Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of its spreading branches. As they rested, looking up into the tree, one of them remarked to his companion, “What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all.” The Plane-tree interrupted him with indignation. “You ungrateful creature!” it cried: “you come and take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then, in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me and call me good for nothing!”
Many a service is met with ingratitude.
一个炎热的夏日，两个旅行者走在一条光秃秃的、沙尘滚滚的路上。不久，他们走到一棵悬铃木下面，他们很开心地到茂密枝条形成的树荫下躲避太阳。他们一边休息，一边看着树，其中一个评论道：“悬铃木是种多没用的树啊，都不结果子，对人半点用都没有。”悬铃木愤怒地打断了他：“你们这些不知感恩的家伙！你正躲在我下面躲避炽热的太阳，享受着我的枝叶形成的阴凉，居然责骂我一无是处！”
训诫：很多付出都会遭遇忘恩负义。