Many years ago, there lived a very rich man who wanted to do something for the people of his town. But first he wanted to find out whether they were good enough to get his help. So he placed a very large stone in the center of the main road into town. Then he hid behind a tree and waited.
Soon an old man came along with his cow. "Who put this stone in the center of the road?" said the old man, but he did not try to move the stone away. Instead, he passed around the stone and continued on his way. Another man came along and did the same thing; then another came, and another. All of them complained (抱怨) about the stone in the center of the road, but none of them tried to move it away.
Late in the afternoon, a young man came along. He saw the stone and said, "It will be very dark at night. Some people will come along later in the dark and will fall against the stone."
The young man then began to move the stone. He pulled with all his strength to move it to one side. But imagine his surprise when he found a bag full of money and a message under the stone: "This money is for the thoughtful person who takes this stone away from the road. Thank you."
