THE TRAVELERS AND THE SEA

 Two Travelers were walking along the seashore. Far out they saw something riding on the waves.

 

"Look," said one, "a great ship rides in from distant lands, bearing rich treasures!"

 

The object they saw came ever nearer the shore.

 

"No," said the other, "that is not a treasure ship. That is some fisherman's skiff, with the day's catch of savoury fish."

 

Still nearer came the object. The waves washed it up on shore.

 

"It is a chest of gold lost from some wreck," they cried. Both Travelers rushed to the beach, but there they found nothing but a water-soaked log.

 

Do not let your hopes carry you away from reality.

 

A Wolf had stolen a Lamb and was carrying it off to his lair¹ to eat it. But his plans were very much changed when he met a Lion, who, without making any excuses, took the Lamb away from him.

 

The Wolf made off to a safe distance, and then said in a much injured tone:

 

"You have no right to take my property like that!"

 

The Lion looked back, but as the Wolf was too far away to be taught a lesson without too much inconvenience, he said:

 

"Your property? Did you buy it, or did the Shepherd make you a gift of it? Pray tell me, how did you get it?"

 

What is evil won is evil lost. 

A Stag, drinking from a crystal spring, saw himself mirrored in the clear water. He greatly admired the graceful² arch of his antlers, but he was very much ashamed of his spindling legs.

 

"How can it be," he sighed, "that I should be cursed with such legs when I have so magnificent a crown."

 

At that moment he scented³ a panther and in an instant was bounding away through the forest. But as he ran his wide-spreading antlers caught in the branches of the trees, and soon the Panther overtook him. Then the Stag perceived that the legs of which he was so ashamed would have saved him had it not been for the useless ornaments⁴ on his head.

 

We often make much of the ornamental⁵ and despise the useful.

1 lair   

n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处

参考例句：

• How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair?不入虎穴，焉得虎子？
• I retired to my lair,and wrote some letters.我回到自己的躲藏处，写了几封信。

2 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

3 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。