Li Bai was a great poet of China's Tang Dynasty.
Legend has it that in his childhood, he was fond of play, feared difficulties, and made slow progress in his studies.
One day, on his way home from school, he passed by a creek and saw an old woman grinding a very thick iron rod. Curious, he approached her and asked, "Old grandma, why are you grinding this iron rod?"
The old woman replied, "To make a needle."
Li Bai, now even more curious, asked again, "How can you grind such a thick rod into a needle?"
"Yes, I can. I certainly can," the old woman said. "With constant effort, one can grind an iron rod into a needle."
Hearing her words, Li Bai was enlightened.
From then on, he studied diligently and made rapid progress. He eventually became a renowned poet.