The people living on a certain region use tree forks for stool legs.
A father sent his son to get some tree fork in the mountain. The son took an axe and went. But at the end of the day he came back empty-handed. When his father scolded him, he answered, “Of course, there are plenty of tree forks there but they all grow upwards.”
Allegorical Meaning
This anecdote primarily satirizes rigid, literal-minded thinking, as the son’s inability to recognize that stool legs require naturally forked branches that can be adapted—regardless of growth direction—exposes a lack of practical wisdom and common sense.
Feng Menglong uses such humor to critique societal absurdities, emphasizing how inflexible adherence to perceived rules leads to comical yet avoidable failures, while advocating for adaptability and critical thinking in everyday problem-solving.
The broader implication underscores the dangers of intellectual obstinacy, where an overreliance on superficial observations blinds individuals to simple solutions, reflecting a timeless warning against dogmatism in both personal and social contexts.
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