英语寓言故事：The Goose with Golden Egg下金蛋的鹅

A Farmer and his wife live in a small house in the country. They are very poor. Then one day something fantastic happens.

Farmer: Good morning, dear.

Wife: Good morning.I’ll fry you some eggs.

The wife goes out to the barn to get some eggs. She suddenly shouts loudly to the Farmer.

Wife: Come out here, dear! Quickly!

Farmer: Why? What’s the matter?

The Farmer runs out to the barn.

Wife: Look at this!

Farmer: What is it?

Wife: It’s a golden egg!

Farmer: A golden egg?Where did you get is?

Wife: From this Goose.It laid this golden egg.

Goose: Quack, quack!

Farmer: I can’t believe it.It’s so shiny and beautiful.What shall we do with it?

Wife: Sell it at the market.

Farmer: Good idea.I’ll sell it and buy some meat.

Wife: Yes.I’ll cook you a delicious meal tonight.

Farmer: Yahoo! Thank you, Goose!

The Farmer goes to the market that afternoon and gets a good price for the golden egg. The Farmer and his Wife have a nice dinner that night, but they can’t fall asleep. They are so excited and hope that the goose

will lay another golden egg tomorrow morning.

Goose: Cock –a –doodle-doo!!!

Farmer: Wake up, dear.Let’s see if the Goose laid another golden egg.

Wife: Okay. Let’s hurry.

The two rush out to the barn.

Farmer: Look!Another golden egg!

Wife: Thank you, Goose.We will be rich soon.

Farmer: Yes. Thanks to the Goose.Feed it well, dear.

Wife: Of course.I will feed it the best food.

After that, the Farmer and his Wife gave the Goose the best food. They loved the Goose. The Goose kept laying a golden egg every day. Some months later, the couple moved to a bigger house. They were very happy.

Farmer: Thanks to the Goose, we are not poor anymore.

Wife: That is true. But I’m getting curious.

Farmer: About what?

Wife: The Goose doesn’t look special.

Farmer: So what?

Wife: But how can it lay golden eggs?

Farmer: Good question. Now I’m getting curious, too. Hmm…

More months passed and the Farmer and his Wife became quite rich.

Farmer: We are now quite rich. Thanks to the Goose.

Wife: Yes. But I want to get really rich fast.

Farmer: How?

Wife: Think. We don’t know how the Goose lays the golden eggs. But we know where they are coming from.

Farmer: We do? Where?

Wife: From the Goose’s stomach, of course. So its stomach must be full of golden eggs.

Farmer: Perhaps. I don’t know.

Wife: Can’t you see? We can become really rich all at once.

Farmer: What do you mean?

Wife: Cut open the Goose’s stomach. Take out all of the golden eggs inside.

Farmer: You mean kill the Goose?

Wife: Yes. A golden egg a day is too slow. I want to become really rich. Now!

Farmer: But it has given us a golden egg every day. It made us rich. We can’t kill it now.

Wife: Why not? Don’t you want to become richer faster?

Farmer: Yes, but we are rich right now.

Wife: Yes. But I want to become really really rich. I want to live in the city. Bring the knife from the kitchen.

Farmer: If you wish, dear.

The Farmer brings a sharp knife from the kitchen. The Goose sees the knife and starts crying and runs away. The Wife hides the knife behind her back.

Goose: Quack, quack!

Wife: What’s the matter, Goose? I have something delicious for you.

Goose: Quack, quack!

Wife: it’s running away! Go and catch it!

Farmer: Okay, dear. Come here, Goose.

Goose: Quack, quack!

Wife: Catch it, catch it!

Farmer: I got it!

Goose: Quack, quack!

The Farmer catches the Goose and the Wife is about to cut open its stomach.

Wife: We will be really rich soon. How many eggs will there be?

Farmer: I don’t know. But there must be many. I’m getting curious now. Hurry up. Cut it open.

Wife: Okay, here I go.

Goose: (scream)Q-U-A-C-K!!!

The Goose’s stomach is cut open. The Farmer and his Wife look surprised.

Farmer: Where are the golden eggs?

Wife: I don’t know. There must be some inside. Look carefully!

Farmer: There are none! What have we done?

Wife: No golden eggs?

Farmer: Poor Goose. We were too greedy. So we will become poor again.

Wife: Poor us!

Farmer: Boo-hoo-hoo.

MORAL： Don’t be greedy.