English Stories for Primary School Students

Staying by a Stump Waiting for More Hares To Come and Dash Themselves Against It

According to legend, in the Warring States period in the State of Song, there was a farmer who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. In a good year, he was only just fed and clothed; in a bad year, he had to go hungry. He wanted to improve his life, but he was too lazy, timid and small, doing everything is lazy and afraid, always want to come across the door of the unexpected wealth.

A miracle finally happened. One day in the late fall, he was plowing in the field, and there were people hunting around him. There was a lot of yelling and shouting, and the frightened beasts were running for their lives. Suddenly, one of the rabbits, without a second thought, ran headlong into the roots of a tree at the edge of his field.

That day, he had a good meal.

From then on, he stopped farming. All day long, he guarded the magical tree root and waited for a miracle.

The idiom of "waiting for rabbits by guarding the plants" is a metaphor for wanting to get something for nothing, or sticking to a narrow experience without knowing how to change.

Staying by a Stump Waiting for More Hares To Come and Dash Themselves Against It

This story took place more than 2,000 years ago, in the Warring States period (475-275). Warring States period (475-221 B.C.).Tradition has it that in the State of Song at that time there was a man who was famous for staying by a stump waiting for more hares to come and dash themselves against it.

He was a yong farmer, and his family had been farmers for generations. Year after year and generation after generation, farmers used to sow in spring and harvest in autumn, beginning to work at sunrise and retiring at sunset. In good harvest years, they could only have enough food to eat and enough clothing to wear.If there was a famine due to crop failure, they had to go hungry.

This young But he was too lazy and too cowardly.Being lazy and cowardly over everything, he often dreamed of having unexpected blessings. Being lazy and cowardly over everything, he often dreamed of having unexpected blessings.

A miracle took place at last. One day in late autumn, when he was ploughing in the field, two groups of people were hunting nearby. One day in late autumn, when he was ploughing in the field, two groups of people were hunting nearby. As shoutings were rising one after another, scared hares were running desperately.

That day, he ate his fill.

From that day on, he no longer went in for farming again. From morning till night, he stayed by that miraculous stump, waiting for miracles to take place again.

This story comes from "The Five Vermin" in The Works of Han Feizi. Later generations often use the set phrase "staying by a stump waiting for more hares to come and dash themselves against it" to show grusting to chance and windfalls or dreaming to reap the rewards. Later generations often use the set phrase "staying by a stump waiting for more hares to come and dash themselves against it" to show grusting to chance and windfalls or dreaming to reap without sowing.