There was once a groom who spent hours every day brushing, currying and rubbing down the horse's coat. Every day he would plait and unplait its mane, brush out its tail and shine its hooves.
從前有一個馬夫，每天花許多時間給馬刷洗梳理皮毛。他每天都要把它的鬃毛編成辮子，又解開它的鬃毛，還刷馬的尾巴，擦亮它的蹄子。
In spite of all this care, the horse's coat grew steadily duller. Its eyes sank in its head and hairs began to fall out of its tail. For every day the groom stole half the horse's ration of corn and sold it for his own profit.
儘管如此，馬的皮毛還是變得越來越暗淡。它的眼睛瞘進去了，尾巴也直掉毛。這是因為馬夫每天都偷了一半馬的玉米賣了，為自己謀利。
"If you really wanted me to look well," said the horse at last, "you would give me a bit less grooming and a bit more corn. Then I'd soon improve."
「如果你真的想讓我看起來好一點，」那匹馬最後說，「你就少給我梳毛，多給我一點玉米。那我很快就會好起來的。」
Dishonesty is hard to hide.
不誠實是很難隱藏的。