A man from the state of Qi heard that Tian Ying, a lord of the state of Qi, wanted to expand the city wall of his fiefdom, Xue.
He then told Tian Ying a story about a big sea fish: "There is a big fish in the sea. No net can catch it, no hook can haul it, and no one dares to bother it. One day, it was stranded on the beach and could not move. Then, even ants and mole crickets could feast on it as they pleased.
To Your Lordship, the state of Qi is like the sea. It has protected you for a long time. Therefore, there is no need to build a city wall in Xue. If the state of Qi were conquered, even the highest city wall here would be of no help." After hearing this story, Tian Ying abandoned his plan to build the city wall.