There was a proud Teapot, proud of being made of porcelain, proud of its long spout and its broad handle. It had something in front of it and behind it; the spout was in front, and the handle behind, and that was what it talked about. But it didn't mention its lid, for it was cracked and it was riveted and full of defects, and we don't talk about our defects - other people do that. The cups, the cream pitcher, the sugar bowl - in fact, the whole tea service - thought much more about the defects in the lid and talked more about it than about the sound handle and the distinguished spout. The Teapot knew this.
"I know them," it told itself. "And I also know my imperfections, and I realize that in that very knowledge is my humility and my modesty. We all have many defects, but then we also have virtues. The cups have a handle, the sugar bowl has a lid, but of course I have both, and one thing more, one thing they can never have; I have a spout, and that makes me the queen of the tea table. The sugar bowl and the cream pitcher are permitted to be serving maids of delicacies, but I am the one who gives forth, the adviser. I spread blessings abroad among thirsty mankind. Inside of me the Chinese leaves give flavor to boiling, tasteless water."
This was the way the Teapot talked in its fresh young life. It stood on the table that was prepared for tea and it was lifted up by the most delicate hand. But that most delicate hand was very awkward. The Teapot was dropped; the spout broke off, and the handle broke off; the lid is not worth talking about; enough has been said about that. The Teapot lay in a faint on the floor, while the boiling water ran out of it. It was a great shock it got, but the worst thing of all was that the others laughed at it - and not at the awkward hand.
"I'll never be able to forget that!" said the Teapot, when later on it talked to itself about its past life. "They called me an invalid, and stood me in a corner, and the next day gave me to a woman who was begging for food. I fell into poverty, and was speechless both outside and inside, but as I stood there my better life began. One is one thing and then becomes quite another. They put earth in me, and for a Teapot that's the same as being buried, but in that earth they planted a flower bulb. Who put it there and gave it to me, I don't know; but it was planted there, a substitution for the Chinese leaves and the boiling water, the broken handle and spout. And the bulb lay in the earth, inside of me, and it became my heart, my living heart, a thing I never had before. There was life in me; there were power and might; my pulse beat. The bulb put out sprouts; thoughts and feeling sprang up and burst forth into flower. I saw it, I bore it, and I forgot myself in its beauty. It is a blessing to forget oneself in others!
