寓言故事（4）

鹦鹉和猫

　　从前，有人买了一只毛色鲜艳的鹦鹉。他没有把鹦鹉关在笼子里，也没有用链条把他拴在栖木上，而让他在家里自由自在地飞来飞去。鹦鹉对此十分高兴，扑动翅膀，从一间屋子飞到另一间屋子，愉快地尖声叫着，最终停在华丽的帷幔的边上。

　　"你到底是谁？"从下头传来怒气冲冲的说话声，"立刻住嘴，别发出那难听的声音。"

　　鹦鹉看见地毯上有一只猫抬头看着他。

　　"我是鹦鹉。我刚到，我要使劲地吵吵。"他说。"那你就一声不响吧，"鹦鹉欢快地说，"我不明白你在这儿干什么，可我明白我的活儿。主人为了我的声音才买我，我必须得让他听到。"

　　不一样的人因有不一样的特点而受重视。

A boy was playing in the fields when he was stung by a nettle.He ran home to tell his mother what had happened.

"I only touched it lightly," he said, "and the nasty thing stung me."

"It stung you because you only touched it lightly," his mother told him." Next time you touch a nettle grasp it as tightly as you can. Then it won't sting you at all."

Face danger boldly.

　　男孩和荨麻

　　有个男孩子在地里玩耍，被荨麻刺痛了。他跑回家去，告诉妈妈出了什么事。

　　"我可是轻轻地碰了它一下，"他说，"那厌恶的东西就把我刺痛了。"

　　"你只轻轻地碰了它一下，所以它才刺痛你，"妈妈对他说，"下一回你再碰到荨麻，就尽量紧紧地抓住它。那它就根本不会刺痛你了。"

　　要敢于应对危险。

The Ass and the Grasshopperan

Ass having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on, to give them such beautiful voices. They replied, "The dew." The Ass resolved that he would only live upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger.

驴和蚱蜢

　　一只驴听到几只蚱蜢在叫，便觉得很趣味;于是也想得到同样趣味的音调，便问蚱蜢吃什么东西过活，以致于能有这样优美的声音。蚱蜢说：「露水。」驴子听了，从此以后也单吃露水过活，不久便饿死了。