Two men traveling through a forest together promised to help each other whatever danger threated them. They had not gone far when a bear rushed at (扑向）them from some bushes. One man was a good climber, and quickly climbed a nearby tree, but the other, seeing that he had no chance alone against the bear, fell flat on his back（直挺挺地仰躺下去）, and pretended to be dead. The Bear came up to him, sniffed at him, and thicking him dead went off into the wood again without hurting him. when he had gone, the other traveller came down from hios tree, and smilingly asked his companion what the Bear had said to him.
"For I could see," he said, " that he put his mouth close to your ear."

"He told me to tell you," replied the other,"that you were a great coward, and that in future I should not trust those who make fine promises（发出好听的诺言）, but will no stand by their friends in danger."

MORAL：Don't trust fine promises unless you are sure of the person who makes them

　

寓意：不要轻易地相信别人好听的诺言，除非你能确信他。

公鸡和宝石

公鸡在农家的庭院里用爪子搔呀刨呀，为母鸡觅食。他从地里翻出了一粒宝石，那粒宝石在阳光下闪闪发光。

“喂！”公鸡说，“我不知道你在这儿干吗。你是一个挺美丽的玩意儿。如果你被主人发现，毫无疑问，他一定会喜出望外，可是，你对我却没有丝毫用处。我情愿要一棵美味的大麦，而不要天下所有的宝石。”

A cock, scratching in the farmyard for food for the hens, turned up a precious stone that shone and sparked in the sun.

"Well," said the Cock,"I don't know what you are doing here. You are a very beautiful thing, and no doubt if your owner found you he would be delighted, but you are no good to me. I would rather have one grain of delicious barley than all the precious stones under the sun!"

MORAL: Judge thins by their true value.