Maliang and his Magical Writing Brush 马良与他的神笔

Once upon a time, there was a poor and kind young man called Ma Liang. He helped a rich man to tend cattle. He liked drawing and drew pictures everywhere. One night, he dreamed that an old man gave him a magic paintbrush and asked him to use it to help poor people. When he woke up, he found the magic paintbrush in his desk.

From that day on, he used the paintbrush whenever people needed help. When he saw that people had no water to use in the fields, he drew a river and the river came to life. People could bring water from the river to the field and save a lot of time and energy. When he saw it was difficult for people to till lands, he drew a cow and the cow came to life. People could use the cow to till lands very easily.

He became famous as many people knew about the magic paintbrush.

The rich man whom Ma Liang helped was a bad man. He sent some people to the Ma Liang's home and took him to the prison. After getting the magic paintbrush, he invited a lot of his friends to come to his home. However, none of the pictures he drew become real.

He was very angry and asked some people to get Ma Liang. He said to Ma Liang, "If you draw some pictures for me and turn them to life, I will set you free." Ma Liang said, "I can help you."

The rich man laughed and said, "I want a golden mountain. I will go there to gather gold."

The young man drew a sea first. The rich man was angry and said," Why did you draw a sea? I do not want this. I want a golden mountain. Draw it quickly." Then the young man drew a golden mountain which was far away from the sea. The rich man saw that and felt very happy. He said, "Draw a big ship quickly. I want to go there to gather gold." The young man smiled quietly and drew a big ship. The rich man jumped into the ship first and a lot of his family and friends jumped in too. When the ship sailed to the middle of the sea, the young man drew a large wave and it destroyed the ship. So the rich man and his friends died.

After that, the young man lived with his family happily and kept on helping the poor people. So the magic paintbrush was known by everyone.

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从前，有个穷苦但是善良的年轻人名叫马良。他帮一个有钱人看牛。他喜欢画画，所以无处不画。一个晚上，他梦见一个老人给他一支神笔，要他用它来帮助穷人。当他醒来时，那支神笔就在他的桌子上。

从那天开始，他用他的神笔来帮助那些需要帮助的人。当他看到人们没有水来灌田，他就画一条河，河就变成一条真的河流。人们从河里拿水到田里，节省了很多精力与时间。他看到人们耕田辛苦，他就画了只牛，牛就变成了真的牛。人们用牛来耕田，轻松得多了。

因为很多人知道了神笔的事，他因此远近闻名。

他为他干活的那个有钱人是个坏人。他派人到马良的家把马良关进监牢里。得到了马良的神笔后，富人邀请了很多朋友到他的家里来。可是，他所画的图画，没有一幅能活了起来。

他很生气，派人去把马良带来。他对马良说：‘如果你能画些图画，然后令这些图画或了去来，我就让你自由。’马良说：‘我可以帮你。’

富人笑了，说：‘我要一座金山。我要到那里去取金。’

年轻人先画了一片海。富人很生气地说：‘为什么画海？我不要这个。我要金山。快给我画。’年轻人接着在海的远方画了一座金山。富人看了很生气。他说，‘快点画一艘大船。我要到那儿取金。’年轻人暗笑，画了一艘大船。富人先跳上大船，他的家人与朋友都跟着跳上去。当船行走到海的中央时，年轻人画了大风浪，把船给毁了。所以，富人与他的朋友全被淹死了。

此后，年轻人与他的家人快快乐乐地生活，并且继续帮助穷人。所以，他的神笔人人皆知。

The Foolish Old Man Removed Mountains 愚公移山

The saying that “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” can be illustrated by a Chinese story about ‘The foolish old man removed mountains.’ It is actually a Chinese folktale about a foolish old man who removed a mountain that was blocking the path from his home. His children told him that he would be dead before he moved it. The old man instructed them to continue his work after he was gone, ‘My line will go on and on, but the mountain can never get taller or bigger, so what do I have to worry about?’

