全文

この世は隊商宿

　一人の年老いた乞食が、宮殿を宿屋と間違えて中に入ろうとした。宮殿の門をくぐろうとしたところを門番に呼び止められ、「止まれ、どこへ行くのだ」と誰何れた。乞食は「宿屋に入るところです」と答えたが、宮殿に侵入しようとしたかどで、牢屋に入れられてしまった。審問の時がやってきて、乞食は王様を証人として招んだ。王様が現れた時、乞食は「王様、この宮殿には現在どなたが住んでいらっしゃるのですか」と尋ねた。王様は「私だ」と答えた。「あなた様の前には、どなたが住んでいらっしゃいましたか」「我が父だ」「ではお父様の前には？」「我が祖父だ」「ではおじい様の前はどなたが住んでいらっしゃったのですか」「我が曾祖父だ」そこで乞食は、このように大勢の人が住んでいる所は宿屋或いは隊商宿以外の何ものでもないと法廷に申し出た。哲学者でもある裁判官は、このやり取りに心を動かされ、乞食を釈放するよう言い渡した。

The World Is A Caravansary
An old beggar, mistaking the palace for an inn, was entering the gates,when he was challenged by the gatekeepers. "Stop, Where are you going?" demanded the gatekeepers. The beggar said,"I am entering an inn." The old man was taken to a lockup and was charged with trying to enter the palace. When the case came on for hearing, the beggar called the king as one of his witness. When the king appeared, the beggar thus questioned him,"Sir, who is living in the palace today?" "I am," said the king. "Before you who lived there?" "My father." "And before your father?""My grandfather." "And before him who lived there?" "My great grandfather." Thereupon the beggar submitted to the court that a place which was inhabited by so many persons could not be other than an inn or a caravansary. The judge, who was also a philosopher, was impressed with the argument and ordered the beggar's release.