The Fox and the Tiger

    “If only I possessed¹ thy speed and strength！”said a fox to a tiger．“Isn't there anything else about me which would suit you？”enquired the latter．“None as far as I perceive．”
    “Not even my beautiful skin？”said the tiger．“Its colours are asmanifold as your imagination，and the outside would thus be well matched with the interior．”
    “For that precise reason would I decline it，”replied the fox．“I must not appear that which I am．But I would go to Heaven if I could change my hair for plumes²！”
    Exercises：
    回答下列问题：
    ①What did a tiger possess？
    ②What would be well matched with the interior？
    ③Why didn't the fox want the tiger's skin？

1 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

2 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。