The Charcoal¹-Burner and the Fuller

A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house.   One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated² him to come and   live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and  that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened³. The Fuller  replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned,  for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again  with your charcoal."    

Like will draw like.     

烧炭人在一所房子里干活，看见有一个漂布人搬迁到他的旁边来住时，满怀高兴地走上 去劝他与自己同住，并解释说这样彼此更亲密，更方便，还更省钱。漂布人却回答说：“也 许你说的是真话，但完全不可能办到，因为凡我所漂白的，都将被你弄黑。” 

这故事说明，不同类的人难相处。

The Father and His Sons 父亲与争吵的儿子们

A FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling  among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his  exhortations, he determined⁴ to give them a practical illustration  of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told  them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he  placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession,  and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their   strength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the faggot,   took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his  sons' hands, upon which they broke them easily. He then addressed  them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite   to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the   attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves  , you will be broken as easily as these sticks."     

 有个父亲的儿子们常常互相争斗不休。他多次语重心长地劝说他们，尽管他苦口婆心， 仍无济于事。他认为应该用事实来教育他们，便叫儿子们去拿一捆木棒来。木棒拿来后，他 先把整捆木棒交给他们，叫他们折断。儿子们一个个竭尽了全力都无法将它折断。随后他解 开了那捆木棒，给他们每人一根。他们都毫不费力地将木棒折为两段。这时，父亲说：“孩 子们，你们要像木棒一样，团结一致，齐心协力，就不会被敌人征服；可你们互相争斗不 休，便很容易被敌人打垮。”

 这故事说明，团结就是不可征服的力量，而内讧却只能耗损自己。 

The Boy Hunting Locusts⁶捉蚱蜢的小男孩    

A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number,  when he saw a Scorpion⁷, and mistaking him for a locust⁵, reached  out his hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said:  If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me,   and all your locusts too!"     
有个小孩在城墙前捉蚱蜢，一会儿就捉了许多。忽然看见一只蝎子，他以为也是蚱蜢， 便着两手去捕捉他。蝎子举起他的毒刺，说道：“来吧，如果你真敢这样做，就连你捉的蚱蜢也会统统失掉。” 

这故事告诫人们，要分辨清好人和坏人，区别对待他们。

The Cock and the Jewel公鸡和宝玉

A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a  precious stone and exclaimed: "If your owner had found thee, and  not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy first   estate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would rather have   one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world."

一只公鸡在田野里为自己和母鸡们寻找食物。他发现了一块宝玉，便对宝玉说：“若不 是我，而是你的主人找到了你，他会非常珍惜地把你捡起来；但我发现了你却毫无用处。我 与其得到世界上一切宝玉，倒不如得到一颗麦子好。” 

这是说自己需要的东西才是真正珍贵的。