English Original
A rich farmer stood in his yard, surveying his wealth. His fields were fertile, his barns overflowed with grain, and his livestock were sleek and well-fed. Finally, he glanced at the iron chest holding his money.
Suddenly, a knock echoed—not at his door, but at his heart. A voice asked if he had used his wealth for good, cared for the poor, or been content. His heart answered truthfully: he had been hard, pitiless, and consumed by greed, never satisfied even in thought.
Shaken, he sat down. Then came a real knock. It was his poor neighbor, desperate to feed his starving children. "I know you are hard," the neighbor thought, "but I must ask." He begged for a loan of corn.
The rich man looked at him long. A flicker of mercy melted a drop of his icy greed. "I will not lend you four measures," he said, "but give you eight as a gift—on one condition. When I die, you must watch over my grave for three nights." Though disturbed, the poor man, in his need, agreed and took the corn home.
Three days later, the rich man suddenly died. No one grieved. Remembering his promise, the poor man went to the churchyard at nightfall and sat on the grave mound. The first two nights passed quietly under the moon, with only an owl's melancholy cry.
On the third evening, feeling uneasy, he met a scarred, cloaked stranger by the wall—a discharged soldier with no home. "I fear nothing," the soldier declared, recounting a tale of failed adventure. The peasant enlisted his help to guard the grave, and the soldier agreed to share whatever came.
At midnight, a shrill whistle announced the Devil's arrival. "Leave!" he commanded. "That soul is mine!" The soldier defiantly refused, saying he did not take orders from him.
The Devil tried bribery, offering a bag of gold. The soldier countered: "Fill one of my boots with gold, and we'll leave." The Devil agreed and left to fetch more gold from a money-changer.
Quickly, the soldier cut off the boot's sole and placed it over a hole in the ground. When the Devil returned and poured gold into the boot, it all fell through the hole. Twice more the Devil brought larger amounts, but the boot never filled. Enraged, he was about to attack when the first ray of sunrise appeared. With a shriek, the Evil Spirit fled, and the rich man's soul was saved.
The peasant offered to share the gold, but the soldier said, "Give my portion to the poor. I will live with you in your cottage, and we shall share what remains in peace, for as long as God wills."
中文翻译
一位富农站在院子里，检视着他的财富。他的田地肥沃，谷仓堆满了粮食，牲畜膘肥体壮。最后，他瞥了一眼存放钱财的铁箱。
突然，一声敲击响起——不是敲在门上，而是敲在他的心上。一个声音问他是否用财富行善，是否关心穷人，是否知足。他的心如实回答：他一直冷酷无情，被贪婪吞噬，甚至在想象中也永不满足。
他心神不宁地坐下。接着，传来了真正的敲门声。是他贫穷的邻居， desperate 地想要喂饱饥饿的孩子。"我知道你为人苛刻，"邻居心想，"但我必须试一试。"他恳求借一些玉米。
富农久久地注视着他。一丝怜悯融化了贪婪坚冰的一角。"我不会借给你四斗，"他说，"但会送你八斗作为礼物——条件只有一个。我死后，你必须在我坟前守三个晚上。"尽管心中不安，但迫于急需，穷人同意了，带着玉米回了家。
三天后，富农突然死去。无人哀悼。穷人记起诺言，在夜幕降临时来到教堂墓地，坐在坟丘上。头两个夜晚在月光下平静度过，只有猫头鹰不时发出凄凉的叫声。
第三晚，他感到不安，在墙边遇到一个脸上带疤、披着斗篷的陌生人——一个无家可归的退伍士兵。"我无所畏惧，"士兵宣称，并讲述了自己一次失败的冒险经历。农夫请他帮忙守坟，士兵同意有难同当。
午夜时分，一声尖锐的哨音宣告魔鬼降临。"滚开！"他命令道，"那灵魂是我的！"士兵 defiantly 拒绝，说自己不听命于他。
魔鬼试图贿赂，拿出一袋金子。士兵还价道："用金子装满我的一只靴子，我们就走。"魔鬼同意了，离开去找钱商取更多金子。
士兵迅速割下靴底，将其盖在地上的一个洞上。魔鬼回来后把金子倒进靴子，金子全部从洞中漏了下去。魔鬼又带来了两次更多的金子，但靴子永远装不满。魔鬼勃然大怒，正要攻击时，第一缕晨光出现了。随着一声尖叫，邪恶之灵逃走了，富农的灵魂得救了。
农夫提议平分金子，但士兵说："把我那份给穷人吧。我会去你的小屋和你同住，我们 peace 分享剩余的一切，直到上帝允许的时日。"