童話故事是兒童文學的一種。通過豐富的想象、幻想和夸張來塑造形象、反映生活，對兒童進行思想教育。

　　袋鼠與籠子

　　(Kangaroos and the Cage)

　　One day the staff members of a zoo called a meeting to discuss the problem--how to deal with the kangaroos that were found out of the cage. They came to the conclusion that the cage was placed too low and decided to raise it from one to two meters high. But the next day the kangaroos were still at large and they again raised the cage to three meters.

　　有一天，動物園的管理員們發(fā)現(xiàn)袋鼠從籠子里跑出來了， 于是開會討論，一致認為是籠子的高度過低，所以他們決定將籠子的高度由原來的1米加高到2米。結果第二天他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，袋鼠還是跑到外面來，所以他們又決定再將高度加高到3米。

　　Quite beyond their expectation the next morning they saw the kangaroos still free to go about. They were alarmed and determined to go to all the length by raising the cage to the height of ten meters.

　　沒想到隔天居然又看到袋鼠全跑到外面，于是管理 員們大為緊張，決定一不做二不休，將籠子的高度加高到10米。

　　Later a giraffe, while chatting with some kangaroos, asked them, “Do you think they will go on raising your cage?”

　　一天，長頸鹿和幾只袋鼠在閑聊，“你們看，這些人 會不會再繼續(xù)加高你們的籠子?”長頸鹿問。

　　“Hard to say,” said a kangaroo, “if they continue forgetting to fasten the cage door.”

　　“很難說。”袋鼠說，“如果他們再繼續(xù)忘記關門的話!”