Deck the Tree With Fake Blossoms
故事全文
There once was a hunter who lived near the bay. One evening, his wife Cuei Hua saw a suspicious man outside their home. She rushed to shut the door but the thief was quicker than she was. He got in already and sat himself on a chair in the living room. The thief said to her, "Lady, it is getting dark soon. Let me stay for the night, and I shall leave early tomorrow." Cuei Hua thought, "My husband won't be home anytime soon, and I am not capable of fighting off this man. What should I do?" Through the curtains, she caught a glimpse of a couple of her husband's shoes underneath the bed. So she had an idea.
Cuei Hua poured tea for the thief and said, "Friends are important to a traveler. Have a cup of tea first, and I'll bring you some water to wash your feet with." Then Cuei Hua went inside and brought out six pairs of shoes with her into the living room, followed by a large basin full of water. The thief said, "One pair of shoes should be enough for me. Besides, I don't need so much water to wash my feet." Cuei Hua replied, "One is for you, and the others are for my husband and his relatives who should be back soon." The thief looked around and said, "I don't see them around here…" Cuei Hua replied, "That's because they are working near the foot of the mountain behind this house. But they'll be back soon. Make yourself at home. In the meantime, I'll make dinner in the kitchen so we can all have dinner when they return." The thief realized that things would not be as easy as he had imagined. So he slipped away while Cuei Hua was busy cooking in the kitchen.
Strategy 29: Deck the Tree With Fake Blossoms
Originally, it refers to the visual effect that all the dotted blossoms on a tree create - the illusion of a tree that is larger than it really is. Here it means to take advantage of terrain, weather, or other external conditions to create the visual illusion of a bigger force than you actually have. By deceiving the enemy into thinking that you are stronger than you really are, you can achieve the goal of scaring him away.
