| Shuaixing: |
When Huang Di fought with Yan Di for the empire, he taught bears, leopards, and tigers to combat for him in the wilds of Banquan. After three battles he gained his end, and Yan Di was routed. Yao yielded the empire to Shun. Gun, one of his vassals, desired to become one of the three chief ministers, but Yao did not listen to this request. Thereupon Gun became more infuriated than even ferocious animals are, and wished to rebel. The horns of animals, all in a line, served him as a rampart, and their lifted tails were his banners. They opposed and tackled their foe with the utmost determination and energy.---If birds and beasts, which are shaped otherwise than man, can nevertheless be caused to fight, how much more so man's own kindred? Proceeding on this line of argument we have no reason to doubt that (by music) the multitudinous animals were made to dance, the fish in the ponds to come out and listen, and the six kinds of horses to look up from their fodder. The equalization of what varies in different categories as well as the differentiation of what is the same in similar classes, does not depend on the thing itself, but is man's doing. |
