Gun Yechang

Once upon a time, there was a poor student who was so learned that he even understood the language of birds. His name was Gong Yechang.

One day, while sitting at home reading a book, Gong Yechang suddenly heard a bird singing outside his window. The student looked out and saw a pretty little bird perched on a tree.

"Gong Yechang, Gong Yechang, on the southern mountain lies a white ram! Bring it home, take the meat for yourself, but give me the intestines," the bird sang several times.

Gong Yechang decided to check if the bird was telling the truth. He took a rope, went to the southern mountain, and climbed to the very top. Sure enough, there lay a dead white ram.

Gong Yechang tied the ram with the rope, slung it over his back, and brought it home. The ram was so big and fat that Gong Yechang ate well for many days.

But he threw away the intestines! In his joy, he completely forgot to give them to the bird.

A few days passed. Gong Yechang was sitting and reading his books when suddenly the bird sang again:

"Gong Yechang, Gong Yechang, on the southern mountain lies a white ram! Gong Yechang, Gong Yechang, on the southern mountain lies a white ram!"

Gong Yechang was delighted. He grabbed the rope and quickly ran to the mountain. From a distance, he noticed a crowd of people gathered around something at the mountain's peak. He shouted to them:

"Don't touch it, don't touch it! It's mine, I killed it!"

Hearing his cry, the people ran toward him, grabbed him, and tied his hands with the rope. Gong Yechang couldn't understand what was happening.

"Why have you tied me up?" he asked.

"You said you killed it. Now we'll take you to the judge," the people replied and led him to the spot where he had found the white ram. Now, there lay a dead man.

Gong Yechang was brought before the judge and put on trial. He then told the judge everything about the bird: how it had come to him, what it had sung, and how he had found the white ram.

"You say the bird asked you to give her the ram's intestines?" the judge asked. "Did you do it?"

Only then did Gong Yechang remember that he had not fulfilled the bird's request, and he realized that everything that had happened to him was the bird's revenge for his ingratitude.

The judge ordered Gong Yechang to be imprisoned because he didn't believe his story. However, he decided to test whether the student really understood the language of birds.

The next day, the judge took the chicks from a swallow's nest, which was attached under the eaves of his house, and hid them in a box. The mother swallow anxiously circled above the house, chirping mournfully. The judge then ordered Gong Yechang to be brought in and asked him:

"You claimed to understand the language of birds. Tell me, what is this swallow chirping about?"

Gong Yechang listened and said:

"Honorable judge, honorable judge, there was no grievance or enmity between us. Why have you taken my children and hidden them in a box?"

Then the judge said to Gong Yechang:

"Now I believe everything you said in court. Go home, but remember: you must be grateful to all who do you good, even a little bird."

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Gun Yechang

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