The Crane transformed herself into a beautiful woman to deceive a wise man

The Legendary Zhuge Liang Outwits a Crane
In sharp contrast to those wicked rulers of ancient China, there were also highly respected monarchs, generals, and high-ranking officials with noble character, who did not fall prey to this vice. Zhuge Liang (181-234) was one of them. He was a distinguished statesman and military strategist who served as minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280).
Zhuge Liang was said to have supreme wisdom, and was able to gain magical insight into future events by observing astronomical changes. The prophetic texts he wrote in Maqian Ke foretold what would happen in later dynasties with amazing accuracy.
His life is shrouded in legend, one of which tells of when Zhuge Liang was young. As a youth, he often went up to the mountains to learn Chinese classics and the art of war from an old master. Once, on his way there, he bumped into a beautiful young lady who invited him to play chess. They had tea together and enjoyed a pleasant chat. Since then, he would pay her a visit each time he went to the mountain, and the two always had delightful conversations. Little by little, he found it hard to focus on his studies.
“It’s much easier to destroy a tree than to grow one!” his master said to Zhuge Liang when he noticed his absent-mindedness. “You cannot control your feelings upon seeing that beautiful lady, but what you don’t know is that this young lady is not a young lady at all. Her true form is in fact a crane in heaven. She often comes to the secular world to seduce mortals.”
Zhuge Liang felt very ashamed and asked his master how to keep away from her.
“Hide her clothing while she is taking a bath in the lake,” his master told him, “When she comes to you in her true form, hit her with your walking stick.”
Indeed, when the young lady could not find her clothing, she transformed into a crane. The crane tried to pluck out Zhuge Liang’s eyes with its beak, but Zhuge Liang grabbed its tail and beat it with his walking stick, like he was instructed to do. The crane broke free and flew away, leaving behind a handful of feathers that Zhuge Liang pulled off its tail.
Without its tail, the crane was no longer able to come to the secular world again. To remind himself of the lesson he learned, Zhuge Liang made a fan out of the crane’s feathers and used it throughout his life.
Confucius once said, “When a person is young, his vitality is unsettled and he must guard against sexual temptation.”
Zhuge Liang listened to his teacher and woke up in time. When the time came for marriage, he chose a wife who was plain in looks, but very virtuous.
en.minghui.org...
Music License:
Music: Hope
Musical instruments: Flute and harp
Composed by Francisco La Russa
(Minghui.org)
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So beautiful and so thoughtful story. ❤

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Thank you