Who Is the Wisest of All？ 誰是最有智慧的人？

There were once four wise Indian medicine men that were considered to be the most clever and knowledgeable across all the prairies1） and forests. They learned nearly everything about nearly anything， and were often asked for advice and solutions for the most difficult problems.

One day， a young Indian boy asked which of the four was the wisest， because of course there must be one wiser than the others. This caused much arguing and debating among the people. To find out once and for all2）， one of the elders of the nation was given the task of devising a test to settle the matter.

After much consideration， the perfect test was put before the four medicine men. They were told to walk into the woods. Their test would be found at the base of a single cedar3） tree in a broad clearing4）.

They started out early the next morning， and after walking many miles came to the tree in the clearing. At the base of the tree was a large pile of bleached5） bones. They appeared to be those of some sort of animal. The four puzzled over the bones for some time before the first man spoke. \"I will use my knowledge to put these bones back together. That will prove my wisdom.\" After some time， the bones stood erect， interlocked6）.

The men examined the project and the second man said， \"Ah， I know where these bones came from. I can put flesh and fur back on them and restore the animal's beauty.\" The second man began his work， and in a while a fierce-looking grizzly bear7） stood before them.

The four men marveled at the animal's beauty， but the two began to bicker8） about whose work was best. Just then， the third man spoke up， \"I believe I can bring the bear back to life. Then I will be the greatest of all.\"

The fourth man had been quiet until now. \"Wait， I don't think our test was to see if we could bring the animal back to life.\" He pleaded， but the others would not listen. When he realized he was being ignored， he quietly climbed to the top of the cedar tree and watched.

The third man got busy and soon had breathed life into the grizzly bear using his great talents. The bear stretched and roared. Then it chased the men， growling9） and clawing at them. It chased them all the way back to their village， where they were finally rescued by the village's mighty hunters.

Later， the fourth man walked back to the village. Everyone had taken him for dead， since the other three men were so busy arguing that they did not see him climb the tree. It was then that everyone realized that he was indeed the wisest of all.

He possessed common sense， something that is often not so common.

從前，有四位智慧非凡的印第安巫醫，他們被認為是所有大草原和森林里最聰明、最博學的人。他們幾乎無所不知，無所不曉，常常有人向他們求教，請他們給出那些頂級難題的解決方法。

一天，有位印第安少年問，哪一位是這四位當中最聰明的，因為當然應該有一位要比其他三位更有智慧。這個問題引起了人們的激烈爭辯和討論。為了一次就能得出定論，人們給這個部落的某位長者布置了一個任務，請他設計一個測試來解決這個問題。

經過深思熟慮，一個完美的測試擺在了四位巫醫面前。他們被告知要走進叢林，叢林里有一片開闊的空地，空地上有棵雪松，他們在那棵雪松下就會找到測試題。

第二天一早，四個人就出發了。他們走了好幾英里路，來到了那片空地的那棵樹下。樹下有一大堆白骨，看上去像是某種動物的尸骨。四個人對著白骨苦苦思索了一番之后，第一個人說話了。“我將用我所學，把這堆白骨連在一起、恢復原狀。這樣就可以證明我的智慧。”過了一會兒，這堆白骨就被連成了骨架，立了起來。

大家審視著這具骨架，這時第二個人開口說道：“啊，我知道這些白骨來自哪種動物了。我能讓這些白骨上長出肌肉和毛發，再現這只動物的英姿。”第二個人開始干了起來，不一會兒，一只面目猙獰的灰熊就站在了他們面前。

四個人都為這只動物的英姿感到驚嘆，但前兩個人為誰做得最好這個問題開始爭論起來。就在那時，第三個人大聲說：“我相信我能讓這只熊起死回生。這樣我就是最有智慧的人。”

第四個人在此之前一直保持沉默。“等一下，我并不認為我們的測試題目是看我們是否能讓這只動物起死回生。”他懇求道，但其他三個人根本聽不進去。他意識到根本沒人理會自己的話，就悄悄地爬上了那棵雪松的樹梢，靜觀其變。

第三個人忙活起來，很快就用他非凡的才能讓這只灰熊活了過來。灰熊伸伸懶腰，低吼一聲。接著，它就咆哮著伸出利爪，追著那三個人跑了起來。三個人被灰熊一路追著跑回到了他們的村子，最后被村里那些厲害的獵人們救下了。

后來，第四個人走回了村子。村里所有人原本都以為他已經死了，因為其他三個人當時忙著爭辯都沒看到他爬到了樹上。直到這時所有人才認識到，第四個人才是他們當中真正最有智慧的人。

因為他懂常識，而所謂常識通常并非那么平常。

1.prairie [?pre?ri] n. 大草原；（尤指北美的）高草原

2.once and for all： 一勞永逸地

3.cedar [?si?d?（r）] n. 【植】雪松；柏；杉

4.clearing [?kl??r??] n. （林中的）空地

5.bleach [bli?t?] v. （使）變成淡色

6.interlock [??nt?（r）?l?k] vi. 連結

7.grizzly bear： 【動】灰熊（生活在美國西北部山區的一種體形非常大的熊）

8.bicker [?b?k?（r）] vi. （為小事與人）爭吵

9.growl [ɡra?l] vi. 咆哮