--- title: Story of Mencius. — Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth · full text with trees description: Story of Mencius., «Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth» by Anonymous: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: As Mencius, the philosopher, was travelling in pursuit of wisdom, night overtook him at the foot of a gloomy mountain, remote from t --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/3/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Oriental tales, for the entertainment…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/) / Story of Mencius. # Story of Mencius. Story of Mencius. of «Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth» by Anonymous: the whole text, 12 sentences and 393 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. As Mencius, the philosopher, was travelling in pursuit of wisdom, night overtook him at the foot of a gloomy mountain, remote from the habitations of men.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Here, as he was straying, (while rain and thunder conspired to make solitude still more hideous) he perceived a hermit’s cell, and approaching, asked for shelter.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") “Enter,” cries the hermit in a severe tone; “men deserve not to be obliged; but it would be imitating their ingratitude to treat them as they deserve.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Come in: examples of vice may sometimes strengthen us in the ways of virtue.”[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") After a frugal meal, which consisted of roots and tea, Mencius could not repress his curiosity to know why the hermit had retired from mankind, whose actions taught the truest lessons of wisdom.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") “Mention not the name of man,” cried the hermit with indignation; “here let me live retired from a base ungrateful world; here, in the forest I shall find no flatterers.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") The lion is an open enemy, and the dog a faithful friend; but man, base man, can poison the bowl, and smile when he presents it.”[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") “You have then been used ill by mankind?” interrupted the philosopher drily.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes,” replied the hermit; “on mankind I have exhausted my whole fortune; and this staff, that cup, and those roots, are all that I have in return.”—“Did you bestow your fortune among them, or did you only lend it?” returned Mencius.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") “I bestowed it, undoubtedly,” replied the other; “for where were the merit of being a money lender?”—“Did they ever own that they received your benefits?” still adds the philosopher.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") “A thousand times,” cries the hermit; “they every day loaded me with professions of gratitude for favours received, and solicitations for future ones.”—“If, then, (says Mencius smiling) you did not lend your fortune in order to have it returned, it is injustice to accuse them of ingratitude; they owned themselves obliged; you expected no more; and they certainly earn a favour who stoop to acknowledge the obligation.”—The hermit was struck with the reply; and, surveying his guest with emotion, “I have heard of the great Mencius, and thou certainly art the man.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") I am now fourscore years old, but still a child in wisdom; take me back to the world, and educate me as one of the most ignorant, and youngest, of thy disciples.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Merchant and His Sons.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/2/) - next →: [The Story of Schacabac.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/4/) - ↑ back to [Oriental tales, for the entertainment of youth](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62868/)