The Wolf of Zhongshan facts for kids
The Wolf of Zhongshan (Chinese: 中山狼傳; pinyin: Zhōngshān Láng Zhuàn) is a famous Chinese fairy tale. It teaches an important lesson about being thankful. The story shows what happens when someone helps another, but that person is not grateful in return. The first time this story was printed was in 1544. It was part of a book called Ocean Stories of Past and Present (Chinese: 海說古今; pinyin: Hǎishuō Gǔjīn) during the Ming dynasty.
Contents
The Story of the Wolf and the Scholar
A Dangerous Hunt
This tale takes place a very long time ago, during a period called the late Spring and Autumn period. A powerful leader named King Jian Zi (趙簡子) was out hunting in a place called Zhongshan. Suddenly, he saw a wolf. King Jian aimed his bow and arrow, but he missed the wolf and hit a stone instead.
The wolf was very scared and ran as fast as it could through the forest. King Jian and his hunting party chased after it. As the wolf ran, it stumbled upon a kind scholar named Mr. Dongguo (Chinese: 東郭先生). Mr. Dongguo followed a philosophy called Mohism, which taught "universal love" for all creatures.
The wolf begged the scholar for help. It appealed to Mr. Dongguo's kind heart. Feeling sorry for the wolf, Mr. Dongguo quickly hid it inside one of his large book bags. He strapped the bag onto his donkey.
Soon, the hunters arrived and asked Mr. Dongguo if he had seen the wolf. The scholar told them he had not. After the hunters left, Mr. Dongguo let the wolf out of his bag. He got back on his donkey, ready to leave.
A Tricky Request
But the wolf stopped him! It asked the scholar to save its life again, this time from hunger. Mr. Dongguo offered the wolf some pastries. The wolf just smiled and said, "I don't eat those. I only eat meat."
Mr. Dongguo was confused. He asked if the wolf planned to eat his donkey. The wolf replied, "No, no, donkey meat is not good." Hearing this, the donkey quickly ran away, leaving Mr. Dongguo alone with the wolf.
To Mr. Dongguo's surprise, the hungry wolf suddenly jumped at him! It announced that it intended to eat the scholar. Mr. Dongguo protested, saying the wolf was being ungrateful. He had just saved its life!
The wolf argued, "Since you saved my life once, why not do it again?" It claimed that by letting the wolf eat him, the scholar would truly complete the act of saving its life. The wolf also complained that it almost suffocated in the scholar's bag. It felt the scholar now owed it something.
Mr. Dongguo and the wolf argued for a long time. Finally, they decided to ask three wise elders to decide who was right.
Asking for Advice
The Apricot Tree's Lesson
The first elder they found was an old, withered apricot tree. They told the tree their story. The tree then shared its own experience. It said that when it was young, children would pick its fruits. The tree always told them to eat as much as they wanted. But now, it was old and about to be chopped down for firewood. The tree sided with the wolf, saying humans were often ungrateful too. The wolf was very pleased.
The Buffalo's Story
Next, they presented their case to an elderly water buffalo. The buffalo told its story. It had served its masters for many years, giving milk and plowing fields. But now, its master wanted to butcher it for meat. The buffalo also sided with the wolf. The wolf grinned, feeling even more sure that it was right to eat the scholar. Mr. Dongguo reminded the wolf that they had one more elder to ask.
The Wise Farmer's Trick
The last elder they met was an elderly farmer. The farmer listened to their story. He was doubtful that such a big wolf could fit into a small bag. To show him, the wolf crawled back into the bag. As soon as it was inside, the old farmer quickly tied up the bag! He then began to beat the wolf with his hoe.
The farmer hit the wolf until it was almost dead. Then he untied the bag and dragged the dying wolf out.
Mr. Dongguo felt sorry for the wolf, thinking the farmer was too cruel. But just then, a woman came running, crying. She pointed at the wolf and told Mr. Dongguo and the farmer that it had dragged off her little boy. Mr. Dongguo no longer felt pity for the wolf. He picked up the hoe and struck the final blow, ending the wolf's life.
What This Story Teaches Us
The story of the Wolf of Zhongshan is very famous in China. The name "Mr. Dongguo" (Dōngguō Xiānshēng) has even become a Chinese idiom. It is used to describe a person who is too kind or naive. This person might get into trouble by being soft-hearted towards bad people. This tale is special because it is a fully developed animal fable. In many old Chinese stories, animals usually turn into humans before they can speak.
Similar Stories Around the World
This type of story, where someone is ungrateful after being saved, is found in many cultures. Another version of this tale can be found in a story called the Precious Scroll of Shancai and Longnü.
The famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy also wrote a similar story for elementary schools. It was called The Wolf and the Farmer (Russian: Волк и мужик).
