Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.23

Passage 23

齊qí饑jī。陳chén臻zhēn曰yuē：「國guó人rén皆jiē以yǐ夫fū子zǐ將jiāng復fù為wéi發fā棠táng，殆dài不bù可kě復fù。」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「是shì為wéi馮féng婦fù也yě。晉jìn人rén有yǒu馮féng婦fù者zhě，善shàn搏bó虎hǔ，卒zú為wéi善shàn士shì；則zé之zhī野yě，有yǒu眾zhòng逐zhú虎hǔ，虎hǔ負fù嵎yú，莫mò之zhī敢gǎn攖yīng；望wàng見jiàn馮féng婦fù，趨qū而ér迎yíng之zhī；馮féng婦fù攘rǎng臂bì下xià車jū，眾zhòng皆jiē悅yuè之zhī，其qí為wéi士shì者zhě笑xiào之zhī。」

When Qi was suffering from famine, Chen Zhen said to Mencius, 'The people are all thinking that you, Master, will again ask that the granary of Tang be opened for them. I apprehend you will not do so a second time.' Mencius said, 'To do it would be to act like Feng Fu. There was a man of that name in Jin, famous for his skill in seizing tigers. Afterwards he became a scholar of reputation, and going once out to the wild country, he found the people all in pursuit of a tiger. The tiger took refuge in a corner of a hill, where no one dared to attack him, but when they saw Feng Fu, they ran and met him. Feng Fu immediately bared his arms, and descended from the carriage. The multitude were pleased with him, but those who were scholars laughed at him.'