孔夫子在中國來講，是一個聖人，也是儒教的一個教主；雖然他是一個聖人，可是當時也受了很多困苦艱難的。他在山東杏壇那個地方設教；設教，就是「教書」。他有三千多個徒弟，今天這個來了，明天那個跑了；今天這個到山西去，明天那個又到湖南了；總而言之，常常跟著他的，大約有一百多人，他走到甚麼地方，就跟到甚麼地方。釋迦牟尼佛有一千二百五十個常隨眾，他有一百二十五個常隨眾，大約是釋迦牟尼佛的十分之一；他到哪一個國家，那一個國家就要供養他，要供他這一百多人喫飯。
那是周末列國的時候，孔子帶著一班徒弟各處走、各處去演說，說他的政治的抱負、政治的宗旨，想遇著有認識他的諸侯，好請他做大官。但是孔子到哪個地方，也就好像現在似的，你和他講真的，他都不願意的；你要和他講假的，他都很高興的。孔子到處盡講真的，所以沒有甚麼人歡喜他，但外表都捧著他：「好啊！好啊！你魯司寇到這個地方來。」很恭維他的，但是「恭是恭敬你，不用你」。為甚麼呢？「如果用你，你太認真了，我一點也不可以做不正當的事，那不行！」所以誰也不用他。
以後走到陳國和蔡國之間，在那個地方就絕糧了，沒有人供養了。絕糧，就是糧食斷了，那時候，不是像現在說有糧荒，本來很多糧食的。他也沒有帶著糧食，到那個地方也沒有錢了，買也買不著了。陳國和蔡國都抵制他，說：「我們不歡迎你！」就在陳、蔡中間這個地方，就絕糧了。沒有東西吃，餓一天、兩天、三天，把孔老夫子也餓得病莫能行了──餓得有病了，餓得就Very weak (很衰弱)，不能站得起來了。
子路到那兒，一見范丹，就說：「哎！范大哥！我是孔老夫子的學生，叫子路。現在到你這兒，想要借一點米；我們在陳、蔡兩國中間那個地方，已經沒有東西吃了。我們知道你有米，我們現在想和你借一點米來！」范丹說：「借米可以的，不過我有個題目，你要給我答得出才可以。你若答不出這個題目，我就不借給你米；你要是答覆得對了，就借給你米！」子路說：「你有問題，那不要緊的！我一定可以對得上你這個問題。」范丹說：「那好了，我現在對你講。我問你，在這個世界上甚麼多？甚麼少？甚麼事情是歡喜？甚麼事情是惱？」這樣問他。
子路一想，不加思索，很快就對出來了：「這我可以對的。這個世界上，天上的星星多，月亮少；這月亮就一個，一個當然是少啦！結婚就歡喜，死人就惱。」他認為這是很有道理，對得理直氣壯的。范丹說：「不行！不行！你這個沒對上！你這個沒對上！」子路：「我這對得是最圓滿的，你怎麼還說沒對上？你這個要飯的東西，簡直不講道理！」不管講不講道理，人家的米不借給你，你也沒法子，你子路也不能搶。
借米回去，吃了幾天，單單有米、沒有菜。這一天人人都吃飽了飯；這時候，就來了一個黑將軍。這黑將軍，大約和黑人差不多的樣子，很高很大的；手拿一支槍，到這個院子裏邊，就想要殺人。這時候，子路吃飽飯了，勇氣更增加了；拿一枝紅纓槍就出去，和這黑人就打起來了。兩個人作戰，子路總不能佔上風；子路本來很大力量的，但是對著這黑人，他的力量就不夠這黑人大了。孔子就站在門這兒看著，說：「由！你刺其喉！」子路叫「仲由」，孔子就叫子路用槍刺黑人喉嚨這個地方；為甚麼叫他刺這個地方呢？孔子看黑人這個地方總露出來。孔子這一說，子路就明白了，一槍就把這黑人的喉嚨給刺透了；刺透這黑人之後，你說這黑人怎麼樣？不是個人，是一條大魚。這條大魚很長、很大的，牠把院子都裝滿了；孔子這一百多個徒弟，就用這魚來做菜，所以沒有餓死。子路的所長是甚麼呢？他有過錯，誰一告訴他，他就歡喜得不得了。你告訴他：「子路，你這個地方不對了！」他就非常高興，所以子路是最好的一個孔子的弟子。
孔子回魯國設教，教化弟子以後，就刪詩書、訂禮樂。刪詩書，詩以前有很多很多的，不是就三百首；這個三百首就是他在很多首詩裏，選出來三百首，所以說：「詩三百，一言以敝之，曰思無邪。」選出很有教育價值的，做一部詩經；書經也是有一些個不正確的，他都給刪去不要了；訂禮樂，他又訂禮記和音樂，音樂他都給訂出來；贊周易，他贊歎周易，易經的繫辭，是孔子作的；著春秋，他自己寫了一部書叫「春秋」，寓褒貶、別善惡，令當時亂臣賊子不敢亂來，有所恐懼。等到最後他見到麒麟，麒麟被打獵的給抓住了，他母親所繫的那條紅絨的線還在牠脖子上，孔子就說：「唐虞世兮麟鳳遊，今非其時何來求？麟兮麟兮吾心憂。」他說完這幾句話以後，再也不著書，所以就絕筆，他的年齡是七十三歲，孔子的一生大略是這個樣子。
At this point, Confucius conferred with his disciples as to their next course of action. One of them said, “Fan Dan has grain.” Who was Fan Dan? He was a mendicant who had a bamboo tube for storing the rice that he collected during his begging rounds. This bamboo tube was a treasure for it could store thousands of bushels of grain and yet could not be filled up. Therefore, the person who knew this suggested, “Since Fan Dan has grain, we’ll go and borrow some from him.” Confucius then asked, “Whom should we send to borrow the grain? All the disciples are so famished and weak, they can hardly walk. Even if it is just to borrow grain, at least one person has to go and do it.” Thereupon, Zi Lu got up and volunteered to go, saying, “I am not sick. Having starved for a few days doesn’t matter to me.” He was very courageous indeed. At this, Confucius replied, “Alright! You shall go.”
Arriving at Fan Dan’s place, Zi Lu called out, “Hey, Big Brother Fan! I am Zi Lu, a disciple of Elder Master Kong. I have come to borrow some rice from you for we have run out of food at the border of Chen and Cai. As we know that you have rice, we would like to borrow some from you.” Fan Dan said, “I may lend you some rice. However, there are some questions that I would like you to answer. If you answer correctly, the rice is yours. But if you can’t answer them, then you may not have any.” Zi Lu agreed, “Fair enough! I can surely give you an appropriate answer.” Fan Dan said, “Alright, here are the questions: In this world, what is many and what is few? What brings happiness and what causes vexation?”
Confucius inquired, “Well, have you borrowed any rice?”
Zi Lu replied, “That old beggar was very unreasonable.”
“He had some questions that he wanted me to answer. It was obvious that I had answered them correctly, yet he said that my answers were wrong. I think he just doesn’t want to lend us any rice, that’s all.”
“Tell me, what were his questions?”
“He asked me: In this world, what is many and what is few? What brings happiness and what causes vexation?”
I said: “Stars are many while moons are few; marriages are happy occasions while deaths are vexing events. This is absolutely correct and is in line with principle. There are no other answers that are more perfect than these.”
“Your answers were wrong.”