◎ Jest Book by Handan Chun
Cui Lie, a senior official in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), favored Bao Jian, a person living in Shangdang Region, and wanted to recruit him.
Hearing the news, Bao Jian wanted to visit Cui Lie very much, but worried that he would become a joke because of his very limited knowledge about etiquette. So he consulted with the persons who had visited Cui Lie about the details of etiquette. Someone told him, “When you visit Cui Lie, you will only have to follow the emcee, no matter what he says.” Bao Jian bore this in
mind.
When meeting with Cui Lie, Bao Jian followed the emcee. When the emcee said, “It is time to kneel down.”
Bao Jian immediately followed, “It is time to kneel down.”
The emcee said, “Please take a seat, every gentleman.”
Bao Jian followed the emcee immedia-tely, “Please take a seat, every gentleman.” Then, Bao Jian put on his shoes, and sat down.
When leaving the seat after the meeting, Bao Jian didn’t remember where he had left his shoes because of anxiety.
The emcee told him, “Your shoes are on your feet.”
Bao Jian closely repeated, “Your shoes are on your feet.”
This story indicates that if a person just parrots others, then he won’t have his own ideas.
