獅子在海邊漫步，看到了在海裏遨遊的海豚，便提議結成聯盟。獅子說： “咱們兩個，一個是百獸之王，一個是海洋動物霸主，沒有誰比你與我結成好朋友更合適的。 ”海豚欣然同意。不久之後的一天，獅子和野牛發生了爭鬥，難解難分。獅子大聲呼喊，請求海豚出手相助。海豚雖然極力想鑽出海麵去幫忙，可是始終未能成功。孤軍奮戰的獅子埋怨海豚背信棄義。海豚對獅子說： “親愛的朋友，我真的是愛莫能助啊！你責罵的對象不應是我，而是這大自然，都怪它讓我成為海洋動物，無法到陸地上生存啊。 ”
心有餘而力不足。
A Li by the seashore sahin lift up its head out of the waves，a they tra alliahat of all the ao be the best friehe ohe kihe earth，aher was the sn ruler of all the inhabitahe Dolphin gladly ted to this request.
Not lohe Lion had a bat with a wild bull，ahe Dolphihe Dolphin，though quite willing to give him assistanable to do so，as he ot by any meahe land. The Lion abused him as a traitor. The Dolphin replied，“Nay，my frie me，but Nature，which，while givihe snty of the sea，has quite dehe power of living upon the land.”
The spirit may be willing，but the flesh may be unable.