Goatherd and the wild goats

A goatherd, having led his goats to pasture, noticed that they were mixing with some wild goats. And, when evening fell, he herded all of them into his cave together. The next day, a great storm raged. Not being able to lead them out to pasture as usual, he left them inside. To his own goats he gave only a handful of fodder, just enough to keep them from starving. But for the strangers, on the other hand, he increased the ration, with the intention of keeping them as well.
When the bad weather was almost over he let them all out to pasture. But, upon reaching the mountain, the wild goats ran away. As the goatherd shouted after them, accusing them of ingratitude for thus abandoning him after all the care he had taken of them, they turned round to reply:

‘All the more reason for us to be suspicious. For if you treated us, mere newcomers, better than your old flock, it’s quite clear that if some other goats came along you would then neglect us for them.’
This fable shows that one ought not to welcome the over-friendly advances of new acquaintances in preference to old friendship. We must remember that when we have become old friends they will strike up friendships with others, and those new friends will become their favourites.
牧人把羊赶往草地牧放，发现羊群中混入了几只野山羊。夜幕降临时，牧人把他们全关进了山洞。次日风暴骤起，牧人无法像往常一样把羊赶往草地，只能在山洞里喂养。他给自己的羊的饲料寥寥无几，少得只能勉强果腹。另一方面，牧人为了把外来的羊据为己有，给他们添加了饲料。
眼看风暴快平息了，牧人把羊全都赶往草地，不料那些野山羊上山后就逃之夭夭了。牧人紧跟在后大声吆喝，责备他们寡恩少义，得到精心照料后居然撇下他走了。那些野山羊扭转头来对他说道：“正因为这样，我们才感到心里不踏实。你对待我们这些初来乍到的野山羊，要比对待原先追随你的羊群来得好。显而易见，若是日后又有别的野山羊来投奔你，你又会优待他们，而冷落我们了。”
本则寓言意谓：勿为新交过于亲善之举所惑而怠慢故交，须知新交不念旧情，旋即复与他人缔结友谊，奉彼等若上宾，弃吾辈如敝屣。