Aesop’s Fables: The Farmer & the Cranes 伊索寓言：農夫與鶴

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-xkZL8QTzI&t=11s

Aesop’s Fables: The Farmer & the Cranes

伊索寓言：農夫與鶴

 Some Cranes saw a farmer plowing a large field. When the work of plowing was done, they patiently watched him sow the seed. It was their feast, they thought.

So, as soon as the Farmer had finished planting and had gone home, down they flew to the field, and began to eat as fast as they could.

The Farmer, of course, knew the Cranes and their ways. He had had experience with such birds before. He soon returned to the field with a sling. But he did not bring any stones with him. He expected to scare the Cranes just by swinging the sling in the air, and shouting loudly at them.

At first the Cranes flew away in great terror. But they soon began to see that none of them ever got hurt. They did not even hear the noise of stones whizzing through the air, and as for words, they would kill nobody. At last they paid no attention whatever to the Farmer.

The Farmer saw that he would have to take other measures. He wanted to save at least some of his grain. So he loaded his sling with stones and killed several of the Cranes. This had the effect the Farmer wanted, for from that day the Cranes visited his field no more.

Bluff and threatening words are of little value with rascals.

Bluff is no proof that hard fists are lacking.

Story

http://www.read.gov/aesop/088.html

 

問題：

1q  What kind of animals saw a farmer plowing a large field? 

Ans=cranes

2q What did they think? 

Ans= they thought it was their feast.

3q How did the farmer, who had experienced 

these troublemakers before, deal with them the 1st time? 

Ans= w/ an empty sling (like the arrowless bow in the upcoming cartoon.)

4q What did the farmer do with this? 

Ans= he swung it in the air + shouted loudly at them

5q Did this make the cranes go? 

Ans= at first, but they didn't hear any stones 

and nobody was hurt, so they didn't pay any attention t

o the farmer.

Bq What made the cranes stop visiting his field? 

Ans= loading his sling with stones=loading his 

bow with arrows

 

fs= there are 2 morals here: Bluff and threatening words are of little value w/ rascals & Bluff is no proof that hard fists are lacking. What does that mean? When dealing with bullies, only words like stoneless slings and arrowless bows are useless. "Walk tall and carry a big stick", said Teddy Roosevelt, our 26th president. if you have hard fists, then use them.