The Wolf and the Fox

   "Dear Wolf," complain'd a hungry Fox,

  "A lean chick's meat, or veteran cock's,

    Is all I get by toil¹ or trick:

    Of such a living I am sick.

    With far less risk, you've better cheer;

    A house you need not venture near,

    But I must do it, spite of fear.

    Pray, make me master of your trade.

    And let me by that means be made

    The first of all my race that took

    Fat mutton to his larder's hook:

    Your kindness shall not be repented²."

    The Wolf quite readily consented.

    "I have a brother, lately dead:

    Go fit his skin to yours," he said.

  'Twas done; and then the wolf proceeded:

    "Now mark you well what must be done

    The dogs that guard the flock to shun³."

  The Fox the lessons strictly⁴ heeded⁵.

    At first he boggled in his dress;

    But awkwardness grew less and less,

    Till perseverance⁶ gave success.

    His education scarce complete,

    A flock, his scholarship to greet,

      Came rambling⁷ out that way.

    The new-made Wolf his work began,

    Amidst the heedless nibblers ran,

      And spread a sore dismay.

    The bleating⁸ host now surely thought

    That fifty wolves were on the spot:

      Dog, shepherd, sheep, all homeward fled,

    And left a single sheep in pawn⁹,

    Which Reynard seized when they were gone.

      But, ere upon his prize he fed,

    There crow'd a cock near by, and down

    The scholar threw his prey¹⁰ and gown,

  That he might run that way the faster—

  Forgetting lessons, prize and master.

 

      Reality, in every station,

      Will burst out on the first occasion.

 

1 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

2 repented   

对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He repented his thoughtlessness. 他后悔自己的轻率。
• Darren repented having shot the bird. 达伦后悔射杀了那只鸟。

3 shun   

vt.避开，回避，避免

参考例句：

• Materialists face truth,whereas idealists shun it.唯物主义者面向真理，唯心主义者则逃避真理。
• This extremist organization has shunned conventional politics.这个极端主义组织有意避开了传统政治。

4 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

5 heeded   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

7 rambling   

adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的

参考例句：

• We spent the summer rambling in Ireland. 我们花了一个夏天漫游爱尔兰。
• It was easy to get lost in the rambling house. 在布局凌乱的大房子里容易迷路。

8 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句

9 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

10 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。