There was an archer named Geng Ying in the State of Wei. He was sightseeing with the King of Wei at Jingtai when a bird began circling in the sky, uttering sad and shrill cries.
The King looked up and asked Geng Ying, "Do you see that bird? Can you shoot it down?"
"I can bring it down without an arrow," Geng Ying replied.
Soon, as the bird flew closer, Geng Ying drew his bow to its fullest, plucked the bowstring, and at the sound, the bird fell to the ground at their feet.
The King exclaimed in surprise, "You can shoot down a bird without an arrow! Your skill is truly wonderful."
Geng Ying said, "Your Majesty, this is not due to my skill, but because this bird is unfortunate. You could hear how sadly and shrilly it wailed and see how tiredly it flew. It was already wounded and had long been separated from its flock. Thus, it could not withstand the mere fright. When I twanged my bow, it thought it was shot and fell from the sky of its own accord. What a pitiful bird, startled by the mere twang of a bowstring!"