The Stonecutter

The Stonecutter, retold by Betty Yee. Illustrated by Kwa Lei. Focus Question. What lesson does the stonecutter learn?

《石匠》，由贝蒂·伊复述，柯蕾绘制。 焦点问题：石匠学到了什么道理呢？

Long ago there lived a poor stonecutter in Japan. Every day he cut stone from a mountain. The stonecutter was proud of his work. He was very happy.

很久以前，日本住着一个贫穷的石匠。 他每天都上山凿石头。 石匠为自己的工作感到十分骄傲。 他过得特别开心。

One day he saw a merchant. The merchant had many beautiful things. The stonecutter was sad. He did not have any beautiful things.

有一天，他遇见了一个商人。 商人有好多漂亮的好东西。 石匠难过极了。 他一样漂亮东西都没有。

I wish I were a merchant, he whispered. The spirit of the mountain heard him. Poof! He became a merchant.

“我要是能当个商人就好了。”他小声念叨着。 山神听到了他的愿望。 噗！ 他真的变成了一个商人。

A month went by. One day he saw the emperor. The emperor had beautiful clothes. The stonecutter was sad. He did not have such beautiful clothes.

一个月过去了。 有一天，他见到了皇帝。 皇帝穿着华美的衣裳。 石匠又难过了。 他可没有这么好看的衣裳。

I wish I were the Emperor, he said. The spirit of the mountain heard him. Poof! He became the Emperor.

“我要是能当皇帝就好了。”他说道。 山神听到了他的愿望。 噗！ 他真的变成了皇帝。