Show C CHINESE FABLE what is most to be dreaded in a state 11 demanded hoan kong of his minister I 1 prince replied he according according to my idea nothing nochim is is mode more to be dreaded than that which v aich is called RZ rats in the statue I 1 hoan kong did not understand this metaphor and K t tscheng explained it to him in the following manner you know prince that in many places statues ar are 0 eret erected ted in honor of the saint of the place these wooden wooded images are hollow within and painted without now by some chance or other a rat had penetrated such a statue a and n d no nothing thin g could he be fh thought Z lit of or devised to drive it thence to set fire to it A they did not dare fearful that the wood would catch neither did they dare to place the th e n image i ge in in water lest the colors thereby might be eba effaced a c e d thus the rat remained protected through the respect they had for the image and who are those rats in te fhe state asked fio an kong they athey are said he people who possess ne neither ither I 1 teenor virtue hor merit and yet share the favors favors of their i prince 1 those are the rats pat in in the statue 11 I 1 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 |