Needless feet

In old time, a family in the State of Chu held a sacrificial activity to their ancestors, and after that they rewarded the people who helped in the ceremony with the pot of wine used in it.

There were many helpers but only one pot of wine. Who will drink it?

Then someone suggested: “Let everyone draw a snake. Whoever draws fastest and most lifelike will get the pot of wine.”

All people thought that was a good idea.

One man drew very fast. He finished it in the blink of an eye, and of course he was given the pot of wine. At this moment, he saw that the others had not finished yet, so he wanted to flaunt (show off )his skill.

He said proudly: “How slow you are! Even though I give the snake more feet and you won’t finish it.” Holding the wine pot in his left hand, he began to add feet to the snake with his right hand. When he was just adding feet to the snake, another man finished his drawing.

He grabbed the wine pot at once, saying: "A snake has no feet. How could you add feet to it? The first one who finished drawing a snake is I, not you."

Having said this(After saying this), the man drank off the wine.

故事梗概

从前，楚国有一户人家，祭完祖宗以后，把一壶祭祀时用过的酒给帮助办事的人喝。

办事的人很多，可是酒只有一壶。到底给谁喝呢?

有人提议说：”各人都在地上画一条蛇，谁画得快、画得像，就把这壶酒给谁喝。”大家都认为这个办法很好。

有一个人画得很快，一转眼，就把蛇画好了。这壶酒应该归他。

可是，这时候，他看看别人都没有画好，就想再炫耀一下自己的能耐。

他得意洋洋地说：”你们画得真慢啊，我就是再画上几只蛇脚，你们都画不好！”他左手拿着酒壶，右手又开始给画好了的蛇添上脚。

当他正在给蛇画脚的时候，另一个人却把蛇画好了。而且立刻把酒壶夺了过去，说：”蛇是没有脚的，你怎么画上了脚？第一个画好蛇的是我，不是你了！”说完，就将杯子中的酒一饮而尽。

这个成语故事告诉我们：任何事都要实事求是，不能卖弄聪明，否则非但不能把事情做好，反而会把事情弄砸。

重点词汇：

hold a sacrificial activity 举行祭祀活动

suggest 提议，建议

lifelike 栩栩如生的，逼真的

in the blink of an eye 一眨眼的功夫

flaunt 炫耀

grab 夺取，抢过来

at once 立刻，马上

drink off 一饮而尽