家乡农村传颂着这样的一个笑话:有一对夫妇,闲来无事,便在家商量如何处理屋后那两亩瘦黄土地。考虑到土地的水源等因素,大家一致同意种植耐旱的甘蔗。但当老公说到收获甘蔗后要做的第一件事时,大家的意见就相佐了,而且互不相让,最后大家的嗓门越来越大,演绎了一出“街谈笑话”。邻居听到隔壁夫妇吵架,便过来劝说了,问道,“你们俩有什么好吵呀?”老公说,“我们准备买只鸭子回来庆祝甘蔗的丰收,不料我这个死老婆说要‘炖汤’,我觉得‘炖汤’不如‘生炒’的好。于是大家就吵了起来。”邻居说,“这不容易?一半‘炖汤’,一半‘生炒’不就行了么?”又问道,“你们的鸭子呢?”那老婆答道,“还没买呢?”邻居又说,“你们昨天还哭穷,怎么今天就准备杀鸡宰鸭了?”那老公说,“我们现在还没有钱,不过等我们的甘蔗收获就有了。”“你们的甘蔗?我怎么不知道你们种有甘蔗?”那老婆说,“甘蔗在屋后的那两亩地里。”邻居转到屋后,只见杂草丛生,没有甘蔗的影子,便问,“你们的甘蔗呢?”那老公说,“还没种呢!”邻居感慨地说,“你们的甘蔗还未种,怎么‘生炒’‘炖汤’你的‘鸭子’了?”
不独有偶,除了中华寓言,西方同有“挤牛奶的姑娘”:
The Milkmaid and Her Pail
Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a pail on her head. As she went along she began calculating what she would do with the money she would get for the milk. “I'll buy some fowls from Farmer Brown,” said she, “and they will lay eggs each morning, which I will sell to the parson's wife. With the money that I get from the sale of these eggs I'll buy myself a new dimity frock and a chip hat; and when I go to market, won't all the young men come up and speak to me? Polly Shaw will be that jealous; but I don't care. I shall just look at her and toss my head like this”. As she spoke, she tossed her head back, the Pail fell off it, and all the milk was spilt. So she had to go home and tell her mother what had occurred.
“Ah, my child” said the mother, “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”
亲爱的“圈子”们!你们可会“Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”