English Original
Three sons discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother.
The first said, "I built a big house for our mother."
The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver."
The third smiled and said, "I've got you both beat. Remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you know she can't see very well. I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it."
Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks.
She wrote to one son, "The house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house."
She wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes."
"Dearest Donald," she wrote to her third son, "you have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious."
中文翻译
三个儿子商量着要送给年迈的母亲什么礼物。
大儿子说：“我给妈妈建了一幢大房子。”
二儿子说：“我送了她一辆带司机的奔驰车。”
三儿子笑着说：“我的礼物比你们的都好。还记得妈妈多喜欢读《圣经》吗？而且你们知道她视力不太好。我送了她一只非凡的鹦鹉，能背诵整本《圣经》。妈妈只需要说出章节和经文，鹦鹉就能背诵出来。”
不久之后，母亲寄出了她的感谢信。
她给一个儿子写道：“你建的房子太大了。我只住一个房间，却得打扫整栋房子。”
她给另一个儿子写道：“我年纪太大，不便旅行了。大部分时间我都待在家里，所以很少用到那辆奔驰车。”
“最亲爱的唐纳德，”她给第三个儿子写道，“你最懂妈妈的心思。那只鸡美味极了。”