Once upon a time a sage by the name of Zhou

Was rambling in the park to encounter with

A strange bird which touched his forehead

As it passed him and lighted in the thicket.

“What kind of birds is this?” Exclaimed Zhou,

“With such great wings not to go on and

With such large eyes not to see me!”

He hurried with his cross-bow, waiting for

An opportunity to shoot the bird. Meantime,

He saw a cicada, which had just alighted

In a beautiful shady spot, and forgot its care.

Just then, a praying mantis raised its claws

And pounced on the cicada in its eagerness

For its prey, also forgetting its care for itself

While the strange bird took advantage

Of its opportunity to secure them both

In view of that gain forgetting

Its true instinct of preservation. Seeing that,

The sage with an emotion of pity, said, “Ah!

So it is that things bring evil on one another,

Each of these creatures invited its own trouble.”

With this he put away his cross-bow

And suddenly was hurrying away back

When the guard of the park pursued him

With arrest and terms of reproach.