The Ding family in the State of Song had no well of its own. someone in the family sometimes had to spend a whole day doing nothing but fetch water from a distance. To solve the trouble they had a well sunk in their courtyard.

　　After the job was finished, they said to one another happily, "It seems with the sinking of the well one more person is added to our family."

　　One of Ding's friends heard of the remark and passed the word from the friend to the friend and yet to another, until the story ran as the follow words, "The Dings had a well sunk and found a man inside!"

　　When the Duke of Song heard the tale, he sent for Ding to inquire1 into the matter. "With the sinking of the well it is as if your obedient2 servant has had the help of a man," explained Ding to the Duke. "It doesn't mean that I actually found a man in the well."

　　宋國有一戶姓丁的人家，由于自家沒井，每次都要花一整天時間到很遠(yuǎn)的地方去擔(dān)水。為了解決這個問題，他們決定自己在院子里鑿一口井。

　　井挖好了，他們高興地逢人就說：“有了這口井，田里也就多增加了一個勞動力，再也不用費(fèi)神老遠(yuǎn)去擔(dān)水了。”

　　丁家的一個朋友聽到了這些，就把這話說給別人聽，結(jié)果一傳十，十傳百，開始的一句話就變成了“丁家鑿了一口井，在井里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一個人。”

　　宋國國王聽到這個傳聞后，就派人去召見了丁，問他這是怎么回事。丁向宋王解釋說：“鑿一口井，就好比你忠實(shí)的仆人又獲得了一個幫手，不是說井底真的有一個人。”