原文：

  A fox had fallen into a well, and had been casting about for a long time how he should get out again, when at length a goat came to the place, and wanting to drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good, and of there was plenty of it .The fox, dissembling the real danger of his case, replied :"come down, my friend, the water is so good that I can not drink enough of it, and so aboundant that it can not be exhausted¹ ."Upon this the goat without any more ado leaped in, when the fox, taking advantage of his friend's horns, as nimbly leaped out, and coolly remarked to the poor deluded² goat :"if you had half as much brains as you have beard, you would have looked before you leaped."

译文：

一只狐狸掉在一口井里，转了很久怎样再跳上去，最后一只山羊来到这里，他正想喝水，便问狐狸这水好不好，还多不多，狐狸掩饰起他的真实危险处境，回答说："下来吧，我的朋友，这水好得使我喝不够，而且多的用不完。"于是山羊立刻跳了井里，狐狸踩着他朋友的角，敏捷地跳了上去，并且冷淡地对受了骗的可怜的山羊说："如果你的脑子有你胡子一半多，你就会先思而后行了。"

词汇：

casting about 来回走，想方设法

at length 最后

Reynard 狐狸的通称

without any more ado 不费吹灰之力

taking advantage of 利用

look before you leap 三思而后行