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The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains

An Ancient Chinese Fable

There was an old man who lived in Northern China long, long ago 

and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North Mountain.  

His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood 

the two great peaks Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way.   

With great determination, he led his sons 

in digging up these mountains, hoe in hand.   

Another greybeard, known as the Wise Old Man, 

saw them and said derisively, “How silly of you to do this!   

It is quite impossible for you few to dig up these two huge mountains.”   

The Foolish Old Man replied, 

“When I die, my sons will carry on; 

when they die, there will be my grandsons, 

and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to infinity.   

High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher 

and with every bit we dig, they will be that much lower.   

Why can’t we clear them away?”  

Having refuted the Wise Old Man’s wrong view, 

he went on digging every day, unshaken in his conviction.   

God was moved by this, and he sent down two angels, 

who carried the mountains away on their backs.