Once upon a time a Wolf was walking toward a spring on a hillside. When he looked up, he saw a lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. "There's my supper,"thought he, "If only I can find some excuse to eat it."Then he called out to the lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"
"Do, master, no,"said the lamb, "if the water is muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me."
"Well, then,"said the Wolf, "Why did you call me bad names this time last year?"
"That cannot be true."said the lamb, "I am only six months old."
"I don's care,"shouted the wolf, "If it was not you it was your father,"and with that he rushed upon the poor little lamb and ate her all up. But before she died the lamb cried out, "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
spring 泉
hillside 山坡
muddle 弄糟
master 主人
muddy 多泥的,泥泞的
cause 原因
call sb. bad names 辱骂某人
serve 服务
tyrant 暴君