Chinese Æsop:

Towards the end of the Warring States Period, the whole world had learned about the greed, power and ruthlessness of Qin, and all was careful not to get in its way. Qin had the most ferocious soldiers, the finest weapons, all the money and endless supply of grains and stock, and all it lacked was the excuse to attack. It was its custom to raise some ridiculous demands, and upon being denied, to make wars. In this fashion it has swallowed many states, big and small. The remaining states held their breaths in utter fear, as if they lay at the edge of a gigantic mouth and one misstep would lead to their final destruction. Just then the State of Han disappeared and the State of Wei also disappeared. The militant Qin “ate” both without spitting the bones. The State of An Ling could hardly be considered a state, for it was only a satellite of Wei, established when the Duke of Wei carved out a piece of land for his half brother and named him the duke of An Ling. The land was altogether fift...

At the time of the Warring States Period, there lived in the state of Qi a man called Zou Ji, who was six feet tall and very handsome. One day he put on beautiful clothes and hat, and looked at himself in the mirror with satisfaction. He asked his wife, “Between me and Mr. Xu from the north part of the town, who is more handsome?” His wife looked at him with love and said, “Of course, you are by far the more handsome!” Zou Ji could not believe what he heard, as Mr. Xu was widely known in this country for his outstanding looks. He then asked his concubine, “What do you think?” His concubine stood behind him and said in a small voice, “How can Mr. Xu be compared with you, sir?” Two days later, a guest came to stay, and Zou Ji asked him the same question. The guest also said with assurance, “Why, Mr. Xu is not as handsome as you.” A few days later, Mr. Xu himself called on Zou Ji. The two men talked and laughed at leisure. Zou Ji secretly studied his rival, and decided that by all measure...

Kun Chun-yu was taken in by his bride's family in the State of Qi. He was less than five feet four inches tall. He was humorous and argumentative. He had been an ambassador to other countries many times and never once let the State of Qi get insulted. The King  of Qi loved to party all night, and indulged himself in wine and women and let his officials take care of his job. There was much corruption in his government. The neighbouring countries all invaded the State of Qi. Qi's destruction was imminent. No officials in the king's court dared to give the king any advice. Kun Chun-yu advised the king with the following fable, "There is a big bird in Qi which is resting in the king's court. It has not flown or crowed for three years. Can Your Majesty identify the bird?" The king said, "This bird may not fly. But once it flies, it will shoot into the sky like a rocket. The bird may keep silent. But once it crows, it will surprise everyone." Consequ...

Long ago, in the state of Qin, there was a man named Xiao Shi, who loved playing the music instrument Xiao. The Xiao he played might be the vertical singular bamboo flute, or the Paixiao which consists of many pipes of gradually increasing length, each pipe producing one note. I guess the instrument Xiao Shi played must be the latter, because It is shaped like the wings of a phoenix, and it is said that when he plays the xiao, its melodious tune attracted white cranes and peacocks to dance around him, even phoenix come down from the heaven to listen! Thus, this instrument is also called phoenix pipes. In that same state, the great Duke Mu of Qin had a beautiful daughter. For a child’s first birthday, the Chinese have a custom of setting out a plate filled with different objects for the baby to grab. In this small ritual, the parents hope to get a glimpse of the child’s future inclination. The plate held money, ink brush, jewels, books and other treasures. The Duke’s daughter’s smal...

King You of Zhou was a bad man, who neglected his country and spent his whole life eating, drinking and flirting with women. His favourite of them all was the concubine named Bao Si, whom he adored greatly. However, Bao Si never smiled, and the King was annoyed about this. He offered a huge reward on whoever made Bao laugh. An obsequious official, Guo, thought of a nasty idea. To defend China from the barbarous tribe, about twenty beacons had been built along the mountains from the frontier to the capital. When the the barbarous tribe attacked China, the first beacon would be lit. The second beacon would be lit at the sight of the first, and so on. When nearby lords, who owned land and power in the feudalist society, saw the lit towers, they would send an army to assist the king. Guo told the King to light the beacons in order to trick the lords. They did as planned. The lords, thinking that their country was in danger, brought their army to fight the barbarous tribe. When they arr...

When the Emperor of Qin died of illness in Shaqiu, there were three persons with him: the Prime Minister Li Si, the Eunuch Zhao Gao, and Prince Huhai. Li Si was the left hand man of the Emperor Qin, who had helped the emperor defeat his enemies and rule China. Huhai was the second son of the late emperor. Zhao Gao was a lowly eunuch who was hungry for power. Zhao Gao suggested killing the Heir Apparent Fusu by faking a letter from the late emperor and letting the second son Huhai become the next emperor. Li Si, who was concerned whether Fusu would support him, accepted. Huhai, who was unwise, accepted as well. After declaring Huhai as the Emper Qin Er Shi, he decided to control the entire government. The man brought a deer to a meeting. He showed that deer in front of the emperor and the officials, and said it was a great horse. The emperor, who regarded Zhao Gao as a teacher and therefore trusted him completely, thought it was a deer, and many officials thought so too. Some were...

