鹰和云雀(The Eagle And The Skylark)

一头鹰和一只云雀在一座高山的一块岩石上相遇。云雀说："祝您早安，先生。"鹰鄙夷地瞧着云雀，有气无力地说道："早晨好。"

云雀说："我祝愿您万事大吉，先生。"

"是啊，"鹰说，"我们是万事大吉大利。可你要知道，我们是众鸟之王，我们还没有开口，你就不应该先招呼我们。"

云雀说："我以为咱们是属于同一个家族的哩。"

鹰以鄙夷的神色瞧着云雀，说道："究竟谁说过你和我是属于同一个家族的？"于是云雀答道："不过，我倒要提醒你这一点：我能飞翔得同你一样高，我还能唱歌，给大地上其他生物以乐趣。而你既不给人愉快，又不给人乐趣。"

这话触怒了鹰，他说："愉快和乐趣！你这枚律的小东西胡扯些什么！你的身材不过我的一只脚那么大。只要我的嘴巴一啄，就能结果你的性命。"

于是云雀飞起来，扑在鹰的背脊上，啄起鹰的羽毛来了。这可大大激怒了鹰，他快飞高翔，想借此甩掉那只小鸟。然而他失败了，怎么也甩不掉。他终于又落在高山的那块岩石上，小东西可依旧扑在他的背脊上，他越发愤怒，咒骂着这倒霉的时辰。

此时此刻有一只小乌龟经过，对着眼前的景象哈哈大笑，她笑得前仰后合，几乎要翻身摔倒。

鹰瞧不起小乌龟，说道："你这慢慢爬行的东西，你这永远爬在土地上的东西，你笑什么？"于是乌龟答道："哎，我看见你变成了一匹马，让一只小鸟骑在你身上，不过那小鸟倒是只比你高明的鸟。"

鹰这就对乌龟说道："你少管闲事，忙你自己的事去吧。这是我和我兄弟云雀之间的家务事儿。"

The Eagle And The Skylark

A skylark and an eagle met on a rock upon a high hill. The skylark said, "Good morrow to you, Sir." And the eagle looked down upon him and said faintly, "Good morrow."

And the skylark said, "I hope all things are well with you, Sir."

"Aye," said the eagle, "all is well with us. But do you not know that we are the king of birds, and that you shall not address us before we ourselves have spoken?"

Said the skylark, "Methinks we are of the same family."

The eagle looked upon him with disdain and he said, "Who ever has said that you and I are of the same family?"

Then said the skylark, "But I would remind you of this, I can fly even as high as you, and I can sing and give delight to the other creatures of this earth. And you give neither pleasure nor delight."

Then the eagle was angered, and he said, "Pleasure and delight! You little presumptuous creature! With one thrust of my beak I could destroy you. You are but the size of my foot."

Then the skylark flew up and alighted upon the back of the eagle and began to pick at his feathers. The eagle was annoyed, and he flew swift and high that he might rid himself of the little bird. But he failed to do so. At last he dropped back to that very rock upon the high hill, more fretted than ever, with the little creature still upon his back, and cursing the fate of the hour.

Now at that moment a small turtle came by and laughed at the sight, and laughed so hard the she almost turned upon her back.

And the eagle looked down upon the turtle and he said, "You slow creeping thing, ever one with the earth, what are you laughing at?"

And the turtle said, "Why I see that you are turned horse, and that you have a small bird riding you, but the small bird is the better bird."

And the eagle said to her, "Go you about your business. This is a family affair between my brother, the lark, and myself."