During the Warring States Period (475 BC-221 BC), Zhao Yang, a general of the Chu State, made a clean sweep in attacking the Wei State. He then intended to fall upon the Qi State. Upon hearing this, the King of the Qi was so concerned that he sent Chen Zhen as a diplomatic envoy to advise Zhao Yang not to attack his state.
Chen Zhen met with Zhao Yang and said, “What reward will you get in accordance with your state rules for achieving such a great military victory?”
Zhao Yang complacently replied, “I will get a new promotion and be put in charge of military affairs, a position only below that of the monarch or a marquis.” Chen Zhen asked, “Will you also be promoted to a more senior official position?”
“Yes, it will be Lingyin or the Prime Minister,” said Zhao Yang.
Chen Zhen said, “In my opinion, the King of the Chu will not confer two Lingyin upon you. Let me tell you a story.
“A nobleman in the Chu State, after making offerings to his ancestors, took a bowl of wine that was left over from the offerings and gave it to his servants. They looked at the wine and thought if we all drink from this bowl of wine, each of us will just barely get a taste of it. It would be much better if all the wine went to one person. Of course, everyone wanted the wine for himself and they inevitably quarreled. Finally, they had a good idea: they would have a competition to draw a snake on the ground. The one who finishes drawing first will win the bowl of wine.
“Everyone squatted down on the ground and began to draw a snake. One of them finished his drawing quickly, took the pot of wine and was about to drink. He looked at the others, who were still not finished yet. Some were drawing the head and some the tail. He said contemptuously, ‘How stupid you all are! I still have enough time to add feet to my snake.’ Then he held the bowl in his left hand and drew feet for the snake with his right. But before he finished the feet, another man completed his own snake and grabbed the bowl from him, saying, ‘Whoever has seen a snake with feet? Yours is not a snake. So the wine should be mine!’ He drank the wine. The man who had added feet to the snake had to concede defeat and could only regret his foolishness.
“You have rendered meritorious service for the Chu State. But you do not want to stop while you are ahead and now want to assault the Qi State. In case of a mishap, don’t you fear a calamity would happen to you? Isn’t what you plan to do the same as adding feet to a drawing of a snake?”
Hearing Chen Zhen’s words, Zhao Yang changed his mind.
This story comes fromStrategyIIofthe QiState in StrategiesoftheWar ingStates. Now people use this idiom to illustrate the truth that going too far is as bad as not going far enough.
