Guarding the Tree Awaiting a Rabbit
A carpenter in a cangue—suffering from one's own endeavors
Riding a tiger—having no control over oneself
Hide a dagger in a smile（笑里藏刀） |
In the country of Song during the Chun Qui period (literally "Spring Fall period" 770 to 476 B.C.), there lived a farmer who had a tree in his field. Whenever he was tired from working, he would rest under the tree. On day he was tilling his field. Suddenly a panic stricken rabbit ran past him, crashed into the tree and killed itself. The farmer caught it with less effort than it takes to blow ashes. He was very happy to take it home for a delicious rabbit stew dinner. From then on, he did no work in his field. He waited by his tree for another rabbit to run into it and kill itself. This didn't happen, and his fields lay fallow and bare.
Chinese idiom: 守株待兔 (shou zhu dai tu - literally "guarding the tree awaiting a rabbit" ) You're waiting for a rabbit. Meaning: Foolishly waiting for a most unlikely windfall instead of doing any work. |
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