第15章 三件禮物

從前，在貝沙累城裡住著一個寬宏大量的王子，城裡所有的子民們都熱愛和尊敬王子。 不過，有個十分貧窮的人，他對王子懷恨在心，不斷地用他的貧嘴惡舌攻擊王子。 王子知道這事，然而他耐心容忍。 但王子終於想到了這個窮人；一個冬天的寒夜裡，王子的僕人來到這窮人的門前，帶來一袋麵粉，一小袋肥皂和一大塊糖。 僕人說："王子送給你這些禮物，作個紀念。" 這窮人很得意，因為他把這些禮物看做是王子對他的一種敬意。他自豪地去見主教，把王子送他禮物的事告訴主教，並且說道："你難道看不出王子要博得我的歡心嗎？"然而主教說道："啊，王子是多麼聰明，你又是多麼不了解他。他用象徵性的東西來說話。

麵粉是飽你空空如也的肚子的，肥皂是洗你骯髒的皮膚的，糖是甜你辛辣的舌頭的。 " 從這一天起，那窮人就變得對自己也感到害臊了。他對王子的憎恨比過去更大，他甚至更恨那給他解明王子真意的主教。 不過他從此就緘口無言了。 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.