Two men traveling through a forest together promised to help each other whatever danger threatened them. They had not gone far when a bear rushed at them from some bushes .One man was a good climber, and quickly climbed a nearby tree, but the other man, seeing that he had no chance alone against the bear, fell flat on his back,and pretended to be dead .The Bear came up to him ,sniffed at him ,and thinking him .When he had gone,the other traveller came down from his tree ,and smilingly asked his companion what the Bear had said to him.
"For I could see,” he said,” that he put his mouth close to your ear."
"He told me to tell you ,"replied the other,” that you were a great coward, and that in future I should not trust those who make fine promises, but will no stand by their friends in danger."
MORAL: Don’t trust fine promises unless you are sure of the person who makes them.
moral n.寓意；教训
译文
旅行者和熊
两个旅行者一起穿过一片森林,两人都答应无论什么危险威胁他们,大家都要互相帮助.他们才走了不远,一只熊从灌木丛中朝他们扑过来.他们当中有一个是攀登好手,他很快就爬到旁边的一棵树上,但是另一个人呢?知道他一个人不可能对付得了熊,就直挺挺地卧在地上装起死来.熊走到他跟前,嗅了嗅他,又走进森林里去了.等到熊走远了,另一个旅行者从树上下来,微笑着问他的同伴，那只熊对他说了些什么。
“我看到，”他说，“那只熊把它的嘴凑到你的耳朵边。”
“他叫我告诉你，”另一个旅行者答道，“你是一个胆小鬼，将来我再也不应该想念那些只会发出好听的诺言，但是遇到危险就丢下朋友不管的人。”
寓意：不要轻易地相信别人好听的诺言，除非你能确信他。
