English Original
A peddler was selling earthen basins by the roadside. As he knocked on them to demonstrate their quality, he chanted, "Earthen basins, round and sound, beautiful and strong. Just hear this ring, a superior thing!" However, while knocking, one basin cracked and shattered into pieces.
The onlookers burst into laughter. Without a second thought, the peddler tossed the fragments into a nearby paddy field. An experienced farmer from the crowd immediately protested, "How dare you throw that into my field? It will impede the growth of my crops!"
The peddler promptly tried to explain, "It's nothing to worry about. The fragments will turn to powder as soon as they absorb water."
中文翻译
一个小贩在路边卖瓦盆。他一边敲打瓦盆展示其质量，一边唱道：“瓦盆圆又圆，结实又好看，光听这声音，就知不一般。”然而，敲着敲着，一个瓦盆“啪啦”一声裂成了碎片。
围观的人们一阵哄笑。小贩想也没想，顺手就把碎片扔进了旁边的稻田里。人群中一位经验丰富的老农立刻提出了抗议：“你怎么敢往我田里扔？这会妨碍我的庄稼生长！”
卖瓦盆的小贩连忙辩解道：“不要紧，瓦片一见水，一会儿就化成粉了。”