Aesop's Fables
The Animals & the Plague
Once upon a
time a severe plague raged among the animals. Many died, and those who lived
were so ill, that they cared for neither food nor drink, and dragged themselves
about listlessly. No longer could a fat young hen tempt Master Fox to dinner,
nor a tender lamb rouse greedy Sir Wolf's appetite.
At last the
Lion decided to call a council. When all the animals were gathered together he
arose and said:
"Dear
friends, I believe the gods have sent this plague upon us as a punishment for
our sins. Therefore, the most guilty one of us must be offered in sacrifice.
Perhaps we may thus obtain forgiveness and cure for all.
"I will
confess all my sins first. I admit that I have been very greedy and have
devoured many sheep. They had done me no harm. I have eaten goats and bulls and
stags. To tell the truth, I even ate up a shepherd now and then.
"Now, if I
am the most guilty, I am ready to be sacrificed. But I think it best that each
one confess his sins as I have done. Then we can decide in all justice who is
the most guilty."
"Your
majesty," said the Fox, "you are too good. Can it be a crime to eat
sheep, such stupid mutton heads? No, no, your majesty. You have done them great
honor by eating them up.
"And so
far as shepherds are concerned, we all know they belong to that puny race that
pretends to be our masters."
All the animals
applauded the Fox loudly. Then, though the Tiger, the Bear, the Wolf, and all
the savage beasts recited the most wicked deeds, all were excused and made to
appear very saint-like and innocent.
It was now the
Ass's turn to confess.
"I
remember," he said guiltily, "that one day as I was passing a field
belonging to some priests, I was so tempted by the tender grass and my hunger,
that I could not resist nibbling a bit of it. I had no right to do it, I
admit—"
A great uproar
among the beasts interrupted him. Here was the culprit who had brought
misfortune on all of them! What a horrible crime it was to eat grass that
belonged to someone else! It was enough to hang anyone for, much more an Ass.
Immediately
they all fell upon him, the Wolf in the lead, and soon had made an end to him,
sacrificing him to the gods then and there, and without the formality of an
altar.
·
The weak
are made to suffer for the misdeeds of the powerful.
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CHUYỆN LÃO CHIÊM TINH
- CHỚ LO CHUYỆN BAO ĐỒNG
The Astrologer
A man who lived
a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars. He called
himself an Astrologer, and spent his time at night gazing at the sky.
One evening he
was walking along the open road outside the village. His eyes were fixed on the
stars. He thought he saw there that the end of the world was at hand, when all
at once, down he went into a hole full of mud and water.
There he stood
up to his ears, in the muddy water, and madly clawing at the slippery sides of
the hole in his effort to climb out.
His cries for
help soon brought the villagers running. As they pulled him out of the mud, one
of them said:
"You
pretend to read the future in the stars, and yet you fail to see what is at
your feet! This may teach you to pay more attention to what is right in front
of you, and let the future take care of itself."
"What use
is it," said another, "to read the stars, when you can't see what's
right here on the earth?"
Take
care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves.
GÀ TRỐNG TINH KHÔN VÀ CON CÁO QUỶ QUYỆT
Một buổi chiều vàng khi ánh dương rực rở từ từ lặn dần trên mặt đất. Có một Bác Gà trống già đậu trên cành cao đập cánh ba lần và cất tiếng gáy vang một hồi cuối trước khi đi ngủ. Nhưng vừa định dấu đầu vào đôi cánh để tìm giấc ngủ thì hai con mắt tròn xoe của Gà chợt bắt gặp cái gì đó màu đỏ, rồi cái mũi dài của Con Cáo Tinh Ranh xuất hiện dưới gốc cây:
-Chào Bác Gà! Bác có nghe tin gì chưa? Một nguồn tin rất vui bác ạ! Con Cáo quỷ quyệt dưới gốc cây, hắn đang cố gắng dùng giọng điệu thật vui và đầy hào hứng nói cho Gà nghe.
-Tin gì thế chú Cáo?
Gà giữ vẻ bình thản hỏi Cáo nhưng trong lòng Gà hết sức nghi ngờ. Như bạn biết đó loài gà xưa nay rất ngán loài cáo vô cùng.
-À gia đình bác và gia đình cháu đây cũng như tất cả mọi loài khác hiện nay đã đi đến một quyết định là bỏ qua tất cả dị biệt để cùng sống chung hòa bình trong tình thân hữu ngay hôm nay và mãi mãi về sau bác gà ạ. Hãy đón mừng tin mới này đi bác. Cháu rất nóng lòng muốn ôm hôn bác một cái đây nè! Xuống đi bác, hảy xuống đây chúng ta cùng vui đón một biến cố vĩ đại này.
