Dongfang Shuo, A Witty Man
One day, while the Emperor Wu Di of the Han dynasty took a relaxing stroll in Shanglin Garden, he saw a tree. He asked DongFang Shuo, “What is the name of that?” “It is named Goodness, Sire” replied DongFang Shuo without having a second thought. The Emperor then wrote it down.
After several years, while strolling in the garden again, Han Wu Di caughtsight of the tree. He asked DongFang Shuo about its name again. “It is named Jusuo,” answered DongFang Shuo carelessly.
After hearing this, the smile on Han Wu Di’s face was immediately replaced by a scowl.” You cheater! You have been lying to me in these past few years. How can a same tree have more than one name?”
DongFang Shuo defended himself by saying, “A baby horse is called a foal, it will only be called a house when it grows up. A chick is called chicken only when it is older but not when it is young. Cow is the name for a calf when it is older. It is the same for humans. We are called infants when we are young and old men when we grow old. The tree was Goodness few years back but has grown to be Jusuo. All the many different objects in the universe will change. Don’t you agree that it is true?”
Wu Di laughed heartily, satisfied with DongFang Shuo’s answer.
A Mysterious Letter
A man liked to turn simple happenings into mysteries when writing letters, although he did not write well.
Once, his father instructed him to write a letter to his brother in the next village to tell him four things:
1. A fellow village passed away recently.
2. The price of meat has risen.
3. The household has employed a new accountant.
4. His brother’s wife is pregnant and is going to have a baby.
The man set to work immediately and finished the letter after a while, it read: “A fellow villager has passed away recently. Meat was selling for 179 silver coins. The household has just employed a new accountant and sister-in-law’s belly is getting larger and larger each day.”
His brother angrily replied not long after:
“How can the flesh of the dead be sold for money? What is more, domestic shame should not be made public!”
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