【英】《伊索寓言》第11集：The Wolf and the Stork

One day, an unusually greedy wolf was eating his meal when a bone caught in his throat. He could not swallow it, and it caused him great pain. He ran up and down groaning and seeking something that would help his pain.

Every time he met another animal, he begged them to reach into his mouth and retrieve the bone. But the other animals had no interest in being inside the mouth of a wolf and they simply ran away. So the wolf ran on and on, hoping for someone to save him.

He could not eat or sleep or even drink because of the pain in his throat. Finally, he sat and howled out his pain.

“I would do anything,” he howled. “I would give anything. Won’t someone help me?”

Finally a stork flew down and offered to try. “Lie on your side,” he said. “Open your jaw as wide as you can. I will try to reach the bone.”

The wolf followed the stork’s direction. The stork reached into the wolf’s throat with his very long, very thin beak and picked out the bone. The wolf leaped up and danced with joy to be free from the pain.

“And what is the reward you promised me?” the stork asked.

The wolf grinned at the stork with his very sharp teeth. “You can tell your friends you put your head into the mouth of a wolf and lived. That is reward enough.” Then the wolf snapped at the stork until the bird flew away.

As he left, the stork huffed and said, “When you offer help to those who think themselves better than you, do not expect good in return.”