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·自寻死路》

周定州刺孙彦高，被突厥围城数十重，不敢诣所。文符须征发者，于小窗接入，锁州宅门。

及贼登垒，乃入匮中藏，令奴曰：“牢拿钥匙，贼索，慎勿与。”

——《朝野佥载》

Cowardice Makes Men Into Fools

The city of Dingzhou was surrounded by the Tartar army. Sun Yangao, the prefect, was so frightened he no longer appeared at his official quarters, but shut himself in his private house and had the door bolted. Official documents were passed through a tiny window.

When he learned that the Tartars had scaled the ramparts, he hurried to hide himself in a large wooden chest, saying to his servant, "Lock it from the outside, keep the key and don't give it to the robbers when they ask for it!"

--Chao Ye Xian Zai

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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