Xu Wugui (6)

1 Chuang Tzu once attended a funeral. When he passed by the tomb of Huizi in line with other funeral attendants in the cemetery, Chuang Tzu told his disciples a story. He said: “Once upon a time, in a place in Hunan there was a custom that people applied a chalk white circle, thin as the fly wing, on their nose in the ceremony of sacrifice.

2 Common people washed the circle with water after ceremony, while a guy would ask his friend, a stonecutter, to chop off the white spot with axe. When the stonecutter wielded his axe to chop, the guy stood still without any fear. The stonecutter’s skill was so wonderful; the white circle was chopped off in a shout, no chalk left on nose.

3 Yuan, the King of Song heard this rare story. He was very curious about it. Hence, he invited the stonecutter to his palace, and asked him to chop off the chalk on his nose with the axe. Shaking his head, the stonecutter said, ‘Such chopping can only be done with an appropriate partner. My partner, the appropriate man, has been dead for many years. Though my skill is still here, the performance of chopping is impossible to be done anymore.’

4 Since Huizi passing away, I no longer have found an appropriate person to discuss. The free and exciting talk like the past may not appear again.”