Chapter 15 three gifts

Once upon a time, there lived a magnanimous prince in the city of Besharé, and all the people in the city loved and respected the prince. However, there was a very poor man who held a grudge against the prince and kept attacking him with his bad tongue. The prince knew this, but he endured it patiently. But at last the Prince thought of the poor man; and one cold night in winter, the Prince's servant came to the poor man's door, bringing with him a sack of flour, a little sack of soap, and a large lump of sugar. The servant said: "The prince gave you these gifts as a souvenir."

The poor man was very proud, for he regarded these gifts as a tribute to him from the prince.He proudly went to the bishop, told the bishop about the gift from the prince, and said, "Can't you see that the prince wants to please me?" But the bishop said, "Oh, how clever the prince is, and you are How ignorant of him. He speaks in symbolic terms. Flour fills your empty stomach, soap washes your dirty skin, sugar sweetens your pungent tongue. " From that day on the poor man was ashamed of himself.He hated the prince more than ever, and he even hated the bishop who explained to him the prince's true meaning.

But he has been silent ever since. The Three Gifts Once in the city of Becharre there lived a gracious prince who was loved and honored by all his subjects. But there was one exceedingly poor man who was bitter against the prince, and who wagged continually a pestilent tongue in his dispraise. The prince knew this, yet he was patient. But at last he bethought him; and upon a wintry night there came to the door of the man a servant of the prince, bearing a sack of flour, a bag of soap and a cone of sugar. And the servant said, "The prince sends you these gifts in token of remembrance."

The man was elated, for he thought the gifts were an homage from the prince. And in his pride we went to the bishop and told him what the prince had done, saying, "Can you not see how the prince desires my goodwill?" But the bishop said, "Oh, how wise a prince, and how little you understand. He speaks in symbols. The flour is for your empty stomach; the soap is for your dirty hide; and the sugar is to sweeten your bitter tongue. " From that day forward the man became shy even of himself. His hated of the prince was greater than ever, and even more he hated the bishop who had revealed the prince unto him.

But thereafter he kept silent.