The Reflection Of A Bow In The Goblet As A Snake--Bei Gong She Ying

The Chinese of this Chines idiom story "The Reflection Of A Bow In The Goblet As A Snake--Bei Gong She Ying" is 杯弓蛇影, and Pin Yin bēi gōng shé yǐng. 

In Jin Dynasty there was a nobleman named Yue Guang who was a descendant of the famous general Yue Jin in the three kingdoms period.

When Yue Guang governed He Nan province, a friend visited him one day. Yue Guang was very glad and invited him to have dinner together. However, after that, Yue Guang had not seen him for a long time, and thus sent a servant to call on him.

The friend said to his visitor, "Last time when I was drinking with your master, I suddenly saw a snake swimming in my goblet. I was frightened, and barely finished the wine. Ever since I got home that day I've got sick, and neither any doctor or any medicine could cure my illness."

Having been told this, Yue Guang himself went to the friend's house and took him back home with his carriage.

Yue Guang made the friend sit where he did last time, pouring a goblet of wine for him, and asked him," Is there any snake swimming in the goblet?"

"Yes, there is." the friend said nervously.

"What if I remove this?" Yue Guang said with a smile, as he was casually taking away a bow hanging on the wall.

"It is gone! How do you do that? " the friend said in surprise.

"My friend, " Yur Guang said with the bow in his hand, "what you see is not a snake but a reflection of this bow which resembles a small snake especially when the wine is moving. So after I remove it, the reflection is gone."

The friend was relieved at Yue Guang's words and his illness disappears accordingly.

Background and Writer Comment:

Now the idiom of "The Reflection Of A Bow In The Goblet As A Snake--Bei Gong She Ying" is often used to refer to a false alarm (self-created suspicion) or being jittery with imaginary fear.

The similar story happened to Hua Tuo, a renowned doctor of China. Read the story--Hua Tuo--A Fly In Stomach