Boring a Hole in the Wall to Borrow Light
故事全文
Kuang Heng said, “Mr. Wang, let’s make a deal! I’ll help you chop wood and carry water, and in return, you lend me your books to read.” Mr. Wang asked curiously, “Are you sure about this? Don’t you think you’re getting the short end of the stick?” “Mr. Wang, books are expensive, and I can’t afford to buy them. It's not easy to borrow them either. If you’re willing to lend me your books in return for my work, I will be most grateful!”
Even though Kuang Heng managed to borrow the books, he found that he still had another tough problem to solve. He scratched his head and sighed, “I have to work in the day, and only have time to read at night. But oil for the lamp is so expensive, I can’t afford it.” Kuang Heng had no choice but to use his lunch break to read a bit, and at night, he would memorize what he read during the day. So, it often took him ten days or even two weeks to finish a book. But when borrowing someone else’s books, one has to return them, and they can’t be kept for a long time. Kuang Heng felt anxious, but he didn’t know what to do.
One night, as Kuang Heng was busy memorizing what he read, he suddenly saw a beam of light on the wall. He went closer and realized that it was light coming from his neighbor’s house. This gave Kuang Heng an idea. He took a small knife and widened the gap in the wall, making the light even brighter. And so, he began to read his books using the light from next door, he continued reading until the neighbor put out the light. Only then did Kuang Heng think about resting.
And so, Kuang Heng continued to study hard like this every night. Eventually, he became a very knowledgeable man.
