A man once caught a weasel, which was always sneaking1 about the house, and was just going to drown it in a tub of water, when it begged hard for its life, and said to him, "Surely you haven't the heart to put me to death? Think how useful I have been in clearing your house of the mice and lizards2 which used to infest3 it, and show your gratitude4 by sparing my life." "You have not been altogether useless, I grant you," said the Man: "but who killed the fowls5? Who stole the meat? No no! You do much more harm than good, and die you shall."

從前，有一個(gè)人抓住了一只黃鼠狼，它總是在房子里偷偷摸摸。這人正要用一盆水淹死它時(shí)，黃鼠狼苦苦哀求人饒了自己的性命，并且對(duì)人說：“你一定不忍心殺了我！想想我對(duì)你們家做的貢獻(xiàn)吧，我可是一只在清理你家里的老鼠和蜥蜴，為了顯示你對(duì)我的感激之情，就饒我一命吧�！薄拔乙渤姓J(rèn)，你并非完全無用，” 男人說， “但是，是誰(shuí)殺了雞？是誰(shuí)偷了肉？不不！你做了太多壞事，理應(yīng)去死�！