Bian He was a jade master from the state of Chu. He was entrusted with the task of finding the best jade for Chu. He climbed many a mountain and turned over every stone that he came across. One day he came to Mount Jin, where, according to legends, a pair of phoenixes frolicked on slate. Bian He believed that there must be treasure in this mountain. After an exhaustive search, he came upon a large piece of stone that looked unremarkable at first. But upon close inspection of its grains and veins, Bian He was convinced that it was a rare piece of jade. He brought it back to King Li of Chu. King Li asked his court workmen to check it out. The king’s men told the king that it was an ordinary stone not deserving the attention of a king and Bian He was a cheat. Emperor Li ordered the men to chop off Bian He’s left foot and dump him onto the street. Bian He dragged himself back to Mount Jin. In spite of the tremendous pain, he never lost the conviction that the stone was jade. He waited p...

Once upon a time, in the east of the Empire of Shang, in a small state of of Gu Zhu, King Ya Wei had three sons. The eldest was called Bo Yi, the second Ya Ping, and the third Shuqi. King Ya Wei loved his youngest son, Shuqi, the best and indicated that Shuqi should be the crowned prince instead of the eldest son, Boyi. When the king died, Shuqi did not want to displace his older brother, and he ran away. Boyi did not want to violate his father’s wish and he also ran away. They lived on the shore of the Northern Sea. The countrymen made the second son Ya Ping the king. In the west of Shang, there was a thriving tribe called Zhou. Boyi and Shuqi learned that King Wen of Zhou was wise and able, and his people were known to be kind to their elders. Boyi and Shuqi heard the rise of King Wen and said to each other, "Why do we not go to him! I heard that the Lord of the West, King Wen, is good at honouring and caring the Old". The two brothers decided to subject themselves to K...

Liu Bang was born into a peasant family in Pei County. Before Liu Bang's birth, his mother was caught in a rainstorm and took shelter under a bridge. Just then, there was lightning and thunder and the sky darkened. Liu Bang's father went to fetch his wife home and saw a dragon hovering above her. Liu Bang's mother became pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang. Liu Bang had a high nose, whiskers and a beard, which made him resemble a dragon. He had 72 dark spots on his left leg. The young Liu Bang was outspoken, charismatic and of great forbearance and tolerance. However, Liu Bang enjoyed loafing, disliked reading and showed no interest in farming, hence his father often chided him as a "little rascal". Liu Bang persisted in his idling ways and depended on his brother's family for food and lodging. When he grew older, he was appointed as a patrol officer and forged close relationships with the officials in the county office, earning himself a little reputation...

Chien Ti and the Dark Bird Hsieh of Yin's mother was Chien Ti, who was one of the daughters of Yusung and the secondary wife of Emperor Ku. She was going with her two sisters to bathe, when she saw a dark bird drop its egg. Chien Ti picked it up, and swallowed it, and thus being with child gave birth to Hsieh. When Hsieh grew up, he was succeseful in assisting Yü to control the flood, and the Emperor Shun, directing Hsieh, said: "The people are wanting in affection for one another, and do not observe the five orders of relationship. You, as Minister of Instruction, should reverently inculcate the lessons of duty belonging to those five orders, but do so with gentleness." He held in fief the principality of Shang, and was given the surname of Tzŭ (son). Hsieh flourished in the reigns of Yao, Shun, and the great Yü. His services were manifest to the people, who were accordingly at peace. Hsieh died, after twelfth generations, Emperor T‘ien Yi or T‘ang the Completer ca...

Many, perhaps forty years ago, I was walking in the interior of Canton province, not far from its great East river which flows on to join the streams from the north and west at Whampou. All at once my steps were arrested by a loud shouting from the river, and I hurried to the bank to see what was going on. There, as I stood above the water, I saw two boats, long and slender, each built to represent a dragon, the head of which rose high and formed the prow. A man sat upon it with a flag in each hand, which he waved to direct the movements of the crew, and with his face turned towards the helmsman who stood near the stern. Midway in the boats were two men beating with all their might, the one a gong, the other a drum. The crew in each boat could not have been fewer than thirty men, each grasping a short stout paddle, and all, with quivering eagerness and loud cries, racing towards a certain point. At the conclusion of the race, the rowers exerting all their strength and skill, and the ...

