Discontent once more filled his soul , and when a cloud covered his face , and hid the earth from him , he cried in his anger : ` Does the cloud hold captive my rays , and is it mightier than I ? Oh , that I were a cloud , and mightier than any ! ' And the mountain spirit answered : ` Your wish is heard ; a cloud you shall be ! ' And a cloud he was , and lay between the sun and the earth . He caught the sun 's beams and held them , and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed . But that was not enough for him , and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks , and the crops of rice stood in water . Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain , only the great rock on the mountain side remained unmoved . The cloud was amazed at the sight , and cried in wonder : ` Is the rock , then , mightier than I ? Oh , if I were only the rock ! ' And the mountain spirit answered : ` Your wish is heard ; the rock you shall be ! And the rock he was , and gloried in his power . Proudly he stood , and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him . ` This is better than all ! ' he said to himself . But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet , and when he looked down to see what it could be , he saw a stone-cutter driving tools into his surface . Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all through him , and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground . Then he cried in his wrath : ` Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock ? Oh , if I were only a man ! ' And the mountain spirit answered : ` Your wish is heard . A man once more you shall be ! '
And a man he was , and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at his trade XXXXX stone-cutting .
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