--- title: The Wild Goose and the Sparrow — Gleanings from Chinese folklore · full text with trees description: The Wild Goose and the Sparrow, «Gleanings from Chinese folklore» by Nellie Naomi Russell: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The great Chinese sage, Confucius, had a son-in-law, Kung Yeh Chang, who understood better than any one before or since his --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75089/8/) [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/) / [Gleanings from Chinese folklore](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75089/) / The Wild Goose and the Sparrow # The Wild Goose and the Sparrow The Wild Goose and the Sparrow of «Gleanings from Chinese folklore» by Nellie Naomi Russell: the whole text, 50 sentences and 1014 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. The great Chinese sage, Confucius, had a son-in-law, Kung Yeh Chang, who understood better than any one before or since his day the habits of birds.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") So much time and study did he give to them that tradition says he understood all bird language and many stories are told of him in this connection.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") He built a beautiful pavilion in his garden, which was rich in flowers, trees, shrubs, and ponds, so that the birds loved to gather there; thus he was able to spend many delightful hours in their company listening to their wise and unwise talk.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Many of these conversations have been handed down the past two thousand years in the wonderful folklore of China, and from these one can see the influence they have had on the customs and traditions of the people.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Among the Chinese the wild goose has the reputation for having more virtues and wisdom than any other bird.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") This is brought out in the following story.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, while Kung Yeh Chang was resting in his pavilion, a small house-sparrow lit in a tree near-by and commenced singing and chattering.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") A little later a wild goose dropped down by the pond for a drink.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Hardly had he taken a sip when the little sparrow called out, “Who are you?[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Where are you going?”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") To this the goose did not reply and the sparrow became angry and asked again, “Who are you, that you should be so proud and lofty you cannot pay attention to my questions?[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Why do you consider me beneath your notice?” and still the goose did not answer.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Then, indeed, was the little sparrow furious.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") In a loud, shrill voice, he said, “Every one listens to me\![14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Again I ask, who are you with your lofty airs?[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Tell me or I will fly at you,” and he put his head up, and spread his wings, and tried to look very large and fierce.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") By this time the goose had finished drinking, and looking up he said, “Don’t you know that in a big tree with many branches and large leaves the cicadas love to gather and make a noise?[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") I could not hear you distinctly.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") You also know the saying of the Ancients, ‘If you stand on a mountain and talk to the people in the valley they cannot hear you,’” and the wild goose took another drink.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") How the little sparrow chattered and sputtered, shook his wings, and at last said, “In what way are you, with your long neck and short tail, better than I?[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") In what is your value greater.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Tell me, and if you can prove it you shall be my teacher.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") What, for instance, do you know of the great world?[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, I can go into people’s houses, hide in the rafters under their windows, see their books and pictures, what they have to eat and what they do.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") I can hear all the family secrets, know all that goes on in the family and state.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") I know who are happy and who are sad.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") I know all the quarrels and all the gossip.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") All the other birds are glad to see me because I can tell them the latest news, and I know just how to tell it to produce the best effect.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") So you see that I know much that you, with your great stupid body, can never hope to know.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") “We consider,” said the wild goose, “that the highest law of virtue and good is to give others an equal chance with ourselves, or even to give them the first choice.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Because of this we always fly either in the shape of the character ‘Man’ or the figure one.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") No one takes advantage of the other.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") We believe in the ‘Three Bonds,’ i.e., Prince and Minister, Husband and Wife, Father and Son.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Also in the five virtues,—Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Knowledge, and Truth.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") With us, if the male bird dies, the female flies alone; if the female dies the male flies alone; if both parents die their young fly alone for three years.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") We have our unchanging customs of going north in the spring and south in the winter.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") People come to depend on us, and make ready for either their spring work or the cold of winter.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus, while we have not known the family or state skeletons and the gossip of the women and servants, we are a help to man.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now, you have no laws binding you.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") As a family, you sparrows are selfish; you gossip, chatter, steal, and drive away every one else, only thinking of your own good.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Even among yourselves you quarrel.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Because of these things you are treated with contempt and looked lightly upon by all.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") Indeed, so much so that you are a by-word.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, we are respected and held up as models.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") Do you not hear parents and teachers tell their children and scholars to come and go quietly by themselves to and from school; to go straight ahead without looking to the right or left; not to gather in groups and chatter like house-sparrows?[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") Do not the respectable people do the same on the street and in the house?[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Is there not a proverb that ‘There are many people without the wisdom and virtues of the wild goose’?[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") You do, indeed, chatter about small affairs like foolish women and girls and thus are beneath my notice and I bid you good-day.”[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") All this time the poor little sparrow was trembling with rage, and so great was it that she could not fly away nor keep her hold on the branch of the tree, and so she fell to the ground, and thus she died.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Kung Yeh Chang exclaimed as he looked at her and then at the goose away in the distance, “Ai ya \[sad, sad\], most of mankind are like the sparrow, but the truly superior man will be like the wild goose and follow the rules of the Three Bonds and Five Virtues.”[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [A Daughter of the Orient](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75089/7/) - next →: [A Chinese Hero](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75089/9/) - ↑ back to [Gleanings from Chinese folklore](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg75089/)