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从前，许多鹌鹑一起住在森林里，他们中最聪明的那一只就是他们的头目。有一个人住在森林附近，靠捕捉出售鹌鹑为生。每天他都能听到鹌鹑的头目呼唤鹌鹑的声音。久而久之，他也能够喊一声，把鹌鹑们聚集在一起。听到那种声音，鹌鹑就以为是头目在叫他们。 他们挤在一起的时候,捕鸟人就把网撒在他们身上，然后去城里，一会儿就卖完了所有捕到的鹌鹑。 聪明的头目明白了捕鸟人的计划，就把所有的鹌鹑叫到身边，说道："捕鸟人已经抓走了我们很多同类，我们一定要制止。我有一个办法:下次他撒网的时候，你们每一个都要把头从网眼里伸出来，然后一起飞到最近的多刺的灌木丛，把网留在多刺的灌木上,那样你们就可以自由了。” 鹌鹑们认为这办法不错，下次捕鸟人撒网的时候就试一试。 第二天，捕鸟人来了，把鹌鹑叫到了一起，然后往他们身上撒网。鹌鹑们带着网飞到多刺的灌木丛上，把网留在那上面，然后就飞回头目那里，告诉他计划实施得多么成功。 捕鸟人一直忙到晚上才把网从刺上弄下来，两手空空地回家了。第三天又发生了同样的事情，第四天也一样。因为他没有带钱回家，妻子就很生气。猎人说现在的情况是，鹌鹑学会了齐心协力，我一把网撒在他们身上，他们就一起带着网飞走了，落在多刺的灌木丛上。只要鹌鹑一争吵,我就能抓到他们。" 过了不久，其中一只鹌鹑落在地上吃食时，踩了另一只的头。"谁踩了我的头?”那只鹌鹑生气地叫道。"是我，但是我不是故意的，不要生气。"第一只鹌鹑说。可是那只鹌鹑还是很生气，说了些很难听的话。不久，所有的鹌鹑都跟着吵了起来。这时猎人又来撒网，这一次他们没有带着网一起飞走，一只说道:“快点拎起网！”另一方回答:“你自己拎吧！" "你想让我们拎起网？”一方的鹌鹑说，"不行，我们不干。"另一方又说你们先开始，我们就帮你们。”但是两方都没有开始。 正当鹌鹑们争吵着，捕鸟人趁机把他们全部捕进了网里，然后带到城里卖了一个好价钱。 The Quarrel of the Quails Once upon a time many quails lived together in a forest. The wisest of them all was their leader. A man lived near the forest and earned his living by catching quails and selling them. Day after day he listened to the note of the leader calling the quails. By and by this man, the fowler, was able to call the quails together. Hearing the note the quails thought it was their leader who called. When they were crowded together, the fowler threw his net over them and off he went into the town, where he soon sold all the quails that he had caught. The wise leader saw the plan of the fowler for catching the quails. He called the birds to him and said, "This fowler is carrying away so many of us, we must put a stop to it. I have thought of a plan；it is this：The next time the fowler throws a net over you, each of you must put your head through one of the little holes in the net. Then all of you together must fly away to the nearest thorn-bush. You can leave the net on the thorn - bush and be free yourselves.” The quails said that this was a very good plan and they would try it the next time the fowler threw the net over them. The very next day the fowler came and called them together. Then he threw the net over them. The quails lifted the net and flew away with it to the nearest thorn-bush where they left it. They flew back to their leader to tell him how well his plan had worked. The fowler was busy until evening getting his net off the thorns and he went home empty handed. The next day the same thing happened, and the next. His wife was angry because he did not bring home any money, but the fowler said，" The fact is those quails are working together now. The moment my net is over them, off they fly with it, leaving it on a thorn-bush. As soon as the quails begin to quarrel I shall be able to catch them." Not long after this, one of the quails in alighting on their feeding ground, trod by accident on another's head. “Who trod on my head?” angrily cried the second. "I did; but I didn51 mean to. Don11 be angry," said the first quail, but the second quail was angry and said mean things. Soon all the quails had taken sides in this quarrel. When the fowler came that day he flung his net over them, and this time instead of flying off with it, one side said，"Now, you lift the net," and the other side said，" Lift it yourself." "You try to make us lift it all,” said the quails on one side. “No, we don' t!” said the others, "you begin and we will help," but neither side began. So the quails quarreled，and while they were quarreling the fowler caught them all in his net. He took them to town and sold them for a good price. |
