作为世界童话宝库的一部分，本书内容取材于古希腊寓言大师伊索、法国寓言与童话大师拉封丹、俄罗斯寓言大师克雷洛夫和爱尔兰童话大师王尔德等的西方经典童话与寓言故事。这些美丽的故事之所以被选入本书，不仅因为它们具有内在美，具有鲜明的西方特点，而且是因为它们为世界传说与神话文学宝库增添了无限的微型机。

阅读本书，让我们不得不惊叹古人的美妙想象和活动。这些故事不仅在于内容的经典性和表达的完美性，而且要蕴含文化的理念和价值，让人们得到人文的熏陶，青少年读者可以从中得到有益的启示。

本书精选了伊索、拉封丹、克雷洛夫和王尔德等寓言与童话大师的经典故事一百多则。其中“落井的驴子”、“自私的巨人”、“狐狸和小公鸡”、“驴子和他的铃铛”、“狼和小羊”、“仁慈的狐狸”、“快乐王子”、“卖牛奶的女人”、“井底之蛙”等脍炙人口的故事伴随了一代又一代人的美丽童年、少年直至成年。

无论作为语言学习的课本，还是作为通俗的文学读本，本书对当代中国的青少年学生都将产生积极的影响。为了使读者能够了解英文故事概况，进而提高阅读速度和阅读水平，在每篇英文传说故事的开始部分增加了中文导读。

