The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot

   An Iron Pot proposed

    To an Earthen Pot a journey.

  The latter was opposed,

    Expressing the concern he

  Had felt about the danger

  Of going out a ranger¹.

  He thought the kitchen hearth²

  The safest place on earth

  For one so very brittle³.

  "For thee, who art a kettle,

  And hast a tougher skin,

  There's nought⁴ to keep thee in."

  "I'll be thy bodyguard,"

    Replied the Iron Pot;

  "If anything that's hard

    Should threaten thee a jot⁵,

  Between you I will go,

  And save thee from the blow."

    This offer him persuaded.

    The Iron Pot paraded

    Himself as guard and guide

    Close at his cousin's side.

    Now, in their tripod way,

    They hobble as they may;

    And eke⁶ together bolt

    At every little jolt—

    Which gives the crockery pain;

      But presently his comrade hits

      So hard, he dashes him to bits,

    Before he can complain.

 

  Take care that you associate

  With equals only, lest your fate

  Between these pots should find its mate.

1 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

2 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

3 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

4 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

5 jot   

n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下

参考例句：

• I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。
• There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。

6 eke   

v.勉强度日，节约使用

参考例句：

• They had to eke out a livinga tiny income.他们不得不靠微薄收入勉强度日。
• We must try to eke out our water supply.我们必须尽量节约用水。