AT the beginning of his reign Duke Ching of Tsi (齐景公)liked to surround himself with heroes. Three of these were particularly brave. The first was called Kung Sun-chieh (公孙捷), the second was called Tien Kai-chiang (田开疆) and the third Was called Ku Yie-tse (古冶子). All three were greatly honoured by the Duke. These honours, however, turned their heads; they were noisy at court and did not behave towards the prince as a prince's servants should. At that time Yän Tse was chancellor in Tsi. The Duke consulted him about what should be done. The chancellor requested that a banquet be given and all officials invited to attend. On the table, as the greatest delicacy, stood a dish with four magnificent peaches. In accordance with his chancellor's advice the duke rose and announced: 'Here some exquisite fruit, but there is not enough for all of you. Only those most worthy shall eat of it. I myself am the ruler of the country and the head of the princes of the empire. I have succee...

At the beginning, the Jiang tribe settled on the plain along the Yellow River. A girl of this tribe named Jiang Yuan was virtuous and reverent to God. Jiang Yuan was betrothed and then married to Emperor Ku, but she was barren, so she presented pure offerings to God and sacrificed and prayed God to take away her childlessness. The next day she went out to the field, and saw a big foot print on the road, she was curious because of the huge size. So she put her own foot inside the big foot print to measure it. Suddenly she was moved and felt strange. Then she knew she had trod in the foot print of God, and had become pregnant. She came back to her home, and rested. When she had fulfilled her months, she gave birth to a son, who came forth like a lamb, there was no bursting, nor rending, no injury, no hurt. But the birth of this child was so odd that Mother Jiang Yuan felt bewildered and tried to abandon her newborn baby. First the boy was placed in a narrow lane, but the sheep and o...

Zhao Qi (Han Dynasty, 赵歧) Chaou K'e (赵歧, Zhao Qi, A.D.108–201) was an official who served as Minister Coachman during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the author of Commentaries on Mencius (孟子章句), one of the only major commentaries on Mencius from that period still in existence. He is also featured as a character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Chaou K'e was born A.D. 108. His father was a censor about the court of the emperor Heaou-gan, and gave him the name of Kea (嘉), which he afterwards changed into K’e for the purpose of concealment, changing also his original designation of T'ae-k’ing (台卿) into Pin-k’ing. It was his boast that he could trace his descent from the emperor Chuen-heuh, B.'C. 2510. In his youth K’e was distinguished for his intelligence and diligent study of the classics. He married a niece of the celebrated scholar and statesman Ma Yung (马融), but bore himself proudly towards him and...

The king deprived the earl of Zheng of all share in the government of the kingdom, and the earl in consequence no more appeared at court. In autumn the king led several of the princes to invade Zheng, when the earl withstood him. The king drew up his forces so that he himself was in the centre, while Linfu, duke of Guo, commanded the army of the right, having the troops of Cai and Wei attached to him, and Heijian, duke of Zhou, commanded on the left, having the troops of Chen. Ziyuan of Zheng asked the earl to draw their troops up in squares, on the left opposed to the armies of Cai and Wei, and on the right to the men of Chen. "Chen," said he, "is at this time all in confusion, and the people have no heart to fight. If we attack them first, they will be sure to run. The king's soldiers seeing this will fall into disorder, and the troops of Cai and Wei will set them the example of flight without making any resistance. Let us then collect our troops and fall upon ...

Years back, the wife of Mu, marquis of Jin (B. C. 811—84), a lady Jiang, gave birth to her eldest son, at the time of the expedition against Tiao, and on that account there was given him the name of Qiu (enemy). His brother was born at the time of the battle of Qianmou, and he got with reference to it the name of Chengshi (grand success). Shifu said, "How strange the names our lord has given to his sons! Now names should be definitions of what is right; the doing of what is right produces rules of what is proper; those rules again are embodied in the practice of government; and government has its issues in the rectification of the people. Therefore when government is completed in this way, the people are obedient; when this course is changed, it produces disorder. A good partner is called Fei (consort); a grumbling partner is called Qiu (enemy):—these are ancient designations. Now our lord has called his eldest son Enemy, and his second son Grand Success;—this is an early omen of ...

[Xiang Yu's troops] came to Han'gu Pass in former Qin territory. The pass was guarded by (Liu Bang's) soldiers so [Xiang Yu] could not get through. Apart from this, it was said that Pei Gong (namely Liu Bang) had already occupied Xian Yang city. Xiang Yu hence got fiercely angry, so he ordered Lord Dang Yang to attack the pass. Then he got through the pass and marched to Xixi. Pei Gong's troops were stationed in Bashang; he did not have the chance to meet Xiang Yu. A military officer of Pei Gong, Cao Wushang, secretly sent a messenger to Xiang Yu, saying: "Pei Gong intends to be king of Guanzhong, with Zi Ying as prime minister, and possess all the treasures of Qin." Xiang Yu broke out in a rage, and said: "Prepare my soldiers tomorrow morning. I will destroy Pei Gong's army!" At that time, Xiang Yu had 400,000 men stationed in Hongmen, Pei Gong had 100,000 men in Bashang. Fan Zeng said to Xiang Yu: "When Pei Gong was in Shandong, he was ver...