97 學年度學測英文 第 36 題

One day, a guru foresaw in a vision what he would be in his next life. Then he called his favorite disciple and asked him, “What would you do to thank me for all you have received from me?” The disciple said he would do whatever his guru asked him to do. Having received this 31, the guru said, “Then this is what I’d like you to do for me. I’ve just 32 that I’ll die very soon and I’m going to be reborn as a pig. Do you see that sow eating garbage there in the yard? I’m going to be the fourth piglet of its next litter. You’ll 33 me by a mark on my brow. After that sow gives birth, find the fourth piglet with a mark on its brow and, with one 34 of your knife, slaughter it. I’ll then be 35 from a pig’s life. Will you do this for me?”

The disciple felt sad to hear this, but he agreed to do as he was told. Soon after their 36, the guru died and the sow did have a litter of four little pigs. Then the disciple 37 his knife and picked out the little pig with a mark on its brow. When he was about to cut its throat, the little pig suddenly 38, “Stop!” Before the disciple could recover from the 39 of hearing the little pig speak in a human voice, it continued, “Don’t kill me. I want to live on as a pig. When I asked you to kill me, I didn’t know what a pig’s life would be 40. It’s great! Just let me go.”