the market was filled with merchants selling fresh groceries. the fishmonger had crab and bass as the catch of the day. the chef was cooking soft and delicious noodles in a variety of sauces. one farmer had the brightest greens,英語 while another had the sweetest pears. hustle and bustle, the market was a filled with activity.
a beggar entered the market, holding out his hand, hoping for a coin or two. the shoppers and merchants ignored him as he passed the food bins. he stopped in front of the pear merchant’s cart. "please sir, you have so many pears. can you spare just one? i haven’t eaten for seven days." the pear merchant, alarmed and angered, tried to chase the beggar away by calling him names and threatening to beat him.
the local policeman came by to look into the commotion. feeling sorry for e beggar, the policeman bought a pear and gave it to the beggar. the beggar thanked the policeman, shook his hand, and started to dig a hole. confused, the policeman asked the beggar if he was going to eat the pear.
"oh, no, sir. you’ve given me a magic pear. i’m going to bury it and it will grow into a huge tree," replied the beggar as he continued to dig his hole. the people in the market gathered around and watched the beggar bury the fruit. when the last handful of dirt was placed back in the hole, the beggar sat down and chanted.
the eyes of the crowded widened and was followed by many oh’s and ah’s for just as soon as the beggar sat down, a tiny green sprout emerged from the dirt, climbing up and up, thicker and stronger. when the sprout reached three feet tall, it grew branches. on those branches, leaves filled the void. and at the end of each branch, many many pears sprouted. there were so many of them that the beggar had to stand up and pick the fruit, or else the tree would collapse.
the beggar, with pears in his arms, started to give away his pears. "i have so many pears and i want to share with everyone who doesn’t have any." when all the pears were gone and eaten, the beggar took a long knife from his bag and chopped down the magical pear tree. everyone thanked the beggar for the show and for sharing, including the pear merchant. the beggar smiled and walked away.
as soon as the crowd died down, the pear merchant walked back to his cart. to his surprise, all of his pears were gone. the beggar had given them all away. the pear merchant’s cart had a handle missing. the beggar had chopped it off. the pear merchant sat down on his empty, broken cart and cried.
if you get a chance, don’t think about this story too much. don’t figure out how the beggar did what he did. just let it be. as a close friend said to me, "i am human being. i be."