At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began. “I am sorry,” said the Fox, “the soup is not to your liking.”

“Pray do not apologize,” said the Stork. “I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon.” So a day was appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a very longnecked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the Fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.

“I will not apologize for the dinner,” said the Stork.

One bad turn deserves another.

狐貍和鸛

狐貍和鸛曾經(jīng)是好朋友，經(jīng)常禮尚往來(lái)。一次，狐貍邀請(qǐng)鸛來(lái)共度晚餐，但他跟鸛開了個(gè)玩笑，只把一只盛著少許湯的淺盤子放在鸛面前。狐貍可以輕松地用這種盤子喝湯，但對(duì)于鸛來(lái)說(shuō)，這種盤子只能讓她長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的喙尖沾到一點(diǎn)湯汁，鸛只好餓著肚子離開?！罢姹福焙傉f(shuō)道，“看來(lái)這湯不合你胃口?！?/p>

“請(qǐng)別道歉，”鸛說(shuō)道，“我應(yīng)該回請(qǐng)你，希望你能盡快來(lái)赴宴?！彼麄兗s定了時(shí)間，等狐貍來(lái)赴宴時(shí)，發(fā)現(xiàn)食物裝在一個(gè)長(zhǎng)頸瓶里，瓶口又小又窄，狐貍根本沒法把嘴伸進(jìn)去吃東西，他能做的只是舔舔瓶子的外邊。

“我不會(huì)為這次晚餐道歉的?！丙X說(shuō)道。

惡有惡報(bào)。

Key points

apologize 道歉

bill 喙

dine 吃飯

insert 插入

lap up 舔食

lick 舔

narrow 狹窄的

pray 請(qǐng)求；祈禱

shallow 淺的snout 口鼻部