041. Los Animales Músicos (The Musical Animals) [Nguyen: this story is incomplete, as it stops mid-way in my copy of the book. This story is most likely the same as the Grimm Brother’s The Breman Town Musicians.] A farmer had a very old donkey, so old that he was no longer fit to work and,…
Lǎo mǎ shí tú (老馬識途 – 老马识途)
老馬識途 (Lǎo mǎ shí tú) (1) an old horse knows the way (idiom); an experienced worker knows what to do(2) an old hand knows the ropes Originated from “Han Feizi – Grove (Forest) of Discussion, Upper Book (韓非子 – 說林上)”. Guan Zhong and Xi Peng (隰朋) accompanied Duke Huan (of Qi) on an expedition against…
040. The Frog Girlfriend
040. The Frog Girlfriend (La Novia Rana) Well, sir, it’s said that once upon a time, on a farm in the countryside there was a happily married couple; the two spouses loved each other very much and lived comfortably off the produce of their land, but they had no children. And this distressed them [greatly]…
Kǒu ruò xuán hé (口若懸河 – 口若悬河)
口若懸河 (Kǒu ruò xuán hé) (1) mouth like a torrent (idiom) (2) eloquent (3) glib (4) voluble (5) have the gift of the gab Source: “Book of Jin – Biography of Guo Xiang (晉書·郭象傳)” Wang Yan (王衍) said: “To hear Xiang speak is like a torrent of cataract water, pouring out without ends.” Story: In…
039. The Young Man Who Sold His Soul To The Devil
039. The Young Man Who Sold His Soul To The Devil (El Joven Que Vendió Su Alma Al Diablo) Once upon a time there was a young man from a peasant family who went away [from his home] to perform his military service. Once he completed his service, he returned home where they welcomed him…
Kǒu mì fù jiàn (口蜜腹劍 – 口蜜腹剑)
口蜜腹劍 (Kǒu mì fù jiàn) Lit. mouth with honeyed words, belly hiding a sword (idiom); fig. hypocritical and murderous From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=269 The reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was a crucial period when Tang turned from prosperity to decline. The beginning of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign was the prosperous Kaiyuan (開元, from 713AD to…
038. The Pear Tree of Aunt Misery
038. El Peral De La Tía Miseria (The Pear Tree of Aunt Misery) Aunt Misery was a poor, old woman who lived in a hut on the outskirts of town and had nothing more than a straw mattress to sleep on, a chair to sit on, and a basket to collect pears that came from…
Kāi juàn yǒu yì (開卷有益 – 开卷有益)
開卷有益 (Kāi juàn yǒu yì) Lit. opening a book is profitable / beneficial (idiom); the benefits of education From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=285 “Opening a book is beneficial (開卷有益)” was originally “Opening a book is full of contentment (開卷有得)”. Tao Qian was a native of Chaisang, Xunyang in the Eastern Jin period. He was a great-grandson of Tao…
037. The Golden Slipper
037. The Golden Slipper (La Zapatilla De Oro) A king went hunting with his guests and, following a [game] kill, he got separated from the group. After a while, it got late in the evening and he [looked back and] saw that no one was following him except for a count in his court. Then…
Kāi chéng bù gōng (開誠布公 – 开诚布公)
開誠布公 (Kāi chéng bù gōng) (1) lit. deal sincerely and fairly (idiom); frank and open-minded (2) plain speaking (3) Let’s talk frankly and openly between ourselves. (4) to put one’s cards on the table From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=233 Zhuge Liang was a statesman and military strategist from the Shu Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms period. He lived…