Tao Thay Shang Men - English

Separating Mulberry

This is a true story happened many years ago. However, it is still remembered till now.
In that period, situation was uncertain, state was chaotic, and robbery was everywhere, so many civilians found it hard to live, food was a rarity.
There was a family of a mother and a son. The son was only teenager whose name was Chai Sun. One day with a small amount of money from selling woods, young Chai Sun wanted to buy some food back home for meal with his mother. However there was no body selling food, due to uncertainty of the state.
Feeling unrest, then he went home and worried that his mother has nothing to eat at home. As he arrived at home, his mother greeted him. She was making a bit of food from coarse vegetables. He knew that she had not eaten yet, so he pretended as if he was already full. He didn’t want his mother to get starving.
His mother also knew that he must have not eaten yet, so in the end they ate it together.
After meal, Chai Sun wanted to collect some mulberries near a forest for the next day’s meal. Soon his mother prepared him a basket for collecting mulberries. Then he took one more basket and right away went to the forest.
In the forest, he saw trees were bearing fruits. Quickly he collected those fruits and separated into two baskets. One basket is for fruits that are still yellowish green. The other basket is for ripe mulberries which color is bluish red.
After getting enough mulberries, he went home. However, on an empty street, two robbers stopped him. This made him very frightened. The robbers wanted to took his baskets away. As they looked at them, they found nothing but only mulberries; and also he is only a poor kid wearing worn out clothes. So the robbers asked him: “what are these mulberries for? And why did you separate them into two baskets like this?” shakily he replied: “The mulberries are meals for me and my mother. This basket contains ripe and sweet ones. I will give them to my mother because I am worried she would have stomachache if she eats sour ones. The other basket has unripe ones. They are for me because I am still young and stronger than my mother.” Hearing the answer, the two robbers felt touched and ashamed, so they let the boy to go. Even they gave him slices of meat.
This story is still remembered till now because it is valuable to be remembered. Chai Sun’s filial act has saved his life and also touched two robbers who almost endanger him.
To be filial to parents is the greatest morality human being should have. It is a basic morality a person should act. Without it, life would be no meaning. Being a filial child is essence of all kind of human’s morality.