课外阅读寓言故事12篇

 

Down in a well 落井的驴子

The Olive Tree and the fig Tree 橄榄树和无花果

Home 家

The Hare and the Tortoise龟兔赛跑

Mercury and the Woodman 墨丘利和伐木工

The Fox and the Goat狐狸和山羊

The Bundle of Sticks一捆木棒

The Fox and the Crow狐狸和乌鸦

The Fox and the Stork狐狸和鹤

The Wolf and the Lamb狼和小羊

The North Wind and the Sun北风和太阳

The Mouse and the Bull老鼠和公牛

 

 

 Down in a well 落井的驴子

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well . The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do . Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, so it just wasn’t worth it to try to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top og the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon,everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge fo the well and trotted off.

Life is going to shovel dirt on you , all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up . Shake it off, and take a step up .

 The Olive Tree and the fig Tree 橄榄树和无花果

An Olive tree and a Fig tree were talking one winter day.

“I feel sorry for you , ” said the Olive teee, “every year you lose all your leaves and have to shiver through the winter with bare branches. But I stay green and beautiful all the year round. Still, I suppose we can’t all be good-looking.”

The Fig tree was silent. Later that day the weather turned very cold. Great grey clouds filled the sky and it was very still. It began to snow heavily.

All that night it snowed, and all the next day. Fields and hedges were thickly covered and people had to dig paths from their houses to the roadside. The snow settled on the Olive tree, drifting in little piles in the leaves, weighing down the branches so that they snapped and fell to the white ground below. The Fig tree was nore fortunate. She had no leaves to trap the snow and it drifted harmlessly through the bare twigs.

When the thaw came she was still standing, ready to put out her new spring leaves; but the Olive tree lay broken, a twisted jumble of sticks and brown leaves.

Home 家

An artist who had painted many pictures of great beauty found that he had not yet painted the one “real ” picture.

In his search along a dusty road, he met an aged priest who asked him where he was going . “I do not know, ” said the artist, “I want to paint the most beautiful thing in the world . Perhaps you can direct me to it. ”

“How simple, ” replied the priest, “in any church or creed, you will find it——“faith”is the most beautiful thing in the world. ”

The artist traveled on . Later , he met a young bride who told him that the most beautifu thing in the world is :”love”.”love” makes the world go round. I builds poverty into riches. sweetens tears and makes much of little . Without love there is no beauty.

Still the artist continued his search and met a weary soldier. The artist asked him the same question and the soldier answered, “Peace” is the most beautiful thing in the world. War is ugly and wherever you find peace you’ll find beauty, faith and love.

“How can I paint them- Faith, Love and Peace?” thought the artist. As he resumed his walk, his mind wondered on the “real ”picture he hoped to paint. He was surprised that without thinking where he was going , he had reached his familiar surrounding. As he entered the doorway, light glistened in his eyes and he realized that his search was over.

In the faces of his wife and children, he saw Love and Faith. “Not a minute passed by that our children and I had not thought of you. We prayed that you would return to us safely, ” his wife said as they embraced him. He sat on his favourite old chair and his heart was at peace.

The artist painted the most beautiful thing in the world and called it “HOME”.

The Hare and the Tortoise龟兔赛跑

Once there was a Hare who used to laugh scornfully at a Tortoise because he plodded along so slowly. "You never can get anywhere with those short legs of yours. Look at my long legs! They're so swift no one would dare race me."

All the animals of field and forest were tired of hearing the Hare brag. At last the Tortoise said, "If we were to run a race, I'm sure I would beat you."

The animals were astonished for they knew the Tortoise was the slowest of them all, and the Hare, bursting into loud laughter, cried, "What a joke! That slowpoke thinks he can beat me! Come on, Mr. Tortoise, you shall see what my feet are made of. Why I can beat you before you are even half-started!"

"You'd better not be too sure," cautioned the Tortoise

All the big and little animals gathered to watch the race. At the signal the Hare leaped forward in a great bound and soon left the plodding Tortoise far behind him on the dusty road. Looking back, the Hare could not even see the Tortoise after a little while.

"Hum-m, I've as good as won this race already," the thought, "There's really no reason to hurry." So, as the sun was very warm, he decided to rest a bit under a shady tree. "I'll come in away ahead of that Tortoise, anyhow," he told himself.

Soon he was sound asleep. the little rest streched into a good long nap.

Meantime, the Tortoise jogged steadily along on the hot, dusty road, ever so slowly, but surely, and soon he passed the Hare who was still peacefully sleeping.

Quietly the Tortoise plodded on nearing the goal. When the Hare finally woke up with a start, he saw the Tortoise just reaching the finish line far ahead and he could hear all the animals cheering the winner.

Boastful and careless, the Hare had lost the race. Now he would never again be able to count on his speed.

Moral of the story: Perseverance wins the race.

Mercury and the Woodman 墨丘利和伐木工

A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe,glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief. On learning what had happened, out of pity for his distress, Mercury dived into the river and, bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second
time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. "No, that is not mine either," said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good
fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not, the fellow cried, "That's mine, that's mine," and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream.

 

The Fox and the Goat狐狸和山羊

A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape.  A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good.  Concealing his sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend.  The Goat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their common escape.  "If," said he, "you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards."  The Goat readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could.  When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out, "You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape." 

The Bundle of Sticks一捆木棒

An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice.  He ordered his servants to bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it."  The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the Bundle.  The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful.  "Untie the faggots," said the father, "and each of you take a stick."  When they had done so, he called out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken.  "You see my meaning," said their father.

 The Fox and the Crow狐狸和乌鸦

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.  "That's for me, as I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree.  "Good-day, Mistress Crow," he cried.  "How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye.  I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."  The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.  "That will do," said he.  "That was all I wanted.  In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future.

 The Fox and the Stork狐狸和鹤

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 apologise," 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 long-necked 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 apologise for the dinner," said the Stork:

"One bad turn deserves another."

 The Wolf and the Lamb狼和小羊

Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down.  "There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it."  Then he called out to the Lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"

  "Nay, master, nay," said Lambikin; "if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me."

  "Well, then," said the Wolf, "why did you call me bad names this time last year?"

  "That cannot be," said the Lamb; "I am only six months old."

  "I don't care," snarled the Wolf; "if it was not you it was your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb and .WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA .ate her all up.  But before she died she gasped out.

"Any excuse will serve a tyrant."

 The North Wind and the Sun北风和太阳

THE NORTH WIND and the Sun disputed as to which was the most powerful, and agreed that he should be declared the victor who could first strip a wayfaring man of his clothes.  The North Wind first tried his power and blew with all his might, but the keener his blasts, the closer the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him, until at last, resigning all hope of victory, the Wind called upon the Sun to see what he could do.  The Sun suddenly shone out with all his warmth.  The Traveler no sooner felt his genial rays than he took off one garment after another, and at last, fairly overcome with heat, undressed and bathed in a stream that lay in his path. 

Persuasion is better than Force.

 The Mouse and the Bull老鼠和公牛

A BULL was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him. But the Mouse reached his hole in safety. Though the Bull dug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out the Mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole. The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole. The Bull rising up, and not knowing what to do, was sadly perplexed. At which the Mouse said, "The great do not always prevail. There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to do mischief."