A Precious Turnip

Before Louis the Eleventh became king, he used to visit a peasant whose garden produced excellent fruit. After his accession, the peasant brought him as a present a very large turnip which had grown in his garden. The king, remembering the pleasant hours that he had spent under the old man’s roof, gave him a thousand crowns.http://www.51education.net来自无忧英语教育幽默英语

The lord of the village, hearing of this, thought that if one who gave a paltry turnip received so large a reward, one who gave a really valuable present would receive a still larger reward, He, therefore, offered a splendid house. The king accepted it and calling for the big turnip. said, “This cost me a thousand crowns; I give it to you in return for your horse.”

珍贵的萝卜

在路易十一世还没做皇帝之前，他常去拜访一位农夫，那农夫有个花园，园里种着很多优质水果。当他既位后，那农夫送给他一个在自己园里种出来的大萝卜作为礼物。皇帝回忆起以前消磨在这位老人家中的快乐时光，赏了老人一千个金币。

一位乡绅听说了这件事，他想：送一些没价值的萝卜给皇帝，便可以获‘得大量的赏赐，要是有人送一些真正有价值的礼物给皇帝，那么，得到的赏赐不是会更多吗？于是他便献给皇帝一匹名种马，皇帝接受了他的礼物，并叫人拿出大萝卜，对乡绅说：“这个大萝卜是用一千个金币换来的，就把它送给你，作为对你的名种马的回敬。：”