兩位在旅遊的天使來到一位富人的家裏過夜。那家人對他們很不禮貌，不讓他們住在自己豪華的客房中，只在一個寒冷的地下室裏為他們騰出了一個地方。當他們準備在堅硬的地板上就寢時，那位年長的天使看到牆上有一個洞，便把它修補好了。年輕的天使問他為什麼要這樣做，他回答說：「事情並不總是如你所看的那樣。」

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in

the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude

and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s

guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in

the cold basement. As they made their bed on the

hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall

and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why,

the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what

they seem.�”

第二天夜裏，這二位天使來到了一位極為貧窮、但卻非常好客的農夫家裏落腳。在與天使們分享了自己所剩無幾的食物之後，這對夫婦又讓天使們睡在自己的床上。天使們在那裏睡了一夜好覺。第二天早上，當太陽升起來時，天使們發現農夫和他的妻子正在哭泣。原來，那唯一能為他們帶來收入的乳牛在田野裏死了。

The next night the pair came to rest at

the house of a very poor but very

hospitable farmer and his wife. After

sharing what little food they had, the

couple let the angels sleep in their bed

where they could have a good night’s

rest. When the sun came up the next

morning, the angels found the farmer

and his wife in tears. Their only cow,

whose milk had been their sole income,

lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked

the older angel, “How could you have let

this happen? The first man had everything,

yet you helped him. The second family had

little but was willing to

share everything, and you

let their cow die.”

“Things aren’t always

what they seem,” the

older angel replied.

“When we stayed in the

basement of the mansion,

I noticed there was gold

stored in that hole in the

wall. Since the owner

was so obsessed with

greed and unwilling to

share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so

he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we

slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death

came for his wife. I told him to take the

cow instead.”

年輕的天使頓時勃然大怒，他問年長的天使說：「你怎麼能讓這種事情發生呢？頭一個人已經擁有了一切，但你卻仍然幫助他；可是，這家人幾乎已經是一無所有，但他們仍願與他人分享自己的 一切，而你卻讓他們的 乳牛死掉了！」 「事情並不總是如你所 看的那樣，」年長的天 使回答：「當我們在那 位富豪的地下室裏留宿 時，我曾注意到：在那 個牆洞裏藏有一些金 子。因為那家的主人財 迷心竅，不願意與人分 享自己的豐盛財富，所 以我就封死了那堵牆； 這樣，他就不會找到埋藏在裏面的金子。昨天晚上，當我們睡在這家窮農夫的床上時，死亡天使曾前來領取他妻子的性命；於是，我便讓他取走了那頭乳牛，而沒有讓他去傷害農夫的妻子。」

有時，我們的反應會像這個寓言裏的年輕天使那樣，但上帝應許過︰「萬事都互相效力，叫愛上帝的人得益處。」儘管許多事情，當時看起來好像對你沒有什麼好處，你若至今尚未發現其中益處的話，那麼你遲早將發現，它在某方面是會讓你受益的。

Sometimes we react just like the younger angel

in this parable. But we should remember that, as

God as promised, “All things work together for

good for those who love God”. Although a lot of

things may have happened to you that didn’t look

very good at the time, you’ll find out sooner or

later, if you haven’t already, that in some way

they were good for you.

雙語兒童的故事： www.freekidstories.org

Text and art © The Family International.