The Pear Seller
A ragged Taoist works pear-tree magic on a stingy fruit seller at the market.
很久以前，在一个小城的集市上，有一个卖梨的人。Long ago, at the market of a small town, there was a man selling pears.他的梨又大又香，可是价钱很贵。His pears were big and fragrant, but the price was high.一个穿着破衣服的道士走过来，站在车前。A Taoist in ragged clothes walked over and stood in front of the cart.
道士说：“请给我一个梨吧，我走了一天的路，太渴了。”The Taoist said, "Please give me a pear. I have walked all day and I am so thirsty."卖梨的人很生气：“走开！我的梨是用来卖的，不送人！”The pear seller was angry: "Go away! My pears are for selling, not for giving away!"道士不走，只是安静地站在那里。The Taoist did not leave; he just stood there quietly.旁边的人说：“给他一个小的吧，没关系。”The people nearby said, "Just give him a small one, it doesn't matter."卖梨的人大声说：“不行！一个也不给！”The pear seller said loudly, "No! Not even one!"
旁边茶馆的老板是个善良的人，他买了一个梨，送给道士。The owner of the teahouse next door was a kind man; he bought a pear and gave it to the Taoist.道士说：“谢谢你。其实我自己有很多梨，想请大家吃。”The Taoist said, "Thank you. Actually, I have many pears of my own, and I'd like to treat everyone."有人笑他：“你自己有梨，为什么还要别人的？”Someone laughed at him: "If you have your own pears, why did you want someone else's?"道士说：“因为我需要这个梨的种子。”The Taoist said, "Because I need this pear's seed."他几口就把梨吃完了，手里留下一颗种子。He finished the pear in a few bites, and in his hand remained a single seed.
道士在地上挖了一个小小的坑，把种子埋了进去。The Taoist dug a little hole in the ground and buried the seed in it.他向旁边的茶馆要了一壶热水，浇在土上。He asked the teahouse next door for a pot of hot water and poured it on the soil.大家都围了过来，想看看这个奇怪的道士要做什么。Everyone gathered around, wanting to see what this strange Taoist would do.一会儿，土里真的长出了一棵小树苗。In a moment, a little sapling really grew out of the soil.小树很快就长高了，开了花，又结了满树的梨。The little tree quickly grew tall, blossomed, and then hung full of pears.
道士把梨一个一个摘下来，送给旁边的人吃。The Taoist picked the pears one by one and handed them out to the people around him.大家一边吃一边说：“真甜！这是真的法术！”As they ate, everyone said, "So sweet! This is real magic!"最后，道士把树砍倒，背着树枝，慢慢地走了。At last, the Taoist chopped the tree down, put the branches on his back, and slowly walked away.
卖梨的人一直站在人群里看热闹，把自己的车忘了。The pear seller had been standing in the crowd watching the show, forgetting all about his cart.他回头一看，吓了一跳：车上的梨全都不见了！When he turned around, he got a shock: every pear on the cart was gone!车的一个把手，也不知道被谁砍掉了。One handle of the cart had been chopped off too, by who knows whom.他这才明白：道士送给大家的，就是他自己的梨！Only then did he understand: the pears the Taoist gave everyone were his own pears!道士砍倒的那棵树，其实就是他的车把手。The tree the Taoist chopped down was actually his cart's handle.
他在集市上追了很久，可是道士早就消失了。He chased through the market for a long time, but the Taoist had long since disappeared.大家看着他生气的样子，都笑了起来。Watching how angry he was, everyone burst out laughing.从那天起，人们常说：太小气的人，最后什么都留不住。From that day on, people often said: those who are too stingy end up keeping nothing at all.
Want to read along with audio? Every story in the Literate Chinese app is narrated by a native speaker — in Mainland or Taiwan Mandarin — so you can listen while you read, and tap any word to save it as a flashcard. See what's in the app.
