坟    中    的    穷    少    年   

 从    前    有    个    穷    放    羊    娃    失    去    了    父    母   ， 官    府    把    他    安    置    在    一    个    富    人    家    中   ， 由    这    富    人    供    他    吃    饭    并    抚    养    成    人   。 但    这    富    人    和    他    女    人    的    心    肠    都    很    坏   ， 又    贪    婪   ， 总    是    牢    牢    守    住    自    己    的    财    富   ， 任    何    人    吃    了    他    们    一    小    块    面    包   ， 他    们    都    会    大    发    雷    霆   。 这    个    可    怜    的    穷    小    伙    子    无    论    怎    么    做   ， 得    到    的    食    物    总    是    很    少   ， 相    反    挨    的    打    却    很    多   。

 一    天   ， 他    被    派    去    看    护    一    只    母    鸡    和    一    群    小    崽   。 但    母    鸡    却    带    着    小    鸡    从    树    篱    里    逃    了    出    去   ， 这    时    一    只    老    鹰    突    然    俯    冲    而    下   ， 把    母    鸡    叼    上    了    空    中   。 这    男    孩    竭    尽    全    力    大    喊   ：" 小    偷   ！ 小    偷   ！ 流    氓   ！" 但    这    有    什    么    用    呢   ？ 老    鹰    可    不    会    把    到    嘴    的    东    西    吐    出    来    的   。 富    人    闻    声    赶    来   ， 发    现    母    鸡    不    见    了   ， 他    非    常    生    气   ， 恶    狠    狠    地    打    了    那    男    孩   ， 以    致    男    孩    两    天    都    不    能    动    弹   。 接    下    来    这    男    孩    就    得    照    管    好    这    些    没    有    妈    妈    的    小    鸡    了   ， 这    当    然    要    更    困    难    些   。 因    为    小    鸡    总    是    东    跑    一    只   ， 西    跑    一    只   。 结    果    他    就    自    做    聪    明   ， 把    所    有    的    小    鸡    用    一    根    绳    子    拴    在    一    块   ， 这    样    老    鹰    就    叼    不    走    任    何    一    只    了   。 但    他    这    样    做    实    在    是    大    错    特    错    了   。 那    两    天    中   ， 他    东    奔    西    跑   ， 又    累    又    饿   ， 所    以    很    快    就    睡    着    了   。 老    鹰    又    来    了   ， 把    一    群    小    鸡    全    叼    走    了   ， 然    后    停    在    树    上   ， 吞    吃    着    小    鸡   。 那    个    富    人    正    好    赶    回    家    来   ， 当    明    白    了    所    发    生    的    灾    难    时   ， 一    下    子    怒    火    中    烧   ， 毫    不    留    情    地    又    打    了    那    男    孩    一    顿   ， 以    致    男    孩    好    几    天    不    得    不    躺    在    床    上   ， 不    能    动    弹   。

 当    他    又    能    走    路    后   ， 富    人    对    他    说   ：" 你    这    没    用    的    东    西   ， 我    没    法    让    你    成    为    一    个    牧    人   ， 你    去    替    我    跑    跑    腿    吧   。" 于    是    他    就    让    男    孩    去    给    法    官    送    一    篮    葡    萄    另    带    一    封    信   。 一    路    上    男    孩    又    饥    又    渴   ， 非    常    难    受   ， 便    私    自    偷    吃    了    两    串    葡    萄   。 他    把    篮    子    带    到    了    法    官    那    儿   ， 法    官    看    信    后    数    了    数    葡    萄   ， 说   ：" 少    了    两    串   。" 男    孩    很    老    实    地    向    法    官    坦    白    说    迫    于    饥    渴   ， 已    吃    了    那    两    串    葡    萄   。 法    官    给    富    人    去    了    封    信   ， 又    要    了    同    样    数    目    的    葡    萄   。 这    次    又    由    男    孩    把    葡    萄    连    同    一    封    信    一    起    送    去   ， 由    于    他    实    在    太    饿    太    渴    了   ， 忍    不    住    又    吃    了    两    串    葡    萄   。 但    这    次    他    先    把    信    从    篮    子    里    取    出    来   ， 放    在    一    块    石    头    下   ， 然    后    坐    在    石    头    上   ， 认    为    这    样    那    封    信    就    看    不    见    他    吃    葡    萄    了   ， 也    不    会    出    卖    他    了   。 然    而    法    官    再    次    让    他    解    释    那    两    串    不    见    了    的    葡    萄    是    怎    么    回    事   。" 啊   ！" 男    孩    惊    奇    地    说   ，" 你    怎    么    会    知    道   ？ 那    封    信    不    可    能    知    道    这    事   ， 因    为    吃    葡    萄    之    前    我    把    他    放    在    石    头    下    了   。" 男    孩    实    在    是    太    单    纯    了   ， 法    官    禁    不    住    笑    了   。 后    来    他    给    富    人    取    了    一    封    信   ， 要    他    好    好    待    这    小    孩   ， 不    要    缺    他    饮    食   ， 并    要    教    会    他    辨    别    是    非   。

