Templeton thinks this story is indicative of men's nature.
Long ago and far away, a woodchopper and his wife lived in the mountains by themselves in their little hut.
One day, the woodchopper needed to go into town many days walk away to get himself a new axe and maybe a mule for all the extra work he's getting. His wife saw the opportunity to ask if he could get her a mirror too while he's there.
"But what's a mirror?" he asked.
Mrs Woodchopper wasn't quite sure how to explain it either. She looked up in the night sky and saw the bright full moon high in the air.
"Well, its something you get from a woman's shop, that looks exactly like the moon," she said.
Her husband looked up and nodded and tried really really hard to remember to get his wife something that looked like the moon when he's in town.
One day, the woodchopper needed to go into town many days walk away to get himself a new axe and maybe a mule for all the extra work he's getting. His wife saw the opportunity to ask if he could get her a mirror too while he's there.
"But what's a mirror?" he asked.
Mrs Woodchopper wasn't quite sure how to explain it either. She looked up in the night sky and saw the bright full moon high in the air.
"Well, its something you get from a woman's shop, that looks exactly like the moon," she said.
Her husband looked up and nodded and tried really really hard to remember to get his wife something that looked like the moon when he's in town.
decorated back of a bronze mirror from
circ 800BC China, from The Forbidden City
Two weeks went by and the woodchopper managed to get everything done in town and was getting ready to head home again. He suddenly remembered that he needed to get something for his wife too.
He walked into a woman's shop and asked the nice man at the counter for what she was after.
"What do you need exactly, Sir?" The shop owner asked.
"Well, can't remember exactly, she said something like, like it looked like the moon."
The shop owner looked up in the sky and saw the moon, now waned into a thin crescent.
"Oh, I see, it must be a hair comb. I'll get you one right away."
And off the woodchop goes home with a new hair comb for his wife.
He walked into a woman's shop and asked the nice man at the counter for what she was after.
"What do you need exactly, Sir?" The shop owner asked.
"Well, can't remember exactly, she said something like, like it looked like the moon."
The shop owner looked up in the sky and saw the moon, now waned into a thin crescent.
"Oh, I see, it must be a hair comb. I'll get you one right away."
And off the woodchop goes home with a new hair comb for his wife.
Happy Mooncake/Mid Autum Festival everybody! I celebrated with a double duck yolk lotus mooncake and some local beer at Tiananmen Square
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