Lesson 7 Fables

Ⅰ. THE MONKEY AND THE CATS

Two hungry cats, having stolen some cheese,could not agree between themselves how to divide their booty[1]. They therefore went to law, and a cunning monkey was to decide their cause.

“Let us see,” said the judge (with as arch a look as could be): “ay, ay, this slice truly outweighs the other;”and so saying he bit off a large piece, in order, as he told them, to make the shares equal.

The other scale had now become too heavy, which gave this upright judge a pretence[2] to help himself to a mouthful from the second slice.

“Hold! Hold!” cried the two cats. “Give each of us our share of what is left, and we shall be content.”

Upon this, he nibbled[3] first one piece and then the other, till the poor cats saw that their cheese was in a fair way to be all eaten up. They therefore most humbly begged him not to put himself to any further trouble, but to give them what was still left.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Not so fast, good ladies,” said the monkey, “we owe justice to ourselves as well as to you; and what remains is due to me as the lawyer.”

So he crammed the whole into his mouth at once, and very gravely broke up the court!

This fable teaches us that it is better to put up with a trifling loss, than to run the risk of losing all we have by going to law.

Ⅱ. THE FOX WITHOUT A TALL

A fox being caught in a trap, was glad to save his neck by leaving his tail behind him; but, upon going abroad into the world,he began to be so ashamed of his defect[4],that he almost wished he had died in the trap.However, resolving to make the best of a bad case, he called a meeting of the rest of the foxes, and proposed that they should all follow his example.

“You have no notion[5],” said he, “of the ease and comfort with which I now move about. I could never have believed it if I had not tried it myself. But really, when one comes to think of it, a tail is such an ugly, useless thing, that one wonders how foxes have put up with it so long. I propose, therefore, my worthy brethren[6], that you should profit by my example, and that all foxes from this day forward should cut off their tails.”

Thereupon, one of the oldest stepped forward, and said, “I rather think, my friend,that you would not have advised us to part with our tails, if there had been any chance of recovering your own.”

Ⅲ. MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN

A woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, and by chance let slip his axe into the water, when it immediately sank to the bottom. In great distress for his loss, he sat down by the side of the stream, and lamented[7] bitterly. But Mercury, whose river it was, taking pity on him, appeared before him. Hearing the cause of his sorrow, he dived to the bottom of the river, and bringing up a golden axe, asked the woodman if that was his.

Upon the man denying it, Mercury dived a second time, and brought up one of silver. Again the man denied that it was his. So diving a third time, he produced the very axe which the man had lost.

“That is mine!” said the woodman, glad to have recovered his own; and so pleased was Mercury with the fellow’s truthfulness and honesty, that he at once made him a present of the other two.

When the man’s companions[8] heard this story, one of them determined to try whether he might not have the like good fortune. So going to the same place, as if for the purpose of cutting wood, he let his axe slip intentionally into the river, and then sat down on the bank, and made a great show of weeping.

Mercury appeared as before; and hearing from him that his tears were caused by the loss of his axe, he dived into the stream, and bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the axe he had lost.

“Ay, surely!” said the man, eagerly; and he was about to grasp the treasure, when Mercury, to punish his impudence[9]and lying, not only refused to give him that one,but would not so much as restore him his own axe again.

Honesty is the best policy.

(785 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. What animals are mentioned in the three fables?

① cats ② monkeys ③ foxes ④ woodmen

A. ①②③ B. ②③④ C. ①③④

2. In the first fable, why did the two cats go to law?

A. Because they fought with each other.

B. Because they were caught when stealing the cheese.

C. Because they had a disagreement after stealing the cheese.

3. What can we learn about the monkey?

A. He was fair as a judge.

B. He was cunning but mean.

C. He was cruel and bad-tempered.

4. In the second fable, what led the fox to advise other foxes to cut off their tails?

A. He found it comfortable to have his tail cut off, and hoped that others could enjoy it.

B. He blamed the other foxes for his loss and wanted to punish them.

C. He wanted to get rid of the shame of having no tail by making others like him.

5. What does the second fable want to tell us?

A. It’s selfish to bring our own loss to other people.

B. Everybody is different, so it’s not necessary to make everyone the same.

C. Once we lose something, we should try to recover it immediately.

6. In the third fable, why did Mercury give the woodman the golden and the silver axes?

A. Because he wanted to compensate him for his loss of axe.

B. Because he wanted to help the poor woodman.

C. Because he wanted to reward the woodman for his honesty.

7. How was the woodman’s companion punished for being dishonest?

A. He was drowned by Mercury in the river.

B. He lost his own axe.

C. He lost the golden and the silver axes.

Ⅱ. Read for words.

1. “Hold! Hold!” cried the two cats, “give each of us our share of what is left, and we shall be content.” (Para. 4, Line 2)

A. 高兴的 B. 满意的 C. 愤怒的

2. However, resolving to make the best of the case, he called a meeting of the rest of the foxes, and proposed that they should all follow his example. (Para. 9, Line 6)

A. planning B. wanting C. deciding

3. ...“we owe justice to ourselves as well as to you; and what remains is due to me as the lawyer.” (Para. 6, Line 2)

A. because of B. should be given to C. as a result of

4. This fable teaches us that it is better to put up with a trifling loss, than to run the risk of losing all we have by going to law. (Para. 8, Line 1)

A. tolerate or accept

B. argue with others about

C. ignore

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