A Nobleman announced his intention of giving a public entertainment in the theatre, and offered splendid prizes to all who had any novelty to exhibit at the performance. The announcement attracted a crowd of conjurers, jugglers, and acrobats, and among the rest a Clown, very popular with the crowd, who let it be known that he was going to give an entirely new turn. When the day of the performance came, the theatre was filled from top to bottom some time before the entertainment began. Several performers exhibited their tricks, and then the popular favourite came on empty-handed and alone. At once there was a hush of expectation: and he, letting his head fall upon his breast, imitated the squeak of a pig to such perfection that the audience insisted on his producing the animal, which, they said, he must have somewhere concealed about his person. He, however, convinced them that there was no pig there, and then the applause was deafening. Among the spectators was a Countryman, who disparaged the Clown's performance and announced that he would give a much superior exhibition of the same trick on the following day. Again the theatre was filled to overflowing, and again the Clown gave his imitation amidst the cheers of the crowd. The Countryman, meanwhile, before going on the stage, had secreted a young porker under his smock; and when the spectators derisively bade him do better if he could, he gave it a pinch in the ear and made it squeal loudly. But they all with one voice shouted out that the Clown's imitation was much more true to life. Thereupon he produced the pig from under his smock and said sarcastically, “There, that shows what sort of judges you are!”
有一个贵族宣布说要在剧院举办一场公共娱乐活动，对于有新奇异能、想要在其中表演亮相的人都会给予优厚报酬。这一启事吸引了很多魔术师、杂耍艺人、杂技演员，其中还有一个很受人欢迎的小丑，他说要在表演时拿出一个全新的节目来。到了那天，表演还没开始，剧院里里外外就挤满了人。有好多表演者都演出了自己的节目，然后最受欢迎的那位小丑两手空空、独自一人出现在舞台上。观众们立刻鸦雀无声，满怀期待。他把头低垂到胸口，模仿小猪叫的声音，他的模仿十分精彩，所以观众们都认为他身上偷偷藏了一头小猪，让他快点把小猪拿出来。但是他说服观众自己并没有带猪，一时间掌声雷动。在观众当中，有一个乡下人，他觉得小丑的表演没有什么好的，宣称自己明天会表演更加精彩的节目。第二天，剧院又挤满了人，小丑又表演了模仿节目，赢得了观众的欢呼。乡下人在上台前在自己的衣服下面藏了一头小猪，观众们开始嘲笑他，他就揪了一下小猪的耳朵，让它大声叫了起来。但是观众们众口一词地说小丑的模仿更加逼真。于是，乡下人把小猪从衣服底下拿出来，挖苦地说：“看，你们到底是什么样的裁判啊！”