The 24 Filial Exemplars (11)

Wú Měng 吴猛

11. HE LET MOSQUITOES CONSUME HIS BLOOD

When Wú Měng of the Jìn dynasty was eight years old, he was very filial towards his parents. The family was poor, and the bed had no mosquito net. Every night in summer mosquitoes in droves nibbled at their skin and sucked their blood without restraint. Although there were many, Měng did not drive them away, lest in leaving him they bite his parents. So great was his love of his parents! A poem praises him:

On summer nights without a mosquito net,
When mosquitoes are many he dares not wave them off;
They gorge themselves on his flesh and blood,
And thus he avoids their bothering his parents.

十一、恣蚊饱血
晋。吴猛。年八岁。事亲至孝。家贫。榻无帷帐。每夏夜。蚊多潜肤。恣取膏。虽多不驱之。恐其去以而噬亲也。爱亲之心至矣。有诗为颂。诗曰
夏夜无帷帐。蚊多不敢挥。恣取膏血饱。免使入亲帏。

11. Zì Wén Bǎo Xuě
Jìn Wú Měng. Nián bā suì. Shì q:in zhì xiào. Jiā pín. Tà wú wéizhàng. Měi xià yè. Wén duō cǎn fū. Zì qú gāo. Suī duō bù qū zhī. Kǒng qí qù jǐ ér shì qīn yě. Ài qīn zhi xīn zhì yǐ. Yǒu shī wéi sòng.
Shī yuē:
Xià yè wú wěizhàng. Wén duō bù gǎn huī. Zì cú gāo xiè bǎo. Miǎn shǐ rù qīn wěi.

十一、恣蚊飽血
晉。吳猛。年八歲。事親至孝。家貧。榻無帷帳。每夏夜。蚊多潛膚。恣取膏。雖多不驅之。恐其去以而噬親也。愛親之心至矣。有詩為頌。詩曰
夏夜無帷帳。蚊多不敢揮。恣取膏血飽。免使入親幃。

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