A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carriedacross his neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a fullportion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrivedonly half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full ofwater to his master's house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which itwas made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it wasable to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one dayby the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack inmy side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from yourefforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said,
"As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming thebeautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again itapologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of yourpath, but not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.
I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from thestream, you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
印度有一個(gè)挑水工，他有兩個(gè)大罐子，分別掛在肩上的扁擔(dān)兩頭。
其中一個(gè)罐子做工精細(xì)，從不漏水，另一個(gè)上面則有一道裂縫。
每當(dāng)挑水工回到雇主家時(shí)，罐子里的水就只剩一半了。
這樣過(guò)了整整兩年，這個(gè)挑水工每天挑到雇主家的水僅有一罐半。
當(dāng)然，那個(gè)完好的罐子為自己的成就甚感自豪。
而那個(gè)可憐的有裂縫的罐子卻因自身的瑕疵而羞愧不已，為自己只能裝一半水而痛苦不堪。
痛苦了兩年后，一天，那個(gè)有裂縫的罐子在小溪邊對(duì)挑水工說(shuō)：
“我很慚愧，想向你道歉?！?BR> “為什么？”挑水工問(wèn)，“你羞愧什么呢？”
“為這兩年來(lái)只能讓你挑回一半的水。因?yàn)槲疑砩系倪@個(gè)裂縫，每次你回雇主家的路上，水都在漏，到家時(shí)就只剩下半罐了。
正是我的裂縫，你不得不多挑幾次水，這樣就浪費(fèi)了你的部分勞動(dòng)價(jià)值?！惫拮诱f(shuō)道。
挑水工對(duì)這個(gè)有裂痕的舊罐子感到很抱歉，他同情地說(shuō)道：
“當(dāng)我們返回雇主家時(shí)，我希望你能留心路旁那些美麗的花朵?！?BR> 的確如此，當(dāng)他們上山時(shí)，這個(gè)有裂縫的舊罐子注意到了路旁的野花，它們沐浴在陽(yáng)光中非常漂亮。
它感到了一絲快樂(lè)，但到雇主家時(shí)，它又為自己漏了一半水而難過(guò)起來(lái)，于是，它再次為自己的失敗向挑水工道歉。
挑水工對(duì)罐子說(shuō)：“你注意到了嗎？你這邊沿路都有花，而另一邊就沒(méi)有？
我早就注意到了你的裂縫，我就是利用這一點(diǎn)，在你這側(cè)的路邊種上花籽。
每天，我們從小溪回來(lái)時(shí)，你就給它們澆了水。
這兩年，我就采這些漂亮的花朵來(lái)裝點(diǎn)雇主的桌子。
倘若你不漏水，他就沒(méi)有這么美麗的鮮花來(lái)裝飾屋子了?！?
One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a fullportion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrivedonly half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full ofwater to his master's house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which itwas made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it wasable to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one dayby the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack inmy side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from yourefforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said,
"As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming thebeautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again itapologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of yourpath, but not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.
I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from thestream, you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
印度有一個(gè)挑水工，他有兩個(gè)大罐子，分別掛在肩上的扁擔(dān)兩頭。
其中一個(gè)罐子做工精細(xì)，從不漏水，另一個(gè)上面則有一道裂縫。
每當(dāng)挑水工回到雇主家時(shí)，罐子里的水就只剩一半了。
這樣過(guò)了整整兩年，這個(gè)挑水工每天挑到雇主家的水僅有一罐半。
當(dāng)然，那個(gè)完好的罐子為自己的成就甚感自豪。
而那個(gè)可憐的有裂縫的罐子卻因自身的瑕疵而羞愧不已，為自己只能裝一半水而痛苦不堪。
痛苦了兩年后，一天，那個(gè)有裂縫的罐子在小溪邊對(duì)挑水工說(shuō)：
“我很慚愧，想向你道歉?！?BR> “為什么？”挑水工問(wèn)，“你羞愧什么呢？”
“為這兩年來(lái)只能讓你挑回一半的水。因?yàn)槲疑砩系倪@個(gè)裂縫，每次你回雇主家的路上，水都在漏，到家時(shí)就只剩下半罐了。
正是我的裂縫，你不得不多挑幾次水，這樣就浪費(fèi)了你的部分勞動(dòng)價(jià)值?！惫拮诱f(shuō)道。
挑水工對(duì)這個(gè)有裂痕的舊罐子感到很抱歉，他同情地說(shuō)道：
“當(dāng)我們返回雇主家時(shí)，我希望你能留心路旁那些美麗的花朵?！?BR> 的確如此，當(dāng)他們上山時(shí)，這個(gè)有裂縫的舊罐子注意到了路旁的野花，它們沐浴在陽(yáng)光中非常漂亮。
它感到了一絲快樂(lè)，但到雇主家時(shí)，它又為自己漏了一半水而難過(guò)起來(lái)，于是，它再次為自己的失敗向挑水工道歉。
挑水工對(duì)罐子說(shuō)：“你注意到了嗎？你這邊沿路都有花，而另一邊就沒(méi)有？
我早就注意到了你的裂縫，我就是利用這一點(diǎn)，在你這側(cè)的路邊種上花籽。
每天，我們從小溪回來(lái)時(shí)，你就給它們澆了水。
這兩年，我就采這些漂亮的花朵來(lái)裝點(diǎn)雇主的桌子。
倘若你不漏水，他就沒(méi)有這么美麗的鮮花來(lái)裝飾屋子了?！?