholdatdaybreak.Sostandingontip-toesheflappedhiswingsandcrowedlustily.Butinsteadofawakeningthefarmer,heawakenedaFoxnotfaroffinthewood.TheFoximmediatelyhadrosyvisionsofaverydeliciousbreakfast.HurryingtothetreewheretheCockwasroosting,hesaidverypolitely:

"Aheartywelcometoourwoods,honoredsir.IcannottellyouhowgladIamtoseeyouhere.Iamquitesureweshallbecometheclosestoffriends."

"Ifeelhighlyflattered,kindsir,"repliedtheCockslyly."Ifyouwillpleasegoaroundtothedoorofmyhouseatthefootofthetree,myporterwillletyouin."

ThehungrybutunsuspectingFox,wentaroundthetreeashewastold,andinatwinklingtheDoghadseizedhim.

Thosewhotrytodeceivemayexpecttobepaidintheirowncoin.

7.BELLINGTHECAT

TheMiceoncecalledameetingtodecideonaplantofreethemselvesoftheirenemy,theCat.Atleasttheywishedtofindsomewayofknowingwhenshewascoming,sotheymighthavetimetorunaway.Indeed,somethinghadtobedone,fortheylivedinsuchconstantfearofherclawsthattheyhardlydaredstirfromtheirdensbynightorday.

Manyplanswerediscussed,butnoneofthemwasthoughtgoodenough.AtlastaveryyoungMousegotupandsaid:

"Ihaveaplanthatseemsverysimple,butIknowitwillbesuccessful.AllwehavetodoistohangabellabouttheCat'sneck.Whenwehearthebellringingwewillknowimmediatelythatourenemyiscoming."

AlltheMiceweremuchsurprisedthattheyhadnotthoughtofsuchaplanbefore.Butinthemidstoftherejoicingovertheirgoodfortune,anoldMousearoseandsaid:

"IwillsaythattheplanoftheyoungMouseisverygood.Butletmeaskonequestion:

WhowillbelltheCat?

"

Itisonethingtosaythatsomethingshouldbedone,butquiteadifferentmattertodoit.

8.THEEAGLEANDTHEJACKDAW

AnEagle,swoopingdownonpowerfulwings,seizedalambinhertalonsandmadeoffwithittohernest.AJackdawsawthedeed,andhissillyheadwasfilledwiththeideathathewasbigandstrongenoughtodoastheEaglehaddone.Sowithmuchrustlingoffeathersandafierceair,hecamedownswiftlyonthebackofalargeRam.Butwhenhetriedtoriseagainhefoundthathecouldnotgetaway,forhisclawsweretangledinthewool.AndsofarwashefromcarryingawaytheRam,thattheRamhardlynoticedhewasthere.

TheShepherdsawtheflutteringJackdawandatonceguessedwhathadhappened.Runningup,hecaughtthebirdandclippeditswings.ThateveninghegavetheJackdawtohischildren.

"Whatafunnybirdthisis!

"theysaidlaughing,"whatdoyoucallit,father?

"

"ThatisaJackdaw,mychildren.Butifyoushouldaskhim,hewouldsayheisanEagle."

Donotletyourvanitymakeyouoverestimateyourpowers.

9.HERCULESANDTHEWAGONER

AFarmerwasdrivinghiswagonalongamirycountryroadafteraheavyrain.Thehorsescouldhardlydragtheloadthroughthedeepmud,andatlastcametoastandstillwhenoneofthewheelssanktothehubinarut.

Thefarmerclimbeddownfromhisseatandstoodbesidethewagonlookingatitbutwithoutmakingtheleastefforttogetitoutoftherut.AllhedidwastocursehisbadluckandcallloudlyonHerculestocometohisaid.Then,itissaid,Herculesreallydidappear,saying:

"Putyourshouldertothewheel,man,andurgeonyourhorses.Doyouthinkyoucanmovethewagonbysimplylookingatitandwhiningaboutit?

Herculeswillnothelpunlessyoumakesomeefforttohelpyourself."

Andwhenthefarmerputhisshouldertothewheelandurgedonthehorses,thewagonmovedveryreadily,andsoontheFarmerwasridingalongingreatcontentandwithagoodlessonlearned.

Selfhelpisthebesthelp.

Heavenhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves.

10.THETOWNMOUSEANDTHECOUNTRYMOUSE

ATownMouseoncevisitedarelativewholivedinthecountry.ForlunchtheCountryMouseservedwheatstalks,roots,andacorns,withadashofcoldwaterfordrink.TheTownMouseateverysparingly,nibblingalittleofthisandalittleofthat,andbyhermannermakingitveryplainthatsheatethesimplefoodonlytobepolite.

Afterthemealthefriendshadalongtalk,orrathertheTo