More than 3,500 years ago, there was a very kind and wise emperor called cheng tang. every year he traveled around his empire to visit all of his people and see if there was anything the government could do for them.

　　one beautiful day, the birds were singing and the beasts were enjoying the nice weather. the emperor smiled as he heard their pleasant calls. then he saw huge nets spread where all those animals would get caught. he heard a trapper praying in a loud voice. this is what the trapper prayed：

　　may all the birds in the sky,

　　may all the beasts on the ground,

　　may all the animals from north, east, west and south,

　　come into my net,

　　let not one of them escape！

　　emperor cheng tang was upset to find such a greedy, heartless trapper, but he was also a very wise monarch. he did not command the trapper to stop hunting. instead, with his own imperial hands， he took down three sides of the nets, leaving only one side.

　　the trapper wondered what was going on, but he couldn't just go up and punch the emperor. then he heard cheng tang praying out loud. this is what the emperor prayed：

　　may all who wish to dodge to the left, dodge to the left；

　　may all who wish to dodge to right, dodge to the right;

　　may all who wish to go over the nets, go over the nets;

　　may all who wish to duck under the nets, duck under the nets;

　　only those who do not wish to live any more may enter my nets.

　　the trapper realized that he had been greedy and mean. he told every one how kind their emperor was, so all the people trusted cheng tang. the dynasty cheng tang founded, the shang, ruled china for over 600 years.

　　3500多年前，中國(guó)有一位仁厚而賢明的皇帝，名叫成湯。每年他都要巡視他的疆土，走訪所有的國(guó)民，看朝廷是否還有未盡之事。

　　在一個(gè)風(fēng)和日麗的日子，鳥(niǎo)兒歡歌，野獸也喜滋滋地沐浴著陽(yáng)光。湯帝聽(tīng)到鳥(niǎo)兒歡快的歌聲，臉上露出笑容。接著，他看到一張大網(wǎng)散布在野獸足跡所至之處，聽(tīng)到獵人大聲地祈禱著：

　　愿天上所有的鳥(niǎo)兒，

　　愿地上所有的走獸，

　　不管來(lái)自東南西北，

　　全部進(jìn)入我的網(wǎng)中，

　　一個(gè)也逃不掉！

　　湯帝看到這個(gè)貪心而殘忍的獵人，覺(jué)得心煩意亂，但他畢竟是一個(gè)英明的帝王。他沒(méi)有命令獵人停止打獵，而是親自拆除了網(wǎng)的三面，只留下一邊。

　　獵人不知出了什么事，但又不敢撲上前去打皇帝。隨后，他聽(tīng)到成湯大聲地祈禱著：

　　所有想從左邊走的，請(qǐng)走左邊

　　所有想從右邊走的，請(qǐng)走右邊，

　　所有想從上方走的，請(qǐng)走上方

　　所有想從下面走的，請(qǐng)走下面。

　　只有那些不想繼續(xù)活下去的，請(qǐng)到網(wǎng)中來(lái)。

　　獵人意識(shí)到了自己的自私和貪婪。他把湯帝的仁厚告訴每一個(gè)人，人民因而很信任成湯。成湯建立的商朝統(tǒng)治了中國(guó)600多年。