On the other hand, I can break huge trees and destroy large buildings. That is my strong point. Out of all the small things in which I do not excel I make one great one in which I do excel. And to excel in great things is given only to the Sages." Everything has its own natural qualifications. What is difficult to one is easy to another. No illustration is given of the "eye" and "mind." "'Tis the half-length portrait," says Lin Hsi Chung, "of a beautiful girl;"--which is ingenious if not sound. * * * * * When Confucius visited K'uang, the men of Sung surrounded him closely. This is a mistake. "K'uang" was in the Wei State, and it was by the men of Wei that Confucius was surrounded. Yet he went on playing and singing to his guitar without ceasing. "How is it, Sir," enquired Tzŭ Lu, "that you are so cheerful?" See p. 165. Tzŭ Lu would have been the first to be cheerful himself. "Come here," replied Confucius, "and I will tell you. For a long time I have been struggling against failure, but in vain. Fate is against me. For a long time I have been seeking success, but in vain. The hour has not come. "In the days of Yao and Shun, no man throughout the empire was a failure, though no one was conscious of the gain. In the days of Chieh and Chou, no man throughout the empire was a success, though no one was conscious of the loss. The times and circumstances were adapted accordingly. "To travel by water and not avoid sea-serpents and dragons,--this is the courage of the fisherman. To travel by land and not avoid the rhinoceros and the tiger,--this is the courage of hunters. When bright blades cross, to look on death as on life,--this is the courage of the hero. To know that failure is fate and that success is opportunity, and to remain fearless in great danger,--this is the courage of the Sage. Yu! rest in this. My destiny is cut out for me." Shortly afterwards, the captain of the troops came in and apologised, saying, "We thought you were Yang Hu; consequently we surrounded you. We find we have made a mistake." Whereupon he again apologised and retired. Yang Hu was "wanted" by the people of Wei, and it appears that Confucius was unfortunately like him in feature. But the whole episode is clearly the interpolation of a forger. * * * * * Kung Sun Lung A philosopher of the Chao State, whose treatise on the "hard and white" etc. is said to be still extant. See ch. ii.