讀點好英文:The Fox and the Stork 狐貍和鸛

The Fox and the Stork 狐貍和鸛

A fox invited a long-beaked stork to have dinner with him.

“I hope you don't mind sharing the same dish with me，”said the fox.“It is our custom in the woods to eat together to show that we are friendly.”

“Not at all，”said the stork politely.

The fox brought a wide, shallow bowl of thin soup and set it between them.

“Please help yourself，”he said, setting down to Iap the soup with his long pink tongue.

The stork stood with her long legs apart and put the tip of her long, thin beak into the soup；although she tried to scoop up the thin liquid, it was quite impossible for her to do so. Even when she did manage to hold a few drops in her beak, they were lost long before they could trickIe down to her throat.Too polite to complain, the stork went home hungry while the greedy fox lapped up all the soup.As she left she heard him laughing to himself at his own cleverness.

A few days later the stork invited the fox to have dinner with her in return and the fox made his way to her home.

“It is our custom to share a dish, too.”said the stork，“I hope you will join me.”

“Certainly, certainly，”said the fox, licking his lips. He had not eaten all day.

The stork brought her food. This time, however, it was served in a tall, thin jug with a narrow opening at the top.

“Please begin，”said the stork, thrusting her beak into the jug.

“Mmmm. It is good.”

Of course the fox could not get his nose into the jug at all. All he could do was sniffing hungrily at the delicious smell and licking the occasional drop that spilled over the side.

“I suppose I can't complain，”he said to himself sadly as he made his way back to the woods，“After all, I taught her the trick myself.”

狐貍請長嘴鸛共進(jìn)晚餐。

“希望你不介意和我吃一道菜，”狐貍說，“這是我們森林家族的習(xí)俗，表明我們很和睦?！?/p>

“沒關(guān)系?！丙X客氣地說。

狐貍用大淺碗盛了一碗稀湯放在它倆之間。

“請隨便吃吧?！焙傉f著就坐了下來，用長長的粉紅舌頭舔起那碗湯來。

鸛叉著雙腿站在那里，把細(xì)長的嘴插入湯中。雖然它竭力想喝湯，可這對它來說簡直太難了。它好不容易吸了幾滴，但還沒到喉嚨就流掉了。文雅的鸛并沒有抱怨，餓著肚子回家了，而貪婪的狐貍卻把湯舔得一干二凈。鸛離開時，聽到狐貍自以為是地竊笑著。

數(shù)天后，鸛回請狐貍共進(jìn)晚餐，狐貍應(yīng)邀來鸛家吃飯。

“分享同一道菜也是我們的習(xí)俗，”鸛說，“希望你能與我一起吃?！?/p>

“好的，當(dāng)然可以?！闭f著，狐貍舔了舔嘴唇。它已經(jīng)整整一天沒有進(jìn)食了。

鸛把食物端了上來。然而這次食物盛在一個又細(xì)又高的罐子里，罐口很窄。

“我們吃吧。”說著，鸛把嘴伸到了罐子里。

“哦，味道真不錯?！?/p>

當(dāng)然，狐貍連鼻子都伸不進(jìn)去，它只好餓著肚子，聞著誘人的香味，舔舔偶爾溢出來的幾滴湯。

“我有什么可抱怨的呢，”在回森林的路上，狐貍難過地自言自語著，“畢竟這是我教它的?！?/p>