盛夏之日,一只青蛙同他的伴侣说道:ot;我担心我们的夜歌打搅了住在岸上房子里的人们。ot;
他的伴侣答道:ot;哎呀,难道他们白天的谈话没有打扰了我们的寂静吗?ot;雄蛙说:ot;让我们别忘了,也许我们在夜间唱得太多哩。ot;
他的伴侣道:ot;让我们也别忘了,他们在白天闲谈叫嚷得太过分啊。ot;
雄蛙说:ot;牛蛙用他那上帝禁止的轰鸣吵醒了整个街坊,你觉得如何呢?ot;他的伴侣答道:ot;哎,政治家、牧师和科学家都来到岸边,使空气里充满了喧闹而又毫无韵律的声音,你又怎么说呢?ot;于是雄蛙提议:ot;哦,让我们比人类高明些吧。让我们在夜里保持沉默,把我们的歌儿藏在我们的心里,尽管月亮需要我们的节奏,繁星需要我们的韵律,都在发出呼吁呢。至少,让我们沉默一二夜,或者甚至三夜吧。ot;
他的伴侣道:ot;很好,我同意。我们拭目以待你那宽容的心带来的后果。ot;
那天夜里,群蛙默不作声,第二夜他们也没有作声,而第三夜又是默不作声。
说也奇怪,住在湖边房子里的一个爱说话的妇人,第三天下楼来吃早餐时,大声对她的丈夫说道:ot;这三夜我都没有睡成。耳中听到蛙声时,我才睡得安安稳稳。不过,必定是出了什么事了。青蛙三夜没有唱歌了;我失眠缺觉得几乎要发疯了。ot;
雄蛙听到了这一席话,向他的伴侣转过身来,眨巴着眼睛,说道:ot;我们因为默不作声也几乎要发疯了,难道不是吗?ot;他的伴侣答道:ot;是的,夜的寂静沉重地笼罩着我们。我现在明白了,我们毋须为这些人的安宁舒适而停止唱歌,他们非有喧闹的声音来充实他们的空虚不可。ot;
那天夜里,月亮就不是白白的为青蛙的节奏而呼吁了,繁星就不是白白的为青蛙的韵律而呼吁了。
the frogs
upon a sur day a frog said to e, ot;i fear t urbed by our nig;
and e ans;ell, do t annoy our silence durg talkg?ot;
t;let not fet t oo ucot;
and e ans;let not fet t tter and s overuc;
said t; t tter and s overuc;
said t; turbs t;
and e replied, ot;aye, and ician and t and tist ;
t;ell, let be better t be iet at nigs, even tars for our r least, let be silent for a nigsot;
and e said, ot;very iful ;
t nig; and t t al, and aga upon t
and stran to rete, talkative on t ted to ;i slept ts i t sung nos; and i a alost addened ;
turned to e and said, addened ?ot;
and e ans;yes, t o cease our sgg for t of t needs fill tess ;
and t nig va for tars for their rhy
and e ans;ell, do t annoy our silence durg talkg?ot;
t;let not fet t oo ucot;
and e ans;let not fet t tter and s overuc;
said t; t tter and s overuc;
said t; turbs t;
and e replied, ot;aye, and ician and t and tist ;
t;ell, let be better t be iet at nigs, even tars for our r least, let be silent for a nigsot;
and e said, ot;very iful ;
t nig; and t t al, and aga upon t
and stran to rete, talkative on t ted to ;i slept ts i t sung nos; and i a alost addened ;
turned to e and said, addened ?ot;
and e ans;yes, t o cease our sgg for t of t needs fill tess ;
and t nig va for tars for their rhy