Sima Guang Breaks the Vat
In the Song Dynasty, there was a clever child named Sima Guang.
One day, Sima Guang and his friends played hide-and-seek in the backyard. The boy blindfolded and sho-uted loudly,"I start counting ten,and I will catch you."
All the children were hiding,some behind the trees, some among the grasses,as well as one on the rockery.
The boy could not wait to turn around and said,"Time is up!"The others all held their breath and didn't intend to be found.
While the boy was looking for them, someone suddenly yelled,"Alas!" So children followed the sound.
It turned out that the boy on the rockery slipped and fell into the big vat. Oh, it was terrible!
He struggled hard, but he still sank down into the water. It seemed the water clsed over his head and it was dangerous.
Sima Guang wanted to save the drowning boy, but the vat was too high to reach.He could not even get the top of the vat.
The other children were so frightened that they oredand shouted loudly, and ran out of the yard to look forhelp from the adults. Only Sima Guang kept calm and looked around carefully.
Suddenly he glanced at the grass and saw a large stone.
Sima Guang got an idea. He thought that if he hit the vat with this stone, he could rescue the little fellow.
Therefore Sima Guang immediately tried to move the stone. What a heavy stone it was!It took his tremendous effort to move it.
Sima Guang shouted,"One, two, three."And he threw the stone to the vat with all his might.
The vat was broken with a bang and the water flowed out of the big hole.
After a while, the drowning boy slipped out of the hole along the water. His little friend was finally saved.
The saved child's family really appreciated his help. So they went to his house and thanked him with gift the next day. Soon the story about saving a boy spread through the streets.
As Sima Guang growing up, he was learned and capable. He was not only honest and upright, but also became a famous prime minister of Northern Song Dynasty.