Intheyear870,Amer,kingofPersia,wastakenprisonerinbattle.Whilehewassittingontheground,asoldierpreparedacoarcemealtoappeasehishunger.Hewatchedhisdinnersimmeringinalittlepotwhenahungrydogthrusthisheadintoit.Themouthofthepotbeingtoosmall,hecouldnotdrawitoutagain,andranawaywiththepotanditscontents.Thismadethekinglaughimmoderately.
Whenaguardaskedwhatcouldinduceapersonfacingcertaindeathtolaugh,Amerreplied,"Itwasbutthismorningthestewardofmyhouseholdcomplainedthatthreehundredcamelswerenotenoughtocarrymykitchenfurniture;howeasilyitisnowbornebythatdog,whohascarriedawaybothmycookinginstrumentsanddinner."
公元八七○年,波斯王阿姆戰敗被擒。他坐在地上,一個士兵給他備粗食療飢。阿姆望着飯菜在小罐裏慢煮,一隻餓狗忽然把頭伸進罐裏,但由於罐口太小,再也抽不出來,就帶着小罐和其中飯菜跑掉。阿姆不禁大笑。
一個衞兵問,他難逃一死,怎麼還會笑。阿姆回答:「今天早上,我的管家還在訴苦,說御廚的用具,三百隻駱駝都搬運不了;現在,一隻狗就輕而易舉,把我的煮食器皿和飯菜都帶走了。」
【附注】Borne可解作「負擔」、「忍受」或「生(孩子)」,是bear的過去分詞。Bear的另一過去分詞born只可指「生(孩子)」,並只可用於不說明生產者的被動語態,例如:(1)Hewasbornin1900(他一九○○年出生)。(2)HewasbornebyMary(他是瑪麗生的)。