Skating on thin ice
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Consequenses of saving the wolf

23/4/2016

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Here is a Chinese fable that is so relevant to what is going on in the world today:
 
King Jian Zi was leading a hunting party through Zhongshan when he happens to come across a wolf. King Jian takes aim with his bow and arrow but misses and hits a stone instead. The wolf flees through the forest with the hunting party in pursuit. As the wolf makes its way through the forest he comes across a traveling Mohist scholar Mr. Dongguo. The wolf appeals to the scholar's belief of "universal love" and implores for his help. Mr. Dongguo takes pity on the creature and hides it in one of the book bags strapped to his donkey.
 
When the hunters approach him, Mr. Dongguo denies any knowledge of the wolf's whereabouts. After the hunters leave Mr. Dongguo lets the wolf out of his bag and gets back on his donkey to take his leave only to be stopped by the wolf. The wolf asks the scholar to save his life again, this time from starvation. Mr. Dongguo offers the wolf some pastries, but the wolf smiles and says "I don't eat those, I dine solely on meat". Puzzled, Mr. Dongguo inquires if the wolf intends to eat his donkey and the wolf replies "No, no, donkey meat is no good". The donkey, upon hearing this, bolts from the scene as fast as its four legs to carry it leaving Mr. Dongguo behind with the wolf. To Mr. Dongguo's surprise, the hungry wolf pounces on him and announces his intention to eat him. When Mr. Dongguo protests at the wolf's ingratitude, the wolf presents the argument that since the scholar saved his life once why not do it again? By becoming the starving wolf’s meal, the scholar will have fulfilled the act of saving the wolf’s life. Besides, the wolf argued that it nearly suffocated while it was crammed inside of the scholar's bag and because of this the scholar must make amends.
 
Dongguo and the wolf debated the question and finally decided to present their case to the judgment of three elders.
 
The first elder they present their argument to is an old withering apricot tree. The tree relates its own experience to the two on how when it was young, children used to pick its fruits from its branches and the tree would tell them to eat their fill. Now it was about to be chopped down to provide firewood. The tree sides with the wolf. The wolf is very pleased.
 
The second elder they present their argument to was an elderly water buffalo. The buffalo tells its story of how it served its masters for many years dutifully providing him with milk and plowing his fields. Now his master wants to butcher it so he can eat his meat. The buffalo too sides with the wolf. The wolf grins and feels even more justified in his request to eat the scholar. Mr. Dongguo reminds the wolf that they have one more elder to seek out.
 
The last elder they present their argument to is an elderly farmer. The farmer was skeptical and didn't believe that the wolf could fit into the bag. To illustrate its point, the wolf crawled back into the bag and right away the old farmer tied up the bag and started to beat the wolf with his hoe. The farmer bashes the wolf to an inch of his life then unties the bag and drags his dying wolf out of the bag.
 
Seeing the pitiful wolf, the scholar thinks that the old farmer was too cruel but just then a weeping woman comes running towards them. She pointed to the wolf and told Mr. Dongguo and the farmer how it dragged off her little boy. Mr Dongguo now no longer pitied the wolf. He picks up the hoe and strikes the final blow to the wolf's head.

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