There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and his position in life. One day he passed a wealthy merchants house, and through the open gateway saw many fine possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!”, thought the stone cutter.

He became very envious and wished that he could become like the merchant, then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stone cutter. To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he could have ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair and accompanied by assistants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!”, he thought.

“I wish that I could be a high official.”

Then he became a high official, carried in an embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around who had to bow down to him as he passed. It was a hot summer day and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun which shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” , he thought.

“I wish that I could be the sun.”

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields and cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought.

“I wish I could be a cloud.”

Then he became that cloud, flooding the fields and villages, and shouted at by everyone. But soon he felt that he was being pushed away by some great force and realized it was the wind. “How powerful the wind is!” he thought.

“I wish I could be the wind.”

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew up against it. It was a huge, towering stone. “How powerful that stone is!” he thought.

“I wish I could be a stone.”

Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into solid rock and felt himself being cut away. “What could be more powerful than I, the stone?” he thought. He looked far below him and saw the figure of a stone cutter admiring his work.