human hypocrisy

  • The Snakeman

    A man living in East Prefecture was a snake-tamer by profession. At one point, he reared two green snakes, the bigger one he called Big Green, and ‘the smaller one, Second Green. The latter had several red spots on its forehead and was particularly clever. It weaved about and danced just the way the…

  • The two Scholar-Hermits in Journey to the West

    In Journey to the West, Zhang Shao and Li Ding are two distinctive yet minor characters. A fisherman and a woodcutter, respectively. Traditionally, these professions symbolized an idyllic life detached from worldly strife, embodying the Taoist ideal of reclusive simplicity.