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·开井》

凿井于路旁，用济路人之渴。一有堕之者，山则罪凿井焉。

——《伸蒙子》

The Well

A well was sunk by the roadside. People in the habit of using the road who had not been able to find a drop of water to quench their thirst in the past found it very convenient.

After some time, however, a man going home one night fell into the well and was drowned. Then people began to blame the person who had chosen that site for the well.

--Shen Meng Zi

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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