When Lord Mengchang decided to leave his native land – the state of Qi – to take office in the state of Qin, hundreds of men tried to dissuade him from going. But he would not listen to them. Then Su Qin, the rhetorician, wanted to reason with him.
“I have heard all the arguments men can think of,” said Lord Mengchang. ”All that’s lacking is some supernatural reasoning.”
“I came here with no intention of discussing human affairs,” replied Su Qin. “I am asking for an audience to speak of the supernatural.”
Then the lord admitted him, and Su Qin told the following story:
Passing the River Zi on my way here, I heard a clay idol and a peach-wood doll talking together.
“You used to be a piece of clay on the west bank, ” jeered the wooden doll. “Now you have been made into a figure. But during the big rains in the eighth month, when the river rises, you are sure to be destroyed.”
“‘What of it?” retorted the clay figure. “I come from the west bank, and when I am destroyed I shall become part of it again. But you are made of peach wood from the east country, carved into an image. When the great rains come and the river rises, you will be swept away, and then what will you do?”
“The state of Qin has strong passes on every side, so to enter it is like entering a tiger’s mouth! Once you go to Qin, I fear you will never come back.” said Su Qin.
Then the lord gave up his plan.
Allegorical Meaning
This story from the Warring States Strategies reveals the paradox of freedom and belonging in human existence.
The Animated Allegory
The fable personifies the Clay Idol and the Peach-Wood Doll. Their debate transcends literal material properties to explore existential choices: anchored vulnerability vs. rootless mobility.
Clay Idol’s Wisdom: The Strength of Surrender
- Embracing Ephemerality: Dissolution isn’t defeat but reunion with one’s essence (earth to earth).
- Rooted Identity: True security lies in belonging to a “soil” (culture/place/purpose), even at the cost of form.
“To be something specific is to risk destruction — but to be nothing is worse.”
Wooden Doll’s Delusion: The Curse of Endurance
Without roots, it becomes eternally displaceable — a plaything of forces it cannot control.
The peach-wood doll is every soul trading roots for the illusion of freedom.
Su Qin’s Warning to Lord Mengchang
The strategist Su Qin uses this allegory to critique the lord’s ambition to leave Qi for Qin:
- Clay Idol = Staying in Qi: Vulnerable to political “rains” (instability) but spiritually whole.
- Wooden Doll = Serving Qin: “Floating” to greater power but eternally alien, expendable.
The core message: Power without belonging is a gilded cage.
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