(一)A little box 小箱子

How oft the commonest of tasks looks long and tiresome1 till begun. To use your wits, is all it asks, start doing, and it's done.

They brought John Brown a box, fresh from the workman's hands. Twas work that took the eye, so neatly2, cleanly done. This charming little box delighted everyone.

Then in comes a mechanic. Oh yes, these things he understands. He glances at the box. 'This box has got some trick. You see it has no lock. And yet I warrant you, I'll have it open quick. You boobies over there, don't mock! Just wait! I'll find the catch, then show the trick to you. In matters of this kind I know a thing or two.'

He sets to work, leaves nothing untried. He turns it round on every side; he guesses and he guesses. One knob and then the next, and then the handle presses. John looks at him and all the while Just shakes his head and James and Ned whisper among themselves and smile. From time to time some onlooker3 will say: 'Not that way! No, not there!'

But harder still and harder he puzzles, he perspires4, till damped is all his ardour. He gives it up and puts it on the shelf. And why not raise the lid? He never tried that way! This was a box that opened of itself.

最普通的工作,没动手之前，总觉得费心费力。其实只要开动脑筋，考虑好了，一做就成。

有人拿了一只刚做好的箱子。箱子做得细致又大方，让人眼前一亮。这箱子如此漂亮，人人都喜欢。

这时，一个机械师来了。不错，他还懂得这玩意儿，他看了一眼小箱子说道：“这箱子有点名堂，你瞧，连锁都看不到;然而我担保，我能立刻打开它。站在一边的蠢才别耻笑，等着瞧吧!我一定会找到窍门，把秘密告诉大家的。说到机械，我多少也懂点门道。”

于是，他动手在小箱子上到处摸索，翻来转去，琢磨了又琢磨，试试这个钉，又摸摸那个纽，然后按按把手。这时候啊，有人紧瞅着他，有人摇头，相顾而笑。旁观者不时地说着话：“不是那样,不，不，不在那里!”

他拼命地琢磨，浑身大汗，出得气都泄了。终于，他放弃了，把小箱子放到架子上。为什么不掀起盖子呢?他从来没有这样试过。其实，这是一个没有锁可以自己打开的箱子。

(二)The labourer and the snake 工人和蛇

A labourer's little son was bitten by a snake and died of the wound. The father was beside himself with grief, and in his anger against the snake the caught up an axe1 and went and stood close to the snake's hole, and watched for a chance of killing2 it. Presently the snake come out, and the man aimed a blow at it, but only succeeded in cutting of the tip of its tail before it wriggled3 in again. He then tried to get it to come out a second time, pretending that he wished to make up the quarrel. But the snake said, "I can never be your friend because of my lost tail, nor you mine because of your lost child."

Injuries are never forgotten in the presence of those who caused them.

工人的小儿子被一条毒蛇咬了一口，并且死于蛇伤。悲痛气愤之余，工人抓起一把斧头，气冲冲地跑到蛇洞外，等待机会砍死蛇。不久，蛇从洞里出来了，工人立即一斧头砍过去，可是只砍断了它的尾巴尖。随后，工人还想再如法炮制，便假装想与蛇和解。可是，蛇却说：“我永远也无法成为你的朋友，因为我丢了自己的尾巴，而你却丢失了儿子。”

在造成创伤的双方心里，永远无法忘却伤痛。

(三)The blind man and the cub 盲人与小野兽

There was once a blind man who had so fine a sense of touch that, when any animal was put into his hands, he could tell what it was merely by the feel of it. One day the cub of a wolf was put into his hands, and he was asked what it was. He felt it for some time, and then said, "Indeed, I am not sure whether it is a wolf's cub or a fox's: but this I know -- it would never do to trust it in a sheepfold."

Evil tendencies are early shown.

从前，有一个人眼睛虽然瞎了，可是他精于嗅觉，只要用手摸一摸，凭借着触感就便能说出这是什么动物。有一天，一只小狼崽被送到他的手中，请他告知这是什么东西。他用手摸了一会儿，然后说：“我不太确定，这到底是一只小狼崽，还是一只狐狸的幼崽，但是有一点我十分确定，千万别让它进羊圈。”

恶劣的本性从小便知。