Yu Gong Moves Mountains
There were two huge mountains between the south of Jizhou area and the north ofthe Yellow River.One was called Taihang Mountain and the other was called Wangwu Mountain.
At the foot ofthe north mountain, there lived an old man nearly ninety years old, who named Yu Gong.
Yu Gong and his family were quite inconvenient to the outside world every day because of the blocking of the two mountains.
So Yu Gong put the whole family together to discuss about the matr He said, "Why don't we work together to remove the two big mountains?In this way, the road straightly leads to the south of Yuzhou andrechesth south bank of Hanshui.What do you think?"
Everyone said it was a good idea.However,his wife was worried and asked him, "I know you didn't have the strength and ability to remove the smallhill like Kuif,as well as the two huge mountains.And what about the rocks and soil on the mountains?"
The others replied,"Throw them to the shore of Bohai sa and the north of Yintu area."
The next day, Yu Gong went up to the moun-tain with his sons and grandchildren. Some took the hoes and the others carried the shoulder poles.
They began to chisel the rocks, scooped away the mud, and brought the stones to the shore of Bohai sea with the bamboo baskets.
A widow surnamed Jingcheng lived near the house of Yu Gong. Her son was about seven or eight years old who began to grow per-manent teth at that time. When he saw what Yu Gong and his sons were doing, he also skipped along to help them.
In this way, it was hard work to remove mountains. Because it took the people who transported the stones one year to go there and back.
The wise man living in the bay of the river laughed at Yu Gong,"You are too stupid! You can't even chop down a tree or a plant on the hill with all your strength at your age. Furthermore, would you try to move all the earth and the stones?"
Yu Gong sighed and said,"You are stubborn so far!All the people know it very well even the widow and ittle children. If I were dead some day,my chil-dren and grandchildren could continue to remove the mountains. The mountains would never rise higher, whilemy descendants could go on doing that generation by generation. So why are you afraid?" The wise man blushed at once and left without a word.
When the god of mountains heard about it, he was afraid that Yu Gong would went on digging down the mountain without end and reported it to the Emperor of Heaven.
The Emperor of Heaven was deeply moved by the sincerity of Yu Gong. Therefore,he sent the two sons of the god Kua'e to take Taihang Mountain and Wangwu Mountain away.
From then on, there were no mountains blocking at all from the south of Jizhou area to the south bank of the Hanshui. And the people there enjoyed a good and prosperous life. Yu Gong's family were more convenient to get in and out,and they led a happy time.