很久很久以前，在一个和你、我住的地方没什么两样的国家，有一个村庄，那里住了五个兄弟姐妹，他们没有爸爸，也没有妈妈。
寒冷的冬天里，他们总是紧紧地挤在一起取暖。
有一天，国王知道了这五个孤儿的事，决定领养他们。
他宣布，他马上就会到村子里来看他们，而且要当这五个孩子的新爸爸。
这兄弟姐妹五个知道这个消息之后，简直兴奋得要飞了起来。
村子里的人知道了这个消息之后，也都很兴奋。他们纷纷来到孤儿们的家，告诉他们要做哪些准备。
“你们必须给国王留下好印象。”他们说。
“谁能送国王最好的礼物，谁就能住到大城堡里去哦！”
那些人不认识国王。他们只是猜想，所有国王都一样，喜欢能给他留下好印象的人。
孩子们听了这些话之后，就开始准备要送国王的礼物。他们都很努力想得到国王的赞赏。
五个孩子里有一个懂得雕刻，他决定送国王一件美丽的木雕作品。
他用刀子在软榆木上削啊削，麻雀的眼睛或是马的鼻子马上成形，小小的木头也顿时好像有了生命。
他的姐姐决定送国王一幅天堂的画，好让国王挂在城堡里。另一个姐姐想以音乐当礼物送给国王。她不停地唱歌、弹奏曼陀林。村里的人每次经过，都会停在窗边，欣赏她那曼妙、悠扬的歌声。
另一个孩子想要让国王见识他的聪明，于是每天读书读到深夜。地理、数学、化学，他样样都念。他的求知欲强烈，所以学问很渊博。相信任何国王都一定会对他丰富的知识赞赏有加的。
但是，小妹妹不知道要送给国王什么。她的手笨拙，不会雕刻；她的手指也僵硬，不适合拿画笔。她开口唱歌，声音粗哑难听。而且她也不太会念书。
她只是一个小马僮。每天，她都站在城门口，看着经过的人群。只要有机会帮这些人照顾马儿，或帮他们给牲畜喂食，她就可以赚一些钱，买食物给哥哥姐姐们。
小女孩觉得自己没有什么特别的长处，实在没有什么东西可以送给国王。
她唯一的优点就是她的心，因为她很善良。她叫得出每一个乞丐的名字。她喂狗儿吃东西。她接待每个过路的旅人，也总是亲切地和陌生人打招呼。她会问他们：“旅行顺利吗？”“告诉我你在旅程中看到了些什么，好吗？”“你先生好吗？”“你喜欢你的新工作吗？”
因为她心胸宽广，所以对人充满关心与好奇，满脑子问题。
不论是贫穷的乞丐或有钱的商人，对她来说都一样。
但是，小女孩还是认自己一无是处，所以她很担心国王会不喜欢她。
她记得村里的人对他们的交待，所以她下定决心要送一样东西给国王。
她抓起一把小刀，走到会雕刻的哥哥身边。
“你可以教我怎么雕刻吗？”她问。
“对不起，”哥哥头抬也不拾地说，“我还有很多事要做，没时间陪你。
你知道的，国王就要来了。”小女孩放下小刀，换了一枝画笔。
她拿着画笔去找会画画的姐姐。姐姐正在小山坡上画着夕阳。
“你画得好漂亮哦！”善良的小女孩说。
“我知道。”姐姐回答。
“你可不可以让我跟你学画？”“现在不行。”姐姐头抬也不抬地
说，“你知道的，国王要来了。”小女孩想起另一个很会唱歌的姐姐。
“这个姐姐一定会帮我的。”她想。
小女孩找到那个姐姐时，姐姐身边围着好多人，大家都在听她唱歌。
“姐姐，姐姐，”小女孩大喊，“我来听你唱歌，我想跟你学学。”但是这个姐姐并没有听到。大家的
鼓掌声音太大了。
小女孩心里好沮丧，她转身，低着头走开。
这时候，她想起，她还有一个很会念书的哥哥。
于是她拿着一本小书，跑去找那个哥哥。
几天后，一位商人装束的先生来到这个小镇。
“你能帮我喂喂我的驴子吗？”这位先生问小女孩。
小女孩听到声音，马上站起来。她忍不住盯着这位远道来的先生看。阳光下，先生古铜色的脸颊发着亮光，深邃的眼睛格外清澈。他脸上挂着的笑容让小女孩觉得好温暖。
“可以啊。”小女孩赶紧回答。她把驴子牵到饮水槽边，说：“交给我吧。等您回来时，它不仅吃饱了，毛也会被梳理得很整洁。”
小女孩一面喂驴子喝水，一面问这位先生：“请问，您会在镇上待一阵子吗？”“会的。我来找人。”“您大老远来，会累吗？”“会啊。”
“那您要不要坐下来休息一会儿？”小女孩指着墙边的长椅说。
几分钟后，那位先生醒了。他睁开眼睛，发现女孩就坐在他的脚边，盯着他看。小女孩觉得很不好意思，马上扭过头去。
“你坐在那儿很久了吗？”“嗯。”
“你在看什么？”
“没什么。只是因为您看起来就是个大好人，所以我很想坐在您的旁边。”那位先生开心地笑了。他摸摸自己的胡子，说：“你是个聪明的小孩。等我回来后，我会再来看你的。”
很快，那位先生真的回来了。
“您找到要找的人了吗？”小女孩问。
“有。但是他们都很忙。”
“怎么说呢？”
“我找到的第一个人是个木匠，他急着要完成一件作品，他要我明天再去。另一个是画家，我看到她坐在山坡上。山脚下的人告诉我，她不想被人打扰。另一个是音乐家，我跟一群人坐在一起，听她表演。我说我想跟她说话时，她说她没有时间。另一个我要找的人不在，他到城里去上学了。”
小女孩晓得这位先生是谁了。
她瞪大眼睛，倒吸了一口气，说：“但是您看起来不像个国王啊。”
“我尽量让自己不像。”国王说，“因为当国王很孤单。我身边的人都不把我当普通人对待。他们希望从我身上得到一些好处，努力想要讨好我。而且他们老是对我抱怨。”
“可是当国王不就是这样吗？”小女孩问。
“当然。”国王回答，“但是，有时候我也想跟我的人民在一起。有时候，我也想跟他们说说话，想听他们聊他们的生活，想大笑，想哭。有时候我也想当他们的父亲。”
“所以您想领养小孩？”
“对。因为大人都一心想要讨好我，但是小孩子不会。他们只会想跟我说话。他们知道我对他们的爱是没有条件的。”
“可是我哥哥姐姐都太忙了，是不是？”
“是啊，但是我会再回来的。也许改天他们会比较有空。”
小女孩犹豫了一会儿，问：“先生，那我呢？我没有什么才能，但是我想做您的小孩。”
国王笑着说：“我的小宝贝，你已经把最好的礼物给我了。你给我你的心、你的善良、你的时间，还有你的爱。你当然可以做我的小孩。我就是爱你本来的样子。”
所以，这个故事的结局就是，那些有才能的小孩都没有时间，所以他们没见到国王。而那个什么才能都没有，只有一副好心肠的小女孩反而变成了国王的小孩。
