Nou-Wui (颜回) and Tsze-Lu (子路) were two of Confucius' students. They had different personalities.
One day, after they argued, Tsze-Lu's went to Confucius in great fear as blood came from his mouth. "There must be something wrong with my body," he said. "I'm afraid I won't live long. I am your pupil and you love me as a father. Please tell me what to do for my body."
Confucius answered, "Tsze-Lu, you have the wrong idea about your body. It is not the study or the work in school, but your great anger that causes the problem."
Confucius continued, "I will help you to see this."
Then Confucius asked Tsze-Lu some questions.
④"你有多少颗牙齿？"
"I have thirty-two, teacher."
"And how many tongues (舌头) do you have?" "Just one"
"How many teeth have you lost?"
"I lost one when 1 was nine years old, and four when I was about twenty-six years old."
"And your tongue, is it still perfect?" "Oh, yes."
Confucius said, "You see, the teeth are lost because they are strong and always try to get everything they desire. They are hard and hurt the tongue many times, but the tongue never hurts the teeth, even when they are wrong. Yet, it lives until the end, while the teeth are the first to go bad. And ⑤so it is with man."
Tsze-Lu nodded and thanked his teacher.
