ANH VĂN THIẾU NHI – TRUYỆN CỔ TÍCH SONG NGỮ
(3)

3. The Lazy Fox

A tricky fox had a farm. He was too lazy to work on his farm. No one
wanted to word for him.

One morning he said, "I must plant something in my fields, or I will be
hungry. What can I do?" He thought and thought. Finally he had an idea.

"I will tell my neighbor, a stypid armadillo, to plant my fields. I will
promise to give him a part of the crop. But it will only be a very small
part."

The fox went to see the armadillo. "Good day, my friend," the fox called.
"I want to help you."

"Help me?" asked the armadillo. He could not believe his ears.
"Yes. The land on your farm is dry and full of rocks. Why don't you plant
on my good land? As payment, you can give me a small part of your
crop."

"You are very kind," answered the armadillo.
The armadillo knew the fox was very smart. He thought the fox had some
trick.

"You may plant anything you want," said the fox. "I will take only half of
it."

"That is fair," the armadillo said slowly.

under the ground.

The fox went to his neighbor's farm. "Last year I thought you made a
stupid mistake. Now I think you are tricking me. I cannot made a stupid
mistake. I cannot eat the tops of the potato plants. You never think about
me when you plant your crop. See how thin and weak I am."

"You are thin," said the armadillo, "but you look better that way."

The fox was angry. "Next year I will take the tops of the plants and the
part that grows under the ground. You take the part that growns in the
middle. I must have the bigger part next year. I had nothing for two
years."

The armadillo answered, "That is fair."

The fox was happy. He was sure the armadillo could not trick him again.

The next year the armadillo planted corn. The crop was large, with
beautiful fat ears of corn in the middle of the plants. The fox got only the
roots and the leaves.

The fox ran to the armadillo's house. He and family were eating some
corn. "Come, eat some corn with us," said the armadillo. "Then we can
talk about next year's crop."

"No!" said the fox. "You tricked me for three years."

The armadillo said, "I'm sorry. You asked for a part of the crop. I gave
you the part you wanted."

"Cậu rất tốt bụng", tatu trả lời.
armadillo biết rằng cáo rất tinh ranh. Nó nghĩ rằng cáo đang chơi trò bịp
bợm.

"Cậu có thể trồng bất cứ thứ gì cậu muốn," cáo nói. "Tớ sẽ chỉ lấy một
nửa số cây cậu trồng thôi."

"Tốt thôi," tatu chậm rãi nói.

"Tôi có một ý kiến hay hơn," cáo nói. "Tôi sẽ chỉ lấy một phần mà mọc ở
dưới mặt đất. Cậu sẽ lấy tất cả những gì mọ c ở trên mặt đất."

"Đồng ý," tatu nói.

Sáng hôm sau tatu và gia đình đến cánh đồng của cáo. Cáo nhìn họ làm
việc chăm chỉ. Nó rất vui sướng với trò bịp bợm của mình. Nó không yêu
cầu là phải trồng loại cây gì cả.

Cây đã được trồng và lớn lên dưới nắng mưa. Cuối cùng cũng đến thời
gian thu hoạch.

tatu và gia đình thu hoặch được một vụ lúa mì lớn. Nhưng cáo lười biếng
thì chỉ có được gốc cây thôi. Cáo ta rất tức giận và rất là đói. Nó đến nhà
của tatu.