English Original
A lion watched a fat bull feeding in a meadow. His mouth watered at the thought of a royal feast, but he dared not attack, fearing the bull's sharp horns. Hunger, however, compelled him to act. Knowing force would not succeed, he determined to resort to artifice.
Approaching the bull in a friendly manner, the lion said, "I must say how much I admire your magnificent figure! What a fine head! What powerful shoulders and thighs! But, my dear friend, why do you wear those ugly horns? You must find them as awkward as they are unsightly. Believe me, you would be much better off without them."
The bull was foolish enough to be swayed by this flattery and had his horns cut off. Having lost his only means of defence, he became an easy prey to the lion.
中文翻译
一只狮子看见一头肥壮的公牛正在草地上吃草。一想到这顿盛宴,他就垂涎欲滴,但他不敢进攻,害怕公牛锋利的角。然而,饥饿迫使他必须采取行动。他知道武力无法取胜,于是决定使用诡计。
狮子以友好的姿态走近公牛,说道:“我必须说,我多么羡慕您雄伟的身材!多么漂亮的头!多么强壮的肩膀和大腿!可是,我亲爱的朋友,您为什么要戴着那对丑陋的角呢?您一定觉得它们既笨拙又难看。相信我,没有它们您会好得多。”
公牛愚蠢至极,竟被这番奉承话说服,让人把自己的角砍掉了。失去了唯一的防御手段,他轻易就成了狮子的猎物。