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，走訪所有的國民，看朝廷是否還有未盡之事。

　　在一個風和日麗的日子，鳥兒歡歌，野獸也喜滋滋地沐浴著陽光。湯帝聽到鳥兒歡快的歌聲，臉上露出笑容。接著，他看到一張大網散布在野獸足跡所至之處，聽到獵人大聲地祈禱著：

　　愿天上所有的鳥兒，

　　愿地上所有的走獸，

　　不管來自東南西北，

　　全部進入我的網中，

　　一個也逃不掉！

　　湯帝看到這個貪心而殘忍的獵人，覺得心煩意亂，但他畢竟是一個英明的帝王。他沒有命令獵人停止打獵，而是親自拆除了網的三面，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，他聽到成湯大聲地祈禱著：

　　所有想從左邊走的，請走左邊

　　所有想從右邊走的，請走右邊，

　　所有想從上方走的，請走上方

　　所有想從下面走的，請走下面。

　　只有那些不想繼續活下去的，請到網中來。

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