The Fox and the Stork

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 apologize,” 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 longnecked 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 apologize for the dinner,” said the Stork.

One bad turn deserves another.

狐狸和鹳

狐狸和鹳曾经是好朋友，经常礼尚往来。一次，狐狸邀请鹳来共度晚餐，但他跟鹳开了个玩笑，只把一只盛着少许汤的浅盘子放在鹳面前。狐狸可以轻松地用这种盘子喝汤，但对于鹳来说，这种盘子只能让她长长的喙尖沾到一点汤汁，鹳只好饿着肚子离开。“真抱歉，”狐狸说道，“看来这汤不合你胃口。”

“请别道歉，”鹳说道，“我应该回请你，希望你能尽快来赴宴。”他们约定了时间，等狐狸来赴宴时，发现食物装在一个长颈瓶里，瓶口又小又窄，狐狸根本没法把嘴伸进去吃东西，他能做的只是舔舔瓶子的外边。

“我不会为这次晚餐道歉的。”鹳说道。

恶有恶报。

Key points

apologize 道歉

bill 喙

dine 吃饭

insert 插入

lap up 舔食

lick 舔

narrow 狭窄的

pray 请求；祈祷

shallow 浅的snout 口鼻部