Idiom Explanation:
The original metaphor is to imagine that the unexpected harvest is obtained by chance without effort. Now it is also used to describe a person who sticks to a narrow experience and does not know how to adapt.
Pronunciation:
守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tù
Origin:
《韩非子.五蠹》：“宋人有耕者。 田中有株，兔走触株，折颈而死。因释其耒而守株，冀复得兔。兔不可复得，而身为宋国笑。”
Story:
During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a farmer in the state of Song. He went out early and came back late every day, cultivating his land with great care, but in the end, even in a good year, he only got a bland meal, just enough to fill his stomach. He is really hard work.
One day at noon, the sun was hot, the farmer felt very tired after working all morning, and sat under a big tree to rest. At that moment, suddenly a hare came out from the grass. The hare was frightened by the sight of someone. It ran desperately, but unexpectedly hit a tree stump at the farmer’s land and passed out. The farmer ran over and picked up the rabbit, but he couldn’t help but feel happy, thinking, “Ha! I can’t believe I picked up a rabbit without much effort. How wonderful it would be if I could pick up a rabbit every day from now on!”
In the evening, the farmer returned home and gave the dead rabbit to his wife. His wife made a delicious meal of rabbit meat, and the two of them laughed and talked and ate a big meal.
The next day, the farmer went to work in the field as usual, but he was no longer so focused as before. He did a little while to glance at the grass, listen, hoping that another rabbit scampered out and hit the stump. So he worked absentmindedly all day and did not finish hoeing the ground. When he didn’t see any rabbits until dark, he went home reluctantly. On the third day, the farmer came to the field and was completely uninterested in hoeing. He put aside his tools and sat on the ridge next to a tree stump, waiting for the rabbits to come out. But he waited for another day in vain.
Later, the farmer stayed by the stump every day, hoping to find the rabbit again, but he never did. But the weeds in the farmer’s field grew taller and taller, overwhelming his crops. The story soon spread throughout Song and people laughed at him for this behavior.
Similar Idioms:
- 刻舟求剑
- 墨守成规
