Once
there was a poor stonecutter. Each day he went to the mountain and cut
blocks of stone, and then took them to the market to sell.
He was
quite happy, until one day he looked through the gate of a rich man’s house. He
saw the rich man sitting in the shade with servants bringing him food to eat.
‘Surely
the rich man is greater than I am,’ sighed the poor stonecutter. ‘If only
I were a rich man, then I would be truely happy.’
The sprit
of the mountan heard the stonecuter and gave him what he wanted. At once the
stonecutter found himself sittng in the garden of a nice house with servants
bringing him food.
‘Now I
will be truly happy,’ thought the stonecutter. But a few days later he looked
out the window and saw the king’s palace. He saw many servants hurrying
to obey the king, and he saw how great the king’s palace was.
‘Surely
the king is greater than I am,’ he sighed. ‘If only I were a king, then I would
be truely happy.’
The
spirit of the mountain heard the stonecutter and gave him what he wanted. At
once the stonecutter found himself si tting on a throne in a great palace, with
servants hurrying to do whatever he wanted.
‘Now I
will be truly happy,’ thought the stonecutter. But a few days later he was
standing outside. The sun was beating down on his head. It was so hot that he
had to go inside.
‘Surely
the sun is greater than I am,’ he sighed. ‘If only I were the sun then I would
be truely happy.’
The
spirit of the mountain heard the stonecutter and gave him what he wanted. At
once the stonecutter became the sun, burning in the sky. He shone down on the
earth, and people cowered under the heat.
‘Now I
will be truely happy,’ thought the stonecutter. But soon a cloud came between
him and the earth so that no one could see him.
‘Surely
the cloud is greater than I am,’ he sighed. ‘If only I were the cloud, then I
would be truely happy.’
The
spirit of the mountain heard the stonecutter and gave him what he wanted. At
once the stonecutter became a cloud, raining upon the earth. Where the rain
came, people ran for their houses.
‘Now I
will be truely happy,’ thought the stonecutter. But he noticed that when the
rain beat down on the mountain, the mountain was not affected.
‘Surely
the mountain is greater than I am,’ he sighed. ‘If only I were the mountain,
then I would be truely happy.
The
spirit of the mountain heard the stonecutter and gave him what he wanted. At
once the stonecutter became the mountain, strong and firm.
‘Now I
will be truly happy,’ thought the stonecutter. But soon he noticed a small
stonecutter coming up the side of the mountain. The stonecutter cut blocks of
stone from the mountain and took them away.
‘Surely
the stonecutter is greater than I am,’ he sighed. ‘If only I were a
stonecutter, then I would be truely happy.’
The
spirit of the mountain heard and gave him what he wanted . At once he was a
poor stonecutter again. At this he was thankful, and never wished again to be
something that he was not
