Hi,dear fellow members and new comers!This is Vivian from Chengdu Toastmasters Club.Today I'd like to tell you a folk story titled Shimazi Ate Dog Shit.
Shimazi was a legendary figure in Xinhua County of Hunan Province.His true name was Xushi.He was born in Chongzhen years of the late Ming dynasty and died at 30 years old. He had smallpox in childhood and 10 pockmarks left on his face. In Xinhua dialect,pockmark was called “mazi”.As Xushi had 10 pockmarks on his face, people called him “Shimazi”.
He was clever and articulate and willing to help people.But he loved to laugh,scold and joke those who were rich and unkind.So far, many interesting things about Shimazi have been spread among the people.I’d like to share you a story about Shimazi’s eating dog shit.
There was a silk businessman nicknamed Wumazi as he had five pockmarks on his face.He deceived and injured customers by selling fake goods and giving short sizes. And what was more, he loved to bet, forcing people to lose money.Many people suffered a lot from him and hated him very much.
When Shimazi heard this, he thought to himself, "I was Shimazi.He was Wumazi.I had five more pockmarks than him.I had to teach him a lesson.”
One day, it happened to be the day of the town fair. Shimazi knew that Wumaizi would come to the town to sell silk.
So he mixed some sweet potato and buckwheat powder and steamed them in advance.Then he piled the steamed food into a small bamboo tube and made them as a pile of fake dog shit.He put the fake dog shit in the roadside grass where Wumazi had to go.Then he put a bunch of real dog poop next to the fake shit with a hoe.When everything was ready,he waited for Wumazi nearby.
Soon, Wumazi came with a load of silk and satin.Shimazi went up to him and said:”Hi,guy!Take a break!”As he said, he gave Wumazi a bag of cigarette.
So Wumazi put down his burden and received the cigarette from Shimazi’ s hand.They sat down together to smoke and chat.
Shimazi beat around the bush. Firstly, he spoke highly of Wumazi by saying some strengths of Wumazi.Wumazi felt very excited.At this time, Shimazi pointed to the dog shit of the roadside and said to Wumazi: "Hi,buddy!We make a bet today. There’re two piles of dog shit there.We each eat a pile.If you dare not eat, you may lose.”
Wumazi blinked and said, "what if you lose?"
"I will give you two hundred taels of silver," Shimazi said. Then he showed the silver which he had hidden in his sleeve."If you lose, give me the load of silk and satin."
Wumazi had made a lot of gambling, but he had never seen such gambling. He thought:Who dared to eat this stinky dog shit? Well! It was this guy who made the bet today. I asked him to eat first, and I bet he wouldn't. Hey hey! Today I would win two hundred taels of silver.
So he said to Shimazi: "Well, it's a deal. You eat first."
At first,Shimazi pretended not to eat it.After a long argument, Shimazi helplessly held up the false dog excrement and said to all the people present: "Gentlemen speak, say one is one, please help me to prove it." While saying,he closed his eyes and ate the fake dog shit in a disgusting way.
Wumazi saw this situation and wanted to run away.
Shimazi’s strength was big enough to pull Wumazi to the front of that pile of true dog shit and said loudly: "Eat! Eat!"
Wumazi looked at the dog shit several times and wanted to open mouth,but the smell of dog shit was too disgusting,he dared not to eat.
"I know you are going to cheat," Shimazi said, "if you don't eat, I'll take your load away." Wumazi had no choice but begged Shimazi not to take the load away but take only a roll of satin.
Shimazi was soft-hearted and he just wanted to stop the evil ways of Wumazi. So he said to Wumazi: "That’s ok! I don’t like to embarrass you. But I've heard that you've done a lot of bad things. Today you take this lesson and do business with your conscience.” Wumazi was shamefaced and said “yes” .
Now this story is ending.Shimazi was the embodiment of wisdom and his stories ran for hundreds of years in my home town.My dear friends, do you like this story? Thank you!
（Remark:all pictures are from the internet. If infringement is involved, please contact the author to delete.)