Once upon a time, in Jiashan of China there lived a person whose surname was Kong. Once Mr. Kong paid a visit to a relative whom he had not seen for a long time. They talked and talked until nightfall. Warm-heartedly the relative invited him to stay for dinner. Since they rarely saw each other, the relative attentively prepared thedinner. He wanted to slaughter the old hen whom he had been keeping for years and cook it for Mr. Kong.

Off he went to the hen-coop and seized the old hen. The old hen drew out her throat and cried like anything when she knew that she was faced with imminent disaster. Upon seeing the pitiful scene, Mr. Kong’‘s sympathy was arouse and so he quickly told his relative,

"Please don’‘t kill the hen!"

"But this will make up a dish for you!"

"Don’‘t worry, I’‘ll eat anything you give me."

"I should try my best to serve you since we rarely have a chance to get together."

"Really, you don’‘t have to... I, I..."

"C’‘on, don’‘t say ‘‘I... I...’‘. Please make yourself at home."

Mr. Kong gave a gaze at the hen. He saw that her eyes was sad and tears were on the verge of falling off. Suddenly Mr. Kong determined to make a lie of "good-will".

"The case is,... I have been on vegetarian diet recently."

"Oh! Really? Why haven’‘t I heard you say that before?"

"You’‘ve forgotten. We haven’‘t seen each other for a long time.

Really, please don’‘t kill the hen."

"Alright! Since you are on vegetari