中国二十四孝经典民间故事: Leave Better Food for Mother 拾葚异器:蔡顺

Cai Shun was a man in Runan (today's Henan) of the Han Dynasty. His father died when he was young and he was very pious to his mother.His time coincided with the Chaos Caused Wang Mang and famine and living expenses were very high. He could not but pick mulberries as food for himself and his mother.

蔡顺，汉代汝南(今属河南)人，少年丧父，事母甚孝。当时正值王莽之乱，又遇饥荒，柴米昂贵，只得拾桑葚母子充饥。

One day, he encountered the Red-Brow Army and the solders asked him: "Why do you put red mulberries and black mulberries into two baskets separately?"

一天，巧遇赤眉军，义军士兵厉声问道：“为什么把红色的桑葚和黑色的桑葚分开装在两个篓子里?”

Cai Shun answered: "The black mulberries are for my mother and the red mulberries are for myself."

蔡顺回答说：“黑色的桑葚供老母食用，红色的桑葚留给自己吃。”

The solders had compassion for his piety and gave him two deciliters of rice and one bovine hoof in respect.

赤眉军怜悯他的孝心，送给他三斗白米，一头牛，带回去供奉他的母亲，以示敬意。