寓言大都是代代流传、寓意深远的故事，常常以物比人，又可以以古喻今。

The Donkey and the Grasshopper 　

 

A donkey heard some grasshoppers chirping. He was enchanted and also wanted to possess their charming melody. 　

He asked, “What food do you eat to give you such beautiful voices?” They replied, “The dew.”

The donkey then decided that he would only eat dew. In a short time, he died of hunger.

The Kingdom of the Lion 　

 

The animals of the forest had a lion as their king. He was neither cruel, nor tyrannical, but a just and gentle king. 　

As king, he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the animals. He passed a law, stating, “All animals will now live together in perfect peace and friendship. The wolf and the lamb, the cat and the bird, the tiger and the deer, the fox and the rabbit, will no longer be enemies.” 　

The rabbit said, “ Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak will be equal to the strong.” And after saying this, he ran for his life. 　

[注释]：
donkey: the act of proclaiming or the condition of being proclaimed 宣布　
assembly: 集合，大会，大集会