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...he held a vase up in one hand so that all the boys could see it. In the other hand he had an apple. As the students watched, he dropped the apple into the vase and put the vase on the ground.

"The boy who can get the apple out of the vase may eat the apple." He said

One of the boys was quite hungry, and he hurried forward and put his hand into the narrow neck of the vase. He seized the apple and tried to pull it out, but he couldn't.

"My hand is stuck!" He cried

"You cannot get the apple out unless you let go of it," said Confucius

The boy did not want to let go of the apple, but at last he did. He took his hand out of the vase and looked puzzled.

Confucius picked the vase off the ground and turned it upside down. The apple fell into his hand. The boys all laughed. It was so simple.

"But not as simple as it looks," said Confucius, holding up the apple. "It is often difficult to let go of a thing. But if you see that by holding on to a thing you are keeping yourself from getting what you want, then you should let go.

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