▸ 很久以前hěn jiǔ yǐ qián，在zài一个yī ge小城xiǎo chéng的de集市jí shì上shàng，有yǒu一个yī ge卖mài梨lí的de人rén。

Long ago, at the market of a small town, there was a man selling pears.

▸ 他的tā de梨lí又yòu大dà又yòu香xiāng，可是kě shì价钱jià qian很hěn贵guì。

His pears were big and fragrant, but the price was high.

▸ 一个yī ge穿着chuān zhuó破pò衣服yī fu的de道士dào shì走过来zǒu guò lái，站在zhàn zài车chē前qián。

A Taoist in ragged clothes walked over and stood in front of the cart.

▸ 道士dào shì说shuō：“请qǐng给gěi我wǒ一个yī ge梨lí吧ba，我wǒ走了zǒu le一天yī tiān的de路lù，太tài渴kě了le。”

The Taoist said, "Please give me a pear. I have walked all day and I am so thirsty."

▸ 卖mài梨lí的de人rén很hěn生气shēng qì：“走开zǒu kāi！我的wǒ de梨lí是shì用来yòng lái卖mài的de，不送bù sòng人rén！”

The pear seller was angry: "Go away! My pears are for selling, not for giving away!"

▸ 道士dào shì不bù走zǒu，只是zhǐ shì安静ān jìng地de站在zhàn zài那里nà li。

The Taoist did not leave; he just stood there quietly.

▸ 旁边páng biān的de人rén说shuō：“给gěi他tā一个yī ge小的xiǎo de吧ba，没关系méi guān xi。”

The people nearby said, "Just give him a small one, it doesn't matter."

▸ 卖mài梨lí的de人rén大声dà shēng说shuō：“不行bù xíng！一个yī ge也yě不bù给gěi！”

The pear seller said loudly, "No! Not even one!"

▸ 旁边páng biān茶馆chá guǎn的de老板lǎo bǎn是shì个gè善良shàn liáng的de人rén，他tā买mǎi了le一个yī ge梨lí，送给sòng gěi道士dào shì。

The owner of the teahouse next door was a kind man; he bought a pear and gave it to the Taoist.

▸ 道士dào shì说shuō：“谢谢你xiè xie nǐ。其实qí shí我wǒ自己zì jǐ有yǒu很多hěn duō梨lí，想xiǎng请qǐng大家dà jiā吃chī。”

The Taoist said, "Thank you. Actually, I have many pears of my own, and I'd like to treat everyone."

▸ 有人yǒu rén笑xiào他tā：“你nǐ自己zì jǐ有yǒu梨lí，为什么wèi shén me还要hái yào别人bié ren的de？”

Someone laughed at him: "If you have your own pears, why did you want someone else's?"

▸ 道士dào shì说shuō：“因为yīn wèi我wǒ需要xū yào这个zhè ge梨lí的de种子zhǒng zi。”

The Taoist said, "Because I need this pear's seed."

▸ 他tā几jǐ口kǒu就jiù把bǎ梨lí吃chī完了wán le，手里shǒu lǐ留下liú xià一颗yī kē种子zhǒng zi。

He finished the pear in a few bites, and in his hand remained a single seed.

▸ 道士dào shì在zài地上dì shang挖wā了le一个yī ge小小的xiǎo xiǎo de坑kēng，把bǎ种子zhǒng zi埋mái了le进去jìn qù。

The Taoist dug a little hole in the ground and buried the seed in it.

▸ 他tā向xiàng旁边páng biān的de茶馆chá guǎn要yào了le一yī壶hú热水rè shuǐ，浇jiāo在zài土tǔ上shàng。

He asked the teahouse next door for a pot of hot water and poured it on the soil.

▸ 大家dà jiā都dōu围wéi了le过来guò lái，想xiǎng看看kàn kan这个zhè ge奇怪qí guài的de道士dào shì要yào做zuò什么shén me。

Everyone gathered around, wanting to see what this strange Taoist would do.

▸ 一会儿yī huìr，土tǔ里lǐ真的zhēn de长出zhǎng chū了le一yī棵kē小树xiǎo shù苗miáo。

In a moment, a little sapling really grew out of the soil.

▸ 小树xiǎo shù很快hěn kuài就jiù长高zhǎng gāo了le，开了kāi le花huā，又yòu结了jié le满mǎn树shù的de梨lí。

The little tree quickly grew tall, blossomed, and then hung full of pears.

▸ 道士dào shì把bǎ梨lí一个yī ge一个yī ge摘zhāi下来xià lai，送给sòng gěi旁边páng biān的de人rén吃chī。

The Taoist picked the pears one by one and handed them out to the people around him.

▸ 大家dà jiā一边yī biān吃chī一边yī biān说shuō：“真zhēn甜tián！这是zhè shì真的zhēn de法术fǎ shù！”

As they ate, everyone said, "So sweet! This is real magic!"

▸ 最后zuì hòu，道士dào shì把bǎ树shù砍kǎn倒dǎo，背着bēi zhe树枝shù zhī，慢慢地màn màn de走了zǒu le。

At last, the Taoist chopped the tree down, put the branches on his back, and slowly walked away.

▸ 卖mài梨lí的de人rén一直yī zhí站在zhàn zài人群rén qún里lǐ看热闹kàn rè nao，把bǎ自己的zì jǐ de车chē忘了wàng le。

The pear seller had been standing in the crowd watching the show, forgetting all about his cart.

▸ 他tā回头huí tóu一看yī kàn，吓了xià le一yī跳tiào：车上chē shàng的de梨lí全都quán dōu不见了bù jiàn le！

When he turned around, he got a shock: every pear on the cart was gone!

▸ 车chē的de一个yī ge把手bǎ shǒu，也yě不知道bù zhī dào被bèi谁shéi砍kǎn掉diào了le。

One handle of the cart had been chopped off too, by who knows whom.

▸ 他tā这才zhè cái明白míng bai：道士dào shì送给sòng gěi大家dà jiā的de，就是jiù shì他tā自己的zì jǐ de梨lí！

Only then did he understand: the pears the Taoist gave everyone were his own pears!

▸ 道士dào shì砍kǎn倒dǎo的de那nà棵kē树shù，其实qí shí就是jiù shì他的tā de车chē把手bǎ shǒu。

The tree the Taoist chopped down was actually his cart's handle.

▸ 他tā在zài集市jí shì上shàng追zhuī了le很久hěn jiǔ，可是kě shì道士dào shì早就zǎo jiù消失xiāo shī了le。

He chased through the market for a long time, but the Taoist had long since disappeared.

▸ 大家dà jiā看着kàn zhe他tā生气shēng qì的de样子yàng zi，都dōu笑了xiào le起来qǐ lai。

Watching how angry he was, everyone burst out laughing.

▸ 从cóng那天nà tiān起qǐ，人们rén men常说cháng shuō：太tài小气xiǎo qì的de人rén，最后zuì hòu什么shén me都dōu留liú不住bù zhù。

From that day on, people often said: those who are too stingy end up keeping nothing at all.

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