讲的是两个水罐的故事.一位挑水夫每天从水边挑两罐水,其中有一个罐子漏水.这个罐子对自己的裂痕感到自卑,于是有一天鼓起勇气向挑水夫道歉.跳水夫指给它看路边灿烂的野花,说一早知道它身上的裂痕,并且特意种下了花籽.正是因为罐子身上的裂痕让漏出的水沿路灌溉了花籽,长出了漂亮的花.
是个令人感动的故事.有时候一个人自己以为的缺陷或者缺点,其实正是其美丽之处.
An elderly water bearer had two large pots,each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.One of the pots had a crack in it,and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house,the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily,with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house.Of course,the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments,perfect to the end for which it was made.But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure,it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.“I am ashamed of myself,and I want to apologize to you.”
“Why?” asked the bearer.“What are you ashamed of?”
“I have been able,for these past two years,to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house.Because of my flaws,you have to do all of this work,and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot,and in his compassion he said,“As we return to the master’s house,I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”
Indeed,as they went up the hill,the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path,and this cheered it some.But at the end of the trail,it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load,and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot,“Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path,but not on the other pot’s side?That’s because I have always known about your flaw,and I took advantage of it.I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,and every day while we walk back from the stream,you’ve watered them.For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table.Without you being just the way you are,he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”