Zhuang Zhou's family was poor. Once, he went to the official who supervised rivers to borrow some grain. The official said: "Well, wait until the end of the year when I collect the taxes from the people, then I will lend you 300 gold pieces. All right?"

庄周家境贫穷。一次，他去监河侯那里借粮食，监河侯说：“好吧！等到年底，我收到了老百姓的税金时，就借给你三百金，行吗？”

When Zhuang Zhou heard this, he was so angry that the colow of his face changed. But he told the official this story: When I came here yesterday, on the way I heard a voice calling 'Help!' I turned my head and saw a small crucian carp in the dried-up carriage ditch."
 
庄周一听，气得脸色都变了，但是他却对监河侯讲了这样一件事情：我昨天来时，半路上听到‘救命’的呼喊声。我回过头来，看见干涸的车沟里有条小鲫鱼。
 
I went over and asked: "Little crucian carp, why are you calling for help?"
 
我走过去，问它： “小鲫鱼，你为什么喊救命？”
 
The little crucian carp answered: "I am a subject of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. Unfortunately I fell down here. Can you give me a little water to save my life?"
 
小鲤鱼回答说：“我是东海龙王的臣子，不幸落到这里。您能够给我一些水来救我活命吗？”
 
I said: "All right, I am just going to the south to sell ideas to the kings of the States of Wu and Yue. I will ask them to stir up the water of the Xijiang River to welcome you. Will that do?"
我说：“好吧！我正好要去南方游说吴国和越国的国王，那我就请他们激起西江的大水来迎接您，可以吗？”
 
When the crucian carp heard this, it got angry and said: "When I lose the water which is always with me, I cannot survive. Now, I want only a little bit of water so that I can survive.Yet you say such things. Then you'd better go to the salt-fish shop to look for me." 
 
卿鱼听了，气得不得了，说：“我失去了常跟我在一起的水，就无法生存下去了。现在，我只要得到一些水，就能够生存下去；你却说出这样的话。好吧，你不如趁早到咸鱼店里去找我吧！”