The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse
A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch the Country Mouse served wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food only to be polite. After the meal the friends had a long talk, or rather the Town Mouse talked about her life in the city while the Country Mouse listened. They then went to bed in a cozy nest in the hedgerow and slept in quiet and comfort until morning. In her sleep the Country Mouse dreamed she was a Town Mouse with all the luxuries and delights of city life that her friend had described for her. So the next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said yes. When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet. There were sweetmeats and jellies, pastries, delicious cheeses, indeed, the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine. But just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble a dainty bit of pastry, she heard a Cat mew loudly and scratch at the door. In great fear the Mice scurried to a hiding place, where they lay quite still for a long time, hardly daring to breathe. When at last they ventured back to the feast, the door opened suddenly and in came the servants to clear the table, followed by the House Dog.The Country Mouse stopped in the Town Mouse's den only long enough to pick up her carpet bag and umbrella. "You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not," she said as she hurried away, "but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country with the peace and security that go with it."
Poverty with securitys better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty.
Khổ nỗi cành cây cao quá và chùm nho lại treo vắt vẻo tận ngoài khiến cáo thèm và lay hoay không biết tính sao?
The Fox & the Grapes
A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.
The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it. The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.
Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.
"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for."
And off he walked very, very scornfully.
The Wolf & the Crane
A Wolf had been feasting too greedily, and a bone had stuck crosswise in his throat. He could get it neither up nor down, and of course he could not eat a thing. Naturally that was an awful state of affairs for a greedy Wolf.
So away he hurried to the Crane. He was sure that she, with her long neck and bill, would easily be able to reach the bone and pull it out.
"I will reward you very handsomely," said the Wolf, "if you pull that bone out for me."
The Crane, as you can imagine, was very uneasy about putting her head in a Wolf's throat. But she was grasping in nature, so she did what the Wolf asked her to do.
When the Wolf felt that the bone was gone, he started to walk awa.
"But what about my reward!" called the Crane anxiously.
"What!" snarled the Wolf, whirling around. "Haven't you got it? Isn't it enough that I let you take your head out of my mouth without snapping it off?"
Expect no reward for serving the wicked.
The Lion & the Mouse
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
A kindness is never wasted.
Đêm đến, Gà theo thói quen tìm cây rừng nào thích hợp để trú. Có một cây cổ thụ cao to gần đó cho gà đậu trên cành. Thân cây lại có một lỗ bộng vừa cho Chó ẩn thân. Thật là vừa ý cho đôi bạn đánh một giấc ngon lành qua đêm.
VỎ QUÝT DÀY CÓ MÓNG TAY NHỌN
The Dog, the Cock, & the Fox
A Dog and a Cock, who were the best of friends, wished very much to see something of the world. So they decided to leave the farmyard and to set out into the world along the road that led to the woods. The two comrades traveled along in the very best of spirits and without meeting any adventure to speak of.
At nightfall the Cock, looking for a place to roost, as was his custom, spied nearby a hollow tree that he thought would do very nicely for a night's lodging. The Dog could creep inside and the Cock would fly up on one of the branches. So said, so done, and both slept very comfortably.
With the first glimmer of dawn the Cock awoke. For the moment he forgot just where he was. He thought he was still in the farmyard where it had been his duty to arouse the household at daybreak. So standing on tip-toes he flapped his wings and crowed lustily. But instead of awakening the farmer, he awakened a Fox not far off in the wood. The Fox immediately had rosy visions of a very delicious breakfast. Hurrying to the tree where the Cock was roosting, he said very politely:
"A hearty welcome to our woods, honored sir. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you here. I am quite sure we shall become the closest of friends."
"I feel highly flattered, kind sir," replied the Cock slyly. "If you will please go around to the door of my house at the foot of the tree, my porter will let you in."
The hungry but unsuspecting Fox, went around the tree as he was told, and in a twinkling the Dog had seized him.
Those who try to deceive may expect to be paid in their own coin.
Đại bàng từ trên không lao xuống hai chân đầy móng vuốt cắp con cừu cái và bay vút lên trời với đôi cánh lực lưỡng. Nó sẽ mang con mồi to lớn này về tận ổ.
Con quạ xám ở xa nhìn hình ảnh này mà ước ao có được sức mạnh đại bàng. Nó cũng bắt chước bay vút xuống, lông lá nó xé gió bay tung toé, rồi lại quắp chân trên lưng một con cừu đực to tướng. Khổ nỗi khi bay lên chân nó mắc vào bộ lông xoăn tít của cừu? Không nhấc con cừu to tướng lên được chút nào chân Quạ còn dính cứng không còn bay được? Cừu đực không hay rằng có con Quạ đang lay hoay mãi trên lưng mình, một kẻ manh tâm định cắp nó lên như Đại Bàng kia?
Người chăn cừu đứng xa mục kích hết mọi việc. Ông chạy lại bắt ngay con quạ cắt bớt đôi cánh. Tối đó ông mang con quạ xám về nhà cho bầy con chơi.
Bầy con nhao nhao cười:
-Con chim gì buồn cười vậy bố? Bố gọi nó là chim gì vậy?
-Đó là con quạ xám thôi các con ơi! Nhưng các con hỏi nó thì nó sẽ tự cho nó là ĐẠI BÀNG cho xem ./.
* PHẢI THỰC TẾ ĐỪNG HOANG TƯỞNG VÀ TỰ CAO MÀ ĐÁNH GIÁ QUÁ CAO THỰC LỰC CUẢ BẠN
The Eagle & the Jackdaw
An Eagle, swooping down on powerful wings, seized a lamb in her talons and made off with it to her nest. A Jackdaw saw the deed, and his silly head was filled with the idea that he was big and strong enough to do as the Eagle had done. So with much rustling of feathers and a fierce air, he came down swiftly on the back of a large Ram. But when he tried to rise again he found that he could not get away, for his claws were tangled in the wool. And so far was he from carrying away the Ram, that the Ram hardly noticed he was there. The Shepherd saw the fluttering Jackdaw and at once guessed what had happened. Running up, he caught the bird and clipped its wings. That evening he gave the Jackdaw to his children. "What a funny bird this is!" they said laughing, "what do you call it, father?" "That is a Jackdaw, my children. But if you should ask him, he would say he is an Eagle."
Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.
dịch thuật Đinh trọng Phúc
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