English Original
Once upon a time, a tradesman led a caravan to another country to sell his goods. They reached the edge of a scorching desert, where daytime sand became as hot as charcoal, impassable for man or beast. The leader hired a desert guide to navigate by the stars, allowing them to travel only at night.
A few nights into the journey, after their meal, the guide dozed off. The bullocks, unable to read the stars, wandered in a wide circle, leading the caravan back to their starting point by morning. With their water depleted and spirits broken, the travelers despaired and blamed their leaders.
The tradesman, however, refused to give up. He knew that losing courage would doom them all. While pacing, he spotted a small clump of grass. Realizing plants cannot survive without water, he urged his companions to dig at that spot.
They dug until they hit a large stone. Discouraged, they wanted to quit, but the tradesman insisted they persevere. He listened at the stone and heard flowing water. He then instructed a boy to strike the rock with a heavy hammer. To everyone's astonishment, the rock split, and a mighty stream of water gushed forth.
Overjoyed, they drank, bathed, and replenished their supplies. Before departing, they raised a high banner to guide other travelers to the new spring. They then continued safely on their journey.
The moral is: Don't give up too easily; keep trying until you reach your goal.
中文翻译
从前，一位商人带领一支商队前往另一个国家贩卖货物。他们来到一片酷热沙漠的边缘，那里的沙子在白天会变得如同木炭般滚烫，人畜皆无法通行。领队雇佣了一位能观星辨位的沙漠向导，以便他们只在夜间行进。
旅程开始几晚后，晚餐过后，向导打起了瞌睡。拉车的阉牛无法识别星辰，漫无目的地绕了一个大圈，到天亮时竟将商队带回了出发地。水已耗尽，众人心灰意冷，开始绝望地抱怨并指责领队和向导。
然而，商人拒绝放弃。他知道，此刻丧失勇气将令所有人陷入绝境。在他来回踱步思考时，瞥见了一小丛草。他想到，没有水，植物不可能在沙漠中存活，于是便召集最得力的同伴在那个位置挖掘。
他们挖了很久，直到碰到一块巨石。众人气馁，想要放弃，但商人坚持必须继续。他将耳朵贴在石头上，听到了流水声。随后，他让一个正在挖掘的男孩用重锤敲击石头。令所有人惊喜的是，石头裂开了，一股强大的水流喷涌而出。
大家欣喜若狂，饮水、沐浴、清洗牲畜、烹煮食物。离开前，他们竖起一面高高的旗帜，以便其他旅者能从远处看到，找到这片热沙沙漠中的新泉。之后，他们安全地完成了余下的旅程。
寓意是： 不要轻易放弃，坚持努力直到达成目标。