說林下

Bo Le taught two men to identify kicking horses. They went together to Lord Jianzi's stables to examine horses. One identified a kicking horse. The other approached from behind, stroked its hindquarters three times, and the horse did not kick. The first man thought he had misjudged.

The other said: 'You did not misjudge. This horse has a dislocated shoulder and swollen knees. A kicking horse kicks by raising its hind legs and bearing down on its front legs, but with swollen knees it cannot bear the weight, so its hind legs do not rise. You were skilled at identifying kicking horses but unskilled at noticing swollen knees.'

In affairs there is always an underlying cause. To recognize something that is not manifest because of a hidden impediment -- this is what only the wise perceive.

Huizi said: 'Put a monkey in a cage, and it is no different from a pig.' When circumstances are unfavorable, abilities cannot be displayed.

Huan He said: 'In the art of carving, the nose should start large and the eyes should start small. A large nose can be made smaller, but a small nose cannot be enlarged. Small eyes can be widened, but large eyes cannot be reduced.' Undertaking affairs is the same: if one acts so that mistakes can still be corrected, then failures will be few.

Chong Hou and E Lai understood that they should not displease Zhou of Shang's tyranny, but did not foresee that King Wu would destroy them. Bi Gan and Wu Zixu knew that their lords would inevitably perish, but did not foresee their own deaths.

Therefore it is said: 'Chong Hou and E Lai knew the heart but not the course of events. Bi Gan and Wu Zixu knew the course of events but not the heart.' The sage is complete in both.

Huizi said: 'When Yi the Archer takes up his arm-guard, grasps his bow, and draws the mechanism, the people of Yue compete to hold the target. But when a weak child draws a bow, even a loving mother enters the room and shuts the door.'

Therefore it is said: 'When success is certain, the people of Yue do not doubt Yi. When success is uncertain, even a loving mother flees her own child.'

Duke Mu of Lu sent his many sons to serve at the courts of Jin and Chu. Li Chu said: 'If you borrow a man from Yue to rescue a drowning child -- though the people of Yue are skilled swimmers, the child will surely die. If a fire breaks out and you fetch water from the sea -- though the sea has abundant water, the fire will surely not be quenched. Distant water cannot save a nearby fire. Though Jin and Chu are strong, Qi is near. Does Lu not worry that help will fail to arrive?'

Three lice were feeding on a pig and quarreling among themselves. Another louse passed by and asked: 'What are you arguing about?' The three lice said: 'We are fighting over the fattiest spot.' The other louse said: 'Are you not worried that the winter sacrifice is approaching and the pig will be singed with dry straw? What else is there to worry about?' At this, the lice all gathered together and fed on the pig in concert. The pig grew thin, and its owner therefore did not slaughter it.

Lord Jingguo was about to fortify the city of Xue. Many guests remonstrated against it. Lord Jingguo told the gatekeeper: 'Admit no more guests.' A man of Qi requested an audience, saying: 'I ask for three words only. If I exceed three words, I request to be boiled alive.' Lord Jingguo agreed to see him. The guest hurried forward and said: 'Sea. Big. Fish.' Then he turned to leave.

Lord Jingguo said: 'Please let me hear your explanation.' The guest said: 'I dare not treat my death as a joke.' Lord Jingguo said: 'I beg you to explain.' The guest replied: 'Has my lord heard of the great fish? Nets cannot hold it; lines cannot snare it. But should it be cast up and lose the water, even mole-crickets and ants will have their way with it. Now Qi is my lord's sea. As long as you possess Qi, what need have you of Xue? If you lose Qi, though you raise the walls of Xue to the heavens, it will avail nothing.' Lord Jingguo said: 'Excellent.' And he ceased fortifying Xue.

Guan Zhong and Bao Shu said to each other: 'The lord Wuzhi's reign is extremely disordered; he will surely lose the state. Among the princes of Qi who could be supported, it is either Prince Jiu or Xiao Bai. Let each of us attach ourselves to one -- and whichever reaches the throne first shall rescue the other.' Guan Zhong thereupon followed Prince Jiu; Bao Shu followed Xiao Bai. The people of Qi indeed assassinated their lord. Xiao Bai arrived first and became duke. The people of Lu arrested Guan Zhong and handed him over. Bao Shu spoke on his behalf and had him made prime minister.

Therefore the proverb says: 'Though the shaman Wu Xian excels at blessings, he cannot purify himself. Though the physician of Qin excels at curing illness, he cannot treat himself.' Even with Guan Zhong's sagacity, he required Bao Shu's assistance. This is what the common proverb means: 'A captive selling his own fur coat finds no buyer; a scholar praising his own eloquence finds no believer.'

The King of Chu attacked Wu. Wu sent Ju Wei and Jue Ge to present gifts to the Chu army. The Chu general said: 'Bind them and kill them to consecrate the war drums.' He asked them: 'Before you came, did you divine?' They answered: 'We divined.' 'Was the omen auspicious?' 'Auspicious.'

The Chu man said: 'Now Chu is about to use your blood to consecrate its drums -- how is that auspicious?' They answered: 'This is precisely why it is auspicious. Wu sent us precisely to observe whether your general would be angry. If the general is angry, he will deepen his moats and raise his ramparts. If the general is not angry, he will grow lax and negligent. Now if the general kills us, Wu will certainly heighten its guard. Moreover, the state's divination was not for one minister alone. If killing one minister preserves one state, how could the omen not be called auspicious? Furthermore, if the dead have no consciousness, then consecrating the drums with our blood is useless. If the dead have consciousness, we shall ensure that the drums will not sound when battle comes.' The Chu men therefore did not kill them.

Han and Zhao were in conflict. Han requested troops from Wei, saying: 'We wish to borrow an army to attack Zhao.' Marquis Wen of Wei said: 'I am brothers with Zhao -- I cannot comply.' Zhao then requested troops to attack Han. Marquis Wen said: 'I am brothers with Han -- I dare not comply.' Both states failed to obtain troops and returned in anger. Only later did they realize that Marquis Wen had manipulated them into a stalemate. Both then came to pay court to Wei.

A man of Zheng had a son who was about to take up a post. The son said to his household: 'You must repair the broken wall -- otherwise dishonest people will steal from us.' A neighbor said the same thing. The wall was not repaired in time, and indeed someone stole from them. The family considered the son wise but suspected the neighbor of being the thief.