Towards the end of the Spring and Autumn period, King Fuchai of Wu, having defeated the state of Yue, hoped to expand his land by invading the State of Qi. But he was so busy celebrating the victory that he was not aware that Yue was preparing for revenge.

 

One day when he was walking in his garden, he saw the prince come, soaking wet, with his bow and arrows. "Such a mess, my son. What's the matter?" asked the king.

 

"I was playing in the backyard," the prince replied, "Then I heard a sound in the bush. I looked and found a cicada."

 

"But then I also saw," he added, "a mantis¹ stalking behind the cicada, while an oriole in its turn was about to pounce² on the mantis from behind."

 

So I stretched my bow and aimed an arrow at the oriole. But I did not notice the pond behind myself. Plop I went into the water and out I came like this.

 

The king laughed, for he was amused by the mantis that was so keen on catching³ the cicada that it did not beware of the oriole.

 

But the prince said, "A similar thing is happening when you only think of invading Qi without minding Yue, Father." The king was not pleased and he sent the prince away. But the prince was right. Soon Yue did strike back and defeat wu. The mantis is likened to people who only see immediate⁴ gains without caution.

 

吴王夫差战胜越国后，以为越国从此再也不敢兴兵，就整日享乐庆祝，完全没有留言越国正养精蓄锐，准备复国。

 

一天早上，吴王正在御花园中散步，突然他看见太子手持弓箭，全身湿淋淋地走来。“哈，你为何弄得这样狼狈呢？”吴王问。

 

“我刚才在后花园玩的时候，听到一种声音，我找了找，发现一只蝉。”

 

“只见蝉的背后悄悄爬来一只螳螂，而螳螂身后又飞来一只黄雀，准备捕捉它，”太子又说。

 

“我慢慢提起了箭瞄准了黄雀，没料到我身后又一水池，我一不小心便掉进池里，便成了现在这个样子了。”

 

国王大笑，呵呵，这就是只贪眼前利益，不顾背后的祸患，真是愚蠢的可以。

 

“父王，其实天下类似这样的事情太多了，就像现在我国准备攻打齐国，却没有提防越国会随时灭吴复国！”这国王不高兴的让太子走了。但是，太子的话是对的，后来吴国果然给越国所灭。“螳螂捕蝉”比作只见眼前利益而不顾身后大患的目光短浅的人物。

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