One day, an owl flew persistently towards the east till it was completely exhausted, so it stopped in a forest to take a rest. It happened that a turtledove was also resting there. Hearing the panting of the owl, it asked:
一天，貓頭鷹一個勁兒地向東方飛去，飛得精疲力盡，停在樹林里休息。一只斑鴻恰巧也在那里休息，聽見貓頭鷹呼味呼味地喘氣，就對貓頭鷹說:
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"
“你這樣急急忙忙地趕路，去哪兒呀?”
The owl said:
貓頭鷹說:
"I am moving to the east."
“我想到東方去住。”
The turtledove asked closely:
斑雞追問:
“Why?”
“為什么?”
The owl said:
貓頭鷹說:
"The people in the west all say my cry is unpleasant and dislike me I cannot stay there any longer. I must move to a new place."
“西邊的人，都說我叫的聲音很難聽，都討厭我。在那兒我住不下去了，非換個地方不可!”
The turtledove said:
斑鴻說:
"Can you solve your problem by changing a place? In my opinion, no matter where you move to, it won't help."
“難道換個地方就可以解決問題嗎?我看，不管你搬到哪里去，都沒有用!”
The owl felt rather angry at the words of the turtledove, but it still asked in surprise:
貓頭鷹覺得斑塢的話太氣人，便驚奇地問:
"Can you forecast the future?"
“你能未卜先知?”
The turtledove said:
斑雞說:
"This is very simple. If you don't change your cry, the people in the east will dislike you all the same."
“這很簡單，如果你不改變你的叫聲，那么東邊的人也一樣會討厭你的!”