The World’s Wit and Humor: An Encyclopedia in 15 Volumes. 1906.
Chwang Tze (4th Century B.C.)The Pleasure of Fishes
Anecdote
From “Autumn Floods”
From “Autumn Floods”
C
“Not being a fish yourself,” objected the friend, “how can you possibly know in what the pleasure of fishes consists?”
“And you not being I,” retorted Chwang Tze, “how can you know that I do not know?”
To which the friend replied, “If I, not being you, cannot know what you know, it follows that you, not being a fish, cannot know in what the pleasure of fishes consists.”
“Let us go back,” rejoined Chwang Tze, “to your original question. You ask me how I know in what the pleasure of fishes consists. Well, I know that I am enjoying myself over the Hao, and from this I infer that the fishes are enjoying themselves in it.”