A Jackdaw，watching some Pigeons in a farmyard，was ？lled with envy when he saw how well they were fed，and determined to disguise himself as one of them，in order to secure a share of the good things they enjoyed.So he painted himself white from head to foot and joined the flock；and，so long as he was silent，they never suspected that he was not a pigeon like themselves.But one day he was unwise enough to start chattering，when they at once saw through his disguise and pecked him so unmercifully that he was glad to escape and join his own kind again.But the other jackdaws did not recognise him in his white dress，and would not let him feed with them，but drove him away：and so he became a homeless wanderer for his pains.
｛中文阅读｝
看见一群住在农场里的鸽子不愁吃喝，过着悠闲舒适的生活，一只寒鸦便心生嫉妒。为了能分享鸽子的食物，他决定将自己伪装成一只鸽子。于是，寒鸦将自己的羽毛全都涂成白色，跑到鸽群中，而且，寒鸦一直都保持着沉默，鸽子们从未怀疑过他不是一只鸽子。可是，有一天，他不小心发出了叫声，鸽子们立刻看穿了他的伪装，毫不留情地去啄他。寒鸦侥幸逃出了鸽群的袭击，回到同类之中。然而，因为他的毛色与以前不同了，所以其它寒鸦都没认出他来，也不让他参与集体生活，而且还赶他走。就这样，这只寒鸦为了自己的贪心而成了无家可归的流浪汉。
JUPITER AND THE TORTOISE
朱庇特与乌龟
Jupiter was about to marry a wife，and determined to celebrate the event by inviting all the animals to a banquet.They all came except the Tortoise，who did not put in an appearance，much to Jupiter’s surprise.So when he next saw the Tortoise he asked him why he had not been at the banquet.“I don’t care for going out，”said the Tortoise；“there’s no place like home.”Jupiter was so much annoyed by this reply that he decreed that from that time forth the Tortoise should carry his house upon his back，and never be able to get away from home even if he wished to.
｛中文阅读｝
朱庇特将要娶妻了，他决定举行盛大宴会，招待所有动物，以庆祝这件婚姻大事。除了乌龟之外，所有动物都出席了，这让朱庇特大为吃惊。于是，当他再次见到乌龟时，便问他为什么没来赴宴。“我不喜欢出门，”乌龟回答说，“哪里也不如自己的家里舒服。”朱庇特听到乌龟的回答很生气，于是就下令，从此让乌龟永远驮着他的家行走，即便想卸下来都不行。
THE DOG IN THE MANGER
狗占牛槽
A Dog was lying in a Manger on the hay which had been put there for the cattle，and when they came and tried to eat，he growled and snapped at them and wouldn’t let them get at their food.“What a sel？sh beast，”said one of them to his companions；“he can’t eat himself and yet he won’t let those eat who can.”
｛中文阅读｝
一条狗躺在牛吃草的饲料槽中，而狗身下的草正是为牛准备的食料。当牛向着牛槽走过去，准备吃草时，狗不仅冲着他们大吼大叫，而且还抓咬他们，不让牛吃干草。“这条狗太自私了！”其中一头牛对同伴说，“他自己不能吃干草，还不让能吃的去吃。”
THE TWO BAGS
两个口袋
Every man carries Two Bags about with him，one in front and one behind，and both are packed full of faults.The Bag in front contains his neighbours’faults，the one behind his own.Hence it is that men do not see their own faults，but never fail to see those of others.
｛中文阅读｝
每个人生来都带着两个口袋，一个在前，一个在后，两个口袋里都满载缺点。前面那只口袋里装的是别人的缺点，而后面那只口袋里则装的是自己的缺点。因此，人们总是看不见自己的缺点，却永远不会忽视去看别人的缺点。
THE OXEN AND THE AXLETREES
公牛和车轴
A pair of Oxen were drawing a heavily loaded waggon along the highway，and，as they tugged and strained at the yoke，the Axletrees creaked and groaned terribly.This was too much for the Oxen，who turned round indignantly and said，“Hullo，you there！Why do you make such a noise when we do all the work？”
They complain most who suffer least.
