The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-11-17
FABLES OF THE CHINESE.
High Moral Truths Which They
Convey
New York Evening Postl

New York Evening Post)
There is a pleasing hu1nor in most
Chinese fables which renders them
mighty readable, and, in the applica-
llon, serves as a sugar-coating TO the
pill This bunIOr crops out in the very
first fable of which the Chinese have
any record II is to be found in the
histories Of the C0ntending States
Where certain prince uses it as an il
lustratiOn of the ueed of a wholesome
unity among those who, though enter
tanning internecine feuds. have cause
TO combine against a common foe "A
mussel was basking on the bank of a
river. so says this fable, when a big
blttern came by. Seeing it move, the
FOWL put its head on one side aRS
watched it. Then it drew near and
peeked at the mussel; but that willy
shell fish clapped its jaws together like
trap and held the birds beak fast
Then said the bittern: IF you don't
open today, and if you don't turn me
loose tomorrow, some one will find
dead mussel lying about here" To
which the mussel made reply: IF I
don't open today, and if don't release
you tomorrow, they will see dead Bit
tern holding up his toes on the beach"
At this point a fisherman came by and
seized the pair of them.
Most Chinese fables point a whole
some moral, nor is it difficult to see the
application Of the foregoing Another
quaint little story illustrates the sim
ilarity of the Chinese mind to that of
more enlightened races, for it plays the
part of a satire on the pernicious habit
or borrowing trouble. Where we talk
OF two old women mingling their tears
on the bank of a deep pool in incOn-
solable grief at what might have hap
pened if little Freddy had fallen in
there and been drowned, the Chinese
have the following: A certain rich old
man of the Chi state gave his annual
party to commemorate his birthday,
and invited all his sons and grandsons
10 grace the occasion. In the midst of
the Publications, however, he was OBJ
served sitting apart with an expression
of woe upon his face. Being asked
what was the matter, he replied: Il
was only thinking what trouble I
should have in inviting all my guests
when my two hundredth birthday came
round
The fable which is least likely to rust
for want of handling in China is one
which gives in a clear fashion the ad-
vice; Never put faith in a renegade.
In all countries renegades should be
handled with pair of tongs; but it
seems in China there is especial need
for strong fable to point the advice,
for in dipping and being duped the
great pure empire has no equal.
The crows and the owls, having their
respective colonies adjoining, were so
near and dear TO each other that there
was no love lost on the boundary line.
They hated each other with a hate
passing that of neighbors. By day,
when the owls slept, the crows tor
mented them, and by night, when the
crows slept, the owls were not found
irresponsible in the neighborly solicit
tude- The slaughter among the crows
was great, and enc morning, after
counting the slain, a many Wintered
crow shook his head and said that the
only way to preserve their peace was
to eXterminate the owls. He then di-
rected his friends to peck him and pull
most of his feather out. They did so,
and it was most badly handled look
ing crow that put his head on one side
and winked his eye and strutted of to
play his game upon the owls.
Arrived at their dwelling, he asked
them TO take pity on him, as he was in
a sorry plight, and the Vermillion Bird
forgave him for ever having set up as
a crow-a degraded creature that at
tacks one Of his own kind, pecks it al
most to death and then turns it out
They heard his tale and pitied him.
Very soon he was comfortably lodged
in the owls domicile. where he lay low
till his feathers were grown again.
Then one morning, as the winter was
coming on, he set to work and piled
great heaps of bruShwood before the
mouths of the owls dwelling, saying
that he foresaw a heavy snowstorm
and wished to protect them. When ev-
erything was complete, the willy crow,
watching his opportunity when the
owls were within, snatched a burning
brand from a PEASANTS fire and set the
funeral pyre in a blaze. Then. as they
flew out and We're Scorched, he stood
with his legs apart holding his sides
with laughter at their dying struggles
This fable, however. although very
much used by the Chinese, was prob
ably derived from an Indian source.
Another. which is purely Chinese, is
remarkable for its subtlety. A tiger
was making preparations to deVour a
fox, when the sly one claimed some
from the fact that he was
superior to all other animals of the !
forest. And if you want proof of the |
fact" he continued, come with me |
and / viii show you" They then /
walked together through the forest. and 1
all the other animals fed before them.
The tiger. seeing this, glanced at his
companion, and was struck with the |
lOrdly manner in which he waved the |
other animals off. Verify" he said. !
this is the king Of beasts" and. being
too stupid TO see that he himself was |
the object of terror and respect, he de- |