朝三暮四 Zhao San Mu Si

"Three in the Morning and Four in the Evening"

Juggling with figures
   
   Zhuang Zhou Chuan, a famous early Chinese writer, was born during the
Warring States Period (453BC to 221BC) in 370BC in the State of Chu 
(present day Jiang Ling county in Hubei province) and died in 300BC. He
wrote many delightful parables, metaphors and poetic passages. Some of 
his works represented the most important formulation of early Taoist
thought. Altogether he wrote fifty-two esays which were compiled into 
one volume entitled Zhuang Zi.

   Zhao San Mu Si (literally meaning "morning three evening four") was 
an essay of parable in the animals section of his books. This is the
story.

   There lived a man in the State of Song (present day Shang Qiu county  
in Henan province) nicknamed him Ju Gong, meaning the man who kept monkeys, 
because of the many monkeys he kept at home. 

   After living with them for a long time Ju Gong understood the behaviour
and thinking of the monkeys. The monkeys seemed to comprehend what he said 
to them. Man and animals were able to live together harmoniously and happily.

   With so many monkeys to support Ju Gong became poorer and poorer. He 
had to cut down on the family expenditure and reduce the provisions for the
monkeys. He devised a plan on how to economise the food for the monkeys. So
he had a discussion with the monkeys. One day he told them,

    "From tomorrow onwards I will give each one of you three 
     chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening. 
     Do you think it is enough to eat?"
   
   Knowing that Ju Gong was going to reduce their rations, the monkeys bared
their teeth to show their anger. Seeing their obvious displeasure, Ju Gong
quickly said to them,

    "From tomorrow onwards I will give each one of you four 
     chestnuts in the morning and three in the evening. 
     Is it enough to eat?"
 
  On hearing this, the monkeys were happier and stopped their protests.

  But the monkeys did not know that their master was only juggling with the
figures. They did not understand that three plus four or four plus three
is always equal to seven. Ju Gong was shifting and veering.
   

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