|
Towards the end of the Spring and Autumn period, King Fuchai of Wu, having defeated the state of Yue, hoped to expand his land by invading the State of Qi. But he was so busy celebrating the victory that he was not aware that Yue was preparing for revenge. One day when he was walking in his garden, he saw the prince come, soaking wet, with his bow and arrows. "Such a mess, my son. What's the matter?" asked the king. "I was playing in the backyard," the prince replied, "Then I heard a sound in the bush. I looked and found a cicada." "But then I also saw," he added, "a mantis stalking behind the cicada, while an oriole in its turn was about to pounce on the mantis from behind." So I stretched my bow and aimed an arrow at the oriole. But I did not notice the pond behind myself. Plop I went into the water and out I came like this. The king laughed, for he was amused by the mantis that was so keen on catching the cicada that it did not beware of the oriole. But the prince said, "A similar thing is happening when you only think of invading Qi without minding Yue, Father." The king was not pleased and he sent the prince away. But the prince was right. Soon Yue did strike back and defeat wu. The mantis is likened to people who only see immediate gains without caution. 吴王夫差战胜越国后，以为越国从此再也不敢兴兵，就整日享乐庆祝，完全没有留言越国正养精蓄锐，准备复国。 | 
