THE TADPOLE'S GRATTITUTE

　　蝌蚪報恩

　　Zhang Caozhi was a county official in Shaoxing， Zhejiang. One day he went out on a tour of inspection. He was passing through some rice paddies， when suddenly thousands and thousands of tadpoles rushed to the side of the road. They wriggled and squirmed. They lifted their heads to look at Zhang.

　　張操志是浙江紹興縣令。一天，他出外巡查。當他經過一片稻田時，突然間，成千上萬的蝌蚪沖到了路上。它們不停地蠕動著。每一只蝌蚪都抬起頭看著張操志。

　　"How odd！ It seems like they're pleading for something，" Zhang said to his secretary.

　　"真奇怪！它們好像在請求著什么，"張操志對隨從說道。

　　"Yes， you can practically hear them weeping and wailing."

　　"真的，它們簡直就是在哭泣哀號。"

　　Zhang decided to investigate. He got out of his sedan chair. The tadpoles got excited， and started swimming in a certain direction， stopping every few feet to look back， just like a dog trying to lead a person on！

　　張操志決定調查一下。他下了轎子。蝌蚪于是都騷動起來，它們開始沿著一個方向游著，每游幾尺就回頭看看，就像一條狗在給人引路一樣。

　　"Stranger and stranger，" Zhang thought as he splashed through the paddy after them. Then he stopped with a gasp. Three corpses were lying in the water in the center of the field！

　　"真是越來越奇怪了，" 張操志一邊跟著蝌蚪在水田中淌行一邊想著。突然，他停住了，倒吸了一口涼氣。在稻田中央橫臥著三具尸體。

　　Zhang pulled out his sword. There was nobody in sight but his retinue. He looked at the corpses.

　　張操志拔出佩劍。可周圍除了隨從看不到別的人。于是他仔細地觀察尸體。

　　"Look， sir！" cried his secretary， "One of them is still alive！"

　　"快看，大人！"他的隨從喊道，"這一個還活著！"

　　Zhang was a powerful man. Without waiting for help， he pulled away the two corpses and dragged the third man to the side of the field. He was still breathing， and his heart was beating weakly.

　　張操志是個勇武之人。不等別人來幫忙，他就把另兩具尸體拖開，將第三個人拽到田邊地頭上。這個人還有呼吸，而且他的心臟還在微弱地跳動著。

　　"We got here just in time. Much later， and he'd be dead."

　　"幸虧我們及時趕到。再晚一會兒，他就沒救了。"

　　Zhang immediately called for some hot broth. Before long， the man revived. He thanked Zhang profusely， but Zhang was more interested in finding out what had happened.

　　張操志立即讓人端來一碗熱氣騰騰的肉湯。沒過多久，這個人蘇醒過來。他向張操志千恩萬謝，可這時張操志最關心的是究竟發生了什么。

　　"I run a little store，" the victim told him. "I was on my way back from collecting a bill. I saw two men in front of me heading for the market： these guys here. I asked them what they had to sell， and they said they had fresh tadpoles. Some people like to eat those， as Your Honor knows.

　　"我開了一家小店鋪，"受害人對他說道。"我收完帳正走在回家的路上。我看見在我前面有兩個人正往市集方向走，就是這兩個人。我問他們要去賣什么，他們說他們有新鮮的蝌蚪。大人您知道，有人專喜歡吃這種東西。

　　"But， Your Honor， I'm a Buddhist， and I don't believe in killing animals to eat. I always like to set animals free. I had just collected a bunch of money. So I made a deal with those guys. I asked them to sell me their tadpoles and I would set them free.

　　"但是，大人。我是個信佛的人，非常反對這種殺生的事情。所以我總是喜歡把它們都放生。剛好我收到了一筆錢。于是我就讓它們把蝌蚪賣給我去放生。

　　"They said， 'Okay， but the water here is shallow. If you let them go here， somebody else'll just catch them again. There's a pond over there in that grove，let's go set them free there.'

　　"他們說，'好吧，不過這里的水太淺了。如果你在這里放的話，別人會把它們又撈走了。在那邊的小樹林里有一個小水塘，咱們去那里放生吧。'

　　"But we didn't realize that two bandits had seen me collect the money， and they were following me. Before we could get to the pond， they attacked us with hatchets， and that's the last thing I know， Your Honor."

　　"可是我們沒有發覺有兩個強盜看到我去收帳，而且他們一直在跟著我。還沒到水塘，那兩個強盜就用短斧把我們砍倒，然后我就什么也不知道了，大人。"

　　Zhang said， "They must have killed the other two men so there wouldn't be any witnesses. When did this happen？"

　　張操志說道，"那兩個人一定是他們殺的，這樣就不會有證人了。這是多久前發生的？"

　　"Not long ago， Your Honor."

　　"沒有多久，大人。"

　　"Then they can't be far！" Zhang sent out his men， and in a short time， the bandits were caught. Zhang returned the money to the businessman， and the bandits were charged with robbery and murder.

　　"他們一定還沒走遠！" 張操志派出隨從前去搜捕，不一會兒，兩個強盜就被捉住了。張操志把錢還給了商人，而兩個強盜則因為搶劫殺人而被定罪。

　　Zhang never forgot that even a tadpole loves its life， and can show gratitude！

　　最令張操志難忘的是連一只蝌蚪都熱愛自己的生命，并且知道報答救命之恩。

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