BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese idiom "Hu Jia Hu Wei" originated in a fable about a fox who scares other animals by flaunting the tiger's power, which the four Chinese characters literally mean.
It has been used in the modern Chinese language, interpreted as frightening or bullying people by relying on those with power.
The adage is recorded in the "Strategies of the Warring States" that King Xuan of the state of Chu asked his ministers why the northern states were afraid of Zhao Xixu, a general of King Xuan.
A minister explained to the king by narrating a story of a tiger and a fox.
In the story, a tiger captures a fox and wants to eat it. But the fox says the Emperor of Heaven has granted it the power of "king of kings," and anyone who eats it would be severely punished by the Emperor of Heaven. The tiger begins to believe the fox after seeing its calm disposition.
Realizing that the tiger is scared, the fox takes the tiger to the other animals, trying to "justify" its words. The animals run away the moment they see the tiger. But the tiger assumes it is the fox that scares them all.
Upon telling the story, the minister told the king that what the states really feared was actually the king's might.
The story shows that cunning and treacherous people always like to brag, lie and live by deception. Although such people can show off for a while with others' power, they are vulnerable in essence. ■