Why the old man didn’t just simply move his family to a more convenient location? It is said that the concept of home in Chinese culture is extremely important and one does not move his home unless lives are at stake. Another explanation is that the old man is foolish and that's why he didn't pick the easier task; but conveniently, his story told later generations to be persistent at doing anything.

The story became famous after Mao Zedong mentioned it in one of his speeches, ‘There are now two mountains on the heads of the Chinese people. One is called imperialism, and the other is called feudalism. The Communist Party of China must resolve to dig away at these two mountains. We must be absolutely firm, and continue to work away without stopping. Even the God will be moved. This god is not another person; it is the masses of the people of the entire nation. If the masses of the people of the entire nation were to rise up in unison, and help us to dig away at these two mountains, what is there that we could not flatten?’

Here is the original story as recorded in Liezi (Master Lie), an early philosophical Daoism text written during the 3rd century AD.

The two mountains Taihang and Wangwu, which cover an area of 700 square li (about 0.5 km), and rise to an enormous altitude, originally stood in the south of Jizhou and north of Heyang. The Simpleton of the North Mountain, an old man of ninety, dwelt opposite these mountains, and was vexed in spirit because their northern flanks blocked the way to travellers, who had to go all the way round. So he called his family together, and broached a plan.

'Let us,' he said, 'put forth our utmost strength to clear away this obstacle, and cut right through the mountains until we come to Hanyin. What say you?' They all assented except his wife, who made objections and said: 'My good man has not the strength to remove a spoonful of dirt from your father's burial mound, let alone two such mountains as Taixing and Wangwu. Besides, where will you put all the earth and stones that you dig up?' The others replied that they would throw them on the promontory of Bohai.

So the old man, followed by his son and grandson, sallied forth with their pickaxes, and the three of them began hewing away at the rocks, and cutting up the soil, and carting it away in baskets to the promontory of Bohai. A widowed woman who lived near had a little boy who, though he was only just shedding his milk teeth, came skipping along to give them what help he could. Engrossed in their toil, they never went home except once at the turn of the season.

The Wise Old Man of the River-bend burst out laughing and urged them to stop. 'Great indeed is your witlessness!' he said. 'With the poor remaining strength of your declining years you will not succeed in removing a hair's breadth of the mountain, much less the whole vast mass of rock and soil.' With a sigh, the Simpleton of the North Mountain replied: 'Surely it is you who are narrow-minded and unreasonable. You are not to be compared with the widow's son, despite his puny strength. Though I myself must die, I shall leave a son behind me and through him a grandson. That grandson will beget sons in his turn, and those soils will also have sons and grandsons. With all this posterity, my line will not die out, while on the other hand the mountain will receive no increment or addition. Why then should I despair of levelling it to the ground at last?' The Wise Old Man of the River-bend had nothing to say in reply.

One of the serpent-brandishing deities heard of the undertaking and, fearing that it might never be finished, went and told God Almighty, who was touched by the old man's simple faith, and commanded the two sons of Kua-e to transport the mountains, one to the extreme north-east, the other to the southern corner of Yong. Ever since then, the region lying between Jizhou in the north and Hanyin in the south has been an unbroken plain.
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Mao's Speech as read by a Canadian Lady 加拿大女士念毛泽东的谈话
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英语‘有志者事竟成’可以用‘愚公移山’的故事来加以说明。它其实有关一个老人把当在他家门口的大山的故事。老人告示他打孩子如果他过世时山还没有移掉，他们应该继续移山的工作。他说，‘我的子孙会一代一代转下去，而山却不会长高或变大，所以我有什么值得担心的？’

为什么老人不搬到另一个更方便的地点？据说华人文化重安土，没有特殊情况决不搬家。另一个解释是老人就是愚蠢，这就是为什么他不取容易的办法，而他的故事告诉子子孙孙坚持他们的所作所为。

毛泽东在一次演讲中提到了这个故事后，它就变成家喻户晓了：‘现在也有两座压在中国人民头上的大山，一座叫做帝国主义，一座叫做封建主义。中国共产党早就下了决心，要挖掉这两座山。我们一定要坚持下去，一定要不断工作。我们也会感动上帝的。这个上帝不是别人，就是全中国的人民大众。’

