1.鼬鼠和狮子
有一次，一只鼬鼠和—头狮子相遇。
鼬鼠向狮子挑战，要同它一决高低。狮子想也不想，就果断地拒绝了。 “怎么?”鼬鼠轻蔑地说， “你害怕了吗?”
“非常害怕!”狮子说，“如果我就这么答应你，你就可以获得曾与狮子比武的殊荣。虽然，你可能会死;但我呢，以后所有大动物、小动物都会来耻笑我，耻笑我竟然和弱小的鼬鼠打架，弄得自己无地自容。那不是一件可笑的事吗?”说完，它头也不回地向树林深处走去。
你认为强大的狮子应该接受鼬鼠的挑战吗?我觉得狮子的选择是明智的。
如果狮子接受挑战，它一定会赢，但这只不过是短暂而无意义的快乐，不久便会满城风雨，所有动物都会反感狮子，都会耻笑它，事情将会弄得—发不可收拾。俗话说:“泼出去的水收不回来。”狮子如果落到这地步，到那时，就后悔莫及了。
如果拒绝，一切风平浪静。狮子还是森林之王，还是像原来一样威风凛凛。
就像人一样，如果与—个实力与自己不是同一等级的人争执不休，就会浪费许多的资源，如口舌、精力。这还是小事，最重要的是浪费时间。同样的，一个人对琐事的兴趣越大，对大事的兴趣就会越小。曾经有位哲人说过： “明智的艺术就是清醒地知道该忽略什么的艺术。”不要把精力过多地放在不重要的事和人上，因为成功的秘诀就是抓住既定的目标不放。
2.井底之蛙
The Frog in the Shallow Well
Have you not heard of the frog that lived in a shallow well? It said to a turtle that lived in the East Sea, "I am so happy! When I go out, I jump about on the railing beside the mouth of the well. When I come home, I rest in the holes on the broken wall of the well. If I jump into the water, it comes up to my armpits and holds up my cheeks. If I walk in the mud, it covers up my feet. I look around at the wriggly worms, crabs and tadpoles, and none of them can compare with me. Moreover, I am lord of this trough of water and I stand up tall in this shallow well. My happiness is full. My dear sir, why don't you come often and look around my place?"