The Super Pickled Cabbage and the Dog
Column: Fairy Tales Added Time: February 8, 2011 14:02:07 Source: Admin Clicks: 2195
The reason why the pickled cabbage wanted to learn from the dog as a master was because of the dog's extremely sensitive sense of smell, which is even more acute than that of a pregnant woman. Other animals cannot detect certain scents that dogs can perceive without seeing or touching them. They can even notice something that has merely passed by, especially useful at night. Because of this superpower, humans and dogs became the best of friends. Animals all know that humans are smart because they can utilize other animals' specialties for their own service. For example, since elephants have good temperaments, they use elephants to carry heavy loads; oxen are obedient, so they use oxen to plow fields and pull plows for hard labor; horses run well, so they ride them to travel; donkeys don't get dizzy when walking in circles, so they use donkeys to grind mills; chickens easily get pregnant, so they let them continuously lay eggs. The only animal that doesn't have any special skills, being lazy and gluttonous, affecting other animals' willingness to serve humans, is the pig, so they kill and eat pigs to relieve their anger. Other animals like wolves, tigers, and foxes also have their own specialties, but since humans can't control them, these animals stay far away and avoid contact with humans.
Humans and dogs became friends, where humans utilized the dog's strengths while constantly speaking ill of dogs. Any phrase involving dogs isn't pleasant, such as "dogfly", "dog stuff", "dog leg", "dog plaster", "dogs can't help eating poop", "puppy", "nonsense", "adding a dog tail to a brocade", "a desperate dog jumps over a wall", "scolding someone with saliva", "a dog catching mice", "a dog relying on human power" etc., there are countless examples. Many animals couldn't understand whether humans and dogs were best friends or sworn enemies.
Pickled cabbage wanted to learn the sense of smell from the dog, but the dog didn't want to take him as a disciple. So, pickled cabbage refused to leave, standing in front of the doghouse for three days and three nights regardless of wind or rain, eventually creating a pit in front of the doghouse. Once during snowfall, pickled cabbage almost froze to death, deeply moving the dog. The dog then said to the pickled cabbage: "Pickled cabbage, it's not that I don't want to teach you, but I fear you won't be able to endure the hardship. Do you know how we dogs developed our sense of smell? We did it by eating poop, especially children's loose stools. Can you handle that?"
After hearing this, pickled cabbage felt nauseous and was about to say he couldn't endure it. But thinking of Rose, his response changed to: "I can."
Although he had said that, after the dog accepted him as a disciple, when it came time to actually eat poop, pickled cabbage would feel sick just looking at it and couldn't bring himself to eat it. He asked the dog: "Why must I eat poop? Can't I eat something else?" The dog replied: "Only when eating poop does your nose become stimulated, enhancing your sense of smell. Even if you don't eat poop, you need to consume similarly foul-smelling things. However, finding other foul things is difficult, whereas poop is economical and practical, so eating poop is still the best option." After hearing this, pickled cabbage wanted to back out. Touched by pickled cabbage's sincerity in seeking a teacher, the dog taught him: "When heaven bestows great responsibilities upon a person, it first tests his heart and spirit, making his muscles work... What you need to change is not the poop, but your attitude towards eating it. Don't think of poop as poop. When you eat it, imagine it as meat, and the taste will be different. For example, people, whether it's tiger meat or rat meat, consider it meat and find it fragrant. Their perception changes based on differentiation and imagination, altering their experience while eating. If you want to become a superhuman, you must first transcend ordinary people in thought, allowing your actions to become those of a superhuman." Following the dog's method, pickled cabbage tried it, and indeed, the taste was different. Over time, he progressed from rejection to acceptance, and then from acceptance to liking it, until he became like the dog, fighting to eat poop whenever he saw it. After eating for some time, he could detect unusual smells from afar, just like the dog. However, his nose also became wet and sticky like a dog's, causing him some distress. Although he had learned the dog's skills, he worried that Rose might not like his nose always being this way. Thinking about Rose's reaction troubled pickled cabbage greatly.