Three Artists
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There was a king whose right eye was blind and right leg crippled. One day he had an artist draw a portrait for him. The artist portrayed the king as a mighty warrior. His eyes were bright and piercing and his legs muscular like an athlete's. The king was not happy about the painting.
“You are just a sycophant. This is not me.” He ordered the guards to take the artist away and throw him into prison.
A second artist was summoned. Upon learning what had happened before, the artist drew a picture of the king exactly the way he looked. The king was not pleased at all.
“What art is it?” he questioned the artist angrily and had him imprisoned, too.
The third artist came. He looked at the king up close and from a distance to choose the perfect viewpoint. The king appeared in a hunting outfit in his portrait. He was shooting an arrow on horseback with the right leg hidden from view. Only his left eye was open as he was taking aim at a fox in the distance.
The king was satisfied. He awarded the artist a bag of gold and praised him as the number one artist in the country.
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Burning Letters
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Forestallment
Wise Proverbs
- Good watch prevents misfortune.
- 谨慎消灾。
- Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.
- 吸取他人教训，自己才会走运。
- Observation is the best teacher.
- 观察是最好的老师。
Editor Says:
Flattery is the art of telling a man exactly what he thinks of himself. As a management tool, flattery is indispensable in business and political life: praising superiors so that they will be well-disposed toward you; praising inferiors so that they will be more cooperative. But it should be used with discretion. Flattery has many forms. Ignoring someone’s imperfection is one; minimizing his failings is another. Doing it subtly is essential to success.