I should treat him as somewhere between the Ki and Mang Chiefs.--I am
old," he added, "and not competent to avail myself of him."
Confucius, hearing of this, went away.
The Ts'i officials presented to the Court of Lu a number of female
musicians. Ki Hwan accepted them, and for three days no Court was held.
Confucius went away.
Tsieh-yu, the madman [33] of Ts'u, was once passing Confucius, singing
as he went along. He sang--
"Ha, the phoenix! Ha, the phoenix!
How is Virtue lying prone!
Vain to chide for what is o'er,
Plan to meet what's yet in store.
Let alone! Let alone!
Risky now to serve a throne."
Confucius alighted, wishing to enter into conversation with him; but the
man hurried along and left him, and he was therefore unable to get a
word with him.
Ch'ang-tsue and Kieh-nih [34] were working together on some ploughed
land. Confucius was passing by them, and sent Tsz-lu to ask where the
ford was.
Ch'ang-tsue said, "Who is the person driving the carriage?"
"Confucius," answered Tsz-lu.
"He of Lu?" he asked.
"The same," said Tsz-lu.
"He knows then where the ford is," said he.
Tsz-lu then put his question to Kieh-nih; and the latter asked, "Who are
you?"
Tsz-lu gave his name.
"You are a follower of Confucius of Lu, are you not?"
"You are right," he answered.
"Ah, as these waters rise and overflow their bounds," said he, "'tis so
with all throughout the empire; and who is he that can alter the state
of things? And you are a follower of a learned man who withdraws from
his chief; had you not better be a follower of such as have forsaken the
world?" And he went on with his harrowing, without stopping.
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