The Legend of Lu Ban’s Apprenticeship
The Qing Shui River curved eastward, forming a large bay. Within this bay was a row of earthen houses called Lu Jia Loan. Here lived an old man named Lu, a carpenter by trade. He was fifty-eight years old and had been apprenticing since he was eighteen, making him a carpenter for forty years.
The old carpenter worked diligently his entire life, building two rows of earthen houses, one row to the south and one to the north. He was also somewhat eccentric, having practiced his craft for decades but never taking on an apprentice. Whenever someone asked him to be their teacher, he would decline, saying, “What could you possibly learn from me? Look at the houses I’ve built; they’re already tilting and warping, and my chests and cabinets are misshapen and rough.”
People were well aware of the old carpenter’s peculiarities, so anyone who wanted to learn the trade never bothered to ask him.
The old carpenter was never truly satisfied with his own skills. He didn’t teach others, and he didn’t even teach his own children. Throughout his life, he was frugal and thrifty, eventually saving up three hundred taels of silver and three fine horses. He planned to give these to his children when they grew up so they could find teachers and learn a trade.
The old carpenter had three sons. The eldest, Lu Xuan, was eighteen years old. The second son, Lu Xin, was fifteen, and the youngest, Lu Ban, was twelve. Lu Xuan and Lu Xin were lazy and idle, having never lifted an axe or picked up a hammer in their lives. Their parents didn’t favor these two older sons. On the other hand, Lu Ban was diligent and eager to learn. He often followed his father around, helping him stretch ropes and doing odd jobs, learning how to wield an axe, hold a hammer, and cut wood like his father.
One day, at lunchtime, his mother suddenly remembered that Lu Ban had been out since morning. Worried, she went out to look for him and eventually found him sitting in front of a newly built house, his hands propping up his chin as he watched the carpenters install a door. Even at the age of six, Lu Ban had loved holding an axe and a saw. By the time he was ten, he could use all the tools skillfully, always keeping an axe or a chisel in his hand.
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Lu Ban never rested, crafting many chests, cabinets, small chairs, and carts, filling the house and veranda like a small furniture shop. Seeing his mother sitting on a bed and spinning yarn, which was tiring for her back, Lu Ban went to the southern mountain and cut down a willow tree to make a chair for her: “Mother, sit on this chair so you don’t hurt your back while spinning.”
Noticing that his sister didn’t have a place to keep her sewing basket, Lu Ban went to the northern mountain and cut down a elm tree to make a wooden chest for her: “Sister, put your sewing basket here so you don’t lose your needles and threads.”
However, when his older brothers asked him to make something, Lu Ban would say, “You have the wood and the axe, so why can’t you do it yourself?”
His parents and sister loved Lu Ban dearly. As the three brothers grew up, one day, the father called the eldest son to him and said:
“Son, you’re grown now and can’t depend on your parents forever. ‘The ox is three years old, and the boy is eighteen,’ as the saying goes. Now that you’re strong, go and learn a trade. How about carpentry? But I can’t teach you myself. I’m clumsy, and my skills are lacking. I’ve never taken on an apprentice before. Take this hundred taels of silver and ride one of our horses to Zhongnan Mountain to find the master carpenter who lives there!”
The old man blinked as he looked at Lu Xuan. Accustomed to idleness, Lu Xuan frowned and, without a word, accepted the money and horse before slowly riding away.
Once he left home, Lu Xuan thought to himself, “Zhongnan Mountain is eighty thousand miles away, but I can find a teacher anywhere.”
He rode around, searching high and low for three years, spending all his money and even selling his horse. Eventually, he returned home empty-handed. The old carpenter didn’t say a word and simply drove Lu Xuan away. Then he called Lu Xin to him and said:
“Son, you’re eighteen now, too. Take this hundred taels of silver and ride our best horse to Zhongnan Mountain to find a teacher. Whatever you do, don’t be like your older brother.”
The old man blinked as he looked at Lu Xin. Lu Xin opened his mouth and burst into tears, accepting the money and reluctantly getting on the horse.
