In ancient China, Confucius was known far and wide as a wise man, the wisest of all human beings. People flocked to listen to his words and to seek answers to their questions.
Confucius, who loved learning, often traveled throughout the country, hoping to learn more about the world and its ways. Other scholars often accompanied him, for they considered him their master. While they journeyed, they talked about nature and society and humankind. They searched for both answers and questions, and because they continued to seek, the flow of knowledge was endless.
One lush summer day, Confucius and 20 of his disciples were traveling through the countryside, admiring the green hillsides, the flowering trees, the flowing rivers. Confucius suddenly spotted a quiet country road that looked as if it were seldom traveled.
"I would like to go down that road," he said to his fellow travelers. "I am sure we will make new discoveries there."
And so they turned up the bumpy road and traveled farther. After a while they came to a crossroad. To their left was a narrow path that led to a tiny village. In the very center of this path, four boys were building a castle from stones and sticks. The boys did not look up when the strangers stopped. They did not notice, so intent were they on their construction.
"I would like to visit that tiny village," Confucius said to his followers, pointing down the path. "Surely the villagers will teach us something new."
"Fine," one of the scholars said. "I'll move these children and their castle out of our way."
The man approached the boys. "Children," he said, and the boys looked up at last. Seeing the 21 men dressed in long robes, riding in such fine carriages, the boys shook with awe. They had never seen so many wise men. They bowed to the man. "Yes, sir?" they asked.
"Please move your little castle," the scholar said. "My master wishes to travel to your village down the road, and your castle is in our way."
Three of the boys at once dashed away into the scrub. But the fourth boy did not move; instead he placed his hands on his hips and scowled. "Your carriages will have to take a detour," he said. "I know of no one who would take down a castle to make way for carriages. I'm afraid I cannot let you pass."
The scholar was aghast. "How dare you speak to me in such a way. Don't you realize you are before the famous Confucius, the wisest man in the world? You will move your castle now, for Confucius wishes to see your village."
Confucius, seeing that the boy would not move, was curious to hear the conversation. He climbed down from his carriage and approached. "Is there a problem?" he asked his friend.
"This little boy will not move his castle," the scholar said angrily. "He dares to stand in our way."
Confucius smiled. "Dear boy," he said, "can you tell me why you will not let us pass?"
"I've explained," the boy said. "No one would move a castle for a single carriage."
"Perhaps you would answer some questions," Confucius said, "and if you answer these correctly, I will turn around. If you are wrong, you will let us take this path to your village."
"That seems fair," the boy said, nodding.
Confucius asked, "What water do fish not inhabit?"
"Well water," the boy answered without a moment's hesitation.
Confucius nodded and then asked, "And what fire has no smoke?"
"The firefly's fire," the boy answered at once.
Now Confucius smiled broadly. "You are a wise child," he said. "I can see that you pay close attention to what's around you."
"I do," the boy said proudly. "I love to learn about the world."
"We shall leave you to your castle, then," Confucius said, but the boy held up his hand.
"Sir, I wonder if I could have a turn. I would like to ask you some questions since they say you are the wisest man in the world. If you answer them correctly, I will take down my castle and lead you to my village."
The scholars were amazed and angry at the bold child, but Confucius said, "Please, ask."
The boy looked up. "I wonder if you would tell me, please, how many stars are there in the sky?"
Confucius paused, trying to find an answer, but he had to admit, he had none.
The boy smiled. "How many clouds pass overhead?" he asked.
Again Confucius paused. "Child," he said, "these are large and abstract questions. Please, ask me something down to earth."
Again the boy smiled. "Tell me, sir, how many strands of hair are there on your head?"
It was Confucius' turn to smile, for again he had no answer. And on that little dirt path in the middle of the countryside in northern China, he realized he had been outwitted by a young boy.
He called to his followers, and they gathered around him.
"Students," he said, bowing to the boy, "today I have been humbled by this child, and I have learned that sometimes even a child knows more than I, and more than all the scholars in the world. Let us leave this boy in peace, for he is as involved in learning as we are. This boy has taught me to be humble today, and so we shall leave him to his castle and take another path."
The boy bowed to the great man. "I see you are wise," he said, and from that day on, he devoted himself to learning, and he grew up to be one of the nation's wisest scholars.
