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。
Ancient fables were originally folk oral creations and a literary genre. A story with allegorical or obvious lesson significance. Its structure is short. The protagonist can be a human, an animal, or an inanimate object. The difference between Western fables and Western fables lies in the use of metaphorical techniques to convey meaningful themes or profound truths in simple stories, while also requiring one’s own understanding and contemplation.
《古代寓言·矮凳》
家有一坐头，绝低矮，迂公每坐，必取瓦片支其四足。后不胜烦，忽思得策，呼侍者，移置楼上坐。
及坐时，低为故，乃曰：“人言楼高，浪得名耳。”
——《雅谑》
The Low Stool
Yu Gong had a very low stool. When he wanted to sit on it, he always placed bricks under each leg. Later he found it very troublesome and hit upon an idea. He ordered a servant to take it upstairs. But when he sat on it again, he found it just as low.
“Well, people say it’s higher upstairs, but I don’t find it so!” he said.
Ya Nue (Merry Jokes)
（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）
