Listen to this article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）
