Prisoner, tell me, who was it that bound you?’
‘It was my master,’ said the prisoner. ‘I thought I could outdo everybody in the world in wealth and power, and I amassed in my own treasure-hose the money due to my king. When sleep overcame me I lay upon the bad that was for my lord, and on waking up I found I was a prisoner in my own treasure-house.’
‘Prisoner, tell me, who was it that wrought this unbreakable chain?’
‘It was I,’ said the prisoner, ‘who forged this chain very carefully. I thought my invincible power would hold the world captive leaving me in a freedom undisturbed. Thus night and day I worked at the chain with huge fires and cruel hard strokes. When at last the work was done and the links were complete and unbreakable, I found that it held me in its grip.’
"囚人,告诉我,谁把你捆起来的?"
"是我的主人,"囚人说."我以为我的财富与权力胜过世界上一切的人,我把我的国王的钱财聚敛在自己的宝库里.我昏困不过,睡在我主的床上,一觉醒来,我发现我在自己的宝库里做了囚人."
"囚人,告诉我,是谁铸的这条坚牢的锁链?"
"是我,"囚人说,"是我自己用心铸造的.我以为我的无敌的权力会征服世界,使我有无碍的自由.我日夜用烈火重锤打造了这条铁链.等到工作完成,铁链坚牢完善,我发现这铁链把我捆住了."
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