第五章 赵简子放鸟

In the late Spring and Autumn period, there was an official in the state of Jin named Zhao Jianzi.

One New Year's Day, the people of Handan came to Zhao Jianzi's home with birdcages. They gave him the birds they had caught, and Zhao Jianzi gave them some money in return.

That day, the courtyard was filled with birdcages of all sizes.

Zhao Jianzi had someone open the first cage. A bird immediately flew out, over the courtyard wall, and back into the sky.

He then opened the second and third cages. Dozens of birds flew away together, and the courtyard was filled with the sound of birds chirping.

Zhao Jianzi looked at the birds and said happily, 'On the first day of the new year, I release them back to the sky to tell everyone that we should cherish life.'

The bird-givers received money and left happily.

Just then, a guest walked over to a birdcage. He saw many feathers scattered inside, and one bird had a wing injury and could not fly at all.

The guest asked Zhao Jianzi, 'Why did you ask the people to bring birds here?'

Zhao Jianzi replied, 'I want to release these birds and give them freedom again. Isn't that a good thing?'

The guest did not answer immediately. He asked again, 'Why are the people willing to spend time catching birds?'

Zhao Jianzi said, 'Because they know I will give money to those who bring birds.'

The guest nodded, 'Exactly. Every year you reward the bird-givers, so everyone will try to catch even more birds.'

'Some people chase them in the woods, some take chicks from nests, and some cram many birds into a small cage. Birds get hurt on the way here, and some even die.'

The smile on Zhao Jianzi's face gradually faded.

The guest continued, 'Today you released dozens of birds, seemingly saving them. But to get these birds, the people may have already caught hundreds. Perhaps more birds have been hurt or killed because of this.'

Zhao Jianzi looked at the feathers on the ground and was silent for a while.

He said, 'I originally wanted to protect the birds, but I never expected that my reward would make people catch even more birds.'

The guest said, 'If you truly want to protect them, the best way is not to have them caught first and then release them yourself. You should tell people not to catch birds, and stop providing rewards for those who bring them.'

Zhao Jianzi asked, 'If I cancel this event, won't others say I no longer care about these birds?'

The guest replied, 'True care is not about letting others see how many birds you release, but about letting fewer birds get hurt.'

Zhao Jianzi thought seriously for a moment and said, 'You are right.'

That very day, he announced: From now on, he would no longer reward bird-givers, and people were forbidden to catch birds. As for the injured birds, he had them cared for first, and then released them back into the woods after they recovered.

The next New Year, there were no birdcages in the courtyard, and no one lined up to receive money.

Someone asked Zhao Jianzi, 'This year you didn't release a single bird. Don't you feel it's a pity?'

Zhao Jianzi listened, heard birds chirping outside the wall, smiled and said, 'They should have been living freely in the first place. Only when you first catch them do you need to release them.'

After this incident, Zhao Jianzi understood: Good intentions do not necessarily bring good results. A truly responsible person not only cares about what they want to do but also pays attention to the outcome. If the method is wrong, one should change in time.