The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.
农夫和咬死他儿子的蛇
The Laborer and the Snake
一条住在村子附近的蛇爬到农夫年幼的儿子跟前，咬了他致命的一口。悲痛欲绝的农夫抓起一把斧子，守候在蛇的洞口，等蛇一出现，就把他消灭。要外出觅食的蛇刚探出脑袋，农夫就举起斧子向他砍去。可惜农夫只砍到了蛇的尾巴，没有砍中脑袋。后来，农夫担心蛇会找他报仇，就试图与蛇和解。不料，蛇回答说：“我们之间是不可能和平相处的，因为我会想起我被你砍断的尾巴，而你也不会忘记被我咬死的儿子。”
人们很难做到“一笑泯恩仇”。
A Snake，having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage，inflicted a mortal bite on the cottager’s infant son. Grieving over his loss，the father resolved to kill the Snake. The next day，when it came out of its hole for food，he took up his axe，but by swinging too hastily，missed its head and cut off only the end of its tail. After some time the cottager，afraid that the Snake would bite him also，endeavored to make peace，and placed some bread and salt in the hole. The Snake，slightly hissing，said，“There can henceforth be no peace between us；for whenever I see you I shall remember the loss of my tail，and whenever you see me you will be thinking of the death of your son.”