"It didn't thank me, it didn't even think of me - everybody admired it and praised it. It made me very happy; how much more happy it must have made it!
"One day I heard them say it deserved a better pot. They broke me in two - that really hurt - and the flower was put into a better pot; then they threw me out into the yard, where I lie as an old potsherd. But I have my memory; that I can never lose!"
有一個驕傲的茶壺，為瓷，為它的長嘴和廣泛的處理感到自豪。它有一些東西在它前面，在它后面；噴口是在前面，和后面的處理，這是什么它談?wù)?。但它沒有提到它的蓋子，它的破裂是鉚接和充滿缺陷，我們不談?wù)撐覀兊娜秉c-其他人這樣做。杯子，奶油罐，糖碗-事實上，整個茶服務(wù)-思考更多關(guān)于缺陷的蓋子，并談?wù)摳嚓P(guān)于它比聲音處理和區(qū)分的噴口。茶壺知道這個。 “我認識他們，”它告訴自己?！蔽乙仓牢业牟煌昝?，我意識到，在這方面，知識是我的謙遜和謙虛。我們都有很多缺點，但我們也有優(yōu)點。杯子有一個手柄，糖碗有蓋，但我有兩個，一個東西，一個東西，他們永遠不會有，我有一個壺嘴，這讓我成為女王的茶幾。糖碗和奶油罐被允許做一個美味佳肴的女仆，但我是一個誰給了，顧問。我在口渴的人類中傳播了祝福。在我的內(nèi)心里，中國樹葉給人以沸騰，無味的水?！?這是茶壺在新鮮的年輕人生活中所談?wù)摰姆绞健Ｋ驹谧雷由?，準備好茶，它被舉起的最微妙的手。但是，最微妙的手是非常尷尬。茶壺掉了，壺嘴斷了，把手斷了，蓋不值得說了，夠了。茶壺躺在地上，一個微弱的在地上，而沸騰的水用完了它。這是一個偉大的沖擊，但最壞的事情是，其他人都笑了，而不是在尷尬的手。 “我永遠都不會忘記的！”茶壺，當(dāng)它后來談到它的過去的生活。他們罵我是無效的，在一個角落里站著我，第二天把我給了一個正在乞討食物的女人。我陷入了貧困，在外面和里面都說不出話來，但是當(dāng)我站在那里，我的生活就開始了。一個是一件事，然后變成另一個。他們把泥土放在我身上，并用一把像被埋葬的茶壺，但在那地里，他們種了一個燈泡。誰把它放在那里，給了我，我不知道，但它被種植在那里，一個替代的中國樹葉和沸騰的水，破碎的手柄和噴口。燈泡躺在地上，在我心中，它就成了我的心，我的生命之心，是我從未有過的東西。我有生命，有力量，有可能；我的脈搏跳動。燈泡發(fā)出的芽，思想和感覺就跳了起來，開花了。我看見了，就把它鉆了出來，我把自己忘在了它的美麗里。忘記自己是一種福氣！ “我不太感謝我，我甚至都不想我，大家都很欽佩它，并稱贊它。這讓我很高興，它是多么的幸福呢！ “有一天我聽到他們說這是一個更好的鍋。他們打破了我兩真疼和花放在一個更好的鍋；然后他們把我扔到院子里，在那里我是作為一個古老的陶片。但我有我的記憶，我永遠不會失去！”
有一個驕傲的茶壺，為瓷，為它的長嘴和廣泛的處理感到自豪。它有一些東西在它前面，在它后面；噴口是在前面，和后面的處理，這是什么它談?wù)?。但它沒有提到它的蓋子，它的破裂是鉚接和充滿缺陷，我們不談?wù)撐覀兊娜秉c-其他人這樣做。杯子，奶油罐，糖碗-事實上，整個茶服務(wù)-思考更多關(guān)于缺陷的蓋子，并談?wù)摳嚓P(guān)于它比聲音處理和區(qū)分的噴口。茶壺知道這個。 “我認識他們，”它告訴自己?！蔽乙仓牢业牟煌昝?，我意識到，在這方面，知識是我的謙遜和謙虛。我們都有很多缺點，但我們也有優(yōu)點。杯子有一個手柄，糖碗有蓋，但我有兩個，一個東西，一個東西，他們永遠不會有，我有一個壺嘴，這讓我成為女王的茶幾。糖碗和奶油罐被允許做一個美味佳肴的女仆，但我是一個誰給了，顧問。我在口渴的人類中傳播了祝福。在我的內(nèi)心里，中國樹葉給人以沸騰，無味的水?！?這是茶壺在新鮮的年輕人生活中所談?wù)摰姆绞健Ｋ驹谧雷由?，準備好茶，它被舉起的最微妙的手。但是，最微妙的手是非常尷尬。茶壺掉了，壺嘴斷了，把手斷了，蓋不值得說了，夠了。茶壺躺在地上，一個微弱的在地上，而沸騰的水用完了它。這是一個偉大的沖擊，但最壞的事情是，其他人都笑了，而不是在尷尬的手。 “我永遠都不會忘記的！”茶壺，當(dāng)它后來談到它的過去的生活。他們罵我是無效的，在一個角落里站著我，第二天把我給了一個正在乞討食物的女人。我陷入了貧困，在外面和里面都說不出話來，但是當(dāng)我站在那里，我的生活就開始了。一個是一件事，然后變成另一個。他們把泥土放在我身上，并用一把像被埋葬的茶壺，但在那地里，他們種了一個燈泡。誰把它放在那里，給了我，我不知道，但它被種植在那里，一個替代的中國樹葉和沸騰的水，破碎的手柄和噴口。燈泡躺在地上，在我心中，它就成了我的心，我的生命之心，是我從未有過的東西。我有生命，有力量，有可能；我的脈搏跳動。燈泡發(fā)出的芽，思想和感覺就跳了起來，開花了。我看見了，就把它鉆了出來，我把自己忘在了它的美麗里。忘記自己是一種福氣！ “我不太感謝我，我甚至都不想我，大家都很欽佩它，并稱贊它。這讓我很高興，它是多么的幸福呢！ “有一天我聽到他們說這是一個更好的鍋。他們打破了我兩真疼和花放在一個更好的鍋；然后他們把我扔到院子里，在那里我是作為一個古老的陶片。但我有我的記憶，我永遠不會失去！”