A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed.  With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life.  "Pray save me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once.  My broken limb should excite your pity.  Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother.  Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least like those of a Crane."   The Farmer  laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know  this:  I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you  must die in their company."  

 

       
 

      農(nóng)夫在剛剛播種的田里布下許多網(wǎng)，許多來(lái)吃種子的鶴都被捉住了，并捉到一只鸛，鸛的腿被網(wǎng)折斷了，它哀求農(nóng)夫說(shuō)：“饒了我吧，可憐可憐我吧。我又不是鶴，而是一只鸛，我是性情優(yōu)美的鳥(niǎo)。你瞧，我多么孝順父母，為他們辛勤勞作，再仔細(xì)看看我的羽毛，與鶴也完全不同。”農(nóng)夫大笑說(shuō)：“你說(shuō)的話也許不錯(cuò)；但我只知道，你和這些偷吃種子的鶴一起被捉到，那末你就得和他們一起死。”