English Original
When Adam and Eve were driven out of Paradise, they had to build a house on barren land and earn their bread by the sweat of their brow. Adam tilled the soil, and Eve spun. Each year, Eve bore a child, but they were all different—some beautiful, some ugly.
After a long time, God sent an angel to announce His visit. Delighted, Eve diligently cleaned her house, decorated it with flowers, and scattered reeds on the floor. She then presented only her beautiful children. She washed and dressed them, combed their hair, and instructed them to behave modestly before the Lord, to bow politely, extend their hands, and answer wisely.
The ugly children were hidden away—one under hay, another under the roof, others in straw, the stove, cellar, under a tub, a wine-cask, an old fur cloak, beneath cloth for garments, and under leather for shoes.
Soon, there was a knock at the door. Adam peered through a crack and saw it was the Lord. He opened the door respectfully, and the Heavenly Father entered. The beautiful children stood in a row, bowed, held out their hands, and knelt.
The Lord blessed them, laying His hands on each. To the first, He said, "You shall be a powerful king;" to the second, "a prince;" then, "a count," "a knight," "a nobleman," "a burgher," "a merchant," and "a learned man." He bestowed His richest blessings upon them.
Seeing the Lord's kindness, Eve thought, "I will bring my ill-favored children too; perhaps He will bless them as well." She quickly fetched them from their hiding places. Out came a coarse, dirty, shabby, sooty group. The Lord smiled, looked at them, and said, "I will bless these also." He laid His hands on them, declaring: "You shall be a peasant, a fisherman, a smith, a tanner, a weaver, a shoemaker, a tailor, a potter, a waggoner, a sailor, an errand-boy, and a scullion all your days."
Eve protested, "Lord, how unequally You divide Your gifts! They are all my children; Your favors should be equal." God replied, "Eve, you do not understand. The world must be supplied by your children. If all were princes and lords, who would grow grain, thresh, grind, and bake it? Who would be blacksmiths, weavers, carpenters, masons, laborers, tailors, and seamstresses? Each has a place, so one supports another, and all are fed like limbs of one body." Eve answered, "Ah, Lord, forgive my hastiness. Let Your divine will be done with my children."
中文翻译
亚当和夏娃被逐出伊甸园后，不得不在贫瘠的土地上建造房屋，靠辛勤劳动糊口。亚当耕地，夏娃纺线。每年，夏娃都会生一个孩子，但孩子们各不相同——有的漂亮，有的丑陋。
过了很久，上帝派天使告知祂将要来访。夏娃很高兴，勤奋地打扫房屋，用鲜花装饰，在地板上撒上芦苇。然后，她只带来了漂亮的孩子们。她给他们洗澡穿衣，梳理头发，教导他们在主面前要举止谦逊，礼貌鞠躬，伸出手，并智慧地回答。
丑陋的孩子们被藏了起来——一个藏在干草下，一个藏在屋顶下，其他的藏在稻草里、炉子里、地窖里、木桶下、酒桶下、旧毛皮斗篷下、做衣服的布料下，以及做鞋的皮革下。
很快，有人敲门。亚当从门缝窥视，看到是上帝。他恭敬地打开门，天父走了进来。漂亮的孩子们站成一排，鞠躬，伸出手，跪下。
上帝祝福他们，将手放在每个人身上。对第一个说：“你将成为一位强大的国王；”对第二个说：“一位王子；”接着是“一位伯爵”、“一位骑士”、“一位贵族”、“一位市民”、“一位商人”和“一位学者”。祂将最丰盛的祝福赐予他们。
看到上帝如此仁慈，夏娃想：“我也要把我那些不好看的孩子带来；或许祂也会祝福他们。”她迅速把他们从藏身之处带出来。一群粗糙、肮脏、破旧、满身煤灰的孩子出现了。上帝笑了，看着他们说：“我也要祝福这些孩子。”祂将手放在他们身上，宣告：“你将成为一个农民、一个渔夫、一个铁匠、一个鞣皮匠、一个织布工、一个鞋匠、一个裁缝、一个陶工、一个车夫、一个水手、一个跑腿伙计，以及一个终生打杂的厨房帮工。”
夏娃抗议道：“主啊，您分配恩赐多么不公！他们都是我的孩子；您的恩惠应当平等。”上帝回答：“夏娃，你不明白。世界需要你的孩子们来供给。如果所有人都是王公贵族，谁来种粮、打谷、磨粉、烘烤？谁来当铁匠、织工、木匠、泥瓦匠、劳工、裁缝和女裁缝？各人都有其位置，如此才能互相支持，所有人都像身体的肢体一样得到供养。”夏娃答道：“啊，主啊，请原谅我的急躁。愿您的神圣旨意在我的孩子们身上实现。”