10. 公鸡篇#
10.1. 小偷和公鸡#
几个小偷悄悄地溜进一户人家里，那家人除了一只公鸡之外什么也没有，于是，小偷便偷走了那只公鸡。当小偷们要杀鸡吃肉时，其中一个小偷抓住了公鸡，准备割断他的脖子，这时，公鸡可怜巴巴地说：”求求你别杀我，你会发现我是一只很有用的鸡，我会忠诚地在清晨叫醒人类。”但是，小偷们回答说：“我当然知道你的作用了，就是因为你把人们都叫醒了，才让我们难以生存。你就快点下油锅吧！”
THE THIEVES AND THE COCK
Some Thieves broke into a house, and found nothing worth taking except a Cock, which they seized and carried off with them. When they were preparing their supper, one of them caught up the Cock, and was about to wring his neck, when he cried out for mercy and said, “Pray do not kill me: you will find me a most useful bird, for I rouse honest men to their work in the morning by my crowing.” But the Thief replied with some heat, “Yes, I know you do, making it still harder for us to get a livelihood. Into the pot you go!”
Moral
One should not be too quick to judge someone for the consequences of their actions without taking into account their intentions.
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10.2. 老鹰和公鸡#
两只公鸡生活在同一个场院里，为争当主人而打了起来。战争结束后，落败的一方躲进了一个黑暗的角落；而胜者则飞到棚顶上兴奋地大喊大叫。然而，一只鹰突然从天而降，冲下来抓走了他。这时，那只被打败的公鸡立刻从角落里跑出来，独自占领了整个鸡窝。
THE EAGLE AND THE COCKS
There were two Cocks in the same farmyard, and they fought to decide who should be master. When the fight was over, the beaten one went and hid himself in a dark corner; while the victor flew up on to the roof of the stables and crowed lustily. But an Eagle espied him from high up in the sky, and swooped down and carried him off. Forthwith the other Cock came out of his corner and ruled the roost without a rival.
10.3. 公鸡和宝石#
一只公鸡在田野里觅食，突然发现了一块宝玉，不知是谁不小心掉在这里了。公鸡说道：“哇，你可真漂亮，要是你的主人找到了你，肯定会喜出望外。不过，对我来说，你却毫无用处。与其得到世界上的所有珠宝，还不如得到一颗麦子更好。”
THE COCK AND THE JEWEL
A Cock, scratching the ground for something to eat, turned up a Jewel that had by chance been dropped there. “Ho!” said he, “a fine thing you are, no doubt, and, had your owner found you, great would his joy have been. But for me! give me a single grain of corn before all the jewels in the world.”
Moral
Moral: Contentment is better than riches. True happiness comes from within and not from material possessions.
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10.4. 捕鸟人、鹧鸪和公鸡#
有一天，当捕鸟人正坐在餐桌边吃着仅有香草和面包的晚餐时，一个朋友不期而至。食品柜已经空了，于是捕鸟人跑出去捉那只驯养的鹧鸪，它可是一直被当做诱饵留下来的。就在捕鸟人要拧断她的脖子时，鹧鸪大喊道：”你确定要杀了我吗？为什么，要是没有我，你下次捕鸟时该怎么办呢？你如何能吸引那些鸟儿走到你的网里来呢？”听了这番话，捕鸟人就放了鹧鸪，走到鸡舍那边，准备去捉那只胖乎乎的小公鸡。公鸡看到自己将要成为下一个被杀的目标，也求主人饶命，并且说：”如果你杀了我，怎么能知道夜晚的时间呢？谁能在清晨唤醒你，到时候该去干活了呢？”然而，捕鸟人却回答说：”我知道，你的确能告诉我时间，尽管如此，我也不能让朋友饿着肚子去睡觉呀。”随后，他便捉住公鸡，拧断了它的脖子。
寓意
本文讲述的是一个贪婪的故事，捕鸟人想为自己和朋友准备晚餐，但当面对家中的牲畜时，他犹豫不决。不管是鹧鸪还是公鸡，它们都以智慧和温暖的话语希望保全自己的生命，但捕鸟人最终还是为了自己的贪婪，选择了杀死公鸡。这篇文章寓意是：贪婪容易让人忽
👇 听寓言故事
THE FOWLER, THE PARTRIDGE, AND THE COCK
One day, as a Fowler was sitting down to a scanty supper of herbs and bread, a friend dropped in unexpectedly. The larder was empty; so he went out and caught a tame Partridge, which he kept as a decoy, and was about to wring her neck when she cried, “Surely you won’t kill me? Why, what will you do without me next time you go fowling? How will you get the birds to come to your nets?” He let her go at this, and went to his hen-house, where he had a plump young Cock. When the Cock saw what he was after, he too pleaded for his life, and said, “If you kill me, how will you know the time of night? and who will wake you up in the morning when it is time to get to work?” The Fowler, however, replied, “You are useful for telling the time, I know; but, for all that, I can’t send my friend supperless to bed.” And therewith he caught him and wrung his neck.
Moral
Moral: Never sacrifice a long-term benefit for a short-term gain.
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