“Confucius again asked, ‘Can you tell, under the whole sky, what fire has no smoke, what water no fish; what hill has no stones, what tree no branches; what man has no wife, what woman no husband; what cow has no calf, what mare no colt; what cock has no hen, what hen no cock; what constitutes an excellent man, and what an inferior man; what is that which has not enough, and what which has an overplus; what city is without a market, and who is the man without a style?’
“The boy replied, ‘A glowworm’s fire has no smoke, and well-water no fish; a mound of earth has no stones, and a rotten tree no branches; genii have no wives, and fairies no husbands; earthen cows have no calves, nor wooden mares any colts; lonely cocks have no hens, and widowed hens no cocks; he who is worthy is an excellent man, and a fool is an inferior man; a winter’s day is not long enough, and a summer’s day is too long; the imperial city has no market, and little folks have no style.’
“Confucius inquiring said, ‘Do you know what are the connecting bonds between heaven and earth, and what is the beginning and ending of the dual powers? What is left, and what is right; what is out, and what is in; who is father, and who is mother; who is husband, and who is wife. [Do you know] where the wind comes from, and from whence the rain? From whence the clouds issue, and the dew arises? And for how many tens of thousands of miles the sky and earth go parallel?’
“The youth answering said, ‘Nine multiplied nine times make eighty-one, which is the controlling bond of heaven and earth; eight multiplied by nine makes seventy-two, the beginning and end of the dual powers. Heaven is father, and earth is mother; the sun is husband, and the moon is wife; east is left, and west is right; without is out, and inside is in; the winds come from Tsang-wu, and the rains proceed from wastes and wilds; the clouds issue from the hills, and the dew rises from the ground. Sky and earth go parallel for ten thousand times ten thousand miles, and the four points of the compass have each their station.’
“Confucius asking, said, ‘Which do you say is the nearest relation, father and mother, or husband and wife?’ The boy responded, ‘One’s parents are near; husband and wife are not [so] near.’
“Confucius rejoined, ‘While husband and wive are alive, they sleep under the same coverlet; when they are dead they lie in the same grave; how then can you say that they are not near?’ The boy replied, ‘A man without a wife is like a carriage without a wheel; if there be no wheel, another one is made, for he can doubtless get a new one; so, if one’s wife die, he seeks again, for he also can obtain a new one. The daughter of a worthy family must certainly marry an honorable husband; a house having ten rooms always has a plate and a ridgepole; three windows and six lattices do not give the light of a single door; the whole host of stars with all their sparkling brilliancy do not equal the splendor of the solitary moon: the affection of a father and mother—alas, if it be once lost!’
“Confucius sighing, said, ‘How clever! how worthy!’ The boy asking the sage said, ‘You have just been giving me questions, which I have answered one by one; I now wish to seek information; will the teacher in one sentence afford me some plain instruction? I shall be much gratified if my request be not rejected.’ He then said, ‘Why is it that mallards and ducks are able to swim; how is it that wild geese and cranes sing; and why are firs and pines green through the winter?’ Confucius replied, ‘Mallards and ducks can swim because their feet are broad; wild geese and cranes can sing because they have long necks; firs and pines remain green throughout the winter because they have strong hearts.’ The youth rejoined, ‘Not so; fishes and turtles can swim, is it because they all have broad feet? Frogs and toads can sing, is it because their necks are long? The green bamboo keeps fresh in winter, is it on account of its strong heart?’
“Again interrogating, he said, ‘How many stars are there altogether in the sky?’ Confucius replied, ‘At this time inquire about the earth; how can we converse about the sky with certainty?’ The boy said, ‘Then how many houses in all are there on the earth?’ The sage answered, ‘Come now, speak about something that’s before our eyes; why must you converse about heaven and earth?’ The lad resumed, ‘Well, speak about what’s before our eyes—how many hairs are there in your eyebrows?’
“Confucius smiled, but did not answer, and turning round to his disciples called them and said, ‘This boy is to be feared; for it is easy to see that the subsequent man will not be like the child.’ He then got into his carriage and rode off.”[277]
THE HIAO KING, OR CANONS OF FILIAL DUTY.