The Tortoise and the Eagle 烏龜與鷹
A TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained tothe sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demandedwhat reward she would give him if he would take her aloft andfloat her in the air. "I will give you," she said,"all the riches of the Red Sea ." "I will teach you tofly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons hecarried her almost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and shefell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces . The Tortoiseexclaimed in the moment of death: "I have deserved my presentfate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can withdifficulty move about on the earth?'
If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.
烏龜看見鷹在空中飛翔,便請求鷹教他飛行。鷹勸告他,說他不能飛行。可烏龜再三懇求,鷹便抓住他,飛到高空,然後將他鬆開。烏龜落在岩石上,被摔得粉身碎骨。
這故事說明,那些好高鶩遠,不切實際的人必將失敗。