Page:Chinese Fables and Folk Stories.djvu/141

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THE BODY THAT DESERTED THE STOMACH
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thoughts. And so we call the body of man a perfect thing.

But one day the dififerent parts of man's body quarreled among themselves about the work. Many complaints were brought against the stomach. The hands and feet said, "We work all day and yet we are nothing. Do you know whom we work for?"

The eyes said, "We find many chickens, fish, eggs, and much rice and tea for the stomach. He takes all and does no work for it. He does not even think. And though he never does anything for us, we are always working for him."

Then they all agreed to refuse to work longer for the stomach. They said, "To-morrow we will tell the heart and have him judge[1] who is to be blamed."

So the next day the tongue told the brain about it, and the brain said, "I will see the judge to-night."

When the heart heard the story he said, "Yes, you are right. If all of you lie down and refuse to help the stomach; if you do not give him any rice or meat for food, or any tea for drink, he will learn then that he can not live without you."

  1. The Chinese picture the heart thus, with two sides: To the larger side, everything is brought by the brain for the heart-judge, or conscience, to pass judgment on. If he pronounces the thought or feeling worthy, it goes into the memory, where it stays; otherwise it is rejected.