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。

《古代寓言·丢了皮口袋》

昔有愚人入京选，皮袋被贼盗去。

其人曰：“贼偷我袋，将终不得我物也。”

或问其帮？答曰：“钥匙尚在我衣带上，彼将何物开之？”

——《朝野佥载》

The Lost Bag

There was once a fool who, on coming to the capital for the civil examination, discovered that he had lost his leather bag.

"Though a thief has stolen my bag," he said calmly, "he won't be able to touch the contents."

Asked why, he said, "I still have the key, so what is he going to open the bag with?"

--Chao Ye Xian Zai

（杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）

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