Welcome, kids, to LingoAce Story Time! Today, Teacher Xiaoyu is going to tell you a story about the idiom "Playing the Zither to a Cow."
Let's begin!
A long time ago, there was a musician named Gong Mingyi, a master of playing the zither. His music was beautiful and enchanting, earning him the love and respect of the people. Besides playing indoors, Gong Mingyi also liked to play the zither outdoors.
One day, Gong Mingyi took his seven-string zither and went out of the city to the meadow. It was a sunny day, with a gentle breeze, and the weeping willows in the fields were swaying lightly. A brown cow was leisurely grazing.
Gong Mingyi was inspired and decided to play a wonderful piece for the old brown cow to express his respect. He plucked the strings and played the elegant piece "The Melody of Clearing the Mind." However, the old cow seemed indifferent to the music, continuing to peacefully enjoy the delicious grass.
Feeling a bit puzzled, Gong Mingyi thought the piece might be too sophisticated. He tried some livelier tunes, but the old cow remained focused on grazing, showing no reaction.
Undeterred, Gong Mingyi decided to showcase his full skills, playing his most accomplished pieces, hoping to move the old cow. However, even with his skillful performance, the cow only occasionally flicked its tail, attentively swatting away the flies around it, maintaining its indifference to the music.
In the end, Gong Mingyi reluctantly used the zither to imitate the buzzing of mosquitoes and the lament of a calf, trying to capture the old cow's attention. Surprisingly, the cow stopped grazing, lifted its head, perked up its ears, and looked around anxiously, seemingly drawn to these sounds.
However, the cow didn't stay; it slowly turned around and began to stroll away, searching for a new pasture. People told Gong Mingyi, "The problem is not that your music is bad, but your tunes aren't suitable for the cow's ears."
In the end, Gong Mingyi sighed and returned to the city with his zither. This story tells us that sometimes our efforts may not be understood or appreciated because we haven't considered the needs and interests of our target audience. Talking about theories without understanding the practical situation and needs is like playing the zither to a cow, a futile effort.
Question time!
The story is finished, and now it's time to ask a question to all the little friends!
The question is: Do any of you kids know what lesson this story is trying to teach us?
And now, the answer is revealed!
This idiom reminds us that education needs to be tailored to the characteristics of the learner. In conversations, we should also choose appropriate topics based on the other person's understanding. Only by doing so can we establish a harmonious atmosphere and achieve the goals and effects of communication. If this aspect is overlooked, even if the talk is brilliant and logical, it will be meaningless to the other party.
Story source:
"Gong Mingyi played 'The Melody of Clearing the Mind' for the cow; it continued to eat as before, indifferent to anything other than the cow. Gong Mingyi then imitated the sound of mosquitoes and the cries of a calf. The cow, suddenly pricking up its ears, stopped eating and listened attentively." (From "Lunheng" written by Mou Rong in the Han Dynasty)
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