————精卫填海

　　ThebirdJingweitryingtofillthesea

　　Onceuponatime,theyoungestdaughterofEmperorYan,legendaryrulerofprimitiveChina,wentboatingontheEasternSea.Whileshewasenjoyingherself,astrongwindroseontheseaandherboatcapsized.Justbeforeshewasburiedbythesurgingwaves,herspiritturnedintoabeautifulbird.Asitflewovertheroaringsea,itcriedsadlyinthesound"jinwei,jingwei".Thatwaswhypeoplecalledit"Jingwei".

　　Thebirdlivedonamountainnearthesea.Ithatedtheseasomuchthatitdecidedtofillitup.Everyday,itflewtoandfrobetweenthemountainandthesea,carryinginatwigorapebblefromthemountainanddroppingitintothesea.

　　Oneday,theroaringseasaidtoJingwei,"Poorlittlebird,stopdoingthatmeaninglessthing!You'llneverfillmeup."Jingweireplied,"I'llfillyouupnodoubt!Iwill,evenifit'lltakemethousandsofyears!I'llfightonuntildoomsday!"

　　ThebravelittlebirdkeptcarryingtwigsandpebblesfromthemountaintotheEasternSeawithouttakingarest.

　　Fromthisfablecomestheidiom"ThebirdJingweitryingtofillthesea".Weuseittodescribepeoplewhoarefirmandindomitableandwillnotstopuntiltheyreachtheirgoal.

　　———愚公移山

　　Taihang,WongUktwomountains,uptoaradiusof700,uptotenfeetQibaQian.TheyoriginallylocatedinthesouthernpartofJizhou,onthenorthshoreoftheYellowRiver.

　　CalledtheFoolishOldManofthenorthernpeople,nearly90-year-oldage,livinginthefaceofHill.FoolishOldManoftheHillsufferfromblockingtheroadtothenorth,goallthewayRaoyuan.FoolishOldManofthethenconvenedtodiscussthewholefamily,said:"YouandIbothtriedtwobigmountainstobeleveled,ithastopassYuzhouinthesouth,toreachthesouthbankofHanRiver,willyou?"Wehaveagreedwithhim.FoolishOldMan'swifequestionedsaid:"Withyourstrength,noteventhefatherofQuebecHillhavecutthelandgrievances,andcanTaihang,WongUkShanhowthesetwodo?Besides,whereonearthtogo?"WeOneafteranother:"totheedgeoftheearthandrockintotheBohaiSea,northofthehiddenland."FoolishOldManofthechildrenandgrandchildrencanthenleadthethree-Tiaodan,stonecutting,diggingthesoil,KeibasketdeliveredtotheedgeoftheBohaiSea.Beijing'sneighborslastnamehasawidoworphans,justsevenoreightyearsold,tohelpthembounce.Winterandsummerseasons,theonlyonefromthis.

　　Thebend-chitostoptheFoolishOldManofoldgentlemanwithasmile:"Youtoosmart.Withyourremainingyearsofeffort,nottodestroyamountainofgrass,mudandrockhowcan?"FoolishOldManoftheBeishanAlongheavysighandsaid:"Youthoughtstubborn,obstinatetothepointwherecannotbechanged,notaswidowsandsmallchildren.EvenifIdie,andhissoninit;sonandgrandsonofHealth,sonsandgrandchildren;sonandhisson,Sonandgrandson;childrenandgrandchildrendidnotcometoanend,butHillwillnotincreasetheheightofinjusticedugwhyworry?"Mosesoldgentlemandoesnotbend,thentoanswer.

　　Holdingthesnakemountainheardaboutit,forfearhekeptdiggingcontinues,theAssociationreportedonthematter.Emperormovedbyhissincerity,thecommand'sEboasttwosonsgobacktwoHill.OntheeasternpartofaShuofang,aYongzhouonthesouth.Sincethen,inthesouthofJizhou,northoftheHanRiver,thereisnobarrierofhighmountains.

　　夸父追日

　　Kuafuz