" 我    会    很    快    教    会    你    是    非    的   ，" 狠    心    的    人    说   ，" 你    要    吃   ， 就    得    干    活   ， 要    是    有    何    差    错   ， 我    就    用    棒    子    来    好    好    教    训    你   。"

 第    二    天   ， 富    人    给    了    男    孩    一    个    艰    巨    任    务   ， 让    他    把    两    捆    干    稻    草    切    碎    做    马    料   。 富    人    还    威    胁    他    说   ：" 五    点    钟    后    我    就    会    回    来   ， 如    果    你    到    时    还    没    切    好   ， 我    就    会    把    你    打    趴    下   。" 富    人    带    着    他    的    女    人    和    女    仆    去    赶    一    年    一    度    的    集    会    去    了   ， 只    给    男    孩    留    了    一    小    块    面    包   。 男    孩    坐    在    凳    上   ， 开    始    拼    命    地    干    起    活    来   。 当    他    干    得    热    起    来    时   ， 便    脱    下    了    褂    子    扔    在    稻    草    上   。 由    于    担    心    不    能    及    时    完    成   ， 手    中    一    刻    也    不    敢    怠    慢   ， 匆    忙    间    也    没    注    意    到   ， 竟    把    小    褂    子    连    同    稻    草    一    起    给    切    了   。 等    他    意    识    到    这    件    可    怕    的    事    时   ， 已    为    时    太    晚   。 褂    子    已    没    法    补    了   。" 哎   ！"" 他    叫    道   ，" 我    什    么    都    完    了   ， 那    恶    人    可    不    只    是    吓    唬    吓    唬    我   ， 如    果    等    他    回    来    看    见    了   ， 他    会    收    拾    我    的   ， 我    还    不    如    自    己    了    断    一    切   。"

 男    孩    曾    听    到    富    人    的    女    人    说    过   ：" 我    床    底    下    有    一    罐    毒    药   。" 她    那    样    说    不    过    是    想    吓    吓    那    些    贪    婪    的    人   ， 其    实    里    面    装    的    是    蜂    蜜   。 男    孩    爬    到    床    下   ， 拿    出    罐    子   ， 喝    光    里    面    所    有    的    蜂    蜜   。" 我    真    不    明    白   ，" 他    说    道   ，" 人    们    常    说    死    是    痛    苦    的   ， 但    我    尝    起    来    却    是    甘    甜    的   。 难    怪    富    农    的    女    人    老    是    想    死   ！" 说    完    便    坐    在    一    把    椅    子    上   ， 等    死   。 但    他    非    但    没    有    因    此    而    变    得    越    来    越    虚    弱   ， 相    反   ， 由    于    吃    了    那    些    滋    补    的    食    物   ， 他    变    得    更    强    壮    了   。" 这    不    可    能    是    毒    药   ，" 他    想   ，" 但    富    人    有    一    次    说    过    他    有    一    瓶    灭    蚊    虫    的    毒    药   ， 那    肯    定    是    真    正    的    毒    药    了   ， 吃    了    肯    定    会    死    的   。" 不    过   ， 这    些    也    不    是    灭    飞    虫    的    毒    药   ， 而    是    匈    牙    利    酒   。 男    孩    拿    起    了    那    瓶    酒   ， 一    喝    而    光   ， 心    想    这    下    是    准    死    无    疑    了   。" 我    想    我    肯    定    会    死    了   ！" 他    说    道   ，" 不    如    先    到    教    堂    的    墓    地    去   ， 到    那    儿    找    个    坟    墓   。" 他    跌    跌    撞    撞    地    走    到    了    教    堂    墓    地   ， 找    了    一    个    新    掘    好    的    坟    墓    躺    下   ， 慢    慢    地    觉    得    失    去    了    知    觉   。 附    近    有    一    家    旅    店    正    在    举    行    婚    礼   ， 声    音    传    了    过    来   ， 他    以    为    自    己    已    经    到    了    天    堂   ， 不    久    他    完    全    失    去    了    知    觉    了   。 这    可    怜    的    孩    子    再    也    没    有    醒    来   ， 灼    热    的    烈    酒    和    晚    间    的    寒    露    夺    去    了    他    的    生    命   ， 从    此    他    就    一    直    这    样    躺    在    那    坟    墓    中   。

 当    富    人    得    知    男    孩    死    了   ， 很    是    害    怕   ， 担    心    被    带    上    法    庭   。 他    情    绪    是    如    此    低    落   ， 苦    恼    老    是    困    扰    着    他   ， 不    久    就    昏    过    去    了   。 他    的    女    人    正    站    在    灶    边    炼    一    满    锅    的    油   ， 便    跑    来    救    他   ， 但    火    漏    到    了    锅    里   ， 整    个    房    子    都    着    火    了   ， 倾    刻    便    化    成    了    灰    烬   。 在    他    们    以    后    的    日    子    里   ， 他    们    一    直    生    活    在    贫    穷    和    痛    苦    中   ， 时    刻    受    着    良    心    的    谴    责   。

Concept and Helping Material