The Farmer's Donkey
One day a farmer's donkey fell into an abandoned well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally， he decided t he animal was too old and the well needed to be covered up anyway.
So it just wasn't worth it to him to try to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and him. They each grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. Realizing what was happening， the donkey at first cried and wailed horribly.
Then， a few shovel-fulls later， he quieted down completely. The farmer peered down into the well， and was astounded by what he saw. With every shovel-full of dirt that hit his back， the donkey would shake it off and take a step up on the new layer of dirt.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal， he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon， the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off， to the shock and astonishment of everyone.
The Moral： Life is going to shovel dirt on you， all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to stop wailing， and not let the dirt bury you， but to shake it off and take a step up. Each one of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping， never giving up！ Shake it off and take a step up.
有一天， 一个农夫的驴掉进了一口废井里。农夫一直在想办法怎样救它， 而这头可怜的驴也哀号了几个小时。
最后，农夫决定， 这头驴不值得去救， 它太老了， 而且， 这口井也该填上了。
于是他请了所有的邻居来帮忙， 他们每人用一把铲子， 把土铲进井里。好像明白了发生的事， 开始时这头驴惊恐大叫。
几铲满满的土下去后， 驴完全静了下来。农夫向井内窥视， 他震惊了， 只见随着每一铲满满的土打在驴的背上， 驴总能抖掉它们并且迈上新土层从而站得更高。
当农夫的邻居继续把土铲到驴的背上， 它都能抖掉它们， 并迈上一步。很快， 每个人都震动和惊讶了， 这头驴已走到了井边， 小跑开了。
这是一种什么精神：人生会把土铲在你身上， 什么样的“土”都有。 脱离这井的诀窍就是停止哀号， 不要让土把你埋葬， 抖掉它们， 向上迈进一步。我们遇到的每一个困难是一块垫脚石。不要停止， 永不放弃！ 我们就能从最深的井里走出来。抖掉泥土， 向上迈进一步！
散文本文地址：http://www.dioenglish.com/writing/essay/44342.html
