A CHINESE FABLE | AdventAI

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 13, 1860

A CHINESE FABLE.

The Rev. Canon Stowell narrates the following discourse by a Chinese tailor, with reference to the relative merits of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

"A man had fallen into a deep, dark pit, and lay in its miry bottom groaning and utterly unable to move. Confucius walking by, approached the edge of the pit and said, 'Poor fellow, I am sorry for you; why were you such a fool as to get in there? Let me give you a piece of advice: if you ever get out don't get in again.' 'I can't get out,' groaned the man."

"A Buddhist priest next came by, and said, 'Poor fellow, I am very much pained to see you there; I think if you could scramble up two thirds of the way, or even half, I could reach you and lift you up the rest.' But the man in the pit was entirely helpless and unable to rise."

"Next the Saviour came by, and hearing his cries, went to the very brink of the pit, stretched down and laid hold of the poor man, brought him up and said, 'Go, and sin no more.'"