以下是公元前三世纪所写的道家哲学经典《列子》的记载:

太行、王屋二山，方七百里，高万仞。本在冀州之南，河阳之北。

北山愚公者，年且九十，面山而居。惩山北之塞，出入之迂也，聚室而谋曰：‘吾与汝毕力平险，指通豫南，达于汉阴，可乎？’杂然相许。其妻献疑曰：‘以君之力，曾不能损魁父之丘。如太行、王屋何?且焉置土石?’杂曰：‘投诸渤海之尾，隐土之北。’遂率子孙荷担者三夫，叩石垦壤，箕畚运于渤海之尾。邻人京城氏之孀妻有遗男，始龀，跳往助之。寒暑易节，始一反焉。

河曲智叟笑而止之曰：‘甚矣，汝之不惠。以残年余力，曾不能毁山之一毛，其如土石何?’北山愚公长息曰：‘汝心之固，固不可彻，曾不若孀妻弱子。虽我之死，有子存焉；子又生孙，孙又生子；子又有子，子又有孙；子子孙孙无穷匮也，而山不加增，何苦而不平？’河曲智叟亡以应。

操蛇之神闻之，惧其不已也，告之于帝。帝感其诚，命夸娥氏二子负二山，一厝朔东，一厝雍南。自此，冀之南，汉之阴，无陇断焉。

The Pity of Zhong-Yong王安石：伤仲永

There is a tendency within Chinese culture to emphasize hard work rather learning aptitude in achieving academic success. Negative responses towards ‘aptitude’ are obvious in the Chinese context, dating back to Wang Anshi’s (1021-1086) work of ‘The Pity of Zhong Yong’ in the Song Dynasty. The story tells of an intelligent child named Shang Zhong Yong, who when he was young showed much aptitude for reading and memorization abilities, but years later he was found to be no different from other people. This story suggests that ‘aptitude’ is not emphasized in a Chinese educational context. As such, intelligent tests are rarely encouraged in Chinese schools.

Below is the story told by Wang Anshi.

In my hometown Jinxi, there was a person called Fang Zhong Yong. His family has been peasants for generations. At the age of five, Zhong Yong had never known any writing tools. Suddenly one day he cried and asked for these things: pen, paper, ink, etc.His father was very surprised and borrowed ones from the neighbor. Zhong Yong immediately wrote a quatrain Jueju poem, and signed his own name. His poem was talking about supporting parents and people from the same clan should get along harmoniously with each other in accordance with seniority and the patriarchal relationship. The poem generated big buzz among scholars of the entire township.

Since then, Zhong-Yong could immediately complete a poem about any assigned issues and objects. And his poems are of literary talent and sound rationale. People in the whole county were surprised by his incredible talent. Gradually, people started to treat his father as special guest with respectful courtesy; some even paid money in order to ask for Zhong Yong’s poems. His father felt that this was profitable and lucrative. So he let Zhong Yong visit people one day after another and would not let him study at school.

I’ve heard this matter for a long time. In Mingdao Era (1032-1033), I returned to hometown with my father. At my uncle’s house I met Zhong Yong. He was already twelve or thirteen years old by then. I asked him to write a poem. His poetry couldn’t meet the reputation of the past.

It took another seven years when I came back from Yangzhou. Once again I came to uncle’s home, asked about Fang Zhong Yong’s current situation. He replied: ‘Just like ordinary people.’

Wang Anshi commented: Zhong Yong’s special intelligence was gifted at birth. He was endowed with much higher talent than average talented people. However, he eventually became an ordinary person, because he did not receive proper education afterward. As naturally intelligent to such an extent as Zhong Yong was, he became an ordinary person without proper education. Well, nowadays, for those who are not born smart, if they do not receive proper education, could they beat child prodigy Zhong-Yong and still become “ordinary people”?

