Waiting by the Tree Stump
'Waiting by the Stump for a Rabbit' comes from the Master Han Fei's essays — a parable over two thousand years old. A farmer in the state of Song saw a rabbit dash into a tree stump and die, so he waited by that stump every day for another rabbit, and neglected his fields. Of course, nothing ever came. Han Fei used this tale to say: don't count on good luck striking twice — only hard work pays off.
Once there was a farmer who lived beside his field. He got up before sunrise every day and worked hard.
One day, while he was plowing, a white rabbit suddenly darted out of the bushes. It ran so fast, like a gust of wind.
The rabbit bonked hard into the big tree stump with a loud thump. Its eyes went swirly and it flopped onto the ground, looking quite silly.
The farmer walked over and gently picked up the rabbit, giggling with joy. Wow! A rabbit for dinner without lifting a finger. How lucky! he said.
That night, as he ate, the farmer thought: if a rabbit crashes here every day, I'll never have to work hard again! The more he thought, the happier he felt.
Early the next morning, the farmer didn't go to his field. He dragged over a little stool, sat beside the big stump, and stared at the bushes, waiting for a rabbit.
He waited day after day. The sun rose and set, but no rabbit appeared. He grew a little impatient, yet refused to leave.
With no one to tend it, his field grew thick with weeds, and all the young crops withered. Looking at it made the farmer feel a little uneasy.
After all that waiting, not a single rabbit. The farmer's tummy rumbled, his cheeks grew thin, and at last he understood his mistake.
The farmer picked up his hoe, dusted it off, and went back to the field. He had learned: don't wish for something for nothing — hard work brings the harvest.