Along time ago in a land much like your own, there was a village. And in the village lived five A orphans undy arily fatherle children they hat band ogether agains the cold..
One day, the king learned of their misfortune and decided to adopt them. He announced that he would be their father and would come for them soon.
When the children learned that they had a new father, and their father was the king, and that the king was coming to visit, they went wild with excitement.
When the people of the village learned that the children had a father, and their father was the king, and that the king was coming to the village, they were excited as well. They went out to see the children and told them what to do.
"You need to impress the king," they explained. "Only those with great gifts to give will be allowed to live in the castle."
The people didn't know the king. They just thought that all kings want to be impressed.
So the children began preparing gifts to offer the king. They worked long and hard to be sure the king would approve.
One of the children who knew how to carve decided to give the king a wonderful work of wooden art. He set his knife against the soft bark of the elm and whittled. The small blocks of wood came alive with the eyes of a sparrow or the nose of a horse.
His sister decided to present the king with a painting that captured the beauty of the heavens painting worthy to hang in his castle.
Another sister chose music as her way to impress the king. For long hours she practiced with her voice and mandolin. Village people would stop at her window and listen as her music took wings and soared
Yet another child set out to turn the king's head with his wisdom. Late hours would find his candle lit and his books open. Geography. Math. Chemistry. The breadth of his study was matched only by the depth of his desire. Surely a king would appreciate all his knowledge.
But there was one sister who had nothing to offer. Her hand was clumsy with the knife, her fingers stiff with the brush. When the little girl opened her mouth to sing, the sound was hoarse. She wasn't much of a reader. She believed she had no talent. And so she believed she had no gift.
All she had to offer was her heart, for her heart was good. She spent her time at the city gates, watching the people come and go. She would earn pennies to buy food for her brothers and sisters by grooming people's horses or feeding their animals. She was a simple stable girl. But she had a good heart.
