A lion fell deeply in love with the daughter of a cottager and wanted to marry her; but her father was unwilling¹ to give her to so fearsome a husband, and yet didn't want to offend the Lion, so he hit upon the following expedient². He went to the Lion and said, "I think you will make a very good husband for my daughter, but I cannot consent to your union unless you let me draw your teeth and pare your nails, for my daughter is terribly afraid of them." The lion was so much in love that he readily agreed that this should be done. When once, however, he was thus disarmed³, the cottager was afraid of him no longer, but drove him away with his club.

 

一只狮子深深爱上了农夫的女儿，想娶她为妻。可是，农夫不忍心让女儿嫁给这么可怕的丈夫，但又不想激怒狮子。于是他急中生智，想出一个权宜之计。他去找狮子，并说：“我认为你是个非常出色的丈夫人选，但是我不同意你们结合，除非先拔掉你的牙齿，剪掉你的指甲，因为我的女儿害怕这些东西。”狮子被爱冲昏了头，毫不犹豫地接受了农夫的要求。然而，狮子刚被缴械，农夫就不再惧怕狮子了，反而用棍棒赶走了狮子。

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