A MONKEY perched upon a lofty tree saw some Fishermen casting their nets into a river, and narrowly watched their proceedings.  The Fishermen after a while gave up fishing, and on going home to dinner left their nets upon the bank.  The Monkey, who is the most imitative of animals, descended from the treetop and endeavored to do as they had done.  Having handled the net, he threw it into the river, but became tangled in the meshes and drowned.  With his last breath he said to himself, "I am rightly served; for what business had I who had never handled a net to try and catch fish?' 

   有只猴子坐在一棵大树上，看见渔夫在河里撒网，便仔细看他们的动作。一会儿，渔夫 们收起了网，吃饭去了。猴子便连忙从树上爬下来，想要去模仿渔夫捕鱼。但他一拿起网，反把自己套住了，差一点被淹死。猴子自言自语地说：“我真是活该！我没有学会撒网，还 抓什么鱼呢？”

   这故事说明，不要不假思索地模仿不适合自己的行为。