伊索寓言 05愚蠢的驢 The foolish Donkey
It is a bright sunny morning. A man is loading a bundle of salt onto his Donkey. He is going to sell the salt at the market. The man is very excited. He hopes to get a good price for the salt.
Donkey: Hee-haw! Hee-haw!
Man: Stand still, Donkey!
Donkey: (murmur) How heavy it will be!
Man: Don’t worry. It isn’t very heavy.
Donkey: (murmur)I don’t believe you. It is always heavy.
Man: Let’s go, Donkey!
The two are on their way. The man is very happy, but the Donkey is not. The salt on his back is very heavy.
Man: Oh, what a beautiful morning! Look at the beautiful flowers. I shall sell the salt and buy some new shoes.
Donkey: What a terrible morning. The sun is shining and my back is heavy. I am hot and tired. I want to rest.
Man: Let’s go fast, Donkey. I need some new shoes.
Donkey: I can’t go any faster. My legs are getting weak. Where is the market? Why is it so far away?
The two keep walking. There is a stream ahead. They must cross it.
Man: We must cross that stream.
Donkey: Oh no! A stream! I am tired and weak. The stream will be hard to cross.
Man: Don’t be worry, Donkey. It won’t be too hard. I will help you.
The two are at the stream.
Man: Be careful, Donkey! Just follow me. Walk slowly step by step.
Donkey: The rocks are very slippery. What if I fall? I am afraid.
Man: Watch out, Donkey! It is very slippery here.
Donkey: Hee-haw!
The Donkey slips and falls. It can’t get up.
Man: Oh, no! Get up, Donkey! Get up quickly! Get up before the salt melts! Now!
Donkey: I can’t. I can’t get up. The rocks are slippery and my legs are weak.
Man: Come on! Get up at once!
The man keeps pulling at the donkey, but it is no use. After a while the Donkey finally gets up and they cross the stream.
Man: Look! All the salt is gone.
What shall I do?
Donkey: Hey! My back is light. What happened? I fell in the stream and my back became light. This is great!
However, the next day, the Master loads more salt onto the Donkey and heads for the market again.
Man: Stand still. Today, I will load more salt.
Donkey: It is heavier than yesterday.
Man: let’s go quickly. I have to sell all of this salt today.
Again, they come to the stream.
Donkey: I have an idea. I will fall down here on purpose. Then my back will become light again.
Man: You better not fall down again, Donkey. Just follow me and be careful. One step at a time.
This time, the rocks weren’t slippery at all, but the Donkey fell down on purpose.
Donkey: Hee-haw.
Man: Be careful, not gain.
Donkey: Hee-haw., hee-haw.
Man：Come on, Donkey! Get up! Get up now!
The man pulled at the Donkey, but it didn’t get up for a long time. Afterwards all of the salt wasmelted.
Man: Oh my goodness! All of my salt is melted again! What shall I do?
Donkey: Heh, heh, heh. It worked again. I will keep falling down in the stream.
Man: I know what you are thinking, Donkey. You can’t trick me. I will teach you a lesson.
Both the man and the Donkey had a grin on their faces.
The next day, the man loaded the Donkey’s back again.
Man: Come here, Donkey. We are going to the market again. This is very light.
Donkey: Hey, he is right this time. This is light. But it will become even lighter later. Heh, heh, heh.
After a while, the two reach the stream once again.
Man: there’s the stream. Don’t fall down again today. If you do, you will be sorry.
Donkey: I don’t believe you. I will fall down on purpose again. Then my back will become even lighter.
Donkey: Hee-haw.
This time, the Master didn’t help the Donkey get up. Instead, after a while, the Donkey tried to get up by itself.
Donkey: I will get up now. Hey! What is wrong? I can’t get up. My back is so heavy.
Man: Get up, you foolish Donkey!
Donkey: Why is my back so heavy? I don’t understand.
Man: Poor Donkey! Plain cotton is light. But wet cotton is very heavy.
Donkey: Oh, I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have fooled my Master.
Man：Come on, Donkey! Let’s go! The market is still far away. We have a long way to go.
Donkey: Oh nooooooo!
MORAL
Don’t fall for one’s own tricks.
