Close beside the board there was a pool of water, not very deep, nor very clear, but calm enough to reflect, with impartial truth, every image that felt upon it. There for the first time, as it was lifted from the board, the clay saw its new shape, the reward of all its patience and pain, the consummation of its hopes—a common flower-pot, straight and stiff, red and ugly. And then it felt that it was not destined for a king' s house, nor for a palace of art, because it was made without glory or beauty or honor; and it murmured against the unknown maker, saying, "Why hast thou made me thus?"
Many days it passed in sullen discontent. Then it was filled with earth, and something—it knew not what—but something rough and brown and dead-looking, was thrust into the middle of the earth and covered over. The clay rebelled at this new disgrace. "This is the worst of all that has happened to me, to be filled with dirt and rubbish. Surely I am a failure."
But presently it was set in a greenhouse, where the sunlight fell warm upon it, and water was sprinkled over it, and day by day as it waited, a change began to come to it. Something was stirring within it—a new hope. Still it was ignorant, and knew not what the new hope meant.
One day the clay was lifted again from its place, and carried into a great church. Its dream was coming true after all. It had a fine part to play in the world. Glorious music flowed over it. It was surrounded with flowers. Still it could not understand. So it whispered to another vessel of clay, like itself, close beside it, "Why have they set me here? Why do all the people look towards us?" And the other vessel answered, "Do you not know? You are carrying a royal scepter of lilies. Their petals are white as snow, and the heart of them is like pure gold. The people look this way because the flower is the most wonderful in the world. And the root of it is in your heart."
Then the clay was content, and silently thanked its maker, because, though an earthen vessel, it held so great a treasure.
很久以前，在一条河边有这样一撮黏土。说起来，它也不过是普普通通的黏土，粗糙笨重，不过它对自己的价值看得很高。它对自己在世界上可能占有的地位怀有奇特的想象，认为只要能得到机会，自己的价值一定会被人们发现。
在这撮黏土的头顶上，明媚的春光里，树木正在交头接耳地窃窃私语，讲述着当纤细的花儿和树叶开始绽放，林中一片澄澈碧绿时，它们身上所闪耀的无尽光辉。那种景象就如无数红绿宝石粉末所形成的彩云，轻轻地飘浮在大地上。
花儿们看到这样的美景，非常惊喜，它们在春风的吹拂下探头欠身，相互祝贺：“姐妹们，你们出落得多可爱啊，你们给白日增添了多少光辉啊。”
河水也为新力量的加入而感到高兴。它沉浸在水流重聚的喜悦中，不断地用美好的音调向河岸低语，倾诉着自己是如何挣脱冰雪的束缚，如何从积雪覆盖的群山奔流到这里，以及它匆忙前往担负的重任——许多水车的轮子等着它去推动，巨大的船舶等着它运送到大海里。
那撮黏土懵懵懂懂地在河床上等待着，不停地用各种远大理想来自我安慰。“我的时运定将来到，”它说，“我不可能长久地被埋没在这里。世上的光彩、荣耀，在一定的时候，肯定会降临到我的身上。”
有一天，黏土发现自己的位置被挪动了，它已?不待在?来长期等候的地方了。它被一个铲土的铁铲挖了起来，然后和别的泥土一起被装在一辆车上，沿着一条似乎非常坎坷的铺着石块的路，被送到一个遥远的地方。但是，它没有害怕，也没有气馁，只是在心里暗想：“这是必要的步骤，因为通往光荣的道路总是崎岖不平的。现在，我就要到世上去完成我那重大的使命了。”
虽然这段路途非常艰辛，但是比起后来所?受的种种痛苦和折磨来算不了什么。黏土被丢进一个槽子里面，然后?过一番掺和、捶打、搅拌和脚踩，那过程真是苦不堪言。但一想到某种美好崇高的事物一定会从这一番历练中产生，它就感到释然。黏土坚信，只要有足够的耐心去等待，总有一天它会得到丰厚的回报。
接下来，它被放到一只快速旋转着的转盘上旋转起来，那种感觉就像自己就要被甩得粉身碎骨了。在旋转之中，似乎有一种神力把它紧紧地揉捏在一起，因此，它虽然?历了头晕目眩的痛苦，但它觉着自己开始变成了一种新的形状。