農夫的驢子

One day a farmers donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally， he decided the animal was too old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; so it just wasnt worth it for him to try to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening， the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly.

Then， a few shovel fulls later， he quieted down completely. The farmer peered down into the well， and was surprised by what he saw. With every shovel full of dirt that hit his back， the donkey would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt. As the farmers neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal， he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon， the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off， to the shock and astonishment of everyone.

Life is going to shovel dirt on you， all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to stop wailing， and not let the dirt bury you， but to shake it off and take a step up. Each one of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping， never giving up！ Shake it off and take a step up.

一天，一位農夫的驢掉進了一口枯井里。這頭驢凄慘地叫了幾個小時，與此同時，農夫努力地思考該如何處理。

最后，他認為這頭驢太老了，而且這口井無論如何也該填上，花力氣把這頭驢弄上來很不值得。于是，他找來所有的鄰居幫忙。他們每個人都拿了一把鐵鍬，開始往井里鏟土。驢意識到將要發生什么，于是開始發出了痛苦的嚎叫聲。

接著幾鍬土下去之后，驢完全平靜了下來。農夫向井里望去，他被眼前的景象驚呆了。每當有一鍬土落在驢背上的時候，它就會把土抖掉，踩在腳下。當農夫的鄰居們不斷地把土揚到驢身上的時候，它都會把土抖掉踩在腳下。

很快，驢腳下的土就和井口一樣高了，于是，它大搖大擺地從井里走出來，驚呆了周圍的每一個人。

生活可能會把各種各樣的“土”加在你的身上。從井中走出的秘密就在于停止悲嘆，不要讓土把你掩埋，而是抖掉身上的土，向上走一步。生活中遇到的每一次麻煩都是你向上攀登的臺階。只要不停止奮斗，不放棄，即使最深的井你也可以走出來！抖掉身上的土，向上走一步吧。

Vocabulary

piteously? adv. 可憐地，凄慘地

retrieve? v. 取回;挽回;找回

shovel? n. 鏟子，鐵鍬

wail? v. 哭叫，哀號（wailed為其過去式）

peer? v. 凝視; 盯著看（peered為其過去式）

edge? n. 邊緣;邊線;邊沿