雕像

雕像

从前，有个人住在丛山之间，他家有个雕像，是一位古代的大师制作的。雕像脸孔朝下倒在他家的大门口，他根本没有在意。

有个博学的人，从城里出来，经过他的家，看到了这个雕像，他就问这雕像的主人，是否愿意出售。

主人哈哈大笑，说道："请问谁要买这块笨重肮脏的石头？"城里人说道："我愿意出一块银元买它。"

山里人大为吃惊，喜出望外。

雕像放在一头大象的背脊上，运到了城里。过了几个月，那个山里人进城去了，他在大街上行走时，看到一大群人拥在一个铺子门口，有个人在高声喊道："请进来欣赏天下最美丽、最神奇的雕像把。只要花两块银元，就可以瞧瞧艺术大师的这件最了不得的珍品。"

于是这山里人付了两块银元，踏进店里，瞧见了他自己以一块银元的价格售出的那个雕像。

The Statue

Once there lived a man among the hills who possessed a statue wrought by an ancient master. It lay at his door face downward and he was not mindful of it.

One day there passed by his house a man from the city, a man of knowledge, and seeing the statue he inquired of the owner if he would sell it.

The owner laughed and said, "And pray who would want to buy that dull and dirty stone?"

The man from the city said, "I will give you this piece of silver for it."

And the other man was astonished and delighted.

The statue was removed to the city, upon the back of and elephant. And after many moons the man from the hills visited the city, and as he walked the streets he saw a crowd before a shop, and a man with a loud voice was crying, "Come ye in and behold the most beautiful, the most wonderful statue in all the world. Only two silver pieces to look upon this most marvellous work of a master."

Thereupon the man from the hills paid two silver pieces and entered the shop to see the statue that he himself had sold for one spice of silver.