Confucius, who loved learning, often traveled throughout the country, hoping to learn more about the world and its ways. Other scholars often accompanied him, for they considered him their master. While they journeyed, they talked about nature and society and humankind. They searched for both answers and questions, and because they continued to seek, the flow of knowledge was endless.
One lush summer day, Confucius and 20 of his disciples were traveling through the countryside, admiring the green hillsides, the flowering trees, the flowing rivers. Confucius suddenly spotted a quiet country road that looked as if it were seldom traveled.
"I would like to go down that road," he said to his fellow travelers. "I am sure we will make new discoveries there."
And so they turned up the bumpy road and traveled farther. After a while they came to a crossroad. To their left was a narrow path that led to a tiny village. In the very center of this path, four boys were building a castle from stones and sticks. The boys did not look up when the strangers stopped. They did not notice, so intent were they on their construction.
"I would like to visit that tiny village," Confucius said to his followers, pointing down the path. "Surely the villagers will teach us something new."
"Fine," one of the scholars said. "I'll move these children and their castle out of our way."
The man approached the boys. "Children," he said, and the boys looked up at last. Seeing the 21 men dressed in long robes, riding in such fine carriages, the boys shook with awe. They had never seen so many wise men. They bowed to the man. "Yes, sir?" they asked.
"Please move your little castle," the scholar said. "My master wishes to travel to your village down the road, and your castle is in our way."
Three of the boys at once dashed away into the scrub. But the fourth boy did not move; instead he placed his hands on his hips and scowled. "Your carriages will have to take a detour," he said. "I know of no one who would take down a castle to make way for carriages. I'm afraid I cannot let you pass."
The scholar was aghast. "How dare you speak to me in such a way. Don't you realize you are before the famous Confucius, the wisest man in the world? You will move your castle now, for Confucius wishes to see your village."
Confucius, seeing that the boy would not move, was curious to hear the conversation. He climbed down from his carriage and approached. "Is there a problem?" he asked his friend.
"This little boy will not move his castle," the scholar said angrily. "He dares to stand in our way."
Confucius smiled. "Dear boy," he said, "can you tell me why you will not let us pass?"
"I've explained," the boy said. "No one would move a castle for a single carriage."
"Perhaps you would answer some questions," Confucius said, "and if you answer these correctly, I will turn around. If you are wrong, you will let us take this path to your village."
"That seems fair," the boy said, nodding.
Confucius asked, "What water do fish not inhabit?"
"Well water," the boy answered without a moment's hesitation.
Confucius nodded and then asked, "And what fire has no smoke?"
"The firefly's fire," the boy answered at once.
Now Confucius smiled broadly. "You are a wise child," he said. "I can see that you pay close attention to what's around you."
"I do," the boy said proudly. "I love to learn about the world."
"We shall leave you to your castle, then," Confucius said, but the boy held up his hand.
"Sir, I wonder if I could have a turn. I would like to ask you some questions since they say you are the wisest man in the world. If you answer them correctly, I will take down my castle and lead you to my village."
The scholars were amazed and angry at the bold child, but Confucius said, "Please, ask."
The boy looked up. "I wonder if you would tell me, please, how many stars are there in the sky?"
Confucius paused, trying to find an answer, but he had to admit, he had none.
The boy smiled. "How many clouds pass overhead?" he asked.
Again Confucius paused. "Child," he said, "these are large and abstract questions. Please, ask me something down to earth."
Again the boy smiled. "Tell me, sir, how many strands of hair are there on your head?"
It was Confucius' turn to smile, for again he had no answer. And on that little dirt path in the middle of the countryside in northern China, he realized he had been outwitted by a young boy.
He called to his followers, and they gathered around him.
"Students," he said, bowing to the boy, "today I have been humbled by this child, and I have learned that sometimes even a child knows more than I, and more than all the scholars in the world. Let us leave this boy in peace, for he is as involved in learning as we are. This boy has taught me to be humble today, and so we shall leave him to his castle and take another path."
The boy bowed to the great man. "I see you are wise," he said, and from that day on, he devoted himself to learning, and he grew up to be one of the nation's wisest scholars.
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