THE ASS AND THE LAP-DOG

There was once a man who had an Ass and a Lap-dog. The Ass was housed in the stable with plenty of oats and hay to eat and was as well off as an ass could be. The little Dog was made a great pet of by his master, who fondled him and often let him lie in his lap; and if he went out to dinner, he would bring back a tit-bit or two to give him when he ran to meet him on his return. The Ass had, it is true, a good deal of work to do, carting or grinding the corn, or carrying the burdens of the farm: and ere long he became very jealous, contrasting his own life of labour with the ease and idleness of the Lap-dog. At last one day he broke his halter, and frisking into the house just as his master sat down to dinner, he pranced and capered about, mimicking the frolics of the little favourite, upsetting the table and smashing the crockery with his clumsy efforts. Not content with that, he even tried to jump on his master's lap, as he had so often seen the dog allowed to do. At that the servants, seeing the danger their master was in, belaboured the silly Ass with sticks and cudgels, and drove him back to his stable half dead with his beating. “Alas!” he cried, “all this I have brought on myself. Why could I not be satisfied with my natural and honourable position, without wishing to imitate the ridiculous antics of that useless little Lap-dog?”

驴和哈巴狗

从前有一个人，养了一头驴和一只哈巴狗。驴被养在畜舍中，燕麦、干草充足，对于一头驴来说，可算是享尽了福。小狗很得主人宠爱，时时受到爱抚，主人还经常让他趴在自己腿上，如果主人出去吃饭，小狗听到主人回家，总是跑出去迎接，而主人也总是会带回来一两样美味佳肴给小狗。而驴有很多工作要做，要拉车，要推磨，或是驮运农场需要的重物，所以时间一长，他就嫉妒起了小狗：他任劳任怨辛苦流汗，而小狗却悠闲自在无所事事。终于有一天，驴挣脱了缰绳，蹦跳着冲向屋子。此时，主人正在屋中吃饭。驴欢腾跳跃，模仿起小狗来，结果却掀翻了桌子，将桌上的陶瓷器皿全都给打碎了。即便如此，他还是不甘心，想要跳上主人的膝盖，因为他经常看到小狗这样做。就在这时，家里的仆人看到主人身处危险，便用棍棒狠狠地打向驴，把他打了个半死，赶回了畜舍。驴哀号：“唉！这全都是我咎由自取啊。我为什么不满足于我本来的地位呢？我干吗要学那无用的小哈巴狗的滑稽举动？”