There was once a hunter， who， in passing a quarry， found a serpent under a large stone. The serpent asked the hunter to free him， but the hunter said， \"I will not free you， for you will eat me.\"

The serpent replied，\"Free me，for I will not eat you.

When the hunter had set the serpent free， the snake wanted to devour him， but the hunter said， \"What are you doing? Did you not promise me that you would not eat me?\"

The serpent replied that the hunger did not observe promises.

The hunter then said， \"If you have no reason to eat me， will you do it?\"

\"No，\" answered the serpent.

\"Let us go， then，\" said the hunter， \"and ask three times.\"

They went into the woods and found a grey hound， and asked him， and he replied， \"I had a master， and I went hunting and caught hares， and when I carried them home， my master had nothing good to give me to eat. Now， when I cannot overtake even a tortoise， because I am old， my master wishes to kill me. For this reason I condemn you to be eaten by the serpent， for he who does good finds evil.\"

\"Do you hear? We have one judge，\" said the serpent. They continued their journey，and found a horse，and asked him， and he too replied that the serpent was right to eat the man， \"for，\" he said， \"I had a master who fed me when I could travel.Now that I can do so no longer， he would like to hang me.\"

The serpent said， \"Behold， two judges!\"

They went on and found a fox.The hunter said， \"Fox， you must aid me.Listen: I was passing quarry and found this serpent dying under a large stone， and he asked aid from me， and I released him， and now he wants to eat me.\"

The fox answered， \"I will be the judge. Let us return to the quarry to see how the serpent was.\"

They went there and put the stone on the serpent， and the fox asked， \"Is that the way you were?\"

\"Yes，\" answered the serpent.

\"Very well then， stay so always!\" said the fox.

有個獵人經(jīng)過一個采石場，看見大石頭下壓著一條蛇。蛇請求獵人把他解救出來，但獵人說:“我不會解救你的，因為你會吃掉我。”

蛇說:“解救我吧，我不會吃你的?！?/p>

獵人把蛇從石頭底下救出來后，蛇就想吃掉獵人。獵人說:“你這是干什么?你不是許諾了，說不會吃我嗎?”

蛇反而說是獵人沒有遵守諾言。

獵人說:“如果你沒理由吃掉我，你還會那樣做嗎?”

“不會的?！鄙呋卮鸬?。

“那么，走吧，”獵人說，“讓我們找三個裁判來作一番評判吧?！?/p>

他們走進樹林子，遇見了一只獵狗，于是就請他評判是非。獵狗答道:“我有過這樣一個主人，我狩獵打到了兔子，把兔子叼回家，主人并不因此賞我好東西吃?，F(xiàn)在我老了，老得連一只烏龜都追不上的時候，主人還想殺了我。因此，希望蛇把你吃掉，因為做善事者得惡報?！?/p>

“你聽見了嗎?我們有了一個裁決?！鄙哒f。他們繼續(xù)往前走，又遇見了一匹馬。他們讓這匹馬來作評判，馬也說蛇應(yīng)該吃掉獵人，“因為，”他說，“以前我有一個主人，在我能跑得動時，他養(yǎng)我喂我?，F(xiàn)在我跑不動了，他就要把我勒死?！?/p>

蛇說:“瞧，我們有了兩個裁決了!”

他們繼續(xù)往前走，又遇上了一只狐貍。獵人說:“狐貍，你必須幫助我。聽著:我經(jīng)過了一個采石場，看見這只蛇被壓在一塊大石頭下，奄奄待斃。他乞求我的幫助，我把他從石頭下解救了出來，現(xiàn)在他卻想吃掉我?！?/p>

狐貍說:“我來為你們作判決。我們回到采石場去，看看蛇原來處于什么狀況。”

他們回到了采石場，把那塊大石頭壓到了蛇的身上，狐貍問:“你原來就是這樣?”

“是的。”蛇答道。

狐貍說:“很好，你就永遠這樣待下去吧!”