Yan lived a good life in a big house. One day he invited a friend to dinner at his house. However, on the dinner table there was only one small dish of one small fish. The friend looked quietly at the fish. It was no bigger than a finger. Then he asked Yan if he could borrow a lamp.
"What for?" Yan asked.
"Well, it's so dark in here," the friend said with a dry smile, "I can't see the other delicious dishes you've prepared for me."
Chang kept a lot of ducks and chickens on his farm. One day, his best friend came to visit him. At noon, Chang told his friend that he couldn't let him stay for lunch because there wasn't much food to eat. The friend looked out at Chang's farm animals for a moment. Then he asked Chang if he had a big knife.
"Yes, but what for?" Chang asked.
"I'm thinking about killing the horse I rode here so we'll have something for lunch," the friend said.
"But how are you going to go home without it?"
"Well, you wouldn't mind lending me one of your many ducks or chickens so I can ride it home, would you?"