149. The Image Of Mercury And The Carpenter A very poor man, a Car penter by trade, had a wooden image of Mercury, before which he made offerings day by day, and entreated the idol to make him rich; but in spite of his entreaties he became poorer and poorer. At last, being very wroth, he took his image down from its pedestal, and dashed it against the wall; when its head being knocked off, out came a stream of gold, which the Carpenter quickly picked up, and said, "Well, I think thou art altogether contradictory and unreasonable; for when I paid you h onour, I reaped no benefits: but now that I maltreat you I am loaded with an abundance of riches." | 149. 财神雕像和木匠 有一个非常贫穷的木匠供奉着一个木雕的财神像,祈求这尊?姘傅錖发财;但是他不断祈求,却仍然愈来愈穷。 最后他很生气,将神像从座上拿下来,向墙头摔去;神像的头跌断了,流出了一堆黄金,木匠便连忙收起说:「好啊,我看你简直是既矛盾又无理,因为我尊敬你,却得不到好处;而现在我待你不好,倒使我发了一?孚N外之财呢。」 |