狮子与报恩的老鼠

　　狮子睡着了，有只老鼠跳到了他身上。狮子猛然站起来，把他抓住，准备吃掉。老鼠请 求饶命，并说如果保住性命，必将报恩，狮子轻蔑地笑了笑，便把他放走了。不久，狮子真 的被老鼠救了性命。原来狮子被一个猎人抓获，并用绳索把他捆在一棵树上。老鼠听到了他 的哀嚎，走过去咬断绳索，放走了狮子，并说：

　　“你当时嘲笑我，不相信能得到我的报答， 现在可清楚了，老鼠也能报恩。”

　　这故事说明，时运交替变更，强者也会有需要弱者的时候。

　　The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller

　　A charcoal-burner carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again with your charcoal."

　　Like will draw like.

　　烧炭人与漂布人

　　烧炭人在一所房子里干活，看见有一个漂布人搬迁到他的旁边来住时，满怀高兴地走上 去劝他与自己同住，并解释说这样彼此更亲密，更方便，还更省钱。漂布人却回答说：“也 许你说的是真话，但完全不可能办到，因为凡我所漂白的，都将被你弄黑。”

　　这故事说明，不同类的人难相处。

　　The Father and His Sons

　　A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons’ hands, upon which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."