中文 / B1
守株待兔
宋国有个农民，正在田里种地。田中有一个树桩，是树被砍掉后留在地上的那一部分。
有一只兔子跑来，碰巧撞在树桩上，撞断了脖子，就这样死了。
农民于是放下种地的工具，守在树桩旁边，希望再有兔子撞上来，让他也能像这次一样得到兔子。
他不再继续耕田，而是等着同样的事情再次发生。可是，这样的兔子再也没有等到。
最后，他自己倒成了宋国人嘲笑的对象。一次碰巧得到的兔子，并没有因为他的等待而变成下一只兔子。
English summary · includes the ending
A farmer in the ancient state of Song has a tree stump in his field. A running rabbit crashes into it, breaks its neck and dies. The farmer has unexpectedly gained a rabbit without catching one himself.
He puts down his farming tools and stays beside the stump. He hopes to get another rabbit in the same way, replacing his work in the field with waiting for the accident to happen again.
No second rabbit arrives. Instead of obtaining another easy reward, the farmer becomes an object of laughter among the people of Song.
The mistake is to treat one unusual event as something he can depend on repeatedly. Remaining beside the same stump does not make another rabbit crash into it. The brief tale gives no account of his harvest or later life; its ending rests on the contrast between the rabbit he hopes to gain and the ridicule he actually receives.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
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