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一个腰缠万贯的老头，想到自己即将死掉了，就派人把儿子们叫了回来，把财产分了。然而，几年后，他还没有死。除了年老体衰之外，老人还必须忍受儿子们的谩骂和虐待。这些恶毒自私、无情无义的东西！在此之前，他们都争着讨好父亲，希望多拿到些钱；现在分到了遗产，他们才不在乎他什么时候死掉呢？根本不在乎，死得越早越好。这让老人感到十分痛心。 一天，老人遇到了一位朋友，就把一肚子苦水倒了出来。这位朋友深表同情，答应仔细合计合计这事，很快就会来告诉他该怎么办。几天后,他来看老人，把四袋子石头放在他面前。 “瞧，朋友，”他说“你儿子会知道我来过你这里，也会问起这件事。你必须假装我是来还一笔旧账的，这样你比以前想的又多了几千卢比。要把这几个袋子抓在手里，只要你活着就别让他们拿到手。很快你就会发现他们对你的态度会有所变化。" 年轻人听说父亲的财富又多了，便比以前更加关心他,更加讨好他。他们就这样一直到父亲去世为止。他们贪婪地打开那些袋子，却发现里面装的全是石头！ How the Wicked Sons Were Duped A very wealthy old man, imagining that he was on the point of death, sent for his sons and divided his property among them. However, he did not die for several years afterwards. Besides the weariness of old age, the old fellow had to bear with much abuse and cruelty from his sons. Wretched, selfish ingrates! Previously they vied with one another in trying to please their father, hoping thus to receive more money, but now they had received their patrimony； they cared not how soon he would leave them-nay, the sooner the better. This was a great grief to the old man. One day he met a friend and related to him all his troubles. The friend sympathized very much with him, and promised to think over the matter, and call in a little while and tell him what to do. In a few days he visited the old man and put down four bags full of stones before him. “Look here, friend,” said he. “Your sons will get to know of my coming here today, and will inquire about it. You must pretend that I came to discharge a long-standing debt with you, and that you are several thousands of rupees richer than you thought you were. Keep these bags in your own hands, and on no account let your sons get to them as long as you are alive. You will soon find them change their attitude towards you. ” When the young men got to hear of this further increase of wealth they began to be more attentive and pleasing to their father than ever before. And thus they continued to the day of the old man’s demise, when the bags were greedily opened, and found to contain only stones! |
