古代寓言原是民间口头创作，文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人，可以是动物，也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法，使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现，而还需要自己去理解，思考，这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。

《古代寓言·枣红马》

王皓性迂缓。曾从齐文宣北伐，乘一赤马，平旦蒙霜，遂不复识，自言失马，虞候遍求不获。

须臾，日出，马体霜尽，依然系在前。方云：“我马尚在”。

--《北史》

"It was Here All the Time!"

Wang Hao was a slow-witted man. Once he accompanied the emperor of Qi to battle riding on a chestnut horse. During the night, it turned very cold. When morning came, the horse was coated with sleet. When he went out he could not find his horse, so he ordered a search for it, but in vain.

When the sun rose, the sleet melted and the horse reappeared.

"Oh, it was here all the time!" he said.

--History of the Northern Dynasties

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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