第20章 The Farmer and the Stork 农夫和鹳

A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. "Pray save me, Master, "he said, "and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers—they are not the least like those of a Crane." The Farmer laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company."

Birds of a feather flock together.

农夫在刚播下种子的田地里布置了许多网，抓住了许多来偷吃种子的鹤。其中，有一只是鹳。鹳的腿被网折断了，它苦苦哀求农夫饶命：“拜托，你这次放了我吧。我的腿断了，而且我也不是鹤，而是一只鹳，一种性情温柔的鸟。你看，我是多么热爱和孝顺我的父母，为它们辛苦奔波，你再仔细看看我的羽毛，和鹤的完全不同。”农夫大笑说：“你说的话也许是对的，但我只知道一点：你和那些偷吃种子的鹤一起被抓到，你必须和它们一起死。”

物以类聚，人以群分。