English Original
One day, a group of mischievous children tried to play a trick on a man. They said to him, "There are birds' eggs in that tree. Could you get them for us? We can't climb up."
Loath to disappoint them, the man agreed to climb the tree. However, knowing the mischievous youngsters might run off with his boots if he left them on the ground, he tied them securely to his waistband before starting his ascent.
"We'll take care of your boots for you!" the children chorused.
"No, thank you!" he replied. "I am a busy man. As soon as I get the eggs for you, I'll make my way home along the treetops."
中文翻译
一天，一群淘气的孩子想捉弄一个男人。他们对他说：“那棵树上有鸟蛋。你能帮我们拿下来吗？我们爬不上去。”
男人不愿让孩子们失望，便同意爬树。然而，他知道如果把靴子留在地上，这群淘气的小鬼很可能会拿着靴子跑掉。于是，在开始攀爬前，他先把靴子牢牢地系在了自己的腰带上。
“我们会帮你照看靴子的！”孩子们齐声说道。
“不，谢谢！”他回答道。“我是个忙人。一帮你们拿到蛋，我就要沿着树顶走回家了。”