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·古书换古铜》

有一士人，尽掊其家所有，约百余千，买书将以入京。至中涂，遇一士人，取其书目阅之，爱其书而贫不能得，家有数古铜器将以货之，而鬻书者雅有好古器之癖，一见喜甚。乃曰：“无庸货也，我将与汝估其直而两易之”。于是尽所随行之书换数十铜器。

亟返其家，其妻方讶夫之回，疾视其行李，但见二三布囊块然，铿铿有声。问得其实，乃詈其夫曰：“你换得他这个，几时近得钣吃？”其人曰：“他换得我那个也，则几时近得饭吃？”

——《道山清话》

Ancient Books for Ancient Bronze

A scholar, hard-pressed for money, listed a few hundred of his books, packed them up, and set out for the capital, intending to sell them. On his way he met another scholar who looked at his list and wanted to buy them. But he could not afford the price. He happened to have a few pieces of ancient bronze at home which he intended to sell for rice. So he took the other to see them. The one who wanted to sell his books was a great admirer of bronze, and was delighted with these specimens.

"No need to sell them," he told the other. "We can weigh the price of the books against the bronze and see if we can’t do an exchange." The outcome was that he deposited his books with the other and left with a load of bronze.

When he reached home, his wife was surprised to see him back so soon. Looking quickly at his bags, she found they were full of some hard objects which clanged when shifted about. When she heard the story, she began to scold.

"You fool!" she exclaimed. "What do you want these things for when we have no rice in the house?"

"He’s in the same fix," replied the husband, cheerfully. "With the books he has from me, he won’t have any rice to eat for some time either!"

Dao Shan Qing Hua

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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