..续本文上一页d out,” "Rat! Rat!" The water rat appeared and all went just as it had with the snake.

　　Next, he called out, "Parrot! Parrot!" The parrot flew down from his treetop home, bowed respectfully and said, "Holy one, do you need red rice

　　 I will summon my relatives and we will bring you the best rice in all the Himalayas." The holy man replied, "Very well, when I am in need I will come again."

　　Finally he set out to see the king. He walked to the royal pleasure garden and slept there overnight. In the morning, in a very humble and dignified manner, he went to collect alms food in the city of Benares.

　　On that same morning the ungrateful king, seated on a magnificently adorned royal elephant, was leading a vast procession around the city. When he saw the Enlightenment Being coming from a distance he thought, "Aha! This lazy homeless bum is coming to sponge off me. Before he can brag to everyone how much he did for me, I must have him beheaded!"

　　Then he said to his servants, "This worthless beggar must be coming to ask for something. Don”t let the goodfor-nothing get near me. Arrest him immediately, tie his hands behind his back, and whip him at every street corner. Take him out of the city to the execution block and cut off his head. Then raise up his body on a sharpened stake and leave it for all to see. So much for lazy beggars!"

　　The king”s men followed his cruel orders. They tied up the blameless Great Being like a common criminal. They whipped him mercilessly at every street corner on the way to the execution block. But no matter how hard they whipped him, cutting into his flesh, he remained dignified. After each whipping he simply announced, for all to hear: "This proves the old saying is still true - ”There”s more reward in pulling deadwood from a river, than in helping an ungrateful man!”"

　　Some of the bystanders began to wonder why he said only this at each street corner. They said to each other, "This poor man”s pain must. be caused by an ungrateful man." So they asked him, "Oh holy man, have you done some service to an ungrateful man

　　"

　　Then he told them the whole story. And in conclusion he said, "I rescued this king from a terrible flood, and in so doing I brought this pain upon myself I did not follow the saying of the wise of old, that”s why I said what I said."

　　Hearing this story, the people of Benares became enraged and said to each other, ”This good man saved the king”s life. But he is so cruel that he has no gratitude in him at all. How could such a king possibly benefit us

　　 He can only be dangerous to us. Let”s get him!"

　　Their rage turned the citizens of Benares into a mob. They pelted the king with arrows, knives, clubs and stones. He died while still sitting on the royal elephant. Then they threw the dead body of the one-time Evil Prince into a ditch by the side of the road.

　　Afterwards they made the holy man their new king. He ruled Benares well. Then one day he decided to go see his old friends. So he rode in a large procession down to the riverbank.

　　He called out, "Snake! Snake!" The snake came out, offered his respect and said, "My lord, if you wish it. You are welcome to my treasure." The king ordered his servants to dig up the 40 million gold coins.

　　He went to the water rat”s home and called out, "Rat! Rat!" He too appeared, offered his respect and said, "My lord, if you wish it, you are welcome to my treasure." This time the king”s servants dug up 30 million gold coins.

　　Then the king called out "Parrot! Parrot!" The parrot flew to the king, bowed respectfully and said, "If you wish, my lord, I will collect the most excellent red rice for you." But the holy man king said, "Not now my friend. When rice is needed I will request it of you. Now let us all return to the city."

　　After they arrived at the royal palace in Benares, the king had the 70 million gold coins put under guard in a safe place. He had a golden bowl made for the grateful snake”s new home. He had a maze made of the finest crystals for the generous rat to live in. And the kind parrot moved into a golden cage, with a gate he could latch and unlatch from the inside.

　　Every day the king gave rice puffs and the sweetest bee”s honey on golden plates to the snake and the parrot. And on another golden plate he gave the most aromatic scented rice to the water rat.

　　The king became famous for his generosity to the poor. He and his three animal friends lived together in perfect harmony for many years. When they died, they were all reborn as they deserved.

　　The moral is: Gratitude is a reward, which is itself rewarded.

《Four on a Log (Gratitude)》全文阅读结束。