Plugging Ears to Steal the Bell
Did you know? The 'bell' in ancient times was actually a 'chime'!
The 'bell' in the idiom 'Plugging Ears to Steal the Bell' actually refers to an ancient bronze chime! During the Warring States period, chimes were important instruments for noble sacrifices and banquets, with a loud sound that could travel far. The thief thought that if he covered his own ears, others wouldn't hear the chime—this self-deceiving idea is the origin of the idiom. Interestingly, later generations changed 'chime' to 'bell' because the bell's sound is lighter and more suitable for the story's setting.
During the Warring States period, the world was in chaos, but nestled among the mountains was a small village untouched by the turmoil. Several dozen families lived there, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, enjoying a peaceful and quiet life. At the village entrance stood a large locust tree, and beneath it hung a great bronze bell. This bell was the most important thing in the village. Every morning, the village chief would strike the bell, its mellow sound waking the sleeping village; whenever there was an emergency, the bell would also ring to summon all the villagers. The villagers held this bell in awe, for it was not only a symbol of time but also the bond of village unity. Children played under the bell, old folks chatted beside it, and the great bell quietly guarded this little village, day after day, year after year.
In the village lived a man named A-Ming, about thirty years old, short and thin, with shifty eyes. He wore coarse cloth clothes and a cloth belt around his waist. A-Ming was a greedy man who always dreamed of getting something for nothing. Every day when he passed the great bell at the village entrance, he would stop and stare at it, scheming in his heart: This bell is made of bronze; if I could steal it and sell it, it would surely fetch a lot of money. He imagined himself with the money, eating and drinking lavishly in the city, never having to suffer in this poor village again. But the great bell hung under the tree, and villagers could pass by at any time—how could he steal it without anyone noticing? The more A-Ming thought, the more excited he became, yet he didn't dare act rashly.
Finally, one day, A-Ming made up his mind to steal the bell. Late at night, when all was quiet, he crept to the great bell and touched its cold surface, his heart pounding with excitement. But just as he was about to act, a problem struck him: the bell was so big that striking it would surely make a loud noise; if he alarmed the villagers, he would certainly be caught. He hesitated, his hand frozen in midair. A-Ming squatted under the bell, racking his brains for a way to keep the bell from making any sound. He tried covering the bell's mouth with his hands, but the sound would still escape from other parts. He was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks, yet he couldn't think of any solution.
A-Ming went home and lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He stared at the ceiling, his mind full of that great bell. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to him: If I can't hear the bell, doesn't that mean the bell didn't ring? He sat up excitedly and muttered to himself: 'That's it! If I plug my ears, I won't hear the bell, and neither will anyone else!' He felt he was truly brilliant to have thought of such a wonderful solution. So he found a ball of cotton, carefully stuffed it into his ears, and tried it—sure enough, he couldn't hear any outside sounds. A-Ming smiled smugly, thinking this time he would surely succeed.
Late the next night, A-Ming took some cotton and a mallet and quietly crept to the big bell. First, he stuffed the cotton tightly into his ears. Then he raised the mallet and struck the bell with all his might. 'BONG!' The loud sound echoed through the night sky and spread across the whole village. But because his ears were plugged with cotton, A-Ming heard nothing. He only saw the bell quiver and thought he hadn't hit it hard enough, so he struck even harder. As he pounded, he imagined the bell breaking apart and himself carrying off the bronze to sell. A greedy smile spread across his face.
The bell rang louder and louder, resounding to the heavens. The villagers were all startled awake. They threw on their clothes and ran out of their houses toward the village entrance. And A-Ming? He was completely lost in his own 'clever plan,' not sensing the danger at all. As he struck the bell, he muttered to himself, 'Now I've got it made. No one can hear, so I can slowly break the bell and carry it away.' He grew more and more excited, even humming a little tune. The bell's clang cut sharply through the silent night. The villagers' footsteps drew closer and closer, but A-Ming was completely unaware, still thinking he was the smartest person around.
