The Japanese Stone-cutter

Once upon a time there was in Japan a poor stone-cutter, a simple workman in tho quarries. His life was rudo ; he usod to worked hard, savo littlc, an 1 was not at all contented with his fate. " Oh, if I could only be rich enough to rest, to sleep ou thick matting, wrapped in a kirimou of soft silk ' " Such was the sigh ho broathed to heaven. An angel intorcuptc'd it. "Ithall be according to thy deaire, " said the angel to him. And ho at onoo booame rich, and he reste I, glept upon thick matting, and wxapped kiinsulf in a kirimon of soft silk. It happenod that the Emperor passod by. He was preceded by heralds 011 foot and horseback, followodby a brilliant escort of cavaliers, gurrounded by persons who held over his hoad and immense parasol rosplendent with gold. ' " What good does it do me to be rich ? ' tnurmured the man, " as long as I have not the right to go out with an escort, and have rny bead protected by a golden parasol Ï Wliy ain I not the Emperor 'í " " Thou shalt be," said the angel. And, indeed, hu beoame Emporor. He had an escort of oa valiere bofora and bebind him, and people who held abovo his head an immousu parasol respleudunt with gold. However, thesun with his ardentbeams dried up the country, and tho dusty road, quivering with his brightness, tatigued the eyos. " It is no great advantage to be Eraporor," cried the man, " wheu the heat of the day exhausta you and the sun never coases to make you feel his power ! But if one could bo tho sun ! " " Bohold, are you satisfied ? " the angel askud. Por ho had become tho sun, and ho darted his beams up and down, right and left, and all around him, and he scorched the herbage ot tlie earth and the faces of the princes upon the earth. But now a cloud thrust itself between j tho earth and him ; it held back the rays of tho sun, and prevonted them from falling upon the oarth's surfaco. " There is strtngth," cried tho sun - " a cloud oapable of resisting my power. It would be better if I wcre a cloud." " Very well," said the angel. And tho transformaron was at onceaccomplished. Tho new cloud placed itself haughtily bntween the sun and the earth, ! aud so thoroughly intorcepted the rays of ■ the sun that it soon saw the earth covered with its shadow. Thon it caused big drops of raijii'l pouring showers and water-spouts to fall on the lands, so that the torrents burst their bounds, and tho rivors spread over and devastated the fields. Nothing resistcd the force of the inundation ; only a rock defied it, perfectly motiouloss. In vain the billowy waters Dcat it in tlieir tury ; the rock yielded not, but the foaming wavos died at its foot. " A rock, tbon, is my superior," said the cloud ; " I would rather be in its place." " Yon shall be," said the angel. And he was trausformed into a stoep, unshaken rock, insensible to the rays of the sun, indifferent to the torrents of rain and the shock of the tumultuous waves. Novertheless, he distinguished at bis feet a man of poor appearance, hardly clothed, but annod with a chisel and a haminer, and the man, with the help of these Instruments, struck off pieces of' the rock, which he dreased into stones proper for cutting. " Whut is that?" cried the rock. " Has a man the power of ronding pieces of stono from ïny breast ? Shall I bo weukerthtmho? Then it is absolutely necessary that I should bo that man." " Have your will " said the angel ; and ho became what ho had been, - a poor stone-cutter, a simple workinaii ia the quarries. His life was rude ; ho wurkod much and gained little, but he was contented with his lot.