A bird was confined in a cage outside a often sang at night when all other birds were asleep.

One night a bat came. He asked the bird why she was silent by day and sang onlyat night. The bird answered, “Last year when I was singing in the daytime, a bird catcher heard my voice and caught me in his then I have never sung by day.” The bat replied, xxxBut it is useless to do this now that you have become a prisoner.xxx Then he flew away.

The Old Cat

An old woman had a cat. The cat was very old; she could not run quickly, and she could not bite, because she was so old. One day the old cat saw a mouse; she jumped and caught the mouse. But she could not bite it; so the mouse got out of her mouth and ran away, because the cat could not bite it.

Then the old woman became very angry because the cat had not killed the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said, xxxDo not hit your old servant. I have worked for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I am too old. Do not be unkind to the old, but remember what good work the old did when they were young.xxx

一位老妇有只猫，这只猫很老，它跑不快了，也咬不了东西，因为它年纪太大了。一天，老猫发现一只老鼠，它跳过去抓这只老鼠，然而，它咬不住这只老鼠。所以，老鼠从它的嘴边溜掉了，因为老猫咬不了它。

于是，老妇很生气，因为老猫没有把老鼠咬死。她开始打这只猫，猫说：“不要打你的老仆人，我已经为你服务了很多年，并且还愿意为你效劳，可是，我实在太老了，对年纪大的不要这么无情，要记住老年人在年青时所做过的有益的事情。”

A wild hare was running in the field and behind it more than a hundred people were chasing it.

It was not because that the hare could be divided into a hundred portions but the ownership of the hare was not decided.

When a lot of hares were piled in the market, the passers -- by would not even loot at them. It was not because that people did not want to get them, but those hares already had their owner, and the ownership had been decided. As far as the administration of a country is concerned, the key is to make laws and regulations, establish clear ownership.

一只兔子在野地里跑，后面常有百多人追逐。

这并不是因为这只兔子可以分成一百份，每人可得一份，而是因为兔子的所有权没有确定。

当许多兔子堆积在市场上时，路过的行人之所以看也不看，也不是因为人们不愿意得到兔子，而是因为这种兔子已经有了主人，所有权已经确定。仅就治理天下和国家而言，关键在于制定法令，确定名份。

A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw.

xxxHo! ho!xxx quoth he, xxxthat's for me,xxx and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard?

xxxYou may be a treasure,xxx quoth Master Cock, xxxto men that prize you, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls.xxx

Precious things are for those that can prize them.

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.

印度有一个挑水工，他有两个大罐子，分别挂在肩上的扁担两头。

One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

其中一个罐子做工精细，从不漏水，另一个上面则有一道裂缝。

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

每当挑水工回到雇主家时，罐子里的水就只剩一半了。

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.

这样过了整整两年，这个挑水工每天挑到雇主家的水仅有一罐半。

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

当然，那个完好的罐子为自己的成就甚感自豪。

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

而那个可怜的有裂缝的罐子却因自身的瑕疵而羞愧不已，为自己只能装一半水而痛苦不堪。

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

痛苦了两年后，一天，那个有裂缝的罐子在小溪边对挑水工说：

xxxI am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.xxx

“我很惭愧，想向你道歉。”

xxxWhy?xxx asked the bearer. xxxWhat are you ashamed of?xxx

“为什么?”挑水工问，“你羞愧什么呢?”

xxxI have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.

“为这两年来只能让你挑回一半的水。因为我身上的这个裂缝，每次你回雇主家的路上，水都在漏，到家时就只剩下半罐了。

Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,xxx the pot said.

正是我的裂缝，你不得不多挑几次水，这样就浪费了你的部分劳动价值。”罐子说道。

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said,

挑水工对这个有裂痕的旧罐子感到很抱歉，他同情地说道：

xxxAs we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.xxx

“当我们返回雇主家时，我希望你能留心路旁那些美丽的花朵。”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

的确如此，当他们上山时，这个有裂缝的旧罐子注意到了路旁的野花，它们沐浴在阳光中非常漂亮。

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

它感到了一丝快乐，但到雇主家时，它又为自己漏了一半水而难过起来，于是，它再次为自己的失败向挑水工道歉。

The bearer said to the pot, xxxDid you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?

挑水工对罐子说：“你注意到了吗?你这边沿路都有花，而另一边就没有?

That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.

我早就注意到了你的裂缝，我就是利用这一点，在你这侧的路边种上花籽。

I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.

每天，我们从小溪回来时，你就给它们浇了水。

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.

这两年，我就采这些漂亮的花朵来装点雇主的桌子。

Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.xxx

倘若你不漏水，他就没有这么美丽的鲜花来装饰屋子了。”

A horse and an ass were traveling together. The horse was prancing along in its beautiful trappings, but the ass was carrying the heavy weight in its saddlebags.

xxxI wish I were you,xxx sighed the ass. xxxYou have nothing to do, and wear such a beautiful harness.xxx

The next day there was a great battle. The horse was badly woundedin the final charge.

The ass passed and saw the dying horse. xxxI was wrong,xxx said the ass.xxxSafety is much more important than beautiful clothes.xxx