Master
Ai had a grandson about ten years old. As he was wicked and not eager to learn,
his grandfather often gave him a good caning. In spite of the punishment, the
boy refused to mend his ways. His father, therefore, was awfully afraid this
only son of his would not long survive this frequent caning. So every time
Master Ai took his son to task, he would weep and intercede with his father for
his son. This usually infuriated Master Ai who would say:
" Do I know how to teach your son for you?"
With that he would cane the boy all the more. There was nothing the father
could do about it.
One snowy day, Master Ai, having caught his grandson pressing snowballs, made
him kneel down in the snow after stripping his coat off. The boy's father,
seeing that his poor son was shivering with cold and not daring to say a word,
took off his own coat and knelt down beside his son. Very much surprised, Master
Ai inquired:
" Your son is guilty and deserves punishment. But why on earth should
you kneel there beside him?"
"Since you're freezing my son to death," replied the father,"
I want to freeze yours to death. It's just tit for tat."
Master Ai was very much amused at these remarks and let the boy go.