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中华文化倾向于强调‘勤奋’而不是‘天资’为学习成功之要素。这种对‘天资’或‘才能’的负面看法在中国古书中是明显的，可以追溯到宋朝王安石（1021-1086）所写的‘伤仲永’的一篇文章。该故事说一个小孩小时候显示了很好的才能与记忆力，可是后来却与一般人没有两样。这个故事说明‘才能’不是中国教育所重视。所以，在中国学校中，‘才能测试’一向来是不被鼓励的。

以下《伤仲永》选自《王文公文集》：

金溪民方仲永，世隶耕。仲永生五年，未尝识书具，忽啼求之。父异焉，借旁近与之，即书诗四句，并自为其名。其诗以养父母、收族为意，传一乡秀才观之。

自是指物作诗立就，其文理皆有可观者。邑人奇之，稍稍宾客其父，或以钱币乞之。父利其然也，日扳仲永环谒于邑人，不使学。

余闻之也久。明道(宋仁宗年号，只有两年，1032-1033）中，从先人还家，于舅家见之，十二三矣。令作诗，不能称前时之闻。又七年，还自杨州，复到舅家，问焉，曰“泯然众人矣。”

王子曰：仲永之通悟，受之天也。其受之天也，贤于材人远矣。卒之为众人，则其受于人者不至也。彼其受之天也，如此其贤也，不受之人，且为众人；今夫不受之天，固众人，又不受之人，得为众人而已耶？

Zhou Chu Kills Three Terrors 周处除三害

The famous story of Zhou comes from the ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

When he was a young man, Zhou Chu (240-299) was tough and fond of fighting. Residents of Yi Xing, his home town, both feared and hated him.

At that time there was in the district a terrible monster known as jiao (a kind of crocodile), that lived in the river, and a man-eating tiger that lived in the mountains. Together with Zhou Chu, they were known as the ‘three terrors’ plaguing the people. And Zhou Chu was considered to be the worst.

At one time somebody persuaded Zhou Chu to go and kill the other two monsters, in the hope that he might be killed in the struggle. He agreed to the request. After slaughtering the tiger in the mountains, he jumped into the river and launched an attack on the jiao. The jiao sometimes rose to the surface and sometime swam in the depth of the river, while Zhou Chu followed it for tens of miles all along. Three days and nights had passed, the residents decided that Zhou must have already been eaten by the jiao, and they had a celebration.

At this time, Zhou Chu succeeded in killing the jiao and re-emerged from the river. Knowing that the people were celebrating, he at last realised how deeply hated he had become. So he decided to start a new life, and went off in search of two scholars, known as the Lu brothers, for advice.

Lu Ji (261-301) was out at that time, but his younger brother, Lu Yun (262-303), was at home. Zhou Chu recounted the recent events ti him and said, ‘I wish to correct my behaviour, but I am no longer young, and change will not come easy.’

Lu Yun replied, ‘Confucius once said that if you found out the truth in the morning but died the same evening, you would feel no regret. You are still young and have a life of promise ahead of you. What you should feat is having no goal in your life. If you already bhave one, why worry that you will never come to fame?’

From then on Zhou Chu mad efforts to turn over a new leaf, and later was applauded as a loyal official and a loving son.’

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‘周处除三害’的故事记载于《世说新语》。

周处年少时，凶强侠气，为乡里所患。

又义兴水中有蛟，山中有邅迹虎，并皆暴犯百姓，义兴人谓为‘三横’，而处尤剧。

或说处杀虎斩蛟，实冀三横唯余其一。处即刺杀虎，又入水击蛟，蛟或浮或没，行数十里，处与之俱，经三日三夜，乡里皆谓已死，更相庆。

竟杀蛟而出。闻里人相庆，始知为人情所患，有自改意。

乃自吴寻二陆，平原不在，正见清河，具以情告，并云：‘欲自修改而年已蹉跎，终无所成。’

清河曰：‘古人贵朝闻夕死，况君前途尚可。且人患志之不立，亦何忧令名不彰邪？’

处遂改励，终为忠臣孝子。

Dong Yong’s Wife 董永妻

Filial piety is one of the Chinese traditional virtues. It is said that only when a person respects and loves his parents can he respect the elderly in society, humbly learn from the seniors in the work place, devote himself to the country, and sacrifice his life to defend the country. As such, all kind-hearted and capable emperors in Chinese history promoted filial piety.