The villagers rushed to the village entrance and saw A-Ming holding the mallet, desperately pounding the big bell. Everyone was dumbfounded. The village chief, leaning on his cane, stepped forward and shouted, 'A-Ming! What are you doing?' But A-Ming had cotton in his ears and couldn't hear a thing. He kept striking a few more times before he suddenly noticed a crowd of people standing around him, all glaring angrily. A-Ming jumped in fright, and the mallet nearly fell from his hands. He stared at the villagers in bewilderment, unable to understand why they were there. The villagers all started blaming him at once, but A-Ming looked completely confused because he couldn't hear anything.
Several young villagers stepped forward, grabbed A-Ming by the arms, and pinned him to the ground. A-Ming struggled but couldn't move. Then the village chief walked up to him and pulled the cotton out of his ears. Only then did A-Ming realize the truth: the sound of his bell-ringing had already alarmed the whole village! His face turned bright red with shame, and he hung his head, not daring to look at anyone. The villagers shook their heads and sighed. Someone said, 'You were just plugging your ears while stealing a bell!' A-Ming regretted it deeply, knowing he had done something terribly foolish. From then on, he never dared to be greedy again. He was determined to turn over a new leaf and live honestly.
The village chief slowly walked up to Ah Ming, his white hair drifting gently in the wind, his kind face unusually stern. Leaning on his cane, he bent down to look at Ah Ming kneeling on the ground. His deep, clear voice carried across the whole square: "Ah Ming, did you think that covering your own ears would keep others from hearing? When you struck the bell, the sound had already spread through the entire village. You only covered your own ears—you can fool yourself, but you can't fool others!" Ah Ming lifted his head, his eyes red and swollen, his lips trembling so much he couldn't speak. The village chief continued, "This is called 'plugging your ears while stealing a bell.' You thought you were clever, but it was the height of foolishness. The most important thing in life is honesty; greed will only hurt you in the end." The villagers listened quietly. Some nodded, some sighed. Ah Ming lowered his head, tears dripping onto the dirt. He finally understood how ridiculous his mistake had been.
The village chief announced that Ah Ming's punishment was to repair the great bell in front of the ancestral hall—the one he had cracked. Early the next morning, Ah Ming carried an iron hammer, a chisel, and some bronze pieces to the square. He climbed up the wooden frame and carefully examined the crack in the bell, feeling a pang of shame. As he hammered the bronze pieces, he muttered to himself, "I'm so foolish. To steal a bell, I actually thought of covering my ears. The sound was so loud that the whole village heard it, and I still thought no one knew." The hammer struck the bronze with a clear ring, as if reminding him of the importance of honesty. Sweat slid down his forehead and dripped onto the bell. He thought of the villagers' disappointed looks and the village chief's heartfelt words, and he silently vowed: From now on, I will never do such a self-deceiving thing again.
On the day the great bell was finally repaired, the villagers gathered in the square in front of the ancestral hall. Ah Ming climbed down from the wooden frame and stood before everyone with his head bowed. He said sincerely, "I'm sorry. I was too greedy and did something wrong to everyone. Thank you for being willing to forgive me." The village chief stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "To know one's faults and correct them is the greatest virtue. Honesty is a person's most precious quality, more valuable than any bell or bronze." An old woman handed Ah Ming a bowl of water and said gently, "Child, drink some water. From now on, be a good person." The younger villagers nodded and murmured in agreement. Someone said, "Ah Ming, we believe you will change." Ah Ming took the bowl with trembling hands, his eyes red again. He bowed deeply and said in a choked voice, "I will definitely be an honest and hardworking person. I won't let you down." The sun shone on the square, and smiles of relief appeared on the villagers' faces.
