早晨，我在石头路上走时，叫道：“谁来雇用我呀。”

皇帝坐着马车，手里拿着剑走来。

他拉着我的手，说道：“我要用权力来雇用你。”

但是他的权力算不了什么，他坐着马车走了。

正午炎热的时候，家家户户的门都闭着。

我沿着蜿蜒的小巷走去。

一个老人带着一袋黄金走出来。

他斟酌了一下，说道：“我要用金钱来雇用你。”

他一个一个地数着他的钱，但我却转身离去了。

黄昏，花园的篱上满开着花。

美人走出来，说道：“我要用微笑来雇用你。”

她的微笑黯淡了，化成泪容了，她孤寂地回身走进黑暗里去。

太阳照耀在沙地上，海波任性地浪花四溅。

一个小孩坐在那里玩贝壳。

他抬起头来，好像认识我似的，说道：“我雇你不用什么东西。”

从此以后，在这个小孩的游戏中做成的买卖，使我成了一个自由的人。

The Last Bargain

“Come and hire me，”I cried，while in the morning I was walking on the stone‐paved road.

Sword in hand，the King came in his chariot.

He held my hand and said，“I will hire you with my power. ”

But his power counted for nought，and he went away in his chariot.

In the heat of the midday the houses stood with shut doors.

I wandered along the crooked lane.

An old man came out with his bag of gold.

He pondered and said，“I will hire you with my money. ”

He weighed his coins one by one，but I turned away.

It was evening. The garden hedge was all a flower.

The fair maid came out and said，“I will hire you with a smile. ”

Her smile paled and melted into tears，and she went back alone into the dark.

The sun glistened on the sand，and the sea waves broke waywardly.

A child sat playing with shells.

He raised his head and seemed to know me，and said，“I hire you with nothing. ”From thence forward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man.