一只老鹰，挥舞着强壮的翅膀猛扑下来，用锋利的爪子抓住了一只小羊，带着它飞回巢穴去了。一只寒鸦看到了这个壮举，他傻乎乎的脑袋里充满了幻想，以为自己足够庞大和强壮，也可以和老鹰一样。于是他扑棱着羽毛，摆出一副凶猛的架势，快速地飞落到一只大公羊的背上。但当他想再飞起来的时候，却发现自己跑不掉了，因为他的爪子被羊毛缠住了。他不但没有把公羊抓走，公羊甚至都没有注意到他的存在。
牧羊人看到了扑棱着翅膀的寒鸦，马上就猜到发生了什么。他跑过来，抓住了鸟儿，剪段了它的翅膀。那天晚上，他把寒鸦给了他的孩子们。
“真是一只好玩的鸟！”他们笑着说，“你管它叫什么，爸爸？”
“这是一只寒鸦，孩子们。不过你要是问他，他会说自己是一只老鹰。”
不要让虚荣心使你高估自己的能力。
以下是英文版本：
THE EAGLE AND THE JACKDAW
An Eagle, swooping down on powerful wings, seized a lamb in her talons and made off with it to her nest. A Jackdaw saw the deed, and his silly head was filled with the idea that he was big and strong enough to do as the Eagle had done. So with much rustling of feathers and a fierce air, he came down swiftly on the back of a large Ram. But when he tried to rise again he found that he could not get away, for his claws were tangled in the wool. And so far was he from carrying away the Ram, that the Ram hardly noticed he was there.
The Shepherd saw the fluttering Jackdaw and at once guessed what had happened. Running up, he caught the bird and clipped its wings. That evening he gave the Jackdaw to his children.
“What a funny bird this is!” they said laughing, “what do you call it, father?”
“That is a Jackdaw, my children. But if you should ask him, he would say he is an Eagle.”
Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.
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