Once, a king had a great highway built for his people. Just before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest (竞赛). He invited his people to take part in the contest. Their challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best.
On the day of the contest, some people came to the highway in fine clothing; some had fancy hairstyles or brought great food. Some young men came in their sports clothes and ran along the highway. People travelled the highway all day, but each one, when he or she completed the trip, complained to the king that there was a large pile of stones in the way that had blocked his or her travels.
At the end of the day, a lonely traveller crossed the finishing line and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he showed the king great respect and handed him a bag of gold. He explained, “I stopped along the way to clear a pile of stones that wasblockingthe road. This bag of gold was under it all. I want you to return it to its rightful owner. ”
The king replied, “You are the rightful owner. You've earned this gold, for you won my contest. ”
The man won the contest just because he was the only one who stopped to make the road smoother. Sometimes, the greatest prize comes not from helping yourself, but from helping others.
