| Qin: Wealth Xi Yang-yi one day came to Lao-Tze. "Chou-yi wants to be my friend. For six months he has spent time with me whenever I wanted to do something. He has helped me with many things. Best of all, he has shown me beautiful ways to speak and to sing which I didn't know existed." "You are very fortunate to have such a friend," said Lao-Tze. "He takes me to the orchard where we watch the cherry trees bloom, and my heart feels full and free. He takes me to the pond where we watch the ducks walk on the bank to get the crumbs we bring them. We laugh together at their clumsy ways on land and fall silent together at their silken smoothness in the water." "You are doubly fortunate to have a friend with whom you can laugh." "When I lost my standing at school, I went to Chou-yi and we cried together." "You are triply fortunate to have a friend who loves you not for what you do but for who you are." "But yesterday I told him I could not see him any more." "Why did you do that?" "I have to go to the city and make my way in the world. I cannot waste any more time here with ducks and flowers." "Xi Yang-yi, you do not need to go to the city. You must already be a very rich man if you can afford to throw away such a friend." Back to Qin
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