1、三桃石 (Three Peach Stones) observeachild;anyonewilldo.youwillseethatnotadaypassesinwhichhedoesn otfindsomethingorothertomakehimhappy,thoughhemaybeintearsthenext moment.thenlookataman;anyoneofuswilldo.youwillnoticethatweeksandm onthscanpassinwhichdayisgreetedwithnothingmorethanresignation1,ande ndurewi

2、theverypoliteindifference.indeed,mostmenareasmiserableassinner s,thoughtheyaretooboredtosin-perhapstheirsinistheirindifference2.butitist ruethattheysoseldomsmilethatwhentheydowedonotrecognizetheirface,so distortedisitfromthefixedmaskwetakeforgranted3.andeventhenamancanno tsmilelikeachild,forachildsm

3、ileswithhiseyes,whereasamansmileswithhislips alone.itisnotasmile;butagrin;somethingtodowithhumor4,butlittletodowith happiness.andthen,asanyonecansee,thereisapoint(butwhocandefinethatp oint?)whenamanbecomesanoldman,andthenhewillsmileagain. itwouldseemthathappinessissomethingtodowithsimplicity,andthat

4、itistheab ilitytoextractpleasureformthesimplestthings-suchasapeachstone,forinstanc e.itisobviousthatitisnothingtodowithsuccess.forsirhenrystewartwascertainl ysuccessful.itistwentyyearsagosincehecamedowntoourvillagefromlondon,a ndboughtacoupleofoldcottages,whichhehadknockedintoone.heusedhishou seaswe

5、ekendrefuge5.hewasabarrister.andthevillagefollowedhisbrilliantcar eerwithsomethingalmostamountingtopaternalpride.iremembersometenye arsagowhenhewasmadeaking'scounsel6,amosandi,seeinghimgetoffthelon dontrain,wenttocongratulatehim.wegrinnedwithpleasure;hemerelylooked asmiserableasthoughhe'drec

6、eivedapenalsentence.itwasthesamewhenhew asknighted;heneversmiledabit,hedidn'tevenbothertocelebratewitharound ofdrinksatthebluefox7.hetookhissuccessasachilddoeshismedicine.andnoto neofhisachievementsbroughtevenaghostofasmiletohistiredeyes. iaskedhimoneday,soonafterhe'dretiredtopotterabouthisg

7、arden,8whatiswa sliketoachieveallone'sambitions.helookeddownathisrosesandwentonwater ingthem.thenhesaidtheonlyvalueinachievingone'sambitionisthatyouthenre alizethattheyarenotworthachieving.quicklyhemovedtheconversationontoa morepracticallevel,andwithinamomentwewerebacktoasafediscussiononth e

8、weather.thatwastwoyearsago.irecallthisincident,foryesterday,iwaspassinghishouse,andhaddrawnupmyca rtjustoutsidehisgardenwall.ihadpulledinfromtheroadfornootherreasonthan toletabuspassme.asisettherefillingmypipe,isuddenlyheardashoutofsheerjo ycomefromtheothersideofthewall.ipeeredover.therestoodsirhenr

9、ydoingno thinglessthanatribalwardance9ofsheerunashamedecstasy.evenwhenheobs ervedmybewilderedfacestaringoverthewallhedidnotseemputout10oremba rrassed,eandsee,jan.look!ihavedoneitatlast!ihavedoneitatlast!therehewas,hol dingasmallboxofearthinhishad.iobservedthreetinyshoot

10、soutofit.andtherew ereonlythree!hesaid,hiseyeslaughingtoheaven.threewhat?iasked.peachsto nes,hereplied.i'vealwayswantedtomakepeachstonesgrow,evensinceiwasac hild,wheniusedtotakethemhomeafteraparty,orasamanafterabanquet.andiu sedtoplantthem,andthenforgotwhereiplantedthem.butnowatlastihavedon eit,and,what'smor