It was a very hot day. A lion and a sheep were both thirsty (口渴的). The sheep found a small pool. Just when the sheep started to drink water from the pool, the lion came up to him and shouted, "I should drink first. I' m the king (大王) of all the animals. Get out of my way!"

    "No," said the sheep. "I should drink first. I found the water."

    "You will drink it all up," said the lion. "There won't be any left, and I' m almost dead (死的) with thirst.'

    "And I haven't drunk water all day," said the sheep.

    So they started to quarrel. They shouted louder and louder, and the lion even ran after the sheep to the top of a small hill.

    Suddenly the lion stopped. He looked up into the sky. The sheep looked up, too. A vulture (秃鹫) was there. All the animals knew and were afraid of him. He is Bird of Death, who likes to jump on the bodies of dead animals and eat them. The lion and the sheep knew it

    If we go on quarreling, said the lion, "we will both die of thirst, and the vulture will eat us. Go to the water and drink, but don't drink it all."

    The sheep did as the lion said, and the two animals weren't thirsty anymore.

狼

    一屠晚归，担中肉尽，止有剩骨。途中两狼，缀行甚远。

    屠惧，投以骨。一狼得骨止，一狼仍从。复投之，后狼止而前狼又至。骨已尽矣，而两狼之并驱如故。

    屠大窘，恐前后受其敌。顾野有麦场，场主积薪其中，苫蔽成丘。屠乃奔倚其下，弛担持刀。狼不敢前，眈眈相向。

    少时，一狼径去，其一犬坐于前。久之，目似瞑，意暇甚。屠暴起，以刀劈狼首，又数刀毙之。方欲行，转视积薪后，一狼洞其中，意将隧入以攻其后也。身已半入，止露尻尾。屠自后断其股，亦毙之。乃悟前狼假寐，盖以诱敌。

    狼亦黠矣，而顷刻两毙，禽兽之变诈几何哉？止增笑耳。