Chang, an old farmer, had a large flock of ducks. Once, his neighbour, Lin stole one of the ducks from Chang’s farm and ate it for supper. At midnight, something strange happened. He began to itch all over and feathers started growing on his skin. The next day, Lin was in great pain. At night a man appeared in his dream and said, “You stole a duck, that’s why you are being punished. You will be cured only if you make Chang say,
‘You dirty thief’!” Lin went to meet Chang and confessed his theft of a duck. He requested Chang to say ‘You dirty thief!’ But Chang refused to say so. Lin, then, opened his shirt and showed Chang the feathers grown all over his body. Chang felt sorry for him. Sympathetically, he said, “You dirty thief!” Immediately, Lin’s feathers disappeared. He promised never to steal again.
