[이솝우화] 나무들과 도끼 🌳 THE TREES AND THE AXE 🌳 木と斧

한 나무꾼이 숲으로 들어가 나무들에게 부탁하였다.
“제 도끼에 꼭 필요한 손잡이를 만들 수 있도록, 작은 나무 하나만 주십시오.”
숲의 크고 위엄 있는 나무들은 그의 요청이 너무나도 사소하다 생각하여, 선뜻 어린 물푸레나무 하나를 내주었다.
나무꾼은 그것으로 도끼 손잡이를 만들고 곧장 숲의 가장 크고 귀한 나무들을 베어내기 시작했다.
그제야 나무들은 울부짖었다.
“아아, 우리 스스로 화를 자초했구나! 
조금 내준 것이 결국 모든 것을 잃게 되었네. 
물푸레나무의 권리를 지켜주었더라면, 우리도 오랫동안 서 있을 수 있었을 텐데…”

📖 교훈: 
작은 양보가 때로는 큰 파멸을 불러올 수 있다.

 

THE TREES AND THE AXE


A Woodman went into the forest and begged of the Trees the favour of a handle for his Axe. 

The principal Trees at once agreed to so modest a request, and unhesitatingly gave him a young ash sapling, out of which he fashioned the handle he desired. 

No sooner had he done so than he set to work to fell the noblest Trees in the wood.

When they saw the use to which he was putting their gift, they cried, 

"Alas! alas! We are undone, but we are ourselves to blame.

The little we gave has cost us all: had we not sacrificed the rights of the ash, we might ourselves have stood for ages."

---

 

🌳 木と斧

ある木こりが森に入って木々に頼んだ。
「私の斧のために、柄を作るための小さな木を一本だけいただけませんか。」
森の立派な木々は、その願いがあまりにささやかに思えて、ためらわずに一本の若いトネリコを与えた。
木こりはそれで斧の柄を作ると、すぐに森の最も立派な大木を次々と切り倒し始めた。
その姿を見て木々は叫んだ。
「嗚呼、私たちは自らを滅ぼしてしまった！ 少し与えただけで、すべてを失ったのだ。
あのトネリコを守っていれば、私たちは何百年も立っていられたのに…」

📖 教訓:
小さな譲歩が時に大きな破滅を招くことがある。