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一个小偷在客找里租了间屋子，住了几天后便想偷些东西供他付账，但等了几天都一无所获。这时，他正好看到客栈主人身穿一件漂亮的新衣裳坐在门前。于是，小偷便上前坐在客栈主人的身旁，并同其攀谈起来。 后来,两人的谈话开始变得枯燥乏味，小偷便打起了骇人的哈欠，同时发出狼哮般的声音。客栈主人好奇地问道：“你为什么这么鬼哭狼嚎呢?”小偷回答说：“先生，其实我也不知道自己怎么会有这样打哈欠的习惯，也不知道自己是因为什么得受这种惩罚。但是有一点我是知道的，那就是在我第三次打哈欠时，我会真的变成一匹狼，而且是要攻击人的。” 说完这话，小偷便开始打起了第二阵哈欠，并像第一回那样发出狼嗥般的叫声。客栈主人听了这些谎言便深信不疑，且大为惊骇，随即从座位上站起身来准备溜之大吉。而小偷却使劲扯住他的衣裳，乞求他别走，并说道：“先生，请等一会儿，请你拉住我的衣服，要不然，我变成狼以后，一发怒会把这衣服撕成碎片的。” 这时，小偷开始打第三次哈欠了，而且又发出狼嗥般的叫声。客栈主人唯恐受到攻击，就拼命挣脱新衣服逃往客栈藏了起来。最后，小偷就带着那件新衣裳走了，再也没有回那间客栈。 The Thief and the Innkeeper A thief hired a room in a tavern and stayed some days, in the hope of stealing something that should enable him to pay his reckoning. When he had waited some days in vain he saw the innkeeper dressed in a new and handsome coat, sitting before his door. The thief sat down beside him, and talked with him. As the conversation began to flat, the thief yawned terribly. At the same time he howled like a wolf. The innkeeper said, Why do you howl so fearfully?” “I will tell you，” said the thief，“I don’t know when I got this habit of yawning, nor whether these attacks of howling were inflicted on me as a judgment for my crimes, or for any other cause ； but this I do know that when I yawn for the third time, I actually turn into a wolf and attack men.，’ With this speech he commenced a second fit of yawning and again howled as a wolf as he did at first. The innkeeper hearing his tale，believing what he said，became greatly alarmed. Rising from his seat, he attempted to run away. The thief laid hold of his coat and entreated him to stop，“ Pray wait，sir，and hold my clothes，or I shall tear them to pieces in my fury, when I turn into a wolf. ” At the same moment he yawned the third time，and set up a howl like a wolf. The innkeeper frightened lest he should be attacked. He left his new coat in his hand and ran as fast as he could into the inn for safety. The thief made off with his new coat and did not return again to the inn. |