-Ồ thật là một sự kiện quá lớn! ta thật vui mừng khi nghe tin này...
Chợt giọng Bác Gà nghe như lạc đi do Bác cố rướn chân lên cao hướng về phía xa hình như có bóng ai đang tiến tới gần?
-Bác thấy gì đó Bác Gà? Con Cáo hỏi giọng hơi nghi ngại.
-Phải không ta? Hình như có hai BÁC CHÓ đang đi về hướng này? Có thể họ cũng nghe được tin vui này và...
Bác Gà chưa nói hết câu thì con Cáo ranh ma kia dợm chân chạy ngay ?!!!!
-Ủa sao chú mày lại chạy? Hai Bác Chó giờ này theo lời chú mày đều LÀ BẠN của chúng ta cả mà?
-Vâng... vâng Bác nói đúng... Cáo ởm ờ trả lời một cách đau khổ
-Nhưng có thể họ chưa nghe được tin này. Ngoài ra cháu...cháu phải đi gấp, cháu vừa quên vài việc phải làm ngay Bác Gà ạ.
Gà cười nhạt. Giờ đây Bác mới an lòng dấu cái đầu vào bộ lông ấm áp để ngủ sau khi thắng con Cáo quỷ quyệt kia một keo./.
LỜI BÀN:
-Vỏ quít dày có móng tay nhọn
-Kẻ cắp gặp bà già
-Lường gặp Láo
ĐHL dịch 24/10/2019
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The Cock & the Fox
One bright evening as the sun was sinking on a glorious world a wise old Cock flew into a tree to roost. Before he composed himself to rest, he flapped his wings three times and crowed loudly. But just as he was about to put his head under his wing, his beady eyes caught a flash of red and a glimpse of a long pointed nose, and there just below him stood Master Fox.
"Have you heard the wonderful news?" cried the Fox in a very joyful and excited manner.
"What news?" asked the Cock very calmly. But he had a queer, fluttery feeling inside him, for, you know, he was very much afraid of the Fox.
"Your family and mine and all other animals have agreed to forget their differences and live in peace and friendship from now on forever. Just think of it! I simply cannot wait to embrace you! Do come down, dear friend, and let us celebrate the joyful event."
"How grand!" said the Cock. "I certainly am delighted at the news." But he spoke in an absent way, and stretching up on tiptoes, seemed to be looking at something afar off.
"What is it you see?" asked the Fox a little anxiously.
"Why, it looks to me like a couple of Dogs coming this way. They must have heard the good news and—"
But the Fox did not wait to hear more. Off he started on a run.
"Wait," cried the Cock. "Why do you run? The Dogs are friends of yours now!"
"Yes," answered the Fox. "But they might not have heard the news. Besides, I have a very important errand that I had almost forgotten about."
The Cock smiled as he buried his head in his feathers and went to sleep, for he had succeeded in outwitting a very crafty enemy.
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-Lau nhà ngươi phải có lý do mà ta thán đó chứ! Gió mới gợn mặt nước thôi mà các ngươi đã cúi rạp đầu xuống rồi. Xem ta này! Một cây Sồi uy dũng, bất chấp gió có thét gào cỡ nào ta vẫn luôn đứng thẳng vững vàng.
-Chớ lo cho chúng tôi bác Sồi ạ. Gió chẳng bao giờ hại được chúng tôi đâu. Chúng tôi uốn người trước Gió đó là chúng tôi không muốn mình bị gãy. Còn bác cứ ỷ vào sức mạnh kháng cự mãi với gió thì cái kết quả cuối cùng sẽ đến với Bác ngay thôi.
-Lấy nhu thắng cương
-Khi chống cự là điều ngu dại thì nên nhịn, còn hơn là cứ chống càn để rước họa vào thân
A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly upright with its hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song.
"You have reason to complain," said the Oak. "The slightest breeze that ruffles the surface of the water makes you bow your heads, while I, the mighty Oak, stand upright and firm before the howling tempest."
"Do not worry about us," replied the Reeds. "The winds do not harm us. We bow before them and so we do not break. You, in all your pride and strength, have so far resisted their blows. But the end is coming."
As the Reeds spoke a great hurricane rushed out of the north. The Oak stood proudly and fought against the storm, while the yielding Reeds bowed low. The wind redoubled in fury, and all at once the great tree fell, torn up by the roots, and lay among the pitying Reeds.
Better to yield when it is folly to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed.
The trickster is easily tricked.
