There was once a king who wanted to know how caring and friendly his people really were. He knew that if he asked for help wearing his royal robes, he people would respect and help him because he was their king. But, he thought, how would his people treat a common beggar? So one day, the king dressed up as a beggar and slipped out of the castle. He went into town and knocked on a few doors, but was rudely rejected by many people.
从前有一个国王，他想知道他王国里 的人民是如何的友善和关心别人的。 他知道如果他穿着贵族服装 去任何一个家里请求食宿， 他们当然会提供给他因为他 是他们尊敬的国王。但是， 他想，人们会如何对待一个 上门乞讨食宿的普通乞丐 呢？ 所以他就把自己装扮成一个 乞丐。快晚上的时候，他悄 悄地出了城堡。他走进城里 敲里几家的门，请求食宿， 他被许多人粗鲁地拒绝了。
Knock, knock!
敲啊敲。。。
A woman came to the door. “Who are you?” She asked shrilly.
一个女人来到了门前：“你是谁？” 她尖声问道。
"I am a poor beggar,” the stranger replied. “Could you please give me a little food to eat and a place to spend the night?”
“我是一个穷人”，乞丐回 答。“请问能给我一些食物， 并在 这里借宿一宿吗？”
"Who do you think you are? We have nothing for you! What makes you think that I would help you? Go away!” The woman replied rudely. She then slammed the door shut and went back inside the house.
“你认为自己是谁呀，可以来 这里？我们没有东西给你，而 且，你不看我在忙吗？去其他 地方看看吧”那个门口的女人 一边粗暴地回答一边关上门走 了进去。
The king was saddened by the woman’s rudeness. He realized how the poor of his kingdom must feel. However, he thought, there must be someone who would be willing to help a poor stranger. I will continue my search.
国王感到非常地受伤害。现 在他意识到被别人弃绝和轻 视的感觉了。但是，他想， 一定还是会有人帮助我的。 我将继续我的寻找。
Finally, when night fell, he knocked on the door of a humble cottage. A poor man came out. His wife was sick in bed. The man said the stranger, “We don’t have much, but what we do have, we would be happy to share with you!" The man invited the stranger into the house and the poor couple gave him some food. They did not have a bed to share, but they tried their best to make the stranger warm and comfortable. When the man got up in the morning, he found that the stranger had disappeared. “That’s odd,” the man thought. “He did not even stay for breakfast.” The man then started his work, without thinking much about the mysterious stranger.
最终，当夜幕降临时，他敲开了一家简 陋的村舍的门。那位人很穷，他的妻 子也卧病在床。他对陌 生人说，“我们有的不 多，但是就我们所有的 东西，我们愿意与你分 享!” 把乞丐请进屋 里，贫穷的人给了他温 暖和健康的食物。他没 有给很多来不置床，但 他已经尽自己最大的努 力来让乞丐保暖，感觉 舒适。过夜的东西全 都安排妥当。 早晨一起床，老人就 发现陌生人已经消失 了。真滑稽，他想，他 甚至没有呆在这里吃早 餐。然后他就开始做他 自己的事去了，也没有 去多想那个他照顾过的 陌生人。
Some days later, when the old man and his wife were sitting in front of the house, they saw a group of soldiers walking towards them. Following the soldiers was a beautiful horse and chariot. “Oh no!” the old man exclaimed. “What am I to do? The soldiers have come to arrest me.” But presently his fear turned to joy!
一些日子过去了，正当人和他的妻子坐 在他们房子门口的时候，他们看到一群 士兵在路上前进，朝着他们的房子走来。 在士兵的后面是一个美丽的被四匹华丽 的马拉着的车。“哦，夫人”，老人惊 叫起来，“我门做了什么？士兵们正要 来抓我！”但现在他的恐惧已经转为喜 悦！
The king stopped in front of the house and cordially greeted the man and his wife. He then gave them a large reward, as he told them that he was the beggar that they had welcomed into their home several nights ago. The king explained, "I knocked on many doors requesting accommodation, and was rudely refused by many. But you, my friend, brought me into your home and shared with me the little that you had. Now, I would like to reward you.”
国王在房子前停了下来，走出了豪华的 马车亲切地问候农夫和他的妻子。然后 他给了他们重重的赏赐，并告诉他们他 是几夜前，作为乞丐，被欢迎来到他们 家的人。“我敲了许多的门”，国王解 释说“请求食宿，但我一次次 被粗鲁地拒绝了。但是你，我 的朋友，把我带进家中，把你 们已经 不多的给了我，现在 我想回报你们”。
You may not feel others deserve to be treated with love and kindness or that they are worth the sacrifice, but do to others what you would like them to do to you. Anyone can be nice to those who are rich, but the person who can be nice to those who aren’t is the bigger person and will be more blessed.
King – 国王 Caring – 关心 Friendly – 友善 Beggar – 乞丐 Accommodation – 食宿 Castle – 城堡 Door – 门 Woman – 女人
你也许觉得别人不该得到爱与仁慈， 或不值得你为之牺牲，然而你愿人怎 样待你，你也要怎样待人。任何人都 能善待丰富的人，但能善待那些不丰 富的人，才更宽宏大量，更赐福。
Food – 食物 Poor – 穷人 Stranger – 生人 Farmer – 农夫 Cottage – 村舍 Soldiers – 士兵 Reward – 赏赐
双语故事 - www.freekidstories.org Art by Phillip Martin, www.phillipmartin.info