寓言：挤牛奶的姑娘

    多丽，挤奶的姑娘，一向是个善良的女孩，勤勤恳恳地工作，她的女主人给了她一桶新鲜牛奶。
    多丽把桶顶在头上，高兴地沿着去集镇的道路信步行走，集镇是她去卖牛奶的地方。
    “这桶牛奶，”多丽说，“我可以卖到一个先令，用它可以买到邻家良种鸡下的二十个鸡蛋。女主人一定会借给我一只母鸡，打上一切损失，我手里能有一打好小鸡。”
    “在下一次赶集之前，这些小鸡一定长大了，那才是小鸡娃最卖得出价钱的时候哩。我将会得到一个基尼（钱币的计算单位）”
    “那时我可以买到前几天在乡村看见的夹克短上衣，还有帽子和丝带；当我赶集的时候，该是多么的漂亮啊！”
    “罗滨在那里，会来提出重新做朋友。但我可不能过于轻易地迁就他呀；当他要求我做舞伴的时候，我一定要摇头——”
    多丽这时把头稍微摇动了一下，桶掉下来，牛奶全都倒在地上了。
    可怜的多丽呀！鸡蛋，小鸡，夹克，帽子，丝带和其他一切，全都同她告别了。
    在小鸡尚未孵出之前，不要计算你的小鸡。
    
    
The Milkmaid
   
   Dolly, the milkmaid having been a good girl, and careful in her work, her mistress gave her a pail of new milk for herself.
   With the pail upon her head, Dolly tripped gayly along on her way to the town, whither she was going to sell her milk.
   "For this milk," said Dolly, "I shall get a shilling, and with it I will buy twenty of the eggs laid by our neighbor′s fine fowls. The mistress will surely lend me a hen, and allowing for all mishaps, I shall raise a good dozen of chicks."
   "They will be well grown before the next fair time comes around, and it is then that chickens bring the highest price. I shall be able to sell them for a guinea."
   "Then I shall buy that jacket that I saw in the willage the other day, and a hat and ribbons, too; and when I go to the fair, how smart I shall be!"
   "Robin will be there, and will come up and offer to be friends again. But I won′t come round too easily; and when he wants me for a partner in the dance, I shall toss up my head and--"
   Here Dolly gave her head the least bit of a toss, when down came the pail, and all the milk was spilled upon the ground.
   Poor Dolly! it was her good-by to eggs, chickens, jacket, hat, ribbons, and all.
   Don′t count your chickens until they are hatched.
