(原版)澳大利亞語(yǔ)文第三冊(cè) LESSON 29

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LESSON 29 THE KING AND THE FIGS

THE KING AND THE FIGS

1. A great king, who lived many, many years ago, was one day taking a walk through the streets of his chief city. As he passed slowly along, he saw a very old man planting a fig-tree in his garden.

2. The king stopped, and said to the old man, "Why are you planting that tree ? Surely you cannot hope to eat of the fruit of it?"

3. The old man looked up and said, "I certainly hope that I may do so; but if not, I shall leave it to my son, as my father left the fruit of his toil for me."

4. On hearing, in reply to further questions, that the old man was eighty years of age, the king said, "Well, if you are alive when the figs from this tree are ripe, I pray you let me know of it."

5. The old man lived to eat of the fruit of that very tree. Mindful of what the king had said to him, he went to see him. Taking a basket, he filled it with the best figs from the tree, and went to the palace.

Well, said the king, when the old man stood before him, "what is your wish?"

6. "I am," said he, "the old man whom you saw planting a fig- tree. On that day you said to me, 'If you live to eat of its fruit, I pray you to let me know.' See, here is some of the fruit, that you may eat of it also."

7. The king was very much pleased. He had the figs taken from the basket, and then he ordered it to be filled with gold and given to the old man, who returned home highly delighted.

8. Now, next door to the old man to whom the king had given so much gold, there lived another man. When this man heard of the king's gift to the first, he thought that he would like to try his luck also.

9. So he took a great basket, and filled it to the very top with the finest figs he could get. Putting it upon his back, he said to himself, "Now, I will take this to the king; he loves figs, and will fill my basket with gold."

10. The basket was heavy, the way was long, and the man was tired when he reached the palace gates.

11. He set the basket down upon the ground, and said to the guards, "I have brought these figs for the king; please empty the basket and fill it again with gold."

12. When this was told to the king, he ordered that the man should stand in the hall. The man rejoiced [1] , for he thought that he was going to have his wish.

13. But he was wrong. The king saw that he had come because of greed, and gave command that he should be punished. So, as he stood in the hall, all who passed by pelted him with his own figs, for this was the king's order.

14. He returned home sore and sorry. "Never mind," said he to himself, "had they been coco-nuts [2] instead of figs, I might have had harder blows."

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[1] rejoiced: Was very joyful or happy.

[2] coco-nuts: The fruit of the coco-palm.