第3章 鷹和雲雀(The Eagle And The Skylark)

一頭鷹和一隻雲雀在一座高山的一塊岩石上相遇。雲雀說："祝您早安，先生。"鷹鄙夷地瞧著雲雀，有氣無力地說道："早晨好。" 雲雀說："我祝愿您萬事大吉，先生。 " "是啊，"鷹說，"我們是萬事大吉大利。可你要知道，我們是眾鳥之王，我們還沒有開口，你就不應該先招呼我們。" 雲雀說："我以為咱們是屬於同一個家族的哩。" 鷹以鄙夷的神色瞧著雲雀，說道："究竟誰說過你和我是屬於同一個家族的？"於是雲雀答道："不過，我倒要提醒你這一點：我能飛翔得同你一樣高，我還能唱歌，給大地上其他生物以樂趣。而你既不給人愉快，又不給人樂趣。"

這話觸怒了鷹，他說："愉快和樂趣！你這枚律的小東西胡扯些什麼！你的身材不過我的一隻腳那麼大。只要我的嘴巴一啄，就能結果你的性命。" 於是雲雀飛起來，撲在鷹的背脊上，啄起鷹的羽毛來了。這可大大激怒了鷹，他快飛高翔，想藉此甩掉那隻小鳥。然而他失敗了，怎麼也甩不掉。他終於又落在高山的那塊岩石上，小東西可依舊撲在他的背脊上，他越發憤怒，咒罵著這倒霉的時辰。 此時此刻有一隻小烏龜經過，對著眼前的景象哈哈大笑，她笑得前仰後合，幾乎要翻身摔倒。 鷹瞧不起小烏龜，說道："你這慢慢爬行的東西，你這永遠爬在土地上的東西，你笑什麼？"於是烏龜答道："哎，我看見你變成了一匹馬，讓一隻小鳥騎在你身上，不過那小鳥倒是只比你高明的鳥。"

鷹這就對烏龜說道："你少管閒事，忙你自己的事去吧。這是我和我兄弟雲雀之間的家務事兒。" The Eagle And The Skylark A skylark and an eagle met on a rock upon a high hill. The skylark said, "Good morrow to you, Sir." And the eagle looked down upon him and said faintly, "Good morrow." And the skylark said, "I hope all things are well with you, Sir."

"Aye," said the eagle, "all is well with us. But do you not know that we are the king of birds, and that you shall not address us before we ourselves have spoken?" Said the skylark, "Methinks we are of the same family." The eagle looked upon him with disdain and he said, "Who ever has said that you and I are of the same family?"

Then said the skylark, "But I would remind you of this, I can fly even as high as you, and I can sing and give delight to the other creatures of this earth. And you give neither pleasure nor delight." Then the eagle was angered, and he said, "Pleasure and delight! You little presumptuous creature! With one thrust of my beak I could destroy you. You are but the size of my foot."

Then the skylark flew up and alighted upon the back of the eagle and began to pick at his feathers. The eagle was annoyed, and he flew swift and high that he might rid himself of the little bird. But he failed to do so. At last he dropped back to that very rock upon the high hill, more fretted than ever, with the little creature still upon his back, and cursing the fate of the hour.

Now at that moment a small turtle came by and laughed at the sight, and laughed so hard the she almost turned upon her back. And the eagle looked down upon the turtle and he said, "You slow creeping thing, ever one with the earth, what are you laughing at?" And the turtle said, "Why I see that you are turned horse, and that you have a small bird riding you, but the small bird is the better bird."

And the eagle said to her, "Go you about your business. This is a family affair between my brother, the lark, and myself."