古代寓言原是民间口头创作，文学体裁的一种。含有讽喻或明显教训意义的故事。它的结构简短。主人公可以是人，可以是动物，也可以是无生物。多借用比喻手法，使富有教训意义的主题或深刻的道理在简单的故事中体现，而还需要自己去理解，思考，这就是和西方寓言的不同之处。

《古代寓言·米从哪里来》

蔡京诸孙，长生膏梁，不知稼穑。

一日，京醆问之曰：“汝曹日啗饭，试为我言米从何处出？”

其一对曰：“从臼子里出”。京大笑。

其一旁应曰：“不是，我见在席子里出。”盖京师运米以席囊盛之，故云。

——《独醒杂志》

Whence Comes Rice?

The grandsons of Cai Jing, the notorious prime minister, who grew up in riches, could not tell wheat from rice.

One day, while having a meal, Cai Jing said, "You eat rice every day. Do you know where it comes from?"

"From the mortar, " one hazarded. Cai Jing laughed.

"No, it doesn’t!" said the other. "It comes from rush-mats. I saw it!" In those days rice was transported into the capital in bags made of rush-mats, hence the conclusion.

Du Xing Za Zhi

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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