恋爱中的狮子 The Lion in Love

 

      A LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage.  The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his importunities.  He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition:  that he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both.  The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal.  But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest. 

      狮子爱上了农夫的女儿，向她求婚。农夫不忍将女儿许配给野兽，但又惧怕狮子，一时无法拒绝，于是他急中生智，心生一计。狮子再次来请求农夫时，他便说，他认为狮子娶自己的女儿很适合，但狮子必须先拔去牙齿，剁掉爪子，否则不能把女儿嫁给他，因为姑娘惧怕这些东西。狮子利令智昏，色迷心窍，很轻易地接受了农夫的要求。从此，那农夫就瞧不起狮子，毫不惧怕他。狮子再来时，农夫就用棍子打他，把他绑起来。

      这故事说明，有些人轻易相信别人的话，抛弃自己特有的长处，结果，轻而易举地被原来恐惧他们的人击败了。