文侯曰：「待吾邑粟之來而獻之。
」周曰：「乃今者周之來見，道傍牛蹄中有鮒魚焉，大息謂周曰：『我尚可活也』。
It sighed and said to me, ‘I can still be saved.’ I said to it, ‘I must go south and see the king of Chu.
周曰：『須我為汝南見楚王，決江、淮以溉汝。
』鮒魚曰：『今吾命在盆甕之中耳；乃為我見楚王，決江、淮以溉我，汝即求我枯魚之肆矣。
I’ll have him make a water outlet from the Yangzi or the Huai so as to keep you wet.’ The carp said, ‘My life is as if contained in a tiny little vessel.
』今周以貧故來貸粟，而曰須我邑粟來也而賜臣，即來，亦求臣傭肆矣。
」文侯於是乃發粟百鍾，送之莊周之室。
If you go see the Chu king on my behalf and have him make an outlet from the Yangzi or the Huai to keep me wet, you will have to look for me later in a dried fish shop.’ Now it is because I am currently short of provisions that I came to borrow grain, but you said, ‘We must wait for the grain to come in from my fief; then I’ll bestow some on you.’ Even if the grain should come as you say, you will then have to go looking for me in a slave market.” The marquis thereupon had a hundred zhong of grain conveyed to Zhuang Zhou’s dwelling.