中國寓言故事： 董永賣身葬父

沐光

寓義

董永因賣身葬父而獲得愛情。我們中華民族自古就有孝敬父母的傳統美德，父母在世要事之以禮，父母離世要葬之以禮。

According to the legend， Dong Yong was a man of Qiancheng （todays north of Gaoqing County， Shandong） in the East Han Dynasty. His mother died when he was young and the family moved to Anlu （in todays Hubei） to avoid the war.

董永，相傳為東漢時期千乘（今山東高青縣北）人，少年喪母，因避兵亂遷居安陸（今屬湖北）。

Later， his father died and Dong Yong sold himself to a rich family as a slave so as to bury his father.

其后父親亡故，董永賣身至一富家為奴，換取喪葬費用。

When he was on his way to work， Dong Yong met with a woman under a pagoda tree and she said that she was homeless. So they got married.

上工路上，董永于槐樹下遇一女子，自言無家可歸，二人結為夫婦。

The woman wove 300 bolts of cloth in one month and bought back Dong Yongs freedom.

女子以一月時間織成三百匹錦緞為董永抵債贖身。

When they passed the pagoda tree on their way home， the women told Dong Yong she was the daughter to the Emperor of Heaven and was ordered to help him repay the debt.

當他們返家途中，行至槐樹下，女子告訴董永：自己是天帝之女，奉命幫助董永還債。

With that said， she flew away. Henceforth the pagoda tree was renamed “compassion for piety”.

她言畢凌空而去。因此，槐樹改名為孝感。