English Original
Once there lived a rich merchant and a poor shoemaker in the same house. The merchant occupied the second floor, while the shoemaker lived and worked in a small room on the first floor.
The shoemaker was one of the happiest persons on earth. He worked from morning till night, singing merrily. His heart was filled with joy whenever he looked at the boots and shoes to be repaired.
The merchant upstairs was so rich that he hardly knew how much wealth he had. He was always counting his gold and silver coins far into the night. Even in bed, his uneasiness about his riches kept him awake. When he finally fell asleep for an hour or two, the song of the happy shoemaker, who was an early riser, would begin. It continued all day and troubled the merchant. Day by day, the merchant grew more tired from lack of sleep. He asked a wise friend how to stop the shoemaker's song.
"Well, if I were you, I would give the shoemaker a hundred pounds," answered his friend. "You are rich enough to do that. Ask for nothing in return. Simply give the money." The merchant readily followed the advice.
When the shoemaker opened the bag sent by the merchant, he was amazed to find shining coins. "I must hide this from my neighbors. If they see it, they will think I stole it," he thought. "I will keep it away even from my wife." So he hid the bag of money under the floor.
From then on, he avoided his neighbors as much as he could. His wife, who had been his best companion, became a source of worry as his mind was too fixed on the money bag to work diligently. He could no longer sing merrily. Whenever he thought of the money, he became uneasy and unhappy.
Finally, one day his wife said to him in tears, "Dear husband, what makes you so sad and uneasy? All our neighbors say you have changed. I wish you were as good and gentle as before." He felt so sorry that he told her everything.
"We were happy before the merchant gave us the money," said his wife upon hearing the story. "We have good health and plenty of work. What more do we need? Send the money back, and our happy life will return."
The shoemaker agreed and went to return the money. "Sir," he said, "let me return this to you. By giving this to me, you have spoiled my happy and easy life. I want my happiness back by returning your gift."
Merry song was again heard all over the house. He was as happy as he had ever been.
中文翻译
从前，一位富商和一位穷鞋匠住在同一栋房子里。商人住在二楼，而鞋匠则在一楼的一个小房间里生活和工作。
鞋匠是世界上最快乐的人之一。他从早到晚工作，愉快地歌唱。每当他看着待修补的靴子和鞋子，心中就充满喜悦。
楼上的商人非常富有，甚至不知道自己有多少财富。他总是数金币银币到深夜。即使在床上，他对财富的不安也让他难以入眠。当他终于睡着一两个小时，早起快乐的鞋匠的歌声又会响起。歌声终日不绝，困扰着商人。日复一日，商人因睡眠不足而愈发疲惫。他向一位聪明的朋友请教如何让鞋匠停止歌唱。
朋友答道：“如果我是你，我会给鞋匠一百英镑。你足够富有，可以这样做。不要任何回报，直接给他钱。”商人欣然听从了建议。
鞋匠打开商人送来的袋子，惊讶地发现了闪闪发光的硬币。他想：“我必须把这个藏起来，不让邻居看见。如果他们看到，会以为是我偷的。我甚至要瞒着我的妻子。”于是他把钱袋藏在了地板下。
从那以后，他尽可能避开邻居。曾经是他最好伴侣的妻子，也成了他的烦恼，因为他一心只想着钱袋，无法专心工作。他再也无法快乐地歌唱。一想到钱，他就变得不安和不快乐。
终于有一天，他的妻子含泪对他说：“亲爱的丈夫，是什么让你如此悲伤和不安？所有的邻居都说你变了。我希望你能像以前一样善良温和。”他感到非常抱歉，于是告诉了她一切。
妻子听完后说：“在商人给我们钱之前，我们很快乐。我们身体健康，有充足的工作。我们还需要什么呢？把钱还回去，我们曾经快乐的生活就会回来。”
鞋匠同意了，去把钱还给了商人。他说：“先生，请让我把这个还给您。您把它给我，反而破坏了我快乐安逸的生活。我想通过归还您的礼物，找回我的快乐。”
欢快的歌声再次响彻整栋房子。他又变得和从前一样快乐了。