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."

 

从前，有一个人抓住了一只黄鼠狼，它总是在房子里偷偷摸摸。这人正要用一盆水淹死它时，黄鼠狼苦苦哀求人饶了自己的性命，并且对人说：“你一定不忍心杀了我！想想我对你们家做的贡献吧，我可是一只在清理你家里的老鼠和蜥蜴，为了显示你对我的感激之情，就饶我一命吧。”“我也承认，你并非完全无用，” 男人说， “但是，是谁杀了鸡？是谁偷了肉？不不！你做了太多坏事，理应去死。”

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