读点好英文:The Fox and the Stork 狐狸和鹳

The Fox and the Stork 狐狸和鹳

A fox invited a long-beaked stork to have dinner with him.

“I hope you don't mind sharing the same dish with me，”said the fox.“It is our custom in the woods to eat together to show that we are friendly.”

“Not at all，”said the stork politely.

The fox brought a wide, shallow bowl of thin soup and set it between them.

“Please help yourself，”he said, setting down to Iap the soup with his long pink tongue.

The stork stood with her long legs apart and put the tip of her long, thin beak into the soup；although she tried to scoop up the thin liquid, it was quite impossible for her to do so. Even when she did manage to hold a few drops in her beak, they were lost long before they could trickIe down to her throat.Too polite to complain, the stork went home hungry while the greedy fox lapped up all the soup.As she left she heard him laughing to himself at his own cleverness.

A few days later the stork invited the fox to have dinner with her in return and the fox made his way to her home.

“It is our custom to share a dish, too.”said the stork，“I hope you will join me.”

“Certainly, certainly，”said the fox, licking his lips. He had not eaten all day.

The stork brought her food. This time, however, it was served in a tall, thin jug with a narrow opening at the top.

“Please begin，”said the stork, thrusting her beak into the jug.

“Mmmm. It is good.”

Of course the fox could not get his nose into the jug at all. All he could do was sniffing hungrily at the delicious smell and licking the occasional drop that spilled over the side.

“I suppose I can't complain，”he said to himself sadly as he made his way back to the woods，“After all, I taught her the trick myself.”

狐狸请长嘴鹳共进晚餐。

“希望你不介意和我吃一道菜，”狐狸说，“这是我们森林家族的习俗，表明我们很和睦。”

“没关系。”鹳客气地说。

狐狸用大浅碗盛了一碗稀汤放在它俩之间。

“请随便吃吧。”狐狸说着就坐了下来，用长长的粉红舌头舔起那碗汤来。

鹳叉着双腿站在那里，把细长的嘴插入汤中。虽然它竭力想喝汤，可这对它来说简直太难了。它好不容易吸了几滴，但还没到喉咙就流掉了。文雅的鹳并没有抱怨，饿着肚子回家了，而贪婪的狐狸却把汤舔得一干二净。鹳离开时，听到狐狸自以为是地窃笑着。

数天后，鹳回请狐狸共进晚餐，狐狸应邀来鹳家吃饭。

“分享同一道菜也是我们的习俗，”鹳说，“希望你能与我一起吃。”

“好的，当然可以。”说着，狐狸舔了舔嘴唇。它已经整整一天没有进食了。

鹳把食物端了上来。然而这次食物盛在一个又细又高的罐子里，罐口很窄。

“我们吃吧。”说着，鹳把嘴伸到了罐子里。

“哦，味道真不错。”

当然，狐狸连鼻子都伸不进去，它只好饿着肚子，闻着诱人的香味，舔舔偶尔溢出来的几滴汤。

“我有什么可抱怨的呢，”在回森林的路上，狐狸难过地自言自语着，“毕竟这是我教它的。”