The Wolf of Zhongshan

The Wolf of Zhongshan (Chinese: 中山狼傳; pinyin: Zhōngshān Láng Zhuàn) is a popular Chinese fairy tale deals with the ingratitude of a creature after being saved. The first print of the story is found in the Ming Dynasty Ocean Stories of Past and Present (Chinese: 海說古今; pinyin: Hǎishuō Gǔjīn) published in 1544.

The story is set during the late Spring and Autumn period. King Jian Zi (趙簡子 - BC?-BC 476) was leading a hunting party through Zhongshan when he happen to come across a wolf. King Jian takes aim with his bow and arrow but misses and hits a stone instead. The wolf desperately flees through the forest with the hunting party in pursuit. As the wolf makes its way through the forest he stumbles upon a traveling Mohist scholar Mr. Dongguo (Chinese: 東郭先生; pinyin: Dōngguō Xiānshēng). The wolf appeals to the scholar's belief of "universal love" and implores for his help. Mr. Dongguo takes pity on the creature and hides it in one of his books bags strapped to his donkey.

When the hunters approach him, Mr. Dongguo denies any knowledge of the wolf's whereabouts. After the hunters had left, Mr. Dongguo lets the wolf out of his bag, got on his donkey, and was about to take his leave only to be stopped by the wolf. The wolf now asked the scholar to save his life again, this time from starvation. Mr. Dongguo offered the wolf some pastries, but the wolf smile and said "I don't eat those, I dine solely on meat". Puzzled, Mr. Dongguo inquires if the wolf intended to eat his donkey and the wolf replies "No, no, donkey meat is no good". The donkey, upon hearing this, bolts from the scene as fast as its four legs to carry it leaving Mr. Dongguo behind with the wolf. To Mr. Dongguo's surprise, the hungry wolf pounced on him and announced it intention to eat him. When Mr. Dongguo protests at the wolf's ingratitude, the wolf presents the argument: since the scholar saved his life once why not do it again? Now that it was starving, only by serving as the wolf's food will the scholar have fulfilled the act of saving his life. Besides, the wolf complained that it nearly suffocated while it was crammed in the scholar's bag and the scholar now owed him. Dongguo and the wolf debated and finally decided to present their case to the judgment of three elders.

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Wikipedia