English Original
A man from the state of Lu presented two intricate knots to King Song Yuangong.
The king issued a proclamation, seeking wise individuals to untie them, but no one succeeded.
Later, a student of Er Shou managed to untie one knot but could not undo the other. He then declared, "This knot is impossible to untie." The king sent messengers to verify this claim with the man from Lu.
The man from Lu replied, "He is correct. This knot cannot be untied. I was the one who tied it, knowing it was impossible to solve. He, who did not tie it himself, can discern its nature. He is surely wiser than I am."
中文翻译
一位鲁国人献给宋元公两个复杂的绳结。
宋元公张榜招贤，寻求智者来解开它们，但无人成功。
后来，儿说的一名学生解开了一个结，却无法解开另一个。他于是断言：“这个结根本不可能解开。”宋元公派人向那位鲁国人求证。
鲁国人回答说：“他说得对。这个结确实无法解开。它是我打的，我打的时候就知道它解不开。他并非打结之人，却能看出这是个死结。他的确比我聪明。”