Stretching the truth

One day, four mandarins proposed to hold a competition to find out which of them was the most skilled in magnifying things beyond the limits of truth.

They had been drinking ruou (rice wisky) all afternoon and by evening their fibs became more and more grandiose.

The first mandarin began by saying with a straight face:

"The other day I saw a buffalo which was so big that with one sweep of its tounge it cropped half a rice field."

"That's nothing," snorted the second, "for I've seen a rope that could serve to tether a much bigger animal. It was as thick as 10 columns of our communal house tied together."

"How can you be so proud of your experience with such trivialities?" said the third mandarin.

"I know of such a long bridge that a son living on one side of the river, upon hearing news of the death of his father who was living on the other side, started out immediately on the journey to cross it, yet didn't arrive before the period of mourning lasted three years."

He was just telling himself that was sure to carry off the palm when the fourth mandarin, who had looked thoroughly unimpressed throughout, said in a voice ringing with conviction:

"I wonder if your bridge, if you could stand it on one of its ends, could be as high as the tree I've heard about?"

"The tree is so tall that some eggs had fallen from a bird's nest on its top," he started.

"Before they reached the ground, they had hatched and the chicks had grown big enough to be able to fly away on their own."

The four mandarins, breaking into tumultuous laughter, congratulated themselves on the power of their imagination with another shot of whisky.

Suddenly a thunderous voice was heard from behind them.

"You big-mouthed liars! You should all be gaoled for your scandalous lies."

Trembling with fear, they all turned and saw no one but a humble servant, who had been fanning them all this time.

"How dare you say such things to your masters?" they cried angrily.

The man bowed and said meekly: "Your stories so excited my imagination that I wondered if you would be fooled by my own hoax."