有屠人貨肉歸，日已暮。歘一狼來，瞰擔中肉，似甚涎垂；步亦步，尾行數里。屠懼，示之以刃，則稍卻；既走，又從之。屠無計，默念狼所欲者肉，不如姑懸諸樹而蚤取之。遂鉤肉，翹足挂樹間，示以空空。狼乃止。屠即逕歸。昧爽往取肉，遙望樹上懸巨物，似人縊死狀，大駭。逡巡近之，則死狼也。仰首審視，見口中含肉，肉鉤刺狼腭，如魚吞餌。時狼革價昂，直十餘金，屠小裕焉。緣木求魚，狼則罹之，亦可笑已！
有個屠夫賣肉回來，天已經晚了。忽然來了一隻狼，盯著他擔子裡的肉，像是饞得直流口水。屠夫走一步，狼也走一步，一直跟在他身後走了好幾裡。屠夫害怕了，拿刀給狼看，狼就稍稍退後；可他一往前走，狼又跟了上來。屠夫沒有辦法，心裡想，狼想要的是肉，不如暫且把肉掛在樹上，明天一早再來取。於是用肉鉤鉤住肉，踮起腳掛在樹枝間，再讓狼看自己空空的擔子。狼這才停下，屠夫便徑直回家了。天剛亮，他就去取肉，遠遠望見樹上掛著一個很大的東西，像是有人上吊死在那裡，嚇了一大跳。他遲疑著慢慢走近，才發現是一隻死狼。抬頭仔細看，只見狼嘴裡含著肉，肉鉤刺進了它的上顎，就像魚吞下了魚餌。當時狼皮價錢很高，一張值十多兩銀子，屠夫因此手頭寬裕了一些。爬到樹上去找魚，狼竟因此遭了殃，也真可笑！
有屠人货肉归，日已暮。歘一狼来，瞰担中肉，似甚涎垂；步亦步，尾行数里。屠惧，示之以刃，则稍却；既走，又从之。屠无计，默念狼所欲者肉，不如姑悬诸树而蚤取之。遂钩肉，翘足挂树间，示以空空。狼乃止。屠即径归。昧爽往取肉，遥望树上悬巨物，似人缢死状，大骇。逡巡近之，则死狼也。仰首审视，见口中含肉，肉钩刺狼腭，如鱼吞饵。时狼革价昂，直十余金，屠小裕焉。缘木求鱼，狼则罹之，亦可笑已！
有个屠夫卖肉回来，天已经晚了。忽然来了一只狼，盯着他担子里的肉，像是馋得直流口水。屠夫走一步，狼也走一步，一直跟在他身后走了好几里。屠夫害怕了，拿刀给狼看，狼就稍稍退后；可他一往前走，狼又跟了上来。屠夫没有办法，心里想，狼想要的是肉，不如暂且把肉挂在树上，明天一早再来取。于是用肉钩钩住肉，踮起脚挂在树枝间，再让狼看自己空空的担子。狼这才停下，屠夫便径直回家了。天刚亮，他就去取肉，远远望见树上挂着一个很大的东西，像是有人上吊死在那里，吓了一大跳。他迟疑着慢慢走近，才发现是一只死狼。抬头仔细看，只见狼嘴里含着肉，肉钩刺进了它的上腭，就像鱼吞下了鱼饵。当时狼皮价钱很高，一张值十多两银子，屠夫因此手头宽裕了一些。爬到树上去找鱼，狼竟因此遭了殃，也真可笑！
A butcher was on his way home after selling his meat, and the day was already growing dark. Suddenly a wolf appeared. It eyed the meat in his load and seemed to be slavering for it. When he walked, it walked, and it followed at his heels for several li. The butcher was frightened and showed it his knife, and it drew back a little; but as soon as he went on, it followed again. The butcher could think of nothing to do. He said to himself that what the wolf wanted was the meat, and he had better hang it up in a tree for now and fetch it early in the morning. So he put the meat on a hook, stood on tiptoe and hung it in the branches, and showed the wolf that his load was empty. The wolf stopped. The butcher went straight home. At first light he went to fetch the meat. From a distance he saw something big hanging in the tree, like a man who had hanged himself, and he was horrified. He edged closer: it was a dead wolf. He looked up carefully and saw that it had the meat in its mouth, and the hook had gone through the wolf’s palate, like a fish that has swallowed the bait. Wolf pelts fetched a high price at the time, worth ten taels of silver and more, and the butcher was a little better off. Climbing a tree to look for fish — and the wolf came to grief by it. Laughable, too!