She knew the beggars by name. She took time to pet each dog. She welcomed home the travelers and greeted the strangers.
"How was your journey?" she would ask.
"Tell me what you learned on your visit."
"How is your husband?"
"Do you enjoy your new work?"
She was full of questions for people because her heart was big and she cared about people.
They were all the same to her the beggars and the rich. She cared for all of them just the way they were.
But since the little girl thought she had no talent and no gift, she was afraid that the king would be disappointed. She remembered the villagers' advice and set her mind about the task of making a gift for the king. She took a small knife and went to her brother, the carver.
"Could you teach me to carve?" she asked.
"Sorry," the young craftsman responded without looking up. "I've much work to do. I haven't time for you. The king is coming, you know." The girl put away her knife and picked up a brush.
She went to her sister, the artist. She found her on a hill painting a sunset on a canvas.
"You paint so beautifully," said the girl who had no gift but a big heart.
"I know," the painter answered.
"Could you share your gift with me?"
"Not now," the sister responded with eyes on her palette. "The king is coming, you know." The girl with no gift then remembered her other sister, the one with the song. "She will help me," she said. when she arrived at her sister's house, she found a crowd of people waiting to listen to her sister sing.
"Sister," she called. "Sister, I've come to listen and learn." But her sister couldn't hear. The noise of the applause was too loud.
With a heavy heart, the girl turned and walked away.
Then she remembered her other brother. She took a book with small words and big letters and went to see him.
"I have nothing to offer the king," she said. "Could you teach me to read so I might show him my wisdom?"
The young sage-to-be didn't speak. He was lost in thought. The child with no gift spoke again. "Could you help me? I have no talent"
"Go away," said the scholar, scarcely moving his eyes from the text. "Can't you see I'm preparing myself for the coming of the king?"
And so the girl went away sadly. She had nothing to give.
She returned to her place at the city gates and took up her task of caring for people's animals.
After some days a man in merchant's clothes came to the small town.
"Can you feed my donkey?" he asked the girl. The orphan jumped to her feet and looked into the brown face of the one who had traveled far. His skin was leathery from the sun, and his eyes were deep.
His kind smile warmed the girl's heart.
"That I can," she answered eagerly, leading the animal to the trough. "Trust him to me. When you return, he will be groomed and fed."
"Tell me," she asked as the donkey drank, "have you come to stay?"
"For only a while. I'm looking for someone."
"Are you weary from your journey?"
"That I am."
"Would you like to sit and rest?" The girl motioned to a bench near the wall.
The tall man sat on the bench, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and slept.
After a few minutes he awoke and found the girl sitting at his feet, watching his face. She was embarrassed that he had caught her staring. She turned away.
"Have you been sitting there long?"
"Yes."
"What do you seek?"
"Nothing. You seem to be a kind man with a peaceful heart. It's good to be near you." The man smiled and stroked his beard. "You are a wise girl," he said. "When I return, we will visit more."
The man did return quite soon.
"Did you find the ones you were seeking?" the girl asked.
"I found them, but they were too busy for me."
"What do you mean?"
"The first one I came to see was a woodsmith rushing to complete a project. He told me to return tomorrow. Another was an artist. I saw her sitting on a hillside, but the people below said she did not want to be disturbed. The other was a musician. I sat with the others and listened to her music. When I asked to talk with her, she said she had no time. The other I sought had left. He has moved to the city to go to school."
The girl's eyes widened as she realized who the man was.
"But you don't look like a king," she gasped.
"I try not to," he explained. "Being a king can be lonely. People act strangely around me. They ask for favors. They try to impress me. They bring me all their complaints."
"But isn't that what a king is for?" asked the girl.
"Certainly," responded the king, "but there are times when I just want to be with my people. There are times when I want to talk to my people-to hear about their day, to laugh a bit, to cry some. There are times when I just want to be their father."
"Is that why you adopted the children?"
"That's why. Adults think they have to impress me; children don't. They just want to talk to me.
They know that I love them just the way they are."
"But my brothers and sisters were too busy?"
"They were. But I'll come back. Maybe they'll have more time another day."
The girl hesitated. "Sir, what about me? I have no gift, but I would like to be your child." The king smiled. "My dear, you gave the best gift of all—you gave your heart... your kindness, your time, your love. Of course you'll be my child. I love you just the way you are."
And so it happened that the children with many talents but no time missed the visit of the king, while the girl whose only gift was the gift of her heart became the child of the king.