The quarrel between Alexander the Great and Darius, the Persian king, originated in Alexander's refusing to pay the tribute of golden eggs to which his father had agreed. Darius sent to Alexander's court an ambassador, who delivered to Alexander a bat, a ball, and a bag of very small seed. The bat and ball were meant to throw a ridicule on Alexander's youth, being fit amusement for his age, the bag of seed was an emblem of the Persian army, being innumerable.
Alexander ordered a fowl to be brought. He took the bat and ball into his hands, and said,"This is the emblem of my power, with which I strike the ball of your monarch's dominion, and this fowl will show you what a morsel your army will prove to mine." The seed was instantly eaten up; and Alexander gave a wild melon to the ambassador, the taste of which, he said, would enable Darius to judge of the bitter fare which awaited him.
亞歷山大大帝和波斯王大流士不睦的原因，是亞歷山大不肯遵守父親的諾言，向大流士貢獻金蛋。大流士遣使到亞歷山大殿上，送他一根球棒、一個球、一袋微小種子。送球和球棒，是諷刺亞歷山大年輕，正好拿這兩件東西玩耍；而那袋種子，則象徵不可勝數的波斯軍隊。
亞歷山大叫人拿一隻雞來。他把球和球棒拿在手中，說：「這是我權力的象徵。我會和打球一樣，打擊貴國君主的版圖；而這隻雞，會教你看到貴國軍隊和我軍相比，微不足道。」那隻雞片刻就把種子啄盡。亞歷山大還給那使者一個野瓜，說大流士可憑這野瓜的滋味，領略將要嘗到的苦頭。
（古德明）
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