Once, Chun Yukun recommended seven able and virtuous1 scholars to King Xuan of the State of Qi. King Xuan was surprised and said: "I heard that talented people are hard to find. If one able and virtuous scholar can be found within a circumference2 of 1, 000 li, it cannot be regarded as few. If 100 years witnesses the advent3 of a saint, it cannot be regarded as few. Now you recommend seven able and virtuous scholars all at once, then there are too many able and virtuous scholars."

　　Chun Yukun said: "Birds of the same feather always flock together. Wild beasts of the same kind always walk together. For example, if we wish to find medicinal herbs like the root of Chinese thorowax and the root of balloonflower on the marsh4, we will never find even one in our whole life. But if we go to the north side of the Zeshu Mountain and the Liangfu Mountain, we will need carts to carry them back. In the world, things of the same kind always gather together, and it is the same with people. If you want me to select able and virtuous scholars, it will be like getting water from the river, or getting fire from a flint. What is so strange about that? I am going to recommend another big batch5 of able and virtuous scholars to you, far more than these seven."

　　一次，厚于凳給齊宣王推薦了七名賢士。齊宣王覺(jué)得奇怪，說(shuō)：“我聽(tīng)說(shuō)，人才是很難得的。在一千里方圓以?xún)?nèi)，能選到一名賢士，就不算少了；一百年以?xún)?nèi)，能發(fā)現(xiàn)一個(gè)圣人，也不算少了。你一次就推薦了七名賢士，賢士也太多了。”

　　淳于凳說(shuō)：“同類(lèi)的鳥(niǎo)總是聚集在一起，同類(lèi)的野獸也總是一道行走。比如說(shuō)，我們要尋找柴胡和桔梗這類(lèi)藥草，到沼澤地去找，就是找一輩子也找不到一株；但是如果到澤黍山、梁父山的北面去找，那就要用大車(chē)去拉了。天下的事物都是同類(lèi)相聚的，人也是這樣。你要我淳于凳挑選賢士，就好比到河里去打水，用火石去打火一樣，有什么好奇怪的呢?我正準(zhǔn)備再給你推薦一大批賢士，何止這七個(gè)呢！”