Page:Max Havelaar Or The Coffee Sales of the Netherlands Trading Company Siebenhaar.djvu/170

 advantage of Natal, or rather my wounded vanity—wasn’t it very hard that I still counted so little as not to be able to have a harbour constructed where I wanted it?—Well, then, all this, in connection with my candidature for the regulation of a solar system, had that day made me so unamiable. When the sunset cured me a little—for discontentedness is an illness—it was exactly that illness which reminded me of ‘The Japanese Stone-cutter,’ and perhaps it was only for one reason that I thought that story aloud: namely, that, making myself believe that I did it out of kindness towards the child, I could thus on the sly take the last dose of medicine I felt I needed. But she, the child, cured me—for some days at least—better than my story, which must approximately have run thus:—

Oopi, there was a man who cut stones out of the rock. His labour was very heavy, and he laboured much, but his wages were slender, and he was not contented.

He sighed because his labour was heavy. And he exclaimed: “Oh, that I were rich, so that I might rest on a baleh-baleh with red silk klamboo!"

And there came an angel from heaven, and said: “Be it unto thee as thou hast said!”

And he rich. And he rested on a baleh-baleh and the klamboo was of red silk.

And the king of the land passed by, with horsemen in front of his car. And behind the car also there were horsemen, and the golden payong was held above the head of the king.

And when the rich man saw this, he was vexed that no golden payong was held above head. And he was not contented.

He sighed, and exclaimed: “I wish I were a king!”

And there came an angel from heaven, and said: “Be it unto thee as thou hast said!”