One day a Jackdaw saw an Eagle swoop down on a lamb and carry it off in its talons. “My word,” said the Jackdaw, “I'll do that myself.” So it flew high up into the air, and then came shooting down with a great whirring of wings on to the back of a big ram. It had no sooner alighted than its claws got caught fast in the wool, and nothing it could do was of any use: there it stuck, flapping away, and only making things worse instead of better. By and by up came the Shepherd. “Oho,” he said, “so that's what you'd be doing, is it?” And he took the Jackdaw, and clipped its wings and carried it home to his children. It looked so odd that they didn't know what to make of it. “What sort of bird is it, father?” they asked. “It's a Jackdaw,” he replied, “and nothing but a Jackdaw: but it wants to be taken for an Eagle.”
If you attempt what is beyond your power, your trouble will be wasted and you court not only misfortune but ridicule.
有一天，一只寒鸦看到一只老鹰俯冲下去，用爪子抓住一只小羊羔。寒鸦说：“我看哪，我也可以做到。”所以，它也高飞到空中，然后扑扇着翅膀飞向了一头大公羊，它一落下来，爪子便紧紧地抓住了羊毛，但是却什么也做不了，它的爪子被羊毛缠住了，它扇动翅膀，但却越陷越深。最后，牧羊人来了，说：“噢，看看你做了什么！”他抓住了寒鸦，捆住它的翅膀，带回家给孩子们玩。寒鸦的样子看上去很奇怪，孩子们不知道它是什么。“这是什么鸟，爸爸？”爸爸回答说：“这是一只寒鸦，只是一只寒鸦，不过它希望自己被当成一只鹰。”
训诫：如果你想做超乎自己能力的事情，你的付出都会白费，结局注定不幸或是荒谬。