登陆注册
15316000000052

第52章 The Stone-Cutter

Once upon a time there lived a stone-cutter, who went every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for gravestones or for houses.He understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a careful workman he had plenty of customers.For a long time he was quite happy and contented, and asked for nothing better than what he had.

Now in the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and then appeared to men, and helped them in many ways to become rich and prosperous.The stone-cutter, however, had never seen this spirit, and only shook his head, with an unbelieving air, when anyone spoke of it.But a time was coming when he learned to change his opinion.

One day the stone-cutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful things, of which he had never even dreamed.Suddenly his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier, and he said to himself: 'Oh, if only I were a rich man, and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden tassels, how happy I should be!'

And a voice answered him: 'Your wish is heard; a rich man you shall be!'

At the sound of the voice the stone-cutter looked round, but could see nobody.He thought it was all his fancy, and picked up his tools and went home, for he did not feel inclined to do any more work that day.But when he reached the little house where he lived, he stood still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a stately palace filled with splendid furniture, and most splendid of all was the bed, in every respect like the one he had envied.He was nearly beside himself with joy, and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.

It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun blazed more fiercely.One morning the heat was so great that the stone-cutter could scarcely breathe, and he determined he would stay at home till the evening.He was rather dull, for he had never learned how to amuse himself, and was peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going on in the street, when a little carriage passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver.In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden umbrella was held, to protect him from the sun's rays.

'Oh, if I were only a prince!' said the stone-cutter to himself, as the carriage vanished round the corner.'Oh, if I were only a prince, and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how happy I should be!'

And the voice of the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard;a prince you shall be.'

And a prince he was.Before his carriage rode one company of men and another behind it; servants dressed in scarlet and gold bore him along, the coveted umbrella was held over his head, everything heart could desire was his.But yet it was not enough.He looked round still for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite of the water he poured on his grass the rays of the sun scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day his face grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger: 'The sun is mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!'

And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; the sun you shall be.'

And the sun he was, and felt himself proud in his power.He shot his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven; he burnt up the grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as of poorer folk.But in a short time he began to grow tired of his might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do.Discontent once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face, and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger: 'Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than any!'

And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be!'

And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth.He caught the sun's beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed.But that was not enough for him, and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water.

Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountain side remained unmoved.The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: 'Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!'

And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!

And the rock he was, and gloried in his power.Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him.'This is better than all!' he said to himself.But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stone-cutter driving tools into his surface.Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground.Then he cried in his wrath: 'Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock?

Oh, if I were only a man!'

And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard.A man once more you shall be!'

And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at his trade of stone-cutting.His bed was hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satisfied with it, and did not long to be something or somebody else.And as he never asked for things he had not got, or desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last, and heard the voice of the mountain spirit no longer.

[From Japanische Mahrchen.]

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 黑执事恶魔之约

    黑执事恶魔之约

    “我的执事这些年过的还好吗”“你是......”本篇文章是夏尔变恶魔后的故事,脑洞较大。
  • 侵权责任法

    侵权责任法

    本书以《中华人民共和国侵权责任法》的规定为基础,结合大陆法系和英美法系侵权行为法的立法经验和研究成果,采用全新的侵权责任法体系。全书共分十八章,分别阐释侵权责任法导论、侵权责任构成、侵权责任形态、侵权损害赔偿和侵权责任类型。全书理论体系严谨,观点明确,逻辑性强,阐释法理结合实际案例,力图深入浅出,代表了我国侵权责任法研究的学科前沿和教学研究水平。
  • 爷本无心

    爷本无心

    刻骨铭心的温柔,却掩不去羊皮下的血腥当暗夜中,恶魔因子悄然蔓延,等待他们的会是毁灭吗?刻骨,在遇到你的那刻,我不知道什么是绝望,但在现在我懂了。——司徒兰青神是什么,若能控制我的心,我宁愿当个普通人。——神之月权力是我的身躯,但你却是那句身躯里最重要的部分——心脏。没有你,我会活不下去。南瓜柚子,美男在继续增加中。。。。。。。。。
  • 重生之山寨发家史

    重生之山寨发家史

    一个重生于九十年代的穷人,通过盗版、克隆、拷贝,仿制别人的发家招数为自所用的一部发家史。
  • 仙途归:妖孽师傅腹黑徒

    仙途归:妖孽师傅腹黑徒

    号外号外!最近毓流上仙恩宠了一只白狐!于是,不论凡界还是仙界,都刮起狐狸宠物潮。号外号外!毓流上仙准备收徒啦,那徒弟就是那只白狐!于是那些期望可以被他收为徒弟的人们对白狐羡慕嫉妒死。号外号外!近期毓流上仙带着徒弟在醉仙酒楼出现过,据说搂着徒弟,师徒举止亲密!于是,大地妈妈很如意的收获了一地的少女心。据说,他是天下第一美人,对,不是美男,而是美人!没有人比他更好看了,女人也没他漂亮;据说他是世界上仅剩的上仙,法力天下第一;据说……她,是最倒霉的穿越者,没有之一!
  • 仙宅

    仙宅

    在枯燥的人生中寻找那一丝曙光,在无聊的人生中寻找真正的自由,不为梦想、不为理想、不为金钱,只为真正的自由
  • 夔州卧龙字水禅师语录

    夔州卧龙字水禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 易道九重

    易道九重

    大衍之数五十,其用四十有九,万物生灭,轮回定数;纵然长生不死的仙人也逃不过天人五衰,何为长生?何为永恒?
  • 回到过去之辉煌人生

    回到过去之辉煌人生

    重生回来的萧南!要做歌唱界的迈克尔杰克逊!要做演艺界的汤姆克鲁斯!导演界的詹姆斯卡梅隆!商场上的乔布斯!人生的霸主!萧南:重活一世,我要辉煌一生!
  • 绝世杀手:废柴蓝家双小姐

    绝世杀手:废柴蓝家双小姐

    一个神偷,一名神医。一对好友,双双掉入悬崖,却,穿越到另一个世界。灵翼大陆,蓝家废柴大小姐和四小姐。两位腹黑绝世者,在这个大陆,会碰出怎样的火花。