最后的买卖早晨，我在石铺的路上走时，我叫道：“谁来雇用我呀。”
皇帝坐着马车，手里拿着剑走来。
他拉着我的手，说道：“我要用权力来雇用你。”
但是他的权力算不了什么，他坐着马车走了。
正午炎热的时候，家家户户的门都闭着。
我沿着屈曲的小巷走去。
一个老人带着一袋金钱走出来。
他斟酌了一下，说道：“我要用金钱来雇用你。”
他一个一个地数着他的钱，但我却转身离去了。
黄昏了，花园的篱上满开着花。
美人走出来，说道：“我要用微笑来雇用你。”
她的微笑黯淡了，化成泪容了，她孤寂地回身走进黑暗里去。
太阳照耀在沙地上，海波任性地浪花四溅。
一个小孩坐在那里玩贝壳。
他抬起头来，好像认识我似的，说道：“我雇你不用什么东西。”
从此以后，在这个小孩的游戏中做成的买卖，使我成了一个自由的人。
THE LAST BARGAIN"COME and hire me," I cried, while in the morning I was walking on the stone-paved road.
Sword in hand, the King came in his chariot.
He held my hand and said, "I will hire you with my power."
But his power counted for nought, and he went away in his chariot.
In the heat of the midday the houses stood with shut doors.
I wandered along the crooked lane.
An old man came out with his bag of gold.
He pondered and said, "I will hire you with my money."
He weighed his coins one by one, but I turned away.
It was evening. The garden hedge was all aflower.
The fair maid came out and said, "I will hire you with a smile."
Her smile paled and melted into tears, and she went back alone into the dark.
The sun glistened on the sand, and the sea waves broke waywardly.
A child sat playing with shells.
He raised his head and seemed to know me, and said, "I hire you with nothing."
From thenceforward that bargain struck in child’s play made me a free man.
THE END
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