Having gone beyond the fence, Chuang Tzu was wandering through an abandoned cemetery when a strange bird flew in from the south: wings - three or four cubits wide, eyes the size of inches. As she flew, she touched Chuang Tzu's forehead and landed in a chestnut grove.
- What a bird! - Chuang Tzu was surprised. “The wings are big, but they can’t fly away, the eyes are huge, but they can’t see.”
Having picked up the floors, he hurried after her, holding a crossbow at the ready. But then I noticed how the cicada, enjoying the shadow, forgot about itself; like a mantis grasshopper, unnoticed, pounced on her and, looking at the prey, forgot about himself; how then a strange bird grabbed them both and, looking at the prey, forgot about its true self-preservation.
- Ah! - exclaimed the saddened Chuang Tzu. —Different species bring disaster upon each other; things, of course, destroy each other.
He threw the crossbow, turned and walked away, but then the forester chased after him and began to scold him.
After returning, Zhuang Tzu did not leave his house for three moons.
- Why didn’t you come out for so long, teacher? - Lan Qie's student asked.
“By maintaining my bodily form, I forgot about myself,” answered Chuang Tzu. — I watched the muddy puddle for so long that I got lost in the clear spring. But I heard from my teacher: “You will go to that vulgar one and follow that vulgar one.” Now I was wandering through an abandoned cemetery and forgot about myself. A strange bird touched my forehead and flew through the chestnut grove, forgetting about the truth. The forester in the chestnut grove mistook me for a poacher. That's why I didn't leave the house.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru