节杖

国王对他的妻子说："夫人，你并非名符其实的王后。你太庸俗，太粗野，不配做我的伴侣。"

妻子道："先生，你自以为是个国王，然而事实上你不过是一个可怜的传声筒罢了。"这些话触怒了国王，他手执节杖，用那金质节杖打在王后的前额上。

这时候王室侍从长进宫来了，他说道："啊，啊，国王陛下！这节杖是天下最伟大的艺术家制作的。唉，有朝一日，国王和王后行将被忘记了，但这节杖会被保存下来，作为艺术品一代又一代地传下去。陛下，如今你让节杖沾上了王后陛下额上的血，将来它就越发要受到重视和追念了。"

The Sceptre

Said a king to his wife, "Madame, you are not truly a queen. You are too vulgar and ungracious to be my mate."

Said his wife, "Sir, you deem yourself king, but indeed you are only a poor soundling."

Now these words angered the king, and he took his sceptre with his hand, and struck the queen upon her forehead with his golden sceptre.

At that moment the lord chamberlain entered, and he said, "Well, well, Majesty! That sceptre was fashioned by the greatest artist of the land. Alas! Some day you and the queen shall be forgotten, but this sceptre shall be kept, a thing of beauty from generation to generation. And now that you have drawn blood from her Majestys head, Sire, the sceptre shall be the more considered and remembered."