The King and the Servant

The Master and the Servant

(Writing No. 1992)

“I am fortunate to have a wise servant like you.”

Once upon a time in China, there lived a wealthy but foolish man named Ping Sun. Although he had plenty of money and lived a comfortable life, wisdom was something he lacked. He had a servant named Poushih, who, surprisingly, often behaved in an even more foolish manner than his master. Because of this strange pairing, their lives were filled with unusual and humorous incidents.

One day, Ping Sun decided to take a leisurely walk along the riverbank. Without paying much attention, he put on his shoes and stepped outside. What he failed to notice was that one shoe had a thick sole while the other had a thin one. Completely unaware of this mismatch, he began walking, with his servant following closely behind.

After walking for a short while, Ping Sun began to feel uncomfortable. With every step, one of his feet sank lower than the other, making his walk awkward and tiring. He slowed down and said to his servant, “I think something is wrong with my foot. Walking feels very difficult.”

The servant thought for a moment and replied confidently, “Master, perhaps the road has developed pits because of recent rain.”

Just then, a passerby happened to walk by and overheard their conversation. He stopped and said politely, “Sir, the road is completely smooth and level. It hasn’t rained here for a long time.”

Ping Sun looked surprised and asked, “Then why do my feet keep going up and down while I walk?”

The stranger smiled and said, “Sir, you are wearing two different shoes. One has a thick sole and the other has a thin one. That is why you are feeling discomfort. If both shoes had equal soles, walking would be easy and enjoyable.”

Ping Sun looked down at his feet and immediately realized that the stranger was right. Feeling slightly embarrassed but relieved to know the reason, he turned to his servant and said, “Go home and bring me another pair of shoes.”

The servant quickly went back to the house. When he looked at the other pair of shoes, he examined them carefully. To his surprise, he discovered that this pair was also mismatched—one shoe had a thick sole and the other had a thin one. He thought deeply and concluded that these shoes were exactly like the ones his master was already wearing and were the cause of his discomfort.

The servant reasoned, “If these shoes are the same as the current ones, then taking them to my master will be useless.” Convinced of his logic, he returned empty-handed.

When Ping Sun saw his servant return without shoes, he asked in confusion, “Where are my other shoes?”

The servant replied calmly, “My master, you asked me to bring your shoes. I examined them carefully and realized they are exactly like the ones you are wearing now. One has a thin sole and the other a thick one. Since they would cause the same trouble, I did not bring them.

Ping Sun listened carefully. Instead of getting angry or questioning his servant’s reasoning, he nodded thoughtfully and said, “I am truly fortunate to have such an intelligent servant like you. It seems that discomfort was written in my fate today.”

Saying this, Ping Sun continued his walk along the riverbank, wearing the same mismatched shoes, while his servant followed behind him.

The two walked on, satisfied in their own strange way, unaware that their actions revealed a deeper truth: when foolishness meets foolishness, even mistakes begin to look like wisdom.

Moral:

This story humorously highlights how ignorance, when shared and unchallenged, can reinforce itself. True wisdom lies not only in noticing mistakes but also in correcting them, rather than accepting them as fate.

This story teaches us that intelligence is not about confidence or position, but about understanding problems and solving them correctly. Both the master and the servant failed to think deeply and accepted discomfort as fate instead of fixing the real issue. We should never blindly accept mistakes or misunderstandings just because they seem normal or familiar. Asking the right questions, verifying facts, and applying practical solutions are signs of true wisdom. cceptance.