"Is it so bad as that?" said the king. "I apprehend it is worse," was
the reply. "If you climb a tree to seek for fish, although you do not
get the fish, you have no subsequent calamity. But if you do what you do
in order to seek for what you desire, doing it even with all your heart,
you will assuredly afterwards meet with calamities." The king said, "May
I hear what they will be?" Mencius replied, "If the people of Tsow were
fighting with the people of Ts'oo, which of them does your Majesty think
would conquer?" "The people of Ts'oo would conquer," was the answer, and
Mencius pursued, "So then, a small State cannot contend with a great,
few cannot contend with many, nor can the weak contend with the strong.
The territory within the seas would embrace nine divisions, each of a
thousand li square. All Ts'e together is one of them. If with one part
you try to subdue the other eight, what is the difference between that
and Tsow's contending with Ts'oo? With the desire which you have, you
must turn back to the proper course for its attainment.

"Now, if your Majesty will institute a government whose action shall all
be benevolent, this will cause all the officers in the kingdom to wish
to stand in your Majesty's court, the farmers all to wish to plough in
your Majesty's fields, the merchants, both travelling and stationary,
all to wish to store their goods in your Majesty's market-places,
travellers and visitors all to wish to travel on your Majesty's roads,
and all under heaven who feel aggrieved by their rulers to wish to come
and complain to your Majesty. When they are so bent, who will be able to
keep them back?"

The king said, "I am stupid and cannot advance to this. But I wish you,
my Master, to assist my intentions. Teach me clearly, and although I am
deficient in intelligence and vigor, I should like to try at least to
institute such a government."