辋川集

木末芙蓉花,山中发红萼,涧户寂无人,纷纷开且落

By - 陳 思敬

The Goose With the Golden Egg

ONE day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find, —nothing.
Here is another version with dialog:
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 it?
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 it’s 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, Goosey.
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.

1 thought on “The Goose With the Golden Egg

陈 豫谦 July 8, 2016 at 9:39 am

我是从《伊索寓言动画故事》的视频中知道这个故事的,不过视频的版本更中国化:
农夫在每天得到一个金蛋之后,贪心不足,给她喂更多的饲料,要求她每天下两个金蛋。母鸡无法理解,不也明白农夫为何会这样一副嘴脸。
第二天一早,家夫发现,母鸡还是只下了一个金蛋,他非常生气,拼命的挤压母鸡的肚子,妄图找到另外一只金蛋,这一切自然都是徒劳,而且深深的伤害了母鸡。
第三天,母鸡一个金蛋也没生出来,农夫暴跳如雷,母亲吓得飞到了树上,任凭农夫苦苦哀求,承诺每天给她更可口的食物,哪怕两天下一个金蛋也可以,但母鸡无动于衷。
懒惰而贪心的农夫,很快就和以前一样贫穷。

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