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·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）
