三件礼物

从前，在贝沙累城里住着一个宽宏大量的王子，城里所有的子民们都热爱和尊敬王子。

不过，有个十分贫穷的人，他对王子怀恨在心，不断地用他的贫嘴恶舌攻击王子。

王子知道这事，然而他耐心容忍。

但王子终于想到了这个穷人；一个冬天的寒夜里，王子的仆人来到这穷人的门前，带来一袋面粉，一小袋肥皂和一大块糖。

仆人说："王子送给你这些礼物，作个纪念。"

这穷人很得意，因为他把这些礼物看做是王子对他的一种敬意。他自豪地去见主教，把王子送他礼物的事告诉主教，并且说道："你难道看不出王子要博得我的欢心吗？"然而主教说道："啊，王子是多么聪明，你又是多么不了解他。他用象征性的东西来说话。

面粉是饱你空空如也的肚子的，肥皂是洗你肮脏的皮肤的，糖是甜你辛辣的舌头的。"

从这一天起，那穷人就变得对自己也感到害臊了。他对王子的憎恨比过去更大，他甚至更恨那给他解明王子真意的主教。

不过他从此就缄口无言了。

The Three Gifts

Once in the city of Becharre there lived a gracious prince who was loved and honoured by all his subjects.

But there was one exceedingly poor man who was bitter against the prince, and who wagged continually a pestilent tongue in his dispraise.

The prince knew this, yet he was patient.

But at last he bethought him; and upon a wintry night there came to the door of the man a servant of the prince, bearing a sack of flour, a bag of soap and a cone of sugar.

And the servant said, "The prince sends you these gifts in token of remembrance."

The man was elated, for he thought the gifts were an homage from the prince. And in his pride we went to the bishop and told him what the prince had done, saying, "Can you not see how the prince desires my goodwill?"

But the bishop said, "Oh, how wise a prince, and how little you understand. He speaks in symbols. The flour is for your empty stomach; the soap is for your dirty hide; and the sugar is to sweeten your bitter tongue."

From that day forward the man became shy even of himself. His hatred of the prince was greater than ever, and even more he hated the bishop who had revealed the prince unto him.

But thereafter he kept silent.