One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, so it just wasn't worth it to try to save the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. When the neighbors continued to shovel dirt that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
一天，一个农夫的驴掉进一口井里，驴子可怜巴巴地叫了几个小时，农夫也没想出办法。最后，农夫觉得反正这牲口老了，这口井也得找东西填上，把驴救出来不划算。他把邻居们找来帮忙。大家都拿着一把铁锹，开始往井里铲土。
刚开始，驴子意识到了状况，惨叫不已。后来，没想到，他居然安静了下来。铲了几铲子土以后，农夫往井里一看，惊呆了。
不可思议的是，每有一铲子土落到驴背上，驴就把土抖掉，往土上踩一步。邻居们继续往驴背上铲土，驴还是把毛一抖，往上踩一步。很快，驴就越出井边，跑了。
-piteously [ˈpɪtɪəslɪ] adv. 凄惨地
英语文化中有这样一句谚语：“People do not lack strength; they lack will.” (人们不缺力量，缺的是决心。)