Once, the King of Wu planned to invade the State of Chu. He sternly warned his ministers: "Anyone who dares to dissuade me again will be put to death."
A young attendant in the court wished to advise against the invasion but was afraid. For three consecutive mornings, he paced in the royal garden with a slingshot, his clothes soaked with dew.
The King noticed him and asked, "Why endure such hardship? Your clothes are drenched."
The young man replied, "In this garden, a cicada sits high on a tree, chirping leisurely and drinking dew, unaware of a mantis lurking behind. The mantis, concealed and intent on catching the cicada, does not know a siskin is hiding behind it. The siskin stretches its neck to peck the mantis, oblivious to the man with a slingshot below. All three creatures focus entirely on the immediate gain, ignoring the peril behind them."
Hearing this, the King of Wu suddenly saw the light. "You are right!" he exclaimed, and consequently abandoned his plan to invade Chu.