1. The fox and the grapes

 

 

 THE FOX AND THE GRAPES [slow] [normal]

 

 

 

 

 

 

One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a one, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour."

 

Lesson: It is easy to despise what you cannot get.

여우와 포도】

배고픈 여우가 포도송이를 찾아냈으나 너무 높아서 따 먹을 수가 없었다. 여우는 그 자리를 떠나면서 “저 포도는 아직 익지 않아서”라고 중얼거렸다. 이와 같이 인간은 자기의 힘이 모자라 일이 제대로 안 되면 흔히 시기(時期)를 핑계로 삼는다는 이야기이다.