One day, Hui Zi met Zhuang Zi and told him a story: "King Hui bestowed upon me some bottle gourd seeds. I planted them, and soon a huge gourd grew, large enough to hold five dan of rice. I had never seen such a large gourd and was delighted. Yet, it solved none of my practical problems. In my disappointment, I smashed it."
Zhuang Zi felt sorry upon hearing this and said, "What a pity you destroyed such a fine gourd so rashly."
Before Zhuang Zi could finish, Hui Zi eagerly asked, "If you think it's a pity, what would you have used it for?"
Zhuang Zi calmly replied with a story:
"In the State of Song, there lived a man who knew how to make an ointment that prevented chilblains. For generations, his family had eked out a meager living by bleaching and washing silk floss for others. A visitor, hearing of this skill, offered one hundred catties of gold for their ancestral prescription. The family deliberated: 'We should sell it. Our bleaching work has brought us little income for generations. Selling the prescription would give us a large sum at once. We must not miss this chance!' So, they agreed to the sale."
Zhuang Zi continued, "The buyer, feeling as if he had obtained a treasure, took the idea to the King of Wu. At that time, the State of Yue was invading Wu. The king sent this man to lead troops into battle."
"It was winter, and bitterly cold. The armies of Wu and Yue fought a naval battle. Because the Wu army possessed the secret ointment, not a single soldier suffered frostbite on their hands or feet. In the end, they vanquished the Yue forces. For this, the King of Wu rewarded the man generously and granted him a high official post."
"Thus," said Zhuang Zi, "some use the chilblain ointment to gain high rank, while others use it only for bleaching silk floss. Why? Because some know how to employ things to great effect, while others see only their most limited use."
Pausing briefly, Zhuang Zi added, "Sir, you should learn to utilize your large gourd. Instead of thinking of it merely as a ladle for water, consider using it as a buoyant vessel to cross rivers and seas. Would that not be far better?"
Hearing this, Hui Zi nodded repeatedly, admitting Zhuang Zi's greater wisdom. With a sigh, he said, "It seems I am indeed a man of muddled thinking."