画蛇添足的成语故事是来自楚国一个贵族的故事。蛇本来没有脚，先画成蛇的人，却将蛇添了脚，结果蛇不像蛇。 有些人自以为是，喜欢节外生枝，结果往往弄巧成拙，不正像这个画蛇添足的人吗?
楚国有个人，祭祀祖先以后，把一壶酒给了来帮忙的门客。可是几人喝少了，一人喝有余。于是有人建议让我们各人在地上画一条蛇，谁先画成谁就喝酒。其中一个最先画成，看大家还在画，便给蛇添上脚。还没有添完，另一个人画成了，夺过酒壶，那个给蛇添脚的人，结果丢掉了一壶酒。
从前，楚国有一户人家，祭完祖宗以后，把一壶祭祀时用过的酒，赏给帮助办事的人喝。
办事的人很多，可是酒只有一壶，到底给谁喝呢?有人提议说：“各人都在地上画一条蛇，谁画得快、画得像，就把这壶酒给谁喝。”
大家都认为这个办法很好。
有一个人画得很快，一转眼，就把蛇画好了。这壶酒应该归他。可是，这时候，他看看别人都没有画好，就想再炫耀一下自己的能耐。他得意洋洋地说：“你们画得多慢啊，让我再画上几只蛇脚吧!”
他左手拿着酒壶，右手又开始给画好了的蛇添上脚。当他正在添足的时候，另一个人却把蛇画好了，而且立刻把酒壶夺了过去，说：“蛇是没有脚的，你怎么画上了脚?第一个画好蛇的是我，不是你哩!”
那人说完话，就心安理得地喝起酒来。
【注音】huà shé tiān zú
【出处】《战国策·齐策二》：“蛇固无足，子安能为之足？”
【解释】画蛇时给蛇添上脚。比喻做事多余，不但无益，反而有害。
【用法】连动式，作宾语。
【近义词】多此一举、弄巧成拙、适得其反
【反义词】恰到好处、画龙点睛
【例句】在作文时，我们一定要详略得当，绝不能添枝加叶，画蛇添足。
【歇后语】多此一举
Drawing a snake with feet
In the past a family in the State of Chu made sacrificial offers to their ancestors, and after that they rewarded the people who helped in the ceremony with the pot of wine used in it.
There were many helpers but only one pot of wine. Who should drink it? Someone suggested: "Each person is to draw a snake on the ground. Whoever draws fastest and most lifelike will get the pot
of wine."
Everyone thought this was a good idea.
One man drew very fast, finished it in the twinkling of an eye, and was given the pot of wine. At this moment, he saw that the others had not yet finished, so he wanted to flaunt his skill once
more. He said proudly: "How slow you are! Let me add a few snake feet."
Holding the wine pot in his left hand, he began to add feet to the finished snake with his right hand. When he was just adding feet to the snake, another man finished his drawing. He grabbed
the wine pot at once, saying: "A snake has no feet. How could you add feet to it? The first one who finished drawing a snake is I, not you."
Having said this, the man drank the wine with an easy conscience.
1.有时我们做事不能多此一举，因为可能会造成你失去一些东西。
2.无论做什么事情都要尊重客观事实，实事求是。要不然只会弄巧成拙，成为大家茶余饭后的笑谈。
3.不能自以为是，总想着卖弄自己，否则非但不能把事情做好，反而会把事情弄砸。
