English Original
A woman deeply regretted hurting her best friend with thoughtless words. To undo the harm, she sought advice from a wise elder in her village.
The elder, sensing her distress, gave her a task: "Before sunrise, place a single feather from your best pillow on the doorstep of every house in town."
Though the pillows were precious, the woman labored all night in the cold, completing the chore just as dawn broke.
"Now," said the wise woman, "go back and collect all the feathers to refill your pillow. Then all will be as it was."
"That's impossible!" the young woman exclaimed. "The wind blew each feather away as soon as I put it down."
"Exactly," replied the elder. "Remember, your words are like feathers in the wind. Once spoken, no effort can bring them back. Choose your words carefully, especially in the presence of those you love."
中文翻译
一位女子因出言不慎伤害了挚友，深感懊悔。为了弥补过错，她向村里一位智慧的长者寻求建议。
长者感受到了她的痛苦，给了她一个任务：“在日出之前，从你最好的枕头上取一根羽毛，放在镇上每户人家的门阶上。”
尽管枕头很珍贵，这位女子还是在寒夜里独自劳作了一整晚，终于在破晓时分完成了任务。
“现在，”智者说，“回去把你放在台阶上的所有羽毛捡回来，重新装满你的枕头。那么一切就会恢复原样。”
“这不可能！”年轻女子惊呼道，“我刚把羽毛放下，风就把它们都吹走了。”
“没错，”长者回答，“记住，你说出的话就像风中的羽毛。一旦出口，无论如何努力都无法收回。请慎言，尤其是在你所爱的人面前。”