A man once caught a weasel, which was always sneaking1 about the house, and was just going to drown it in a tub of water, when it begged hard for its life, and said to him, "Surely you haven't the heart to put me to death? Think how useful I have been in clearing your house of the mice and lizards2 which used to infest3 it, and show your gratitude4 by sparing my life." "You have not been altogether useless, I grant you," said the Man: "but who killed the fowls5? Who stole the meat? No no! You do much more harm than good, and die you shall."
從前,有一個人抓住了一只黃鼠狼,它總是在房子里偷偷摸摸。這人正要用一盆水淹死它時(shí),黃鼠狼苦苦哀求人饒了自己的性命,并且對人說:“你一定不忍心殺了我!想想我對你們家做的貢獻(xiàn)吧,我可是一只在清理你家里的老鼠和蜥蜴,為了顯示你對我的感激之情,就饒我一命吧。”“我也承認(rèn),你并非完全無用,” 男人說, “但是,是誰殺了雞?是誰偷了肉?不不!你做了太多壞事,理應(yīng)去死。”