戀愛中的獅子 The Lion in Love

 

      A LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage.  The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his importunities.  He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition:  that he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both.  The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal.  But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest. 

      獅子愛上了農夫的女兒，向她求婚。農夫不忍將女兒許配給野獸，但又懼怕獅子，一時無法拒絕，于是他急中生智，心生一計。獅子再次來請求農夫時，他便說，他認為獅子娶自己的女兒很適合，但獅子必須先拔去牙齒，剁掉爪子，否則不能把女兒嫁給他，因為姑娘懼怕這些東西。獅子利令智昏，色迷心竅，很輕易地接受了農夫的要求。從此，那農夫就瞧不起獅子，毫不懼怕他。獅子再來時，農夫就用棍子打他，把他綁起來。

      這故事說明，有些人輕易相信別人的話，拋棄自己特有的長處，結果，輕而易舉地被原來恐懼他們的人擊敗了。