Songs of the Xia

Zixiu tried farming first. Drought struck in spring, floods in summer, and locusts in autumn. Then he tried herding. First came a tiger, then a wolf, and finally disease. Next, he studied medicine. The cow died, the horse died, and the patient died. So he went into business, only to be robbed by thieves, raided by bandits, and caught in the ravages of war. Then he took up literature, studying the four arts, roasting green bamboo and burning down the academy. After that, he learned martial arts, mounted archery, and fired a single arrow that killed King Yu. Zixiu said, “I’m done pretending. I, the imperial son of Huaxu, will one day... become a court historian and coast through life.” The old fisherman asked, “You’re not going out to conquer the world and make a name for yourself? You’d rather hole up here as some minor court historian?”