From that day on, Ah Ming seemed like a different person. He got up before dawn every day and helped the elderly in the village carry water and chop wood, never complaining. When someone in the fields was too busy, he volunteered to help plant rice seedlings; when a roof leaked, he climbed up a ladder to fix it without a word. The villagers noticed, and gradually they stopped mentioning his past mistake of stealing the bell. Instead, they often praised him: "That Ah Ming, he's really changed for the better!" When Ah Ming heard this, he just smiled humbly and kept working. Once, a neighbor's child asked him, "Uncle Ah Ming, why are you so hardworking now?" Ah Ming patted the child's head and said seriously, "Because I did something wrong before, and now I need to make it up to everyone. Being honest and hardworking makes my heart feel at peace." The child nodded, not fully understanding. Under the setting sun, Ah Ming walked across the field with a hoe on his shoulder. Though his figure was thin, he looked especially steady and grounded.
That afternoon, a peddler with a carrying pole came to the village. He wore flashy clothes and called out in a slick voice, "Come and see, folks! I have magic pills that cure all diseases! Your back won't ache, your legs won't hurt, and even your hair will turn black!" The villagers crowded around curiously. The peddler pulled out some colorful pills from his bamboo basket, held them high, and boasted with spit flying, "This is a secret recipe from an old immortal in the deep mountains! One pill is worth twelve silver coins, but today I'm selling them cheap—just one or two coins each!" Ah Ming happened to pass by and heard this. His heart skipped a beat. He remembered how greedy he used to be and almost fell for such tricks. He stepped into the crowd, stared at the pills in the peddler's hand, and frowned slightly, feeling something was off.
Ah Ming didn't rush to pay. Instead, he remembered the village chief's lesson: always look carefully and don't just listen to what others say. He stepped forward and politely asked the peddler, "Excuse me, may I take a look at these pills?" The peddler was taken aback for a moment, then put on a big smile: "Of course, of course! Take a look!" Ah Ming took a pill, smelled it near his nose, and gently scraped the surface with his fingernail. He found that the color came off easily, revealing a dull grayish mud color inside, and it even smelled earthy. Ah Ming now had a clue, but he didn't show it. He asked again, "Where were these pills made? Do you have a prescription?" The peddler's eyes darted around, and he stammered, "That... that's a secret recipe, I can't just show anyone." Ah Ming picked up another pill from the bamboo basket and found each one was just as rough. He looked up calmly at the peddler, and a knowing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Ah Ming held up the pill and said loudly to the watching villagers, "Look, everyone! This pill is dyed on the outside, and the color comes off with a scrape. Inside, it's just ordinary mud! What he calls a miracle cure is all a scam!" As he spoke, he scraped hard with his fingernail, and gray mud flakes fell down. The villagers crowded closer and were suddenly enlightened. The peddler's face changed drastically. He hurriedly reached out to snatch the pills back but was blocked by several young villagers. Ah Ming continued, "I used to be greedy and foolish, and almost fell for it. Don't believe his sweet talk. When buying things, always look carefully!" The villagers scolded the peddler, and someone shouted, "Drive the liar out of the village!" Seeing the situation was bad, the peddler picked up his carrying pole and fled in a panic. The villagers surrounded Ah Ming and said gratefully, "Thank you, or we would have been fooled!" Ah Ming smiled and shook his head: "It's what I should do."
In the evening, the children sat around the square in front of the temple, pestering Ah Ming to tell a story. Ah Ming sat on the stone steps, looked at the big bell that had been repaired, and said with a smile, "Do you know what 'covering your ears while stealing a bell' means?" The children shook their heads. So Ah Ming told them the funny story of how he once tried to steal a bell and covered his ears. The children laughed heartily. Ah Ming stopped smiling and said seriously, "Covering your own ears may fool yourself, but not others. Be honest and brave to face reality. Don't deceive yourself or others. Just like me, my greed almost hurt me, but luckily I changed in time." The children nodded, their eyes shining. The village chief stood in the distance, watching this scene, and stroked his white beard with satisfaction. The setting sun dyed the square golden, and the bell's sound echoed softly in the evening breeze, as if telling the preciousness of honesty.
