During the Warring States period in ancient China, the State of Liang was very famous for its melons. In the spring, the melon seeds would be planted. Everyday, the citizens would diligently look after these melons. They would help each other to water the melons, and nurture the seeds with care.

On the other side, the citizens in the State of Chu were lazy, and they didn't know how to take care of their melons. They would spread the seeds onto the ground, and let nature run its course.

One day, a court official from the State of Chu visited the melon fields. He felt ashamed to see the abandoned fields with only a few small melons growing in between the weeds.“This is the melon you nurtured? How come the melons from the State of Liang are huge and juicy? Look at all these small and dry melons, you are not doing a good job!” the court official of Chu said furiously.

After the court official left, the farmers of Chu flew into a rage out of humiliation, and decided to humiliate the Liang farmers.“Let's go and destroy their melon fields tonight, so they won't have any melons to show off tomorrow,”said a farmer. All the other farmers thought it was a great idea.“Let's wait till the whole city is asleep, then we shall attack!”

That night, the farmers of Chu sneaked into the melon fields in the State of Liang, and destroyed all the melons.

The news spread like wildfire the next morning. The State of Liang appointed Song Jiu, a court official to solve the boundary disputes.“Court official, I would like to have your permission to destroy their fields. It's payback time!” said the enraged farmers.“They have been jealous of us for a long time now, if we don't do something, they will destroy our melons again. What do you think we should do?”another farmer asked.

“My dear citizens, I know what the Chu farmers did was totally unacceptable, but hate will only breed sufferings. If we go and destroy their fields, then we are just as bad as they are, and if this incident turns into a war, then we will put our families in danger,”Song Jiu comforted the farmers.

After hearing what Song Jiu had said, the farmers asked,“Then what do you suggest?”

“What triggers the Chu farmers to come and destroy our melons is jealousy. They are jealous of our melons because they can't nurture them like we do. Why don't we help them nurture their melons instead? If their melons are as good as ours, then they won't harm our melons,”suggested Song Jiu.

After a long discussion, the farmers were willing to accept Song Jiu's idea, and took good care of the Chu farmers’ melons.

A few months passed, the Chu farmers began to notice a difference in their melon fields and became curious.“Our melons are getting bigger and bigger everyday, and there are no weeds in the fields. Something strange is going on, let's hide next to the melon fields and find out tonight,”the farmers suggested.

“Look! Aren't those farmers from State of Liang? They are nurturing our melon field. Let's go and report to our Leader.”The farmers went as fast as they could.

After hearing what the Liang farmers had done, it truly touched the hearts of the leader of Chu and its people. So the leader of Chu established a diplomatic relation with the State of Liang. The two States agreed to look after each other, and protect each other from war.

解說

戰國時代，比鄰的楚、梁二國並不友好。當時，梁國派遣了士大夫宋就，來到兩國的邊界擔任縣令。

在兩國邊界處，百姓都以種瓜維生。梁國百姓非常勤勞，隨時巡視，經常除草、澆水、施肥，瓜長得非常茂盛，結實纍纍。

楚國那邊既不懂種瓜，又十分懶惰，種下瓜苗後，丟給老天爺管理，瓜田長滿雜草，天氣乾熱，也不給瓜田澆水，最後雖也結瓜，卻是又少又小，遠不及梁國的瓜碩大繁茂。

一天，楚國縣令出巡，看到兩相對照的瓜田景觀，覺得非常沒面子。於是，責備種瓜的百姓：「你們是怎麼種的？為什麼梁國的瓜又多又大，我們的瓜又少又小？」

楚國人民看到梁國的瓜長得比自己的好，已經心懷嫉妒。被縣令一罵，更是惱羞成怒。

一些心術不正的楚國瓜農私下相約，趁著夜晚潛到梁國的瓜田，把毀了對方的瓜田。第二天，梁國的百姓看到瓜都被弄爛了，非常氣憤，要求縣令宋也讓他們到楚國報復。

宋就立刻勸慰：「千萬使不得！以仇報仇、以怨對怨，相互殘殺，冤冤相報何時了？他們犯錯，我們也比照辦理，那與他們有什麼差別？而且為了這麼一件小事，破壞兩國的和平，大家的損失豈不更大了嗎？」

大家聽了覺得有理，於是請教該怎麼做？

宋就說：「他們破壞我們的瓜，因為瓜種得沒我們好，那麼我們乾脆暗中幫忙他們除草、澆水、施肥，讓兩邊的瓜都長得一樣好，這樣他們也就不會再來破壞我們的瓜了。」

於是，梁國的百姓就照著宋就的話去做，楚國的瓜因此而日漸茂盛。

楚王得知，既慚愧又感動，於是便備妥厚禮向梁王致意，請求原諒，並與梁國修好結成盟邦。

兩個原本敵對的國家，從此反而變成了敦睦的友邦。