The Fox and the Goat 掉在井裡的狐狸和公山羊
A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no meansof escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well,and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealinghis sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only ofhis thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, theFox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a schemefor their common escape. "If," said he, "you willplace your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will runup your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards." TheGoat readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himselfwith the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and madeoff as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided him for breakinghis promise, he turned around and cried out, "You foolish oldfellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs inyour beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspectedthe way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you hadno means of escape."
Look before you leap.
一隻狐狸失足掉到了井裡，不論他如何掙扎仍沒法爬上去，只好呆在那裡。公山羊覺得 口渴極了，來到這井邊，看見狐狸在井下，便問他井水好不好喝？狐狸覺得機會來了，心中暗喜，馬上鎮靜下來，極力讚美井水好喝，說這水是天下第一泉，清甜爽口，並勸山羊趕快下來，與他痛飲。一心只想喝水信以為真的山羊，便不假思索地跳了下去，當他咕咚咕咚痛飲完後，就不得不與狐狸一起共商上井的辦法。狐狸早有準備，他狡猾地說：“我倒有一個方法。你用前腳扒在井牆上，再把角豎直了，我從你後背跳上井去，再拉你上來，我們就都得救了。”公山羊同意了他的提議，狐狸踩著他的後腳，跳到他背上，然後再從角上用力一 跳，跳出了井口。狐狸上去以後，準備獨自逃離。公山羊指責狐狸不信守諾言。狐狸回過頭對公山羊說：“喂，朋友，你的頭腦如果像你的鬍鬚那樣完美，你就不至於在沒看清出口之前就盲目地跳下去。”
這故事說明，聰明的人應當事先考慮清楚事情的結果，然後才去做。
