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·爱惜驴子》

某翁富而吝，善权子母，责负无虚日。后以年且老，难于途，遂买一驴代步。顾爱爱惜甚至，非甚困惫，未尝肯据鞍。驴出翁胯下者，步不过数四。

值天暑，有所索于远道，不得已，与驴俱中道，翁喘，乃跨驴，驰二三里；驴不习骑，亦喘，翁惊亟下，解其鞍。驴以为息也，望故道逸归。翁急遽呼驴，驴走不顾，追之弗及也；大惧驴亡，又吝于弃鞍，因负鞍趋归家，亟问驴在否？其子曰：“驴在。”翁乃复喜，徐释鞍，始觉足顿而背裂也，又伤于暑，病逾月乃瘥。

——《耳食录》

All for the Love of a Donkey

A rich old miser made much money by giving high-interest loans. When he became too old to walk, he bought a donkey. But he became so fond of the animal that he would not ride it except when he was extremely tried.

One day it was hot and sultry. The old man had to make a long journey, so he took the donkey with him. After walking some distance, he became short of breath and mounted the donkey. After doing two or three li, the donkey also breathed hard, for it was not used to being ridden. The old man dismounted in alarm and unsaddled the animal. Whereupon the donkey, thinking it was turned loose, took to its heels and bolted for home, ignoring the old man’s shouts. In vain did he try to overtake it. Fearing the donkey might get lost and not wishing to lose the saddle, he hurried home, shouldering the saddle.

As soon as he reached home, he asked whether the donkey had returned. When his son answered that it had, he cheered up. Then the exertion and the heat began to tell. The old man fell sick and took to his bed for over a month.

Er Shi Lu (Stories from Hearsay)

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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