Master0sifu Folktale: A mud man and a wooden puppet

MengChang Jun was a famous counsellor of the State ofQi.

孟尝君是齐国有名的谋士。

 

One day,he wanted to leave his native country to be an official in theState of Qin. His subordinates all advised him not to go, but MengChang Jun wouldn't listen to them. At this time, a man told himsuch a story.

一天，他想离开祖国，到秦国去做官。他的部下都劝他不要去，孟尝君不听。这时，有人对他讲了这样一个故事：

 

Once whenI was passing the Zi River, I heard in my dream a man made of mudtalking with a wooden puppet by the riverbank.

有一次，我经过淄河的时候，梦里听见一个泥人和一个木偶在河边谈话。

 

Thewooden puppet said to the mud man: "You were formerly a lump ofearth, now made into a man of mud. But if it rains and the water inthe river rises, you will surely be damaged by thewater."

木偶对泥人说：“你原是一块泥土，现在做成泥人了。可是，如果天下起雨来，河里涨了水，那时候，你一定会给水冲坏的！”

 

The manmade of mud replied: "If I were damaged by the water, I would notbe afraid, but would only return to my original state and dissolveinto earth. But you? You were carved from the peach tree in thegarden. If it rains heavily and the water in the river rises, youwill be in no position to decide for yourself and can only floataway with the river current. Since you cannot decide for yourself,then you will never be able to return to your originalplace."

泥人回答木偶说：“我要是给水冲坏了，我也不怕，因为我只是回复了我的原状，化成泥土罢了。可是，你呢，你原来是用园里的那株桃树雕出来的。要是天下起大雨来，河里涨了水，那时，你自己也做不得主，一定会随河水漂去。既然你自己做不得主，就决不能再回到原地方来了。”

 

AfterMeng Chang Jun heard this story of the conversation between the mudman and the wooden puppet, he changed his mind and decided not togo to the State of Qin.

孟尝君听了故事中泥人和木偶的一番对话，改变了主意，决定不去秦国了。

 

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