Hwúi of Liu-hiá, who filled the office of Chief Criminal Judge, was thrice dismissed. A person remarked to him, "Can you not yet bear to withdraw?" He replied, "If I act in a straightforward way in serving men, whither in these days should I go, where I should not be thrice dismissed? Were I to adopt crooked ways in their service, why need I leave the land where my parents dwell?" Duke King of Ts'i remarked respecting his attitude towards Confucius, "If he is to be treated like the Chief of the Ki family, I cannot do it. I should treat him as somewhere between the Ki and Mang Chiefs.--I am old," he added, "and not competent to avail myself of him." Confucius, hearing of this, went away. The Ts'i officials presented to the Court of Lu a number of female musicians. Ki Hwan accepted them, and for three days no Court was held. Confucius went away. Tsieh-yu, the madman [33] of Ts'u, was once passing Confucius, singing as he went along. He sang-- "Ha, the phoenix! Ha, the phoenix! How is Virtue lying prone! Vain to chide for what is o'er, Plan to meet what's yet in store. Let alone! Let alone! Risky now to serve a throne." Confucius alighted, wishing to enter into conversation with him; but the man hurried along and left him, and he was therefore unable to get a word with him. Ch'ang-tsü and Kieh-nih [34] were working together on some ploughed land. Confucius was passing by them, and sent Tsz-lu to ask where the ford was. Ch'ang-tsü said, "Who is the person driving the carriage?" "Confucius," answered Tsz-lu. "He of Lu?" he asked. "The same," said Tsz-lu. "He knows then where the ford is," said he. Tsz-lu then put his question to Kieh-nih; and the latter asked, "Who are you?" Tsz-lu gave his name. "You are a follower of Confucius of Lu, are you not?" "You are right," he answered. "Ah, as these waters rise and overflow their bounds," said he, "'tis so with all throughout the empire; and who is he that can alter the state of things? And you are a follower of a learned man who withdraws from his chief; had you not better be a follower of such as have forsaken the world?" And he went on with his harrowing, without stopping. Tsz-lu went and informed his Master of all this. He was deeply touched, and said, "One cannot herd on equal terms with beasts and birds: if I am not to live among these human folk, then with whom else should I live? Only when the empire is well ordered shall I cease to take part in the work of reformation." Tsz-lu was following the Master, but had dropped behind on the way, when he encountered an old man with a weed-basket slung on a staff over his shoulder. Tsz-lu inquired of him, "Have you seen my Master, sir?" Said the old man, "Who is your master?--you who never employ your four limbs in laborious work; you who do not know one from another of the five sorts of grain!" And he stuck his staff in the ground, and began his weeding. Tsz-lu brought his hands together on his breast and stood still.