이솝우화 제 90화 우물에 빠진 여우와 염소 (Perry 9. The Fox and the Goat in the Well)

올드코난 (Old Conan)이 재해석하는 현대판 이솝우화 (Aesop's Fables, Aesopica) => 원 저작자: Aesop; 참고 번역본 저자: 조지 파일러 타운센드(George Fyler Townsend, 1814-1900) 외 / 현재 알려진 이솝우화들을 현대적으로 해석해  소개해 드리겠습니다.

올드코난의 이솝우화 제 90화 우물에 빠진 여우와 염소 (Perry 9. The Fox and the Goat in the Well) 

어느 여름날 여우가 깊은 우물에 빠지고 말았다. 

마침 염소가 근처를 지나가고 있었다. 여우는 염소를 향해 이렇게 말했다.

“어이 염소야! 여기 들어와봐 물이 정말 시원해 같이 마시자.”

더위와 갈증에 목마르던 염소는 여우에 말에 속아 우물 속으로 들어갔다. 염소는 아무 생각없이 물을 마시기 시작했고, 여우는 그 틈에 염소의 몸을 타고 우물밖으로 빠져나갈 수 있었다.

뒤늦게 우물속에서 나갈 수 없음을 깨달은 염소는 여우를 향해 도와달라고 외쳤다. 

그런 염소에게 여우는 이렇게 말했다.

“우물안에 들어가지 전에 빠져나갈 방법부터 생각했어야지. 너의 턱에 난 수염처럼 현명하게 생각을 하고 너의 단단한 뿔처럼 신중했어야지.”

뛰기 전에 먼저 앞을 보라 (Look before you leap.)

[올드코난 한마디]

속는 놈이 바보다. 당하고나서야 속았다고 후회를 한들 이미 늦다. 

나는 개인적으로 사기와 보증 때문에 모든 것을 잃었다. 

지금 생각해 보면 나는 어리석은 염소였다. 여우의 말에 속을 정도로 아둔한 사람이었다. 

여우는 분명 나쁜 놈이다. 

하지만, 여우는 자신이 살기 위해 나름대로 꾀를 낸 것이다. 

여우 입장에는 지 살겠다는 이유가 있다. 

물론 자신을 위해 타인을 희생시켰으니 여우는 분명 비난 받아 마땅한 죄를 지었다. 

여우의 꾐에 넘어가지 마라.

여우가 위험에 처해있다면, 그가 하는 말은 모두 거짓이다. 

외면하라고는 하지 않겠다. 단지, 혼자 뛰어들지 마라. 

이 이야기의 교훈은 위험을 알아채지 못하고, 누군가를 도울 힘도 없는 자들이 생각없이 나서는 것을 경고하는 교훈도 담겨있는 것이다.

[영어 문장]

The Fox and the Goat in the Well

A Goat and Fox went into a deep well to drink. Neither could get out alone. The Goat was talked into helping the Fox who then left the Goat on his own.

Look before you leap.

1. Eliot/Jacobs Version

A Fox fell into a deep well from which he could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked the Fox what he was doing down there.

“Oh, have you not heard?” said the Fox; “there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped down here in order to be sure to have water by me. Why don’t you come down too?”

The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped down into the well.

The Fox immediately jumped on her back, and by putting his foot on her long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well. “Good-bye, friend,” said the Fox, “if you had brains equal to the number of hairs in your beard you would not have jumped down without a way back up.”

2. Aesop For Children

A Fox fell into a well, and though it was not very deep, he found that he could not get out again. After he had been in the well a long time, a thirsty Goat came by. The Goat thought the Fox had gone down to drink, and so he asked if the water was good.

“The finest in the whole country,” said the crafty Fox, “jump in and try it. There is more than enough for both of us.”

The thirsty Goat immediately jumped in and began to drink. The Fox just as quickly jumped on the Goat’s back and leaped from the tip of the Goat’s horns out of the well.

The foolish Goat now saw what a plight he had got into, and begged the Fox to help him out. But the Fox was already on his way to the woods.

“If you had as much sense as you have beard, old fellow,” he said as he ran, “you would have been more cautious about finding a way to get out again before you jumped in.”

Moral: Look before you leap.

3. Townsend version

A fox one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their common escape. “If,” said he, “you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards.” The Goat readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himself with the Goat’s horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out, “You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape.”

Moral: Look before you leap.

4. JBR Collection

Fox and a Goat once journeyed together. The Goat was a simple creature, seldom seeing beyond his own nose; while the Fox, like most of his kind, was a master of knavery. They were led by thirst to descend a deep well, and when they had both drunk freely, the Fox said, “Now, master Goat, what shall we do? Drinking is all very well, but it won’t get us out from here. You had better rear up against the wall; then, by the aid of your horns, I can get out, and, once out, of course I can help you.” “By my beard,” said the Goat, “that’s a good plan. I should never have thought of that. How I wish I had your brains, to be sure!” The Fox, having got out in the way described, began to rail at his companion. “Make the most of your patience, old fellow,” said he, “for you’ll need it all. If you had had half as much brains as beard, you would never have gone down there. I am sorry that I can’t stay longer with you, but I have some business that must be seen to. So, good-bye.”

5. L’Estrange version

A fox and a goat went down by consent into a well to drink, and when they had quench’d their thirst, the goat fell to hunting up and down which way to get back again. Oh! says Reynard, never trouble your head how to get back, but leave that to me. Do but you raise your self upon your hinder legs with your fore-feet close to the wall, and then stretch out your head: I can easily whip up to your horns, and so out of the well, and draw you after me. The goat puts himself in posture immediately as he was directed, gives the fox a lift, and so out he springs; but Reynard’s bus’ness was now only to make sport with his companion instead of helping him. Some hard words the goat gave him, but the fox puts off all with a jest. If you had but half so much brains as you have beard, says he, you would have bethought your self how to get up again before you went down.

Moral: A wise man will debate every thing pro and con before he comes to fix upon any resolution. He leaves nothing to chance more than needs must. There must be no bantering out of season.

6. Hircus et Vulpes in Puteo

Vulpes et hircus, sitientes, in quendam puteum, ut sitim extinguerent, descenderunt. Verum enim post potum, cum egressum circumspiceret hircus, vulpes ei comiter ait, “Bono sis animo! Nam quid saluti nostrae opus sit, probe animadverti. Si enim rectus stabis et pedibus anterioribus cornibusve muro adhaerebis, tuas ergo scapulas cornuaque conscendens exibo. Cumque egressa fuero, te manu comprehendens, hinc desuper traham.” Huic hircus prompte deservivit. Vulpes, suo exsultans egressu, circa os putei hirco alludebat. At dum hircus illam incusat sibi pacta haud servasse, ei facete vulpecula inquit, “Si ea, hirce, sapientia praeditus esses quo pilorum ornatu istaec tua barba referta est, non prius in puteum descendisses quam egressum pensiculate vidisses.” 

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