｛中文阅读｝
几头公牛正用劲拉着超重的货车在大路上行走，当他们用劲拖拉货车和牛轭时，车轴被压得吱吱作响。牛有点不耐烦了，回过头对车轴说道：“喂，朋友，我们正在努力地干活，你叫唤什么？”
没受什么苦难的人往往最爱抱怨。
THE BOY AND THE FILBERTS
男孩和榛子
A Boy put his hand into a jar of Filberts，and grasped as many as his ？st could possibly hold.But when he tried to pull it out again，he found he couldn’t do so，for the neck of the jar was too small to allow of the passage of so large a handful.Unwilling to lose his nuts but unable to withdraw his hand，he burst into tears.A bystander，who saw where the trouble lay，said to him，“Come，my boy，don’t be so greedy：be content with half the amount，and you’ll be able to get your hand out without dif？culty.”
Do not attempt too much at once.
｛中文阅读｝
一个小男孩把手伸进装满榛子的瓶中，用尽全力去抓了一大把。但当他想要缩回手时，却发现根本出不来，因为相对于他那抓满榛子的手来说，瓶口太小了。他既不想放弃手中的一部分榛子，又不能拿出手来，于是大哭起来。一个旁观者看出了他的麻烦，便对他说：“孩子，不要太贪婪，只要少拿一半，你的手就能很容易地出来了。”
不要总想一口吃成个大胖子。
THE FROGS ASKING FOR A KING
青蛙求王
Time was when the Frogs were discontented because they had no one to rule over them：so they sent a deputation to Jupiter to ask him to give them a King.Jupiter，despising the folly of their request，cast a log into the pool where they lived，and said that that should be their King.The Frogs were terrified at first by the splash，and scuttled away into the deepest parts of the pool；but by and by，when they saw that the log remained motionless，one by one they ventured to the surface again，and before long，growing bolder，they began to feel such contempt for it that they even took to sitting upon it.Thinking that a King of that sort was an insult to their dignity，they sent to Jupiter a second time，and beggedhim to take away the sluggish King he had given them，and to give themanother and a better one.Jupiter，annoyed at being pestered in this way，sent a Stork to rule over them，who no sooner arrived among them than he began to catch and eat the Frogs as fast as he could.
｛中文阅读｝
因为缺少一个统领者，青蛙们大为不悦。于是，他们派了一个代表去拜见朱庇特，请求赐给他们一个国王。朱庇特不屑于他们如此愚蠢的请求，便将一根木头扔到青蛙居住的池塘中，并且说这就是他们的国王。刚听到木头落下的声音时，青蛙们都吓了一大跳，纷纷潜入池塘深处；没过多久，当他们发现木头依旧静止在那里时，一个接一个地又游出水面来；不久之后，他们愈发大胆了，发现木头没什么了不起的，甚至于爬上木块，坐在它的上面。他们认为这样一个国王简直是对自己尊严的侮辱，于是又去求见朱庇特，请求把赐予他们的这个木头疙瘩拿走，再换一个更好的国王。朱庇特对此十分生气，便派了一只鹳去管制青蛙。结果，鹳一来到池塘里，便开始全力逮吃青蛙。
THE OLIVE-TREE AND THE FIG-TREE
橄榄树与无花果树
An Olive-tree taunted a Fig-tree with the loss of her leaves at a certain season of the year.“You，”she said，“lose your leaves every autumn，and are bare till the spring：whereas I，as you see，remain green and ？ourishing all the year round.”Soon afterwards there came a heavy fall of snow，which settled on the leaves of the Olive so that she bent and broke under the weight；but the ？akes fell harmlessly through the bare branches of the Fig，which survived to bear many another crop.
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