Here is a story recorded in Sou Shen Ji (stories of Immortals) about Dong Yong, a son with filial piety and was reward by Heaven. The story later evolved to become a very popular folktale ‘Seven Fairies’.

In the Han dynasty in Qiancheng lived a man by the name of Dong Yong. His mother died when he was a child. While living with his father, they worked hard in fields. Each time they went out, he would put his old father on a small cart and follow it on foot. When his father died, he was so poor that he had no money for his father’s funeral. He was willing to sell himself into slavery for a little money for funeral. Knowing that he was a virtuous man, his master gave him ten thousand coins and allowed him to go home.

Dong was in mourning for three years. When it was over, he decided to return to his master to work as a slave. On his way he met a woman who said to him, ‘I am willing to marry you.’ So they went together to his master.

‘I have given you money, but I do not expect you to be my slave.’ The master said to him.

‘Thanks to your generous help,’ Dong said, ‘I was able to bury my father. Although I am a person with no social status, I know I ought to work for you to repay your kindness.’

Then the master said, ‘What is wife good at?’

‘She can weave,’ Dong answered.

‘If you insist on doing something for me,’ said the master, ‘please ask your wife to weave a hundred rolls of fine silk for me.’

Dong’s wife set to work in master’s house. Ten days later the hundred rolls were ready.

When she came out, she said to Dong, ‘I am a weaver in Heaven. The Emperor of Heaven ordered me to help you pay your debt because he was moved by your filial piety.’ After saying these words she flew into the sky and vanished.

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孝顺是中华美德之一。就是说，一个人如果能尊敬与爱护他的父母，他才会尊敬社会里的长者、在工作场所里虚心向前辈学习、献身国家、与肯为保卫国家而牺牲自己的性命。所以，历史上仁慈与有才能的君主都宣扬孝道。

以下是《搜神记》里记载孝子董永的故事，因其孝而获天协助。这个故事后来演变成为家喻户晓的《七仙女》的故事。

汉董永，千乘人。少偏孤，与父居。肆力田亩，鹿车载自随。父亡，无以葬，乃自卖为奴，以供丧事。主人知其贤，与钱千万，遣之。

永行三年丧毕，欲还主人，供其奴职。道逢一妇人曰：‘愿为子妻。’遂与之俱。

主谓永曰：‘以钱丐君矣。’

永曰：‘蒙君之惠，父丧收藏，永虽小人。必欲服勤致力，以报厚德。’

主曰：‘妇人何能？’

永曰：‘能织。’

主曰：‘必尔者，但令君妇为我织缣百匹。’

于是永妻为主人家织，十日而百匹具焉。

女出门，谓永曰：‘我，天之织女也。缘君至孝，天帝令我助君偿债耳。’语毕，凌空而去，不知所在。

Meng Jiangnu: The Saddest Cry in the World 孟姜女：天下第一哭

The story of Meng Jiangnu, spread through many regions of China for more than 2,000 years, is perhaps the most popular folktale concerning the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall of China was built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. The most famous is the wall built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. It is estimated that between 2 to 3 million people had lost their lives building the Great Wall, and many more died by defending her.

The story of Meng Jiangnu's deep affection for her husband has moved many Chinese people and they call her cry ‘The saddest cry in the world’.

In Chinese, Meng means the eldest, and Jiang apparently refers to a family name. Meng Jiangnu therefore means the Jiang family’s eldest daughter. The most complete version of story was told by Feng Menglong of Ming dynasty in his book ‘Love Tales in History’.

Meng Jiang, lived during the Qin dynasty, was the eldest daughter of a rich family. She was just married to Fan Qiliang. On the third day of her marriage, Fan was taken away to build the Great Wall. Winter came but Fan did not return. Meng made some warm clothes for her husband and decided to take them to him. She came to the construction site and was then told that Fan had died. She was so heartbroken that she stumbled, cried loudly till the earth was shaken.

