kingdom, I do indeed exert my mind to the utmost. If the year be bad
inside the Ho, I remove as many of the people as I can to the east of
it, and convey grain to the country inside. If the year be bad on the
east of the river, I act on the same plan. On examining the governmental
methods of the neighboring kingdoms, I do not find there is any ruler
who exerts his mind as I do. And yet the people of the neighboring kings
do not decrease, nor do my people increase--how is this?"

Mencius replied, "Your Majesty loves war; allow me to take an
illustration from war. The soldiers move forward at the sound of the
drum; and when the edges of their weapons have been crossed, on one
side, they throw away their buff coats, trail their weapons behind them,
and run. Some run a hundred paces and then stop; some run fifty paces
and stop. What would you think if these, because they had run but fifty
paces, should laugh at those who ran a hundred paces?" The king said,
"They cannot do so. They only did not run a hundred paces; but they also
ran." Mencius said, "Since your Majesty knows this you have no ground to
expect that your people will become more numerous than those of the
neighboring kingdoms.

"If the seasons of husbandry be not interfered with, the grain will be
more than can be eaten. If close nets are not allowed to enter the pools
and ponds, the fish and turtles will be more than can be consumed. If
the axes and bills enter the hill-forests only at the proper times, the
wood will be more than can be used. When the grain and fish and turtles
are more than can be eaten, and there is more wood than can be used,
this enables the people to nourish their living and do all offices for
their dead, without any feeling against any. But this condition, in
which the people nourish their living, and do all offices to their dead
without having any feeling against any, is the first step in the Royal