Chuang Tzu was born into a poor family, and there was often not enough food in the house. And then one day his parents sent him to borrow some rice from a rich man. He replied:
- Of course, I can help. Soon I will collect taxes from my village and then I will be able to lend you three hundred silver coins. Is this enough?
Chuang Tzu looked at him angrily and said:
“Yesterday I was walking along the road and suddenly someone called out to me. I looked back and saw a minnow in a roadside ditch. “I am the ruler of the waters of the Eastern Ocean,” said the gudgeon. - Do you have at least some water for me? You would have saved my life." "Certainly! - I answered. “I’m just heading to the ruler of our province.” I'll ask him to dig a canal for you from the Yangtze. Is it good? But the gudgeon looked at me angrily and said: “Don’t you see: I cannot live without water, and although I am the master of the waves, here on land I am powerless. A few handfuls of water would have saved me from death. But if you start digging a canal, then tomorrow you will find me in the fish shop among other dried fish.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru