从前，有个人与森林之神萨堤罗斯成了朋友，他们决定一起生活。在一段时间内，一切都很顺利，直到冬季里的一天，萨堤罗斯看到那个人把手放到嘴边不断地呵气。“你为什么要这样做？”他问道。“为了暖和我的手呀。”那人回答道。就在同一天，他们坐下来一起吃饭，每人面前都摆着一碗热气腾腾的粥，那人举起碗来对着嘴又开始吹气。“你为什么要这样做？”森林之神又问他。“为了让粥凉下来。”他说。森林之神立刻站起来，说：“再见，朋友！我要走了，我无法和你这样的人交朋友，因为你的嘴里一会儿吹热气，一会儿又吹冷气。”
THE IMAGE-SELLER
卖神像的人
A certain man made a wooden Image of Mercury，and exposed it for sale in the market.As no one offered to buy it，however，he thought he would try to attract a purchaser by proclaiming the virtues of the Image.So he cried up and down the market，“A god for sale！a god for sale！One who’ll bring you luck and keep you lucky！”Presently one of the bystanders stopped him and said，“If your god is all you make him out to be，how is it you don’t keep him and make the most of him yourself？”“I’ll tell you why，”replied he；“he brings gain，it is true，but he takes his time about it；whereas I want money at once.”
｛中文阅读｝
有个人用木头雕刻了墨丘利的像，拿到市场上去卖。因为没有一个买主前来光顾，他便认为自己应该大声叫喊，以此吸引人前来购买。于是，他冲着市场里大喊：“卖神像了！卖神像了！一个能给你带来好运并维持好运的神像！”这时，旁边的一个人对他说：“喂，朋友，如果你的神像真如你所说，那你为何不自己留下他，好好享受他给你的好运呢？”“告诉你吧，”这个人回答道，“他的确能让你有所收获，这是真的，但是需要时间，而我则希望能马上得到钱。”
THE EAGLE AND THE ARROW
老鹰与箭
An Eagle sat perched on a lofty rock，keeping a sharp look-out for prey.A huntsman，concealed in a cleft of the mountain and on the watch for game，spied him there and shot an Arrow at him.The shaft struck him full in the breast and pierced him through and through.As he lay in the agonies of death，he turned his eyes upon the Arrow.“Ah！cruel fate！”he cried，“that I should perish thus：but oh！fate more cruel still，that the Arrow which kills me should be winged with an Eagle’s feathers！”
｛中文阅读｝
鹰站在一块高高的岩石上，用锐利的目光观察着猎物。一个猎人躲藏在山间的裂缝中观察情况，看到鹰之后，一箭射中了他。那箭直插入鹰的前胸，并且破膛而出。受着死亡苦痛折磨的老鹰，转眼又看到了带着鹰毛的箭翎。“啊！命运真残酷！”他哭喊着，“竟然让我这样死去，不过，更为残酷的是，杀死我的箭上竟然还插着鹰的羽毛！”
THE RICH MAN AND THE TANNER
富人和制皮匠
A Rich Man took up his residence next door to a Tanner，and found the smell of the tan-yard so extremely unpleasant that he told him he must go.The Tanner delayed his departure，and the Rich Man had to speak to him several times about it；and every time the Tanner said he was making arrangements to move very shortly.This went on for some time，till at last the Rich Man got so used to the smell that he ceased to mind it，and troubled the Tanner with his objections no more.
｛中文阅读｝
一个富人与制皮匠比邻而居，发现皮匠院子里传出的气味实在让人受不了，便告诉皮匠请他搬家。制皮匠一直在拖延，富人重复说了好多次让他快点搬家，皮匠每次总是说马上就搬，却老是不采取行动。就这样持续了一段时间，富人已经闻惯了皮革的臭气，也就不再非难制皮匠了。
THE WOLF，THE MOTHER，AND HER CHILD
狼、妈妈和孩子
A hungry Wolf was prowling about in search of food.By and by，attracted by the cries of a Child，he came to a cottage.As he crouched beneath the window，he heard the Mother say to the Child，“Stop crying，do！or I’ll throw you to the Wolf.”Thinking she really meant what she said，he waited there a long time in the expectation of satisfying his hunger.In the evening he heard the Mother fondling her Child and saying，“If the naughty Wolf comes，he shan’t get my little one：Daddy will kill him.”The Wolf got up in much disgust and walked away：“As for the people in that house，”said he to himself，“you can’t believe a word they say.”
｛中文阅读｝
一只饥饿的狼四处寻觅食物。走着走着，他被小孩子的哭声吸引，来到了一个农舍。他在窗下屏息而立，只听到母亲对小孩子说：“别哭了，不然我就把你扔出去喂狼。”狼信以为真，以为她真会这样做，便站在门外等着，期待着快点能满足自己的食欲。直到傍晚来临，他又听见母亲在哄小孩子：“要是狼真的来了，爸爸就会杀死他的。”狼听了这话后，气愤地赶紧跑开了，他边跑边想：“那个房子里的人说的话，一句也不能信。”
THE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR
老太婆和酒瓶
An old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained a rare and costly wine，and which still retained some traces of its exquisite bouquet.She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again and again.“Ah，”she cried，“how delicious must have been the liquid which has left behind so ravishing a smell.”
｛中文阅读｝
一个老太婆捡到一个空酒瓶，这个瓶子曾经装过价格不菲的稀世美酒，依然还带着浓浓的酒香。
她把酒瓶放在鼻孔处，一次又一次贪婪地吸着酒香，并说：“啊，多么甜美！连装过酒的空瓶都能留下这样甘美难忘的香味，那瓶子里的酒还真不知道会多么甘美醇香呢。”
THE LIONESS AND THE VIXEN
母狮与雌狐
A Lioness and a Vixen were talking together about their young，as mothers will，and saying how healthy and well-grown they were，and what beautiful coats they had，and how they were the image of their parents.“My litter of cubs is a joy to see，”said the Fox；and then she added，rather maliciously，“But I notice you never have more than one.”“No，”said the Lioness grimly，“but that one’s a lion.”
Quality，not quantity.
｛中文阅读｝
一头母狮与一只狐狸在闲聊自己的孩子，出于母亲的美好愿望，她们都在说自己的孩子多么健康，多么茁壮，多么美丽，多么像自己的父母。“看到我产下的小幼崽，真让人高兴，”狐狸说，接着她又不怀好意地说，“但是我注意到你从未生过两胎或更多的幼崽。”“没有，”母狮面无表情地回答道，“可我生下的毕竟是一只狮子。”
注重质量，而非数量。
THE VIPER AND THE FILE
毒蛇和锉刀
A Viper entered a carpenter’s shop，and went from one to another of the tools，begging for something to eat.Among the rest，he addressed himself to the File，and asked for the favour of a meal.The File replied in a tone of pitying contempt，“What a simpleton you must be if you imagine you will get anything from me，who invariably take from every one and never give anything in return.”
The covetous are poor givers.
｛中文阅读｝
有条毒蛇爬进铁匠铺里，从一个工具到另一个工具，祈求能给他点可以吃的东西。其中，他向锉刀请求施舍，给他一顿饱餐。可是，锉刀却带着不屑的语气说：“你若想从我这里得到东西，那你真是太傻了，我历来只会索取，不会回报。”
贪婪之人是最小气的施予者。
THE CAT AND THE COCK
猫和公鸡
A Cat pounced on a Cock，and cast about for some good excuse for making a meal off him，for Cats don’t as a rule eat Cocks，and she knew she ought not to.At last she said，“You make a great nuisance of yourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake：so I am going to make an end of you.”But the Cock defended himself by saying that he crowed in order that men might wake up and set about the day’s work in good time，and that they really couldn’t very well do without him.“That may be，”said the Cat，“but whether they can or not，I’m not going without my dinner”；and she killed and ate him.
The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.
｛中文阅读｝
