"How can you cheat a child? The child is still small and doesn't understand things. He only follows the example of his parents. Now you cheat him, then he will follow your example and cheat others. Furthermore, when a mother cheats her child, the child will no longer trust his mother. Then, how can you educate the child well?"

One day, Zeng Zi's wife wanted to go to market. Their son wanted to go together with her. He made a row, crying and fussing without stop. His wife could do nothing but bend down to humour him, saying:

"My darling, go home now. Mama will be back soon. When I'm back, I'll kill the pig to make a meal for you."

Zeng Zi was one of Confucius' disciples.

Not long after, the wife returned home from the market. Zeng Zi tied up their fat pig, took out a shining sharp knife and prepared to kill it. When his wife saw this, she hurriedly held Zeng Zi by the hand and said:

When the son heard this, he went home happily.

Zeng Zi said seriously:

"What's the matter with you? I was only trying to humour the child."

Having said this, Zeng Zi raised his knife and killed the fat pig.