Once there lived a rich merchant(商人) and a poor shoemaker in the same house. The merchant occupied the second floor,1the shoemaker lived and worked in a small room on the first floor. The shoemaker was one of the2persons on earth. He worked from morning till night, singing merrily. His heart was filled with3, whenever he saw the boots and shoes4. Now the merchant upstairs was so rich that he5knew how much wealth he had. He was always6over his gold and silver coins far into the night. Even in bed his uneasiness(不安) about his riches kept him7. When at last he had been asleep for an hour or two, up came the song of the happy shoemaker, who was an8riser. It continued all day and was a (n)9to the merchant. Day by day the merchant grew more and more tired through want of10. He asked a wise friend of his how he could put an11to the shoemaker's song. "Well, if I were you, I would give the shoemaker a hundred pounds," answered his friend. "You are rich enough to do that, I suppose. Ask for nothing in12. Simply give the money. " The merchant13the advice.
When the shoemaker14the bag that had been sent by the merchant, he was15to find shining coins. "I must hide this from the eyes of my neighbors. If they see it, they will think that I have stolen it," he thought. "I will16it away even from my wife." So he hid the bag of money under the floor. From then on he17his neighbors as much as he could. His wife who had been the best18to him, became troublesome. Now his mind was too much set on the money bag to19to his work with diligence(勤劳). He could not sing merrily now. 20he thought of the money bag, he became uneasy and unhappy.
