A singing bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a habit of singing at night when all other birds were asleep. One night a bat came and grabbed the bars of the cage, and asked the bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night.

"I have a very good reason for doing so," said the bird. "It was once when I was singing in the daytime that a hunter was attracted by my voice, and set his nets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except by night."

But the bat replied, "It is no use doing that now, when you are a prisoner. If only you had done so before you were caught, you might still be free."

掛在窗外的鳥籠裡關著一隻會歌唱的鳥兒，她總在夜裡其他鳥兒入睡後唱歌。有一晚，一隻蝙蝠飛來攀在鳥籠的鐵條邊，詢問鳥兒為何白天安靜，只在夜裡歌唱。

「我會這麼做當然是有很好的理由，」鳥兒說：「這是因為我以前在白天唱歌時，一名獵人被我的歌聲吸引，撒網把我給捉住了，從那時候起我就只在夜裡唱歌了。」

但是蝙蝠卻回答：「你現在已經是籠中鳥，這麼做一點用也沒有了，要是你在被捕到之前就這麼做的話，說不定你至今仍逍遙自在呢。」

事情發生後才開始警覺提防也是徒然。