Chapter LII.—Attraction of Music. (市中彈琴)
A MUSICIAN was playing a harp in a crowded street. The natives of the place thought he must be playing a banjo or something of that sort. Many came to listen. After a while the music became low and unattractive. It grew unexcitable and monotonous. No one liked to listen to it; gradually they dispersed. At the end only one man was left. He was standing still. The musician said: "Very good, that is the man who understands music and has sympathy with me. I have not wasted my time playing half a day." The man said: "I do not understand music; the reason I did not move was on account of that table, which belongs to my family. I purposely waited for you to finish playing, so that I may carry it home. If it was not for that, I would have been gone long ago."
Chapter LIII.—Hardships of Travelling. (出外好)
THERE was a traveller who engaged a boat to go to Hang-chow. The boat people served him. He rose early that morning and gave out some rice to cook. The boat-woman stole a large bowl of washed wet rice behind the back of the traveller and hid it under the stove. Unexpectedly the traveller saw this, but he did not wish to speak out. He sat in the boat and kept repeating to himself: "There are 1,000 difficulties at home and many pleasant moments while travelling." When the boatwoman heard this she said: "Traveller, you are mistaken. I know it should be 'there is no place like home, and one meets with difficulties when travelling;' there are only these two sentences, why does the traveller say it in reverse?" The traveller at once replied: "Since you are aware that it is hard, please put that bowl of rice back into the pot, then there will be no more hardships."
