100 Historical Stories That Unlock Teenage Wisdom

Chapter 24 2

Chapter 32 Mencius's mother moved three times to create a saint
——Don't underestimate the influence of the environment The world is changing, and what we want to learn from it is our own choice.Choosing kindness can make our own conduct like a plum blossom.

Mencius (approximately 372 BC-289 BC), named Ke, was born in Zou (now Zou County, Shandong) during the Warring States Period.He is a great thinker, statesman and educator in ancient my country.

Mencius was originally a descendant of aristocrats, but by his father's generation, his family was already in decline and poverty.When Mencius was very young, his father fell ill and died, and his mother single-handedly raised him.Mother Meng is a knowledgeable, educated and capable woman. In order to raise her son, she washes clothes, spins and weaves for others, saves money on food and expenses, bears the burden of hard work, and wholeheartedly wants to cultivate little Meng Ke into a talent.

At first, Meng Ke's house was very close to the cemetery, and he often went to the cemetery with the neighbor's children to watch the excitement.Maybe because he watched too much, he also played games like funeral for the dead with the children.After Meng's mother found out about this, she felt that this kind of place could not allow the child to live anymore, as it was not good for the child's growth.So, the next day, Mother Meng packed up the things at home and moved.The two of them, mother and son, moved to live near a busy city.

This market was full of people and vehicles, and the sound of hawking and yelling was endless from morning to night. After a long time, Meng Ke began to imitate the yelling of those small traders.Mother Meng felt that this environment was not conducive to the growth of the child, so she moved again.This time, they moved to live near a school.The sound of students reading aloud came from inside from time to time, and those who came to study in the school were all gentle and polite, and they would bow or bow when they met.As the days went by, Meng Ke followed the example of these people to read books, and when meeting people, he imitated those scholars' salutes and bows, becoming very sensible and polite.Meng's mother saw it in her eyes and was very happy in her heart. She felt that this place would be of great help to the child's growth, so she stayed here all the time.

Later, Meng Ke grew up day by day and reached the age of going to school.Meng's mother paid him the tuition with the money saved by the family, and sent him to school to study.At first, Meng Ke was still studying hard, but after a long time, he became a little slack, and sometimes played truant secretly.Once, Meng Ke didn't go to school because he was playful, and Meng's mother found out.It was dark, and Meng Ke, who had been playing all day, returned home. As soon as he entered the door, he saw his mother sitting beside the loom without moving. He headed to go around behind his mother and go back to his hut.As soon as he reached the door of the house, he was stopped by his mother sharply.Mother Meng stood up, with an angry face, went to the kitchen, took out a kitchen knife, and chopped down the cloth on the loom, cutting the piece of cloth that had not yet been woven into two pieces.Mother Meng pointed to the cut cloth with her trembling fingers and said to Meng Ke, "You are too worthless! If a person has no ambition, he will always give up halfway in everything he does. What is the difference with this unwoven cloth?" What? If you play truant again and don’t seek to make progress, I don’t want you anymore.” Mother Meng said so sadly that she shed tears.Meng Ke is a dutiful son, and he is most afraid of his mother's sadness.He knew that he made a mistake and shouldn't deceive his mother to play truant, so he repeatedly admitted his mistakes to his mother and promised to study hard in the future so as not to make her angry.From then on, Meng Ke studied hard, read widely, and worked tirelessly, finally becoming a scholar with extensive knowledge, strong will and great ambition.

Wisdom Interpretation: Juveniles are not strong in judgment and discrimination, so they learn from others.If you want to learn well, you must be in a good environment, learn the excellent qualities of others, and constantly improve your own good qualities, so that you can accumulate strength in your heart and achieve great success one day.

(End of this chapter)