The Great Wall collapsed and exposed the bones and bodies of many dead men. However, it was impossible to identify Fan’s body. Meng cut her fingers and dripped her blood on the dead one by one until her blood flowed into one. Knowing that this was her husband, she carried the body home. However, she was exhausted upon reaching Tong Guan, which was still far away from her home. She knew that she could not make it home, so she placed the dead body at the foot of a mountain and sat there silently until she died.

The people of Tong Guan were so touched by her chastity that they constructed her sculpture as a memorial to honour her.

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孟姜女的故事在中国很多地区传播超过两千年，可能是有关万里长城的故事中最出名的。

万里长城是为了保卫中国北方领土而从公元前五世纪至十六世纪由各个朝代不断建筑、重建与修理而成的。其中最出名的城墙是在公元前220年至200年间由中国的第一位皇帝秦始皇建造的。据估计，有两百到三百万人为了建造这座长城而丧失生命，还有很多人为了保护它而死亡。

孟姜女对她丈夫的深情的故事深深地感动了人们，而她的哭被称为‘天下第一哭’。

孟是排行老大的意思，姜才是姓氏，所以孟姜女指的是姜家的长女。明代冯梦龙（原刊本署“詹詹外史”）在他的《情史》（全称《情史类略》，又名《情天宝鉴》）中的《孟姜》讲得最完整：

“秦孟姜，富人女也，赘范杞梁。三日，夫赴长城之役，久而不归，为制寒衣送之，至长城，闻知夫已故，乃号顿足，哭声震地。

城崩，寻夫骸骨，多难认，啮指血滴之，入骨不可拭者，知其为夫骨，负之而归。至潼关，筋骨已竭，知不能还家，乃置骸岩下，坐于旁而死。

潼关人重其节义，立像祀之。”

Carps Jumping Over the Dragon Gate 鲤鱼跳龙门

It is common to see golden carp fish swim leisurely in peaceful ponds in Chinese gardens. The Chinese like carp fish because the Chinese character for carp (li) is pronounced the same as both the character (li) for "profit" and the character (li) for "strength" or "power". The carp is also a symbol for an abundance of children because it produces many eggs.

For the Chinese, a pair of carp symbolizes a harmonious marriage.

In Chinese paintings, a frequently seen image is of a carp swimming and leaping against the current of a river. This refers to the legend that a carp which is able to leap over the mythical "Dragon Gate" will become a dragon. This is an allegory for the persistent effort needed to overcome obstacles.

The legend comes from Tai Ping Guang Ji (Tai Ping Anthologies):

‘East of the Yellow River stood a mountain called Longmen (Dragon Gate). King Yu dug into it and made in it a one-li (half-km) long gate, through which the Yellow River flowed downward. On neither side of it could carriages or horses stand or move.

Towards the end of spring every year, yellow carps from the seas and rivers would vie with each other in coming to the gate and trying to get through it. But no more than seventy-two of them would succeed. Once they passed the Dragon gate, they would be followed by clouds and rain, and their tails would be burned off by heavenly fire. Then they would become dragon. ’

The story simply means that if a person works hard at whatever he does, he could one day become successful. The saying ‘carps jumping over the dragon gate’ is used to encourage a person to persist in one’s endeavour.

In the past, a carp leaping over the dragon’s gate was used as a metaphor for success in passing the imperial examinations which started about 2,000 years ago. The examinations were used to select the brightest brains for top government positions. Those who made it in the examinations would ensure prestige and wealth for the family.

