The Boy Who Became a Hsao-tsze

This is the true story of a boy who obeyed perfectly all his life the

law of Confucius concerning honor to parents.

Few have been able to do this. Among a people of many millions who have

kept record over four thousand years, only twenty-four men have been

found worthy of the great honor of being called Hsao-Tsze.

Twelve hundred years ago, in Chê-Kiong Province, there lived a poor

widow and her son, Wong-Ziang. The father had died when Wong-Ziang was

a baby, and the time came when they had only their little home left and

not even one piece of silver to buy food with.

So the mother went to many places daily and asked food for herself and

child. For seven long years, every day in the cold rain or in the

sunshine, this poor widow begged food and kept herself and child from

starving.

She was a good woman and never complained even to the heavens, and in

her heart she said many times, “No mother should be sorrowful when she

has a good son. My boy is true without being taught. Many mothers have

sons, but they are not as this one.”

When Wong-Ziang was fourteen years old, he said to his mother, “Ah Ma,

I will seek work and we will have food. You must rest now.”

In the morning early he went to the market place and asked work of many

people. At midday, when the laborers left the market place, they said,

“You are too young to work here.”

As he was hungry, he went to a merchant’s house and asked food; and

because he was a gentle boy and pleaded so earnestly, the merchant told

his cook to give him food. Wong-Ziang would not eat the food, but took

it home to his mother.

Ninety times Wong-Ziang left home at sunrise. He sought work all day,

and every night he took food home to his mother and comforted her with,

“I soon will find work, Ah Ma. One man says he will want me soon; or, a

man told me of yet another place to seek work,” and in many other ways

he comforted his mother.

When he gave her the food he brought, she would say, “You eat, too.”

But he would always answer, “I have had mine; you eat first.” And when

she had finished eating, he would eat of what was left.

One time Wong-Ziang’s mother fell sick. He said, “I will go for the

doctor.” But his mother said, “I have no silver. Wait and you will soon

have work. I think I shall be well then.”

But Wong-Ziang ran to the city of Nim-Chu and asked the doctor to come

to his mother. He said to him as they went to his mother’s house:

“My mother did not get up at sunrise. She is weak and sick and can not

eat food. She does not want a doctor, as we have no silver, but I

believe you will wait and, when I get work, I will pay you.” The doctor

said, “I always help the poor when I can, and will not charge you this

time.”

When they reached the widow’s home, the doctor made the examination of

the tongue, the eyes, and the pulse. He then said, “She is very weak. I

will leave medicine, but it is better that she eat good food that she

likes. Twice in five days, she should have a carp fish boiled in rice

wine. But it is winter and the river is frozen. I know not how you will

get that fish,” and then he went away.

Wong-Ziang gave his mother the medicine, and she asked, “What did the

doctor say about me?”

“He said you needed a carp fish cooked in rice wine so that you may be

strong,” answered Wong-Ziang. “It is very easy for me to find one. I am

going now to the river.”

But the mother said, “Not now, my son. Wait until spring. The river is

covered with ice.”

“I will see,” said Wong-Ziang; and he put on his fishing clothes. [18]

His mother said, “I fear you will die, if you go into the water.”

“I will see first if there are any fish,” said he.

When Wong-Ziang reached the river, he saw it was covered with ice. He

made a great hole in the ice and went in, and after swimming and diving

for some time, he caught a fish for his mother.

But his breath almost left him in the cold water, and when he came out,

he could not stand on the ice.

He fell down, and his clothes froze to the ice with the net and the

fish he had caught.

“He is gone a long time,” thought his mother. She called a servant girl

who was passing, and said, “Ah Moi, will you go down to the River

Ching-Ki, and see if my boy is there?”

Ah Moi went and saw the boy and the fish in the net lying frozen on the

ice together.

She called, “Wong-Ziang,” but when no answer came back to her, she

thought, “He is dead,” and ran in fear. But she met a farmer who was

riding a cow and she told him, “Wong-Ziang is dead on the ice.” The

farmer left his cow and went with her to see.

The farmer took off his own coat and wrapped it around the boy. He

carried him in his arms and said to the servant, “I think he is not

dead. Take the fish and net at once to Wong-Ziang’s mother.”

In an hour Wong-Ziang came to life again. He arose and cooked the fish

for his mother. And in fifteen days she was well.

Soon after this, Wong-Ziang was given work in the next village as cook

for a rich professor who had many pupils.

One day he went to the wilderness to cut wood. His mother knew that her

boy worked hard, and so she went with him to help and they worked until

sunset.

Suddenly a small tiger came out of the forest towards the mother, and

from fear she became as one dead. Wong-Ziang screamed and made a great

noise. He threw his clothes at the beast and it ran away. Then he

carried his mother home, and the neighbors who had watched him all his

life said, “Wong-Ziang will become a Hsao-Tsze if he is always like

this.”

Wong-Ziang had seen twenty-one years when his mother died, and he had

never left her for one day in all his life. He was liked by his

teachers, schoolmates, and neighbors, for they said, “We can learn a

great lesson from Wong-Ziang who has loved and honored his mother

perfectly.”

While his mother was living, Wong-Ziang worked for her and spent little

time or money in study; but after she died, he studied hard. When his

work in the professor’s kitchen was done each day, he always sat

outside the schoolroom door where he heard the teacher giving lessons

to his pupils. [19]

For seven years he studied in this way before the teacher, Liao-Tsai,

knew; but one day he found out what Wong-Ziang had been doing. In time

he came to love him as his own son and he asked him, “Would you like to

be my Chi-tsze (son by adoption)?”

And Wong-Ziang said, “I would, but I am poor and unlearned, and you are

rich and honored. It could not be.”

But his teacher said, “I want you in my school. I have had many pupils,

but none that have worked and learned as you have. I have known many

sons, but none of them served and honored his parents so faithfully.

Think about this two or three days and then give me your answer.”

After three days Wong-Ziang decided: and he came to Liao-Tsai, his

teacher, and, kneeling down before him, he bowed his head low. And

after this time he was as the professor’s own son.

In sixteen years, Wong-Ziang graduated from the great University with

highest honors. He had studied all the books of the Chinese schools and

was now a Han-Ling (Ph.D.).

He served his nation and emperor wisely and had a high state position

for more than twenty years. The people called him Zien-Zan before the

emperor. But when he came home to his native province where people had

known his deeds all his life, they bowed their heads low in affection,

and called him, “Hsao-Tsze.”

[17] A title of great honor given to followers of Confucius who have

been known from childhood to maturity by many people as having observed

this law of Confucius faithfully.

[18] In China the country boys go in the water to fish with hand nets

and become experts in diving and swimming under water. The hand nets

are about two feet wide and three feet long.

[19] Pupils. Chinese school children in small country places sit at a

long table to study. Sometimes there are from forty to sixty at one

table.