一只蚌跟它附近的另一只蚌说："我身体里边有个极大的痛苦。
它是沉重的，圆圆的，我遭难了。"
另一只蚌怀着骄傲自满情绪答道："赞美上天也赞美大海，我身体里边毫无痛苦，我里里外外都很健全。"
这时有一只螃蟹经过，听到了两只蚌的谈话，它对那只里里外外都很健全的蚌说："是的，你是健全的，然而，你的邻居所承受的痛苦，乃是一颗异常美丽的珍珠。"
The Pearl
Said one oyster to a neighbouring oyster, "I have a very great pain within me. It is heavy and round and I am in distress."
And the other oyster replied with haughty complacence, "Praise be to the heavens and to the sea, I have no pain within me. I am well and whole both within and without."
At that moment a crab was passing by and heard the two oysters, and he said to the one who was well and whole both within and without, "Yes, you are well and whole; but the pain that your neighbour bears is a pearl of exceeding beauty."