On the basis of this legend, the Carp becomes, in the Chinese cultural tradition, a symbol of courage and perseverance. It teaches that only the fittest and the strongest can achieve the highest goals.
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在中国花园，我们经常可以看到金色的鲤鱼悠游于平静的水池中。华人喜欢鲤鱼，因为鲤与‘利’和‘力’同音。鲤鱼也代表百子千孙因为它产卵多。

对华人而言，成双鲤鱼代表美好婚姻。在中国画中，常看到的景色是鲤鱼逆水而游并跳跃。这是指鲤鱼能跳过神话中的‘龙门’成为龙的传说。这象征着需要坚持努力来克服阻碍。

这个传说来自《太平广记》：

龙门山,在河东界。禹凿山断门阔一里余。黄河自中流下，两岸不通车马。

每岁季春，有黄鲤鱼，自海及渚川争来赴之。 一岁中,登龙 门者,不过七十二。初登龙门，即有云雨随之，天火自后烧其尾，乃化为龙矣。

这个故事是说一个人如果努力去做他所要做的东西，终有一天他会成功。‘鲤鱼跳龙门’这句话一直是用来比喻在两千多年前就开始了的科举考试中中举。科举考试的目的是要选拔全国最优秀的人才进入朝廷。中选的人必为家庭带来荣华富贵。

居于这个传说，鲤鱼成为中国传统文化中勇气与耐性的象征。它告诉我们只有适者与最坚强会达到人生最高目标。

The Old Man on the Frontier Lost His Horse, Blessing or Bane? 塞翁失马,焉知非福？

Once upon a time, there was a man who was well versed in the practices of Daoism, lived in the frontier zone. His horse, for no reason at all, got into the territory of the frontier tribes. Everyone was sad for him.‘Who knows, this may turn out to be a blessing,’ said his father.

After a few months, his horse came back on its own together with a fine horse. Everyone congratulated him.

‘Who knows, this may turn out to be a cause of misfortune,’ said his father.

Since the man was well-off and kept good horses, he became fond of riding and eventually broke his thigh bone falling from a horse. Everyone was sad for him.

‘Who knows, this may turn out to be a blessing,’ said his father.

One year later, the frontier tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. All able-bodied young men took up arms and fought against the invaders, and as a result, around the border nine out of ten men died. But just because he was lame, the man and his father were both spared.
Therefore, whether good fortune would turn into calamity, and calamity would turn into good fortune, these changes cannot be predicted. They are indeed unfathomable.
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近塞上之人，有善术者。马无故亡而入胡，人皆吊之。
其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎？”
居数月，其马将胡骏马而归，人皆贺之。
其父曰：“此何遽不能为祸乎？”
家富良马，其子好骑，堕而折其髀（读音bi四声，股，大腿），人皆吊之。
其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎？”
居一年，胡人大入塞，丁壮者引弦而战，近塞之人，死者十九，此独以跛之故，父子相保。
故福之为祸，祸之为福，化不可极，深不可测也。
（淮南子·人间训）

Harsher Penalties for the Mastermind 阅微草堂笔记：严惩主谋

The following story is from the book ‘Gossips From the Micro-reading Hall’.
In 1732, during the rule of Emperor Yong Zheng of Qin dynasty, there was a daughter-in-law from a respectable family. She did not appear to be a quarrelsome person.
One day there suddenly was a thunder storm with lightning. Lightning came through the window, pierced through the heart of the daughter-in-law, and went on to strike the son’s back. The young lady was killed instantly and the young man badly burned.
When he regained his consciousness, the son cried, ‘I am hot tempered and it is true that I often quarrel with my mother. But, you were not such a person. You merely quietly complained to me about your suffering and cried under the lamp at night. Why did the lightning kill you instead of me?’
He felt that the Heaven had unjustly punished his wife. However, he did not know that the law always punishes the mastermind more severely than the accomplice. It is the same here as in the netherworld.
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下面的故事来自‘阅微草堂笔记’。
雍正壬子，有宦家子妇，素无勃谿状。突狂电穿牖，如火光激射，雷楔贯心而入，洞左胁而出。其夫亦为雷焰燔烧，背至尻皆焦黑，气息仅属。
久之乃苏，顾妇尸泣曰：‘我性刚劲，与母争论或有之。尔不过私诉抑郁，背灯掩泪而已，何雷之误中尔耶？’
是未知律重主谋，幽明一也。