提要

西方哲學的奠基者亞里斯多德，因研究觀察生物被人譏笑不務（哲學）正業，遂說出傳世名言：「天生萬物必有用」。 因為在每一樣事物背後，都有其天性及美。自然界中的一切沒有一樣是偶然發生、都有其目的，為了某種目的，造成美的事物。

One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, "What a beautiful flower! I wish I was that lovely." Another tree said, "Dear pine, don' be sad. We cannot have everything."

The rose turned and remarked, "It seems that I am the most beautiful flower in this forest."

A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, "Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful flowers. You are just one of them."

The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at me and admiring me." Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!"

The pine tree said, "Red rose, what kind of talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too."

The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, "I thought you had good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You cannot compare my thorns to that of the cactus."

"What a proud flower," thought the trees.

The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like "this plant is useless. How sorry I am to be his neighbor."

The cactus never got upset and even tried to advise the rose, saying, "God did not create any form of life without a purpose."

Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as there was no rain. The red rose began to wilt.

One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds were getting water from the cactus.

"Does it not hurt when they make holes?" asked the rose.

"Yes, but the cactus does not like to see the birds suffer," replied the pine.

The rose opened its eyes in wonder and exclaimed, "The cactus has water?"

"Yes, you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help."

The red rose felt too ashamed to ask for water from the cactus, but finally it did ask for help. The cactus kindly agreed. The birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose's roots.

Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again.

解說

在一個美麗的春天，一朵紅玫瑰在林中綻放。環顧玫瑰四周，一棵附近的松樹說：「多美麗的花！我希望我有這般討喜。」另一棵樹說：「親愛的松樹，別傷心。我們不可能擁有一切。」

玫瑰轉過頭來自我標榜：「看來，我是這個森林裡最美麗的花朵。」

向日葵抬起黃色的頭問它：「你為何這麼說呢？在這林裡有很多美麗的花朵，你只是其中之一。」

紅玫瑰回答：「因為我看到每個人都仰慕地看著我。」 然後，玫瑰看著一棵仙人掌說：「看看那醜陋的植物，渾身都是刺！」

松樹說：「紅玫瑰，你這說的是什麼話？誰能說得準什麼是美？你自己也有刺。」

驕傲的紅玫瑰面有怒色地看著松樹說：「我還以為你有很好的品味！你根本不知道美是什麼，你不能將我的刺與仙人掌的相提並論。」

「好一朵驕傲的花。」群樹心想。

玫瑰試圖把根遠離仙人掌，但完全不能動。隨著時間流逝，紅玫瑰看著仙人掌，發表些像是：「這個植物是沒用的，我要當它的鄰居是多麼遺憾……」的侮辱言論。

仙人掌從來不會覺得不開心，還甚至試圖告訴玫瑰：「上天造物，一定有祂的道理。」

春天過去了，天氣變得非常溫暖，因為沒有下雨，林裡的生活變得艱難，紅玫瑰開始枯萎。

有一天，玫瑰看到麻雀將牠們的喙插入仙人掌，然後神清氣爽地飛走。這畫面讓它困惑，紅玫瑰問松樹，鳥在做什麼？松樹解釋給它聽，麻雀從仙人掌中取水。

玫瑰問道：「戳洞時仙人掌不會痛嗎？」

「會痛，但仙人掌不喜歡看到鳥受苦。」松樹回答。

玫瑰驚奇地睜開了眼睛，大聲嚷嚷：「仙人掌有水？」

「是的，你也可以喝。如果你向仙人掌求助，麻雀可以幫你帶水來。」

紅玫瑰覺得向仙人掌要水太難為情，但最後還是向它求助。仙人掌親切地答應了，鳥兒用喙吸滿水，澆玫瑰的根部。

玫瑰從此學到教訓，再也不敢以貌取人。