落井的驴子/Down in a Well

驴和它的影子/The Ass and His Shadow

驴和买主/The Ass and His Purchaser

蝙蝠和两只黄鼠狼/The Bat and the Two Weasels

笼中鸟和蝙蝠/The Cage Bird and the Bat

狐狸和生病的狮子/The Fox and the Sick Lion

狐狸和葡萄/The Fox and the Grapes

狐狸和山羊/The Fox and the Goat

狼和驴/The Wolf and the Donkey

狼和牧羊狗/The Wolves and the Sheepdogs

狼和小羊/The Wolf and the Lamb

狮后的葬礼/The Funeral of the Lioness

蚊子和狮子/The Gnat and the Lion

狐狸和小公鸡/The Fox and the Cockerel

发胖的狐狸/The Swollen Fox

狐狸和猫/The Fox and the Cat

狮子和蚊子/Lion and Gnat

狮子的王国/The Kingdom of Lion

老狮子/The Old Lion

狐狸和蝉/Fox and Cicada

狐狸和刺藤/The Fox and the Bramble

狐狸和乌鸦/The Fox and Crow

杂色羊/Speckled Sheep

牧羊人和野山羊/The Goatherd and the Wild Goat

狗、公鸡和狐狸/The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox

两个园丁/The Two Gardeners

炼狱也可以成为天堂/Purgatory May be Paradise

旅行者和命运女神/The Traveler and Fortune

西莫尼狄斯遇难记/The Shipwreck of Simonides

墨丘利和伐木工/Mercury and the Woodman

主人和老鼠/Master and the Mice

狮子和老鼠/The Lion and the Mouse

聪明的儿子/The Wise Son

磨坊主、儿子和驴/The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass

乞丐的愿望/The Beggar's Wish

恶狗/The Mischievous Dog

家/Home

守财奴/The Miser

一捆木材/The Bundle of Sticks

受诸神庇护的树/The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods

负担/The Load

两只狗/The Two Dogs

老妇和医生/The Old Woman and the Physician

鞋匠改行当医生/The Cobbler Turned Doctor

小狗/The Little Dog

狗和野兔/The Dog and the Hare

狗和倒影/The Dog and the Shadow

狗和狼/The Dog and Wolf

蝎子和乌龟/The Scorpion and the Tortoise

龟兔赛跑/The Hare and the Tortoise

鹰、猫和野猪/The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow

鹰和鸢/The Eagle and the Kite

鹰和狐狸/The Eagle and Fox

鹰和甲虫/The Eagle and the Beetle

鹰和寒鸦/The Eagle and the Jackdaw

朱庇特和绵羊/Jupiter and the Sheep

朱庇特和猴子/Jupiter and the Monkey

朱庇特、尼普顿、密涅瓦和莫摩斯/Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus

驴子和他的铃铛/The Ass and His Bell

驴和战马/The Ass and The Charger

驴和哈巴狗/The Ass and Lapdog

驴和骡子/The Ass and the Mule

驴的脑子/The Ass's Brains

狼和马/The Wolf and the Horse

狼和鹤/The Wolf and the Crane

狼和牧羊人/The Wolf and Shepherd

感恩的狮子/The Grateful Lion

狼和狮子/The Wolf and the Lion

鸽子和蚂蚁/The Dove and the Ant

口渴的鸽子/The Thirsty Pigeon

鸽子和乌鸦/The Dove and the Crow

驴和老牧人/The Ass and the Old Shepherd

真正的天堂/True Heaven

狗的友谊/Dog's Friendship

铜匠和他的狗/The Brazier and His Dog

狐狸和鹳/The Fox and the Stork

没有尾巴的狐狸/The Fox Without a Tail

狐狸、公鸡和狗/The Fox, the Cock and Dog

悔过的狐狸/The Penitent Fox

金鹅/The Golden Goose

鹅和鹤/The Geese and the Crane

狮子、狐狸和驴/The Lion, the Fox and the Ass

狮子、狼和狐狸/The Lion, the Wolf and the Fox

最美丽的心/The Most Beautiful Heart

男人和两个妻子/The Man and His Two Wives

北风和太阳/The North Wind and the Sun

橄榄树和无花果树/The Olive Tree and the Fig Tree

老鼠和公牛/The Mouse and the Bull

老鼠、青蛙和鹰/The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk

砂罐和铁罐/The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot

保姆和狼/The Nurse and the Wolf

钻石和萤火虫/The Diamond and the Glow-worm

螃蟹母子/The Crab and Its Mother

天使的故事/A Story of the Angel

贼和他的母亲The Thief and His Mother

通向伟大的皇家大道/The Royal Road to Greatness

败家子与燕子/Spendthrift and Swallow

母鸡和燕子/The Hen and the Swallow

燕子和别的鸟/The Swallow and the Other Birds

小树/The Sapling

树和芦苇/The Tree and the Reed

树和斧子/The Trees and Axe

两个朋友/The Two Friends

两只袋子/The Two Bags

两只青蛙/The Two Frogs

两个仇敌/The Two Men Who Were Enemies

燕子和乌鸦/The Swallow and the Crow

心安草/A Heart's-ease

三个工匠/The Three Tradesmen

青蛙和牯牛/Frog and Bullock

轻率的猴子/The Harebrained Monkey

猴子和两个旅行者/The Apes and the Two Travelers

跳舞的猴子/The Dancing Monkeys

陈年老酒/The Old, Old Wine

老妪和酒坛/The Old Woman and the Win-Jar

鹰和蜘蛛/Eagle and Spider

蚕和蜘蛛/The Silk worm and Spider

仁慈的狐狸/The Kind Fox

猫和夜莺/Cat and Nightingale

价值/Values

驴和盐/The Donkey and the Salt

驴子/Ass

两只狗/Two Dogs

瘸子之乡/The Land of the Halt

狼落狗窝/Wolf in the Kennels

狐狸/Fox

兽类的瘟疫/The Plague of the Beasts

核桃树/The Walnut-Tree

丢失的假鬓/The Lost Wig

鸡/The Chicken

袋子/The Bag

为什么绿毛虫如此快乐/Why was the Green Caterpillar so Happy？

雕像/The Statue

分红/Sharing Up

财宝和两个男人/The Treasure and the Two Men

鹰和蜜蜂/Eagle and Bee

两头驴/The Two Donkeys

两只鸽子/Two Pigeons

杜鹃和斑鸠/Cuckoo and Wood-pigeon

恋爱中的狮子/The Lion in Love

车队/A Train of Carts

相思的鸵鸟/The Ostrich in Love

松鼠和狮子/The Squirrel and the Lion

淘气的袋鼠/The Bad Kangaroo

一条见过世面的鱼/A Fish of the World

卖牛奶的女人/The Dairy Woman

命运女神和乞丐/Fortune and the Beggar

牧羊人和大海/The Shepherd and the Sea

男孩和蛇/The Boy and the Snake

农夫和蛇/The Labourer and the Snake

皮匠和银行家/The Cobbler and the Banker

挑剔的姑娘/The Dainty Spinster

三个兄弟和一个乞丐/Three Brothers and the Beggar

矢车菊/The Cornflower

带裂痕的罐子/The Cracked Pot

男孩和核桃/The Boy and the Nuts

爱的故事/A Love Story

城里老鼠和乡下老鼠/The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

井底之蛙/Don't be a Frog in the Well

橡果和南瓜/The Acorn and the Pumpkin

有爱就有一切/Three Old Men and Housewife

神秘的斯芬克斯/The Sphinx Without a Secret

真诚的朋友/The Devoted Friend

自私的巨人/The Selfish Giant

快乐王子/The Happy Prince

夜莺与玫瑰/The Nightingale and the Rose

神奇的火箭/The Remarkable Rocket

星孩/The Star-Child

少年国王/The Young King