The Story of the Stonecutter

The Story of the Stonecutter
There was once a stonecutter,
who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house,
and through the open gateway,
saw many fine possessions and important visitors.

"How powerful that merchant must be!", thought the stonecutter.

He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant.
Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant!
He now enjoyed more luxuries and power 

than he could ever have dreamed.

However, he was also envied and detested 

by those less wealthy than himself.

Soon, a high official passed by.
The official was carried in a sedan chair,
accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs.
Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession.

"How powerful that official is! I wish that I could be a high official!", 

he thought.

Then, suddenly, he became the high official!
He was then carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair.
 

However, he was feared and hated by the people all around…
for they had to bow down low, subserviently, before him as he passed.

It was a hot summer day, and he now felt very uncomfortable,
as the high official, in his sticky sedan chair.
He looked up at the sun.
It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence.

"How powerful the sun is! I wish that I could be the sun!", 

he thought.

Then, to his surprise, he became the sun!
Unaffected by all, his brilliance was cast down upon everyone…
meanwhile scorching the fields as he shone.

However, he was then cursed by the farmers and laborers
who were miserable under the sweltering heat.

Soon, a huge cloud moved between him and the earth,
and so his light could no longer shine on everything below.

"How powerful that cloud is! I wish that I could be a cloud!", 

he thought.

Then, suddenly, he became the cloud.
Billowy and dense, he loftily spread across the vastness of the sky.

However, he was shouted at by everyone,
for he now blocked out the sun and rained torrentially down,
flooding the fields and villages.

But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force,
and realized that it was the wind.

"How powerful the wind is! I wish that I could be the wind!", 

he thought.

Then, to his surprise, he became the wind!
Mighty was he, able now to move even the vastness of great clouds.

However, he was hated and feared by all below him.
For, he also blew tiles off the roofs of houses,
and was capable of uprooting the largest trees.

But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move,
no matter how forcefully he blew against it…
a huge, towering mountain of stone.

"How powerful that stone is! I wish that I could be a stone!", 

he thought.

Then, suddenly, he became the stone,
more powerful than anything else on earth.
The wind could not move him.
The cloud moved around him.
The sun only warmed him.
He was unaffected by the presence of the high official,
and unimpressed by the merchant’s wealth.

But as he stood there, he heard an odd sound,
and felt himself being changed…
irresistibly changed, unavoidably changed.

"What could be more powerful than I, the stone?", 

he thought.

He looked far down to his base, his very foundation…
The sound was that of a hammer pounding a chisel…
and he saw below him
the figure of a stonecutter.

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