THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE

A Tortoise, discontented with his lowly life, and envious of the birds he saw disporting themselves in the air, begged an Eagle to teach him to fly. The Eagle protested that it was idle for him to try, as nature had not provided him with wings; but the Tortoise pressed him with entreaties and promises of treasure, insisting that it could only be a question of learning the craft of the air. So at length the Eagle consented to do the best he could for him, and picked him up in his talons. Soaring with him to a great height in the sky he then let him go, and the wretched Tortoise fell headlong and was dashed to pieces on a rock.

乌龟和鹰

有一只乌龟对自己卑微的生活很不满，他看到鸟在空中翱翔嬉戏非常嫉妒，于是乞求一只鹰教他飞行。鹰不同意，认为既然大自然没有给乌龟翅膀，那他就不应该飞行。而乌龟却百般恳求，还许诺重金答谢，坚持要学会飞行于天空的技艺。最后，老鹰终于答应尽自己所能帮助乌龟，他把乌龟抓在自己的爪子中，带着乌龟飞上了高高的天空，然后他松开了爪子，可怜的乌龟一路向下，掉到石头上摔成了碎片。