60. A KIND OFFICIAL

　　Pan was a county magistrate. He was honest and kind. He was always nice to the people in his county and to the animals there as well. He made a law that nobody in the county could make a living by fishing in the rivers and lakes there. Anybody who got caught doing that would be arrested for committing a crime. Even though a lot of people there had made their living that way before, they knew that their magistrate was a kind man, so they didn't complain at all. They obeyed his law, and everything went well in his county.
　
　　Everything went so well that when another, bigger county needed a magistrate, the government decided to send Pan to take over. When the people in his old county heard Pan was being promoted, they were happy for him, and proud, too,but they also felt sorry. Would their new magistrate be as nice?
　
　　When the time finally came for Pan to leave, the road was crowded with all the people who had come to see him off. There were men and women and boys and girls. There were old folks so aged that they had to be held up by their grandchildren. There were babies so little that they had to be carried by their parents. They had all come to say goodbye to Pan.
　　
　　One man stepped forward from the crowd and knelt down before Pan. Very formally, with both hands, he presented Pan with ten ounces of silver. "This is a small token of my sincere appreciation. I hope that your honor will accept."

　　"I will do no such thing," huffed Pan. "I told you all that you shouldn't prepare any gifts for me. Didn't you get that straight?"
　
　　"This is different. I used to be a thief, but then I got caught. I thought I was doomed, because thieves usually get their heads chopped off. But you didn't put me to death. Instead, you told me to change my ways.
　　
　　"I really did change my ways. I was so touched by your kindness that I decided not to do bad things anymore. I learned a trade. I even got married, and now I'm raising a family. "Everything I have today is due to your kindness. If you hadn't been so kind, now I would be a headless corpse, rotting in the grave. This is why I have come to show my gratitude."

　　Of course Pan wouldn't think of accepting his gift, but this shows what a kind official he was.
　　
　　People living near the lakes and rivers of the county heard sobbing and crying coming from the water. The fish knew their good days were over, and once again they would be caught and tortured to feed people.
Even a fish or a crab values its life, and feels sorry when its protector leaves it.

60.一个仁慈的官员

　　潘是一个县的县令。他既善良又正直。他对乡亲们都很和善，也很善待动物。他制订了一条法令，那个县所有的人都不允许靠在江湖里打鱼为生。不管是谁，如果被抓到这么做的话，那么就会因为犯罪而被逮捕。尽管那个地方以前有很多人就是这样谋生的，但是他们都知道他们的县官是一个很仁慈的人，所以他们都毫无怨言。他们都遵守这条法令，县里秩序井然。

　　另外一个更大的县需要一个县令，他们的政府看到这个县治理得那么好，就决定让潘来接管他们的县。当原来那个县里的人们知道潘升官后，他们为他感到高兴自豪，但是又觉得很遗憾。下一任县令会不会和他一样好呢？

　　潘离任的日子终于来了，街上人山人海，男女老少都来送他。上至孙子搀扶着来的老人，下至父母抱着来的小孩。他们都是来向潘告别的。

　　一个人从人群中走出来，跪在潘面前。他非常严肃地，用两手向潘献上十盎司的银子，“这是表示我诚挚谢意的一点意思，希望大人能收下。”

　　“我不能这么做，”潘生气了，“我告诉过你们所有人，不要为我准备任何礼物的。你难道不知道吗？”

　　“这不同。我过去是个小偷，被人抓住了。我想我死期到了，因为小偷一般都会被砍头。但是您没判我死刑，而是叫我要痛改前非。”

　　“我确实改过了。我深深地被您的仁慈打动，决定从此再也不干坏事。我学了一门手艺，还结了婚，现在我养活全家。我能得到这一切，都是因为您的善心。如果您不是那么仁慈，我现在就是坟墓里腐烂的一具无头尸体了。这就是我要表示谢意的原因。”

　　潘当然不想收下他的礼物，但是这正体现了他确实是一个善良的官员。

　　住在江湖边的人们都听到了水里传来的呜咽哭泣声。水族们都知道自己的好日子一去不返了，它们将再会被捕捉、被虐待、被人们吃掉。就算是鱼蟹也知道珍惜自己的生命，所以当它们的保护者离开时，感到很伤心。