The Mad Goose and The Tiger Forest
Hu-lin was a little slave girl. She had been sold by her father when she was scarcely more than a baby, and had lived for five years with a number of other children in a wretched houseboat. Her cruel master treated her very badly. He made her go out upon the street, with the other girls he had bought, to beg for a living. This kind of life was especially hard for Hu-lin. She longed to play in the fields, above which the huge kites were sailing in the air like giant birds. She liked to see the crows and magpies flying hither and thither. It was great fun to watch them build their stick nests in the tall poplars. But if her master ever caught her idling her time away in this manner he beat her most cruelly and gave her nothing to eat for a whole day. In fact he was so wicked and cruel that all the children called him Black Heart. Continue reading »
The Wrong Done to Dòu É
In ancient times there lived a man named Dòu Tiānzhāng, whose wife died leaving him a daughter called Dòu É. He decided to move to the capital to study and take the imperial examination, so he married his daughter off to a neighbor named Cài Chāngzōng and then left for the capital, where he stayed for many years. Later on, É’s husband Cài also left to seek his fortune with the exams, leaving É with his mother, Mother Cài. On his trip, he was accompanied by Zhāng Lǘ’ér, “Donkey Zhāng,” the son of a trusted family servant, whose mother, Mother Zhāng, also lived with the Cài family.
Pursuing an unfair advantage leads to trouble
What go’s around comes around, thieves will eventually have to pay.
Do Not Pursue or Indulge In Vanity
Traditional Culture: Do Not Pursue or Indulge in Vanity
Qi Jiguang was born when his father, Qi Jingtong, was at the age of 56, a relatively old age. Jiguang was the only son in the family and the father loved the child dearly. He personally taught Qi Jiguang to read books and to practice martial arts. However, he was very strict with Qi Jiguang’s moral character and conduct.
One day, when Qi Jiguang was 13, he wore a pair of well-made silk shoes.
Continue reading »
Divine Farmer who Tasted Hundreds of Herbs
Hello, welcome to another Ancient Tales of Wisdom, today we will tell you about the story of the Divine Farmer who Tasted Hundreds of Herbs.
Shennong, or Divine Farmer, is said to have taught the Chinese farming methods and herbal medicine.
As Chinese mythology has it, after God Pangu created heaven and earth and Goddess Nuuwa created human beings, more gods were sent down to assist human life and help build civilization. One such god is a legendary King Shennong, or the Divine Farmer, who taught the Chinese how to farm and to use medicinal herbs. He is said to have invented many agricultural tools such as the plough, axe, hoe, etc., and taught the ancient Chinese how to convert barren wastes into farming fields. He also tasted hundreds of plants and distinguished 365 different kinds of medicinal herbs.
The Moment He Supported a Stalk of Grain
A story that teaches us that everyone can be compassionate and live a more virtuous life. Also displayed in this wonderful story is the truth of how much of a difference virtue and propriety makes in our lives and in our suroundings.
Heaven sees clearly your every thought
Chinese people often say, “Heaven has eyes.”, and believe this to be an absolute truth. Today, we will bring you a story from the Zhou Dynasty which demonstrates Ancient China’s reverence for the Gods.
According to the Book of Shang, one year after the Zhou Dynasty was conquered by the Shang Dynasty, Emperor Wuwang became very ill.
Wuwang ‘s loyal advisor, Zhougong set up an altar and prayed to the three former emperors of the Zhou Dynasty, pledging his own life as collateral. He said “Your grandson is very ill. I am willing to die if Wuwang lives and serve the gods and ghosts in his place”. Zhougong continued to say “Wuwang has been appointed by the Heaven to rule in the world, and as such, the lives of people are stable and they revere the Gods. Please let Wuwang continue his duties and consider my request before deciding who’s life to take.”
Healthy mind, healthy body
Zixia and Zengzi were both students of Confucius. One day, they met each other on the street. Zengzi carefully looked Zixia over from head to toe, and then asked, “In the past you had many illnesses and were always thin and weak. You seem to have gained weight and look energetic too.
” Zixia happily said, “I have recently won a battle, so I feel very happy and have gained weight as a result.”
Not understanding him Zengzi asked, “What do you mean?” Zixia replied, “One day I was reading in my study books about Yao (2353 - 2234 BC) , Yu (21st century BC) and Tang (15th century BC).
The Peach Grove
The expression “Peach grove over yonder” means a place that is not affected by the outside world and it can also mean Shangri-La. It originated from “The Story of the Peach Grove” written by Tao Yuanming, a great writer from the Song Dynasty.
In the story, one day a fisherman from Wuling in Hunan Province rowed his boat up the river. After a long while, he saw a huge peach grove with splendid blossoms. He was overwhelmed with such scenery and continued to row. He then saw a small mountain with a small cave in the middle of the mountain. He was so curious that he got off his boat and crawled into the cave.
At the end of the cave, there appeared a broad, flat area. He kept walking and saw rows of houses neatly arranged with various crops growing in a fertile field. Many paths branched out in all directions from the middle of the field; many people were quite busy working in the field.
Welcoming you back to Ancient Tales of Wisdom
Welcome back to Ancient Tales of Wisdom. We are sorry it has been gone for so long but we are now committed to bringing you more stories to enjoy every week.
HR Director, Michael Anderson
