Once there lived a man among the hills, who possessed¹ a statue wrought² by an ancient master, at lay at his door face downward and he was not mindful of it.

从前，一个住在山里的人家有一座雕像，是古代的一位大师雕刻的。雕像脸朝下倒在门前，他根本没在意。

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.

一天，从城里来了一位学识渊博的人，在经过他家门前时，看见了雕像，便问主人愿不愿意将它卖掉。

The owner laughed and said, "and pray who would want to buy that dull and dirty stone?"

主人笑着说：“请问是谁要买这块又脏又硬的石头呀？"

The man from the city said, "I will give you this piece of silver for it." And the other man was astonished and delighted.

城里人说：“我愿意给你一块银元买下它。“

The statue was removed to the city, upon the back of an elephant.

山里人惊讶之余，不禁喜出望外

And after many months 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, "

雕像被一头大象背到了城里。几个月后，山里人迸城，当他在大街上闲逛时，看见一群入围在一个小店前。有一个人大声吆喝道：

Come in and behold³ the most beautiful, the most wonderful statue in all the world. Only two silver pieces to look upon this most marvelous work of a master. "

“进来吧，请进来欣赏全世界最漂亮、最神奇的雕像。只需花两块银元，就可以参观大师手下最不可思议的杰作。”

There upon the man from the hills paid two silver pieces and entered the shop to see the statue that he himself had sold for one piece of silver.

于是，山里人付了两块银元进店里参观，发现这个雕像正是他以一块银元卖掉的那个。