Chi

ckenFeed:
AChi
neseSt
ory

Chi
ckenFeed

DuanGuangqinj
wasaChi nesemagi
str
atewhol
i
vedaboutahundr
edy
ear
sago.Hewasf
amed
fort
hefai
rnessofhi
sjudgments.

Onedaywhi let
hemagi stratewaswal ki
ngt hroughamar kethesawacr owdoutsi
deapoul t
ry
shop.Onenquiri
ngwhatt hemat terwashel earntthatapeasanthadacci dent
all
ydroppeda
heavysackonachi cken,crushingittodeath.Thechi ckenwassmal l
,worthonl
yaboutfiv
e
coins,butt
heowneroft heshophadcaughtt hepeasantbyhi sthroatandwasdemandi nga
hundred.Hisar
gumentwast hatthechi
ckenwoul dhav egrownintoaplumpbi r
dinanothertwo
yearsandthenitwouldhav ef et
chedhimt heamounthewasaski ngf or
.

Somebodyr
ecogni
zedt
hemagi
str
ate,
andev
ery
bodymadewayf
orhi
m.

“Judgeourcase,MyLord!"sai
dtheownerofthechi
cken,l
etti
nggooft hepeasantandbowi
ng
obsequiouslyt
othemagistrat
e.“
Thi
sman, t
hroughhi
scarelessnesshascausedthedeathofa
chickenthatwoul
dhavefetchedmeahundredcoinsinanothertwoyears!
"

Fearhadmadet
hepeasant
’sspeechi
ncoher
ent
.Nobodycoul
dunder
standwhathewassay
ing.

“
Thepr
iceputont
hechi
ckeni
shundr
edcoi
ns,
"sai
dthemagi
str
ate,
tot
hepeasant
.“Iadv
ise
y
outopay.
"

Therewasagaspf
rom t
hecr
owd.Ev
ery
bodyhadexpect
edt
hemagi
str
atet
orul
eint
he
peasant
’sf
avor
.

Theowneroft
hechi
ckenwasov
erj
oyed.

“Theysai
dyouwerefai
rinyourjudgments,
MyLor
d,"hesai
d,r
ubbi
nghi
shandsi
ngl
ee,
“nowI
cansayther
eisnoonefair
erthany ou!
"

“
TheLawisal
way
sfai
r,
"smi
l
edt
hemagi
str
ate.“
Tel
lme,
howmuchgr
aindoesachi
ckeneati
n
ayear
?"

“
Abouthal
fasack,
"sai
dthepoul
tr
yshopowner
.

“Soi
ntwoy earsthechickent
hatdi
edwouldhaveeatenawholesackofgr
ain,
"sai
dDuan
Guangqi
nj.“
Pleasegivethesackofgr
ainy
ou’vesav
edt ot
hisman."

Thechi ckenownerturnedpale.Asackofgrai
nwoul
dcostmoret
hanhundr
edcoins.
Cowedby
thejeersofthecrowd, hedeclar
edhewouldnott
akeanymoneyf
rom t
hepeasant
,and
ret
reatedintothesafetyofhisshop.