The Wolf and the Donkey

A Wolf once met a Donkey on the road outside the village.

“I’m going to eat you up，” said the Wolf.

“Certainly，” replied the Donkey， thinking fast. “But please don’t eat me out here on the road where everyone can see. I shall be so ashamed. Take me into the forest. Don’t be afraid that I shall try to escape. Here， tie this rope round your neck and fasten it to my bridle. Then I will lead you to a quiet spot I know.”

The Wolf thought this was a good idea so he fastened the rope round his neck and knotted it firmly to the Donkey’s bridle.

“Now I will go wherever you say，” said the Donkey.

“Show me the way to your quiet spot，” ordered the Wolf.

“Very well，” said the Donkey， setting off down the road towards the village. As they came to the first houses the Wolf began to suspect that he had been tricked.

“This is not the way to the forest ，”he said， tugging at his end of the rope. “This road goes to the village.”

“Don’t worry， ”said the Donkey cheerfully. “This is a short cut.”

The Donkey began to trot faster， then to gallop. The rope round the Wolf’s neck drew tight； in a very short time he was dragged right up to the Donkey’s door.

The master， his wife and their three sons all came running out to rescue the Donkey. They were so angry that they would have killed the Wolf there and then. Fortunately for the Wolf， however， one of the sons threw a knife at him. The knife missed， but it cut the rope round his neck. The next moment all the family could see a cloud of dust in the road as the Wolf fled to safety in the dark forest.

一次，一只狼在村外的路上遇見(jiàn)了一頭驢。

“我要吃掉你。”狼說(shuō)。

“當(dāng)然可以，”驢邊回答，邊迅速地思考，“但請(qǐng)不要當(dāng)眾在路上吃我，我會(huì)害羞的。把我?guī)У搅肿永锶グ?，我不?huì)企圖逃跑的，這一點(diǎn)你放心。這樣吧，把這根繩子的一頭系在你的脖子上，另一頭系住我的韁繩。然后我?guī)闳ヒ粋€(gè)我知道的安靜的地方。”

狼覺(jué)得這是個(gè)好主意，于是，就用繩子的一端繞住自己的脖子，另一端牢牢地系住驢子的韁繩。

“現(xiàn)在你說(shuō)去哪里，我就去哪里?！斌H子說(shuō)。

“把我?guī)У侥阏f(shuō)的那個(gè)安靜的地方好了。”狼吩咐道

“好吧?！斌H子說(shuō)著向通往村子的路走去。當(dāng)他們路經(jīng)第一片房子時(shí)，狼開(kāi)始懷疑自己是否上當(dāng)了。

“這不是通往森林的路?！闭f(shuō)著，他使勁拉自己這端的繩子。“這是通往村子的路?！?/p>

“別急，”驢子高興地說(shuō)，“這是一條捷徑?！?/p>

驢子開(kāi)始小跑起來(lái)，后來(lái)，變成快跑。狼脖子上的繩子越拉越緊，不一會(huì)兒他就被拽到了驢子家的門(mén)前。

主人和妻子還有三個(gè)兒子都跑出來(lái)救驢子。他們很氣憤，恨不得馬上殺死狼。然而，算狼走運(yùn)，其中有一個(gè)兒子把刀子擲向他，匆忙中刀子失了準(zhǔn)頭，把狼脖子上的繩子砍斷了。下一刻，這家人就看見(jiàn)，路上塵土飛揚(yáng)，狼飛快地逃往森林深處。