◎Chuang Tze
There was a beauty called Xi Shi during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC). She was so beautiful that each of her movements was regarded as perfect and worth imitation. However, she suffered great pain in her heart, and would press her heart with her right hand and frown. She was still considered beautiful even when doing this.
She had a neighbor, Dong Shi, who was very ugly. When hearing people say that Xi Shi looked very beautiful even when pressing her heart with the hand and frowning, Dong Shi wanted to follow the suit. She too put her right hand on her heart and frowned. She walked to and fro the street, hoping people would say she was also very beautiful. To her surprise, people would shut their doors when seeing her act like this. Seeing this, one of her friends hurried to tell her in a low voice, “This is what Xi Shi is like when she is ill. She is very beautiful in doing this, but you won’t be beautiful by doing the same.”
Dong Shi only knew Xi Shi was very beautiful when frowning, but didn’t know the reason. That is because Xi Shi was beautiful herself, and people all liked her. Beauty is not something that can be learned. Blind imitation will make the thing even worse.
