第19章 雕像

從前，有個人住在叢山之間，他家有個雕像，是一位古代的大師製作的。雕像臉孔朝下倒在他家的大門口，他根本沒有在意。 有個博學的人，從城裡出來，經過他的家，看到了這個雕像，他就問這雕像的主人，是否願意出售。 主人哈哈大笑，說道："請問誰要買這塊笨重骯髒的石頭？"城里人說道："我願意出一塊銀元買它。" 山里人大為吃驚，喜出望外。 雕像放在一頭大象的背脊上，運到了城裡。過了幾個月，那個山里人進城去了，他在大街上行走時，看到一大群人擁在一個鋪子門口，有個人在高聲喊道："請進來欣賞天下最美麗、最神奇的雕像把。只要花兩塊銀元，就可以瞧瞧藝術大師的這件最了不得的珍品。"

於是這山里人付了兩塊銀元，踏進店裡，瞧見了他自己以一塊銀元的價格售出的那個雕像。 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.