农夫的驴子

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，一位農夫的驴掉进了一口枯井里。这头驴凄惨地叫了几个小时，与此同时，农夫努力地思考该如何处理。

最后，他认为这头驴太老了，而且这口井无论如何也该填上，花力气把这头驴弄上来很不值得。于是，他找来所有的邻居帮忙。他们每个人都拿了一把铁锹，开始往井里铲土。驴意识到将要发生什么，于是开始发出了痛苦的嚎叫声。

接着几锹土下去之后，驴完全平静了下来。农夫向井里望去，他被眼前的景象惊呆了。每当有一锹土落在驴背上的时候，它就会把土抖掉，踩在脚下。当农夫的邻居们不断地把土扬到驴身上的时候，它都会把土抖掉踩在脚下。

很快，驴脚下的土就和井口一样高了，于是，它大摇大摆地从井里走出来，惊呆了周围的每一个人。

生活可能会把各种各样的“土”加在你的身上。从井中走出的秘密就在于停止悲叹，不要让土把你掩埋，而是抖掉身上的土，向上走一步。生活中遇到的每一次麻烦都是你向上攀登的台阶。只要不停止奋斗，不放弃，即使最深的井你也可以走出来！抖掉身上的土，向上走一步吧。

Vocabulary

piteously  adv. 可怜地，凄惨地

retrieve  v. 取回;挽回;找回

shovel  n. 铲子，铁锹

wail  v. 哭叫，哀号（wailed为其过去式）

peer  v. 凝视; 盯着看（peered为其过去式）

edge  n. 边缘;边线;边沿