The Eagle and His Captor

AN EAGLE was once captured by a man, who immediately clipped his wings and put him into his poultry-yard with the other birds, at which treatment the Eagle was weighed down with grief. Later, another neighbor purchased him and allowed his feathers to grow again. The Eagle took flight, and pouncing upon a hare, brought it at once as an offering to his benefactor. A Fox, seeing this, exclaimed, “Do not cultivate the favour of this man, but of your former owner, lest he should again hunt for you and deprive you a second time of your wings.”

昔、ワシがある男に捕らえられた。男はすぐにワシのつばさを切り、鶏小屋でほかの鳥たちといっしょに飼った。こんな扱いを受けて、ワシはすっかり悲しみに沈んでいた。その後、別の隣人がワシを買い取り、羽がまた生えそろうまで待ってくれた。ワシは飛び立つと、ウサギに襲いかかってそれを捕まえ、すぐさま恩人へのささげ物として持ってきた。これを見たキツネが叫んだ。「この人のごきげんを取るのはやめて、前の持ち主のごきげんを取るんだな。そうしないと、またおまえを捕まえようとして、二度目もつばさを切られてしまうぞ。」