Embrace & Change

These / This
heat / hit
eat /it
heel / hill
feet / fit
seen / sin
leave / live
wheel / will
deed / did
least / list
sleep / slip

Now you must know that a Town Mouse, once upon a time, went on a visit to his cousin in the country. He was rough and ready將就的, this cousin, but he loved his town friend and made him heartily welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had to offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse rather turned up his long nose at this country fare飲食, and said: 'I cannot understand, Cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as this, but of course you cannot expect anything better in the country; come you with me and I will show you how to live. When you have been in town a week you will wonder how you could ever have stood a country life.'
No sooner said than done: the two mice set off for the town and arrived at the Town Mouse's residence late at night. 'You will want some refreshment after our long journey,' said the polite Town Mouse, and took his friend into the grand 高貴的dining-room. There they found the remains of a fine feast, and soon the two mice were eating up jellies and cakes and all that was nice. Suddenly they heard growling and barking. 'What is that?' said the Country Mouse. 'It is only the dogs of the house,' answered the other. 'Only!' said the Country Mouse. 'I do not like that music at my dinner.' Just at that moment the door flew (fly)(門,窗等)突然打開 open, in came two huge mastiffs大型馴犬;獒, and the two mice had to scamper 奔跑down and run off.

A Labourer(勞工) lay listening to a Nightingale's song throughout the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it. 'Now that I have caught thee你,' he cried, 'thou你 shalt 可always sing to me.' 'We Nightingales never sing in a cage' said the bird. 'Then I'll eat thee.' said the Labourer. 'I have always heard say that a nightingale on toast is a dainty 精緻的morsel小吃.' 'Nay不,否, kill me not,' said the Nightingale; 'but let me free, and I'll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor body.'
 The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of a tree and said: 'Never believe a captive's 俘虜promise; that's one thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And the third piece of advice is: Sorrow not over what is lost forever.' Then the song-bird flew away.

A Hare(野兔) was very popular with the other beasts who all claimed to be her friends. But one day she heard the hounds(獵犬) approaching and hoped to escape them by the aid of her many Friends. So, she went to the horse, and asked him to carry her away from the hounds on his back. But he declined, stating that he had important work to do for his master. He felt sure that all her other friends would come to her assistance.'
She then applied to the bull(公牛), and hoped that he would repel(驅除,擊退) the hounds with his horns. The bull replied: 'I am very sorry, but I have an appointment with a lady; but I feel sure that our friend the goat will do what you want.' The goat(山羊), however, feared that his back might do her some harm if he took her upon it. The ram(公羊,白羊(星)座), he felt sure, was the proper friend to apply to. So she went to the ram and told him the case. The ram replied: 'Another time, my dear friend. I do not like to interfere on the present occasion, as hounds have been known to eat sheep as well as hares.'
The Hare then applied, as a last hope, to the calf(小牛), who regretted that he was unable to help her, as he did not like to take the responsibility upon himself, as so many older persons than himself had declined the task. By this time the hounds were quite near, and the Hare took to her heels(腳後跟) and luckily escaped.
He that has many friends, has no friends.

At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began. I am sorry,' said the Fox, the soup is not to your liking.
' Pray do not apologise,' said the Stork. 'I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon.' So a day was appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the Fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.