chinese-fable
共 38 篇文章
文章列表
The Frog in the Well | 夜郎自大
This story recounts how the isolated kings of Dian and Yelang, ignorant of the world beyond their...
Aping a Beauty | 东施效颦
The story tells of Dong Shi, an ugly girl who blindly imitates the pained expression of the beaut...
The Handan Walker | 邯郸学步
A young man from Shouling, plagued by self-doubt, travels to Handan to copy the locals' celebrate...
The Scholar's Missed Chances | 仕数不遇
A Zhou Dynasty scholar recounts his lifelong, futile attempts to secure an official post, as each...
Food Offered with Contempt | 嗟来之食
During a famine, a proud man starves to death rather than accept food offered with disrespect, il...
Plugging One's Ears While Stealing a Bell | 掩耳盗铃
A thief tries to steal a large bell by breaking it, but the loud noise alarms him. In a foolish a...
Dine East, Sleep West | 东食西宿
A girl in ancient Qi, faced with two marriage proposals—one from a rich but ugly suitor, the othe...
Plugging One's Ears While Stealing a Bell | 掩耳盗铃
A thief, attempting to steal a large bell, tries to muffle its sound by plugging his own ears, fo...
The Millet Dream | 一枕黄粱
A Tang Dynasty scholar's brief nap, induced by a magical pillow, encompasses a lifetime of glory,...
The Mantis Stalks the Cicada | 螳螂捕蝉
This fable tells of King Fuchai of Wu, who, after defeating Yue, focuses on attacking Qi while ig...
Looking for a Steed with a Picture | 按图索骥
The story of Sun Yang (Bo Le), a legendary horse judge, and his son who literally tried to find a...
Xue Tan Learns Singing | 薛谭学讴
A student, overconfident in his mastery, decides to leave his teacher. The teacher's breathtaking...
The Witty Retort | 反唇相讥
Yan Zi of Qi uses a clever analogy about oranges changing when transplanted to rebut the King of ...
The Bird Startled by the Bowstring | 惊弓之鸟
The story recounts how the archer Geng Ying used only the sound of his bowstring to bring down a ...
The Luthier's Qin | 工之侨造琴
A luthier creates a superb qin, but court musicians reject it for not being ancient. After he art...
Jing Gong Prays for Rain | 景公求雨
During a severe drought, King Jing Gong considers praying to mountain and river deities for rain....
The Ugly Man of Lu | 偏激
A father, blinded by bias, insists his exceptionally ugly son is more handsome than a man famed f...
Jue, Qiongqiong and Juxu | 蹶与蛩蛩、距虚
This fable describes the symbiotic relationship between the clumsy beast Jue and its companions Q...
The Two Knots | 两个连环节
A man presents two knots to a king; only one is untied, and a student correctly identifies the ot...
Spare the Ox, Use a Sheep | 以牛易羊
King Hui of Liang, moved by the sight of an ox being led to slaughter for a ritual, orders its re...