Once,long ago,there was an old merchant who had three sons."To which one shall i leave my fortune?"He wondered:"It must be to the cleverest son.But which one is the cleverest?" 

    He called his three sons to him:"Here is some money,"he told them."You must each take one coin to buy something to fill this room shall have my fortune." 

    "It is a big room,"said the eldest son. 

    "One coin will not buy very much,"said the second son. 

    But the youngest son said nothing.He stood and thought,and then he smiled,"come,brothers,"he said,"let us go to the market." 

    The eldest son bought straw with his coin.But he bought only a bit straw with one coin.Even when he had spread it as much as he could,the straw covered only a corner of the room. 

    The second son bought sand with his coin.But he bought only a bit of sand.Even when he had spread it as much as he could,the sand covered only half of the floor. 

    "What did you buy?"The eldest son angrily asked his youngest brother,"you don't have any straw." 

    "Yes,what did you buy?"The second son asked angrily,"you don't have any sand." 

    "I bought this,"said the youngest brother. 

    "A candle!"cried his brothers,"what good is a candle?" 

    "Watch,"said the youngest brother. 

    He lit the candle,and all at once the room was filled with light from wall to wall.From ceiling to floor! 

    "Although you are the youngest,you are indeed the cleverest of my sons,"the old merchant said. 

    And that is how,it came true,that the old merchant left his fortunde to his youngest son,the one who could fill a room with light. 

    很久以前,有一个上了年纪的商人,他有三个儿子."我该把家产留给哪个儿子呢?"他想,"应该把它留给最聪明的儿子.但是哪个最聪明呢?" 

    他把三个儿子叫到面前."这里有一些钱,"他告诉他们,"你们每人拿一枚银币去买一件可以装满这间屋子的东西.买到能装满这间屋子的人将得到我的家产. 

    "这是一间很大的屋子."大儿子说. 

    "一枚银币买不到多少东西."二儿子说. 

    但是小儿子却什么也没有说.他站在那儿想着,然后微笑."喂,哥哥们,"他说,"我们到市场上去吧!" 

    大儿子用他的钱买了麦穗.但一枚银币买到的只是一点儿麦穗,即使他尽量设法把麦穗铺开一些,麦穗遮住的也只是房间的一个角落.二儿子用钱买了沙子,但一枚银币买到的只不过是一点沙子,即使他尽量设法把沙子铺开一些,沙子也只遮住一半的地面. 

    "你买了什么?"大儿子生气地问小弟,"你没买麦穗." 

    "是啊,你买了什么?"二儿子也生气地问,"你没买沙子." 

    "我买了这个."小弟说 

    "一根蜡烛!"他的哥哥们叫起来,"一根蜡烛有什么用?" 

    "瞧吧,"小弟说.他点燃了蜡烛,房间从这边到那边,从天花板到地上,一下子全都充满了光亮! 

    "虽然你最小,但你确实是我儿子中最聪明的."老人说.

    这也就是那个老人如何把全部家产都留给了用亮光来充满房间的小儿子的故事.