Lu Xin rode for a night and a day and, upon inquiring, learned that Zhongnan Mountain was still over a thousand miles away. Discouraged, he wandered around for three years, spending all his money and even selling his horse. With only a sack on his back, he returned home.
The old man was furious and beat Lu Xin with a du wood stick before driving him away. Then he called Lu Ban to him, tears in his eyes, and said:
“Son, your older brothers have no future, and I’ve driven them away. All my life’s hopes are now pinned on you. Don’t let me down like your brothers did…
Before his father could finish, Lu Ban interrupted:
“Father, rest assured! I’ve already prepared money and a horse and am ready to go. If I can’t find a teacher or learn a trade, I won’t come back to see you again!”
Lu Ban bid farewell to his parents and rode straight west. The old carpenter watched his son until he was out of sight, wiping away his tears and muttering, “Only Lu Ban is any good…”
Lu Ban whipped his horse and rode on, covering more than three hundred miles a day. After ten days, he had traveled three thousand miles and reached the end of the wide road. Before him was a large mountain. The mountain was steep, and the road wound around it, overgrown with thorns and sharp stones. Lu Ban was dismayed and reined in his horse. Just then, an old woodcutter emerged from the foot of the mountain. Lu Ban dismounted, led his horse forward, and asked with cupped hands:
“Old man, how far is it to Zhongnan Mountain from here?”
The old woodcutter stroked his beard and replied slowly:
“Well, it’s six thousand miles if you go straight, and twelve thousand miles if you take the long way around. But if you want to find the shortest route, you’ll have to get past this tall mountain!”
Lu Ban asked again:
“Old man, is there any way you can help me get past this big mountain?”
The old man shook his head:
“This mountain is so tall that it would take a year just to reach its midpoint.”
Lu Ban said:
“If it takes a year to reach the midpoint, then I’ll take two years. If it takes three years, then I’ll take that long, even if it kills me, I won’t come down from this mountain.”
Impressed by Lu Ban’s determination, the old man smiled and said:
“Here, take this forest knife of mine to cut down trees and break rocks so you can climb up quickly.”
Overjoyed, Lu Ban bowed to thank the old man, took the knife, and began climbing the mountain. The knife was light, and with it, he quickly cleared away the thorns and sharp stones. Before long, he had climbed to the top of the mountain.
He hung the knife on an ancient tree, jumped on his horse, and rode straight west along the wide road. After another ten days, he had traveled another three thousand miles and reached the end of the wide road again. Before him was a wide river. The river water was gray, and when a stone was thrown in, it took a long time for any ripples to appear. Lu Ban was dismayed and stopped his horse. Just then, a small boat rowed over from the opposite bank, with a young fisherman on board. Lu Ban dismounted, led his horse onto the boat, and asked with cupped hands:
“Brother, how far is it to Zhongnan Mountain from here?”
The fisherman pointed and said:
“Well, it’s three thousand miles if you go straight and six thousand miles if you take the long way around. But if you want to find the most convenient route, you’ll have to cross this wide river.”
Lu Ban asked again:
“Brother, can you help me cross this river?”
The fisherman frowned:
“No! The river is wide and deep, and countless travelers have drowned here over the years.”
Lu Ban said:
“I’m not afraid of the deep, bottomless water or the wide river that stretches to the horizon. If I can’t cross this wide river, I’d rather die than turn back.”
Impressed by Lu Ban’s determination, the fisherman smiled and said:
“Alright, little brother, tie your horse to the boat, and I’ll take you across.”
Lu Ban crossed the river and continued riding west along the wide road. Racing against the wind and chasing the sun, he covered another three thousand miles in ten days. Once again, he reached the end of the wide road, and before him was a range of tall mountains. Lu Ban wondered, “Are these the Zhongnan Mountains?” The mountain peaks rose and fell, and there were thousands of winding paths. Which one should he take to climb the mountain?
Lu Ban was once again dismayed and stopped his horse. Just then, he noticed a small house at the foot of the mountain, with an old woman sitting in front of it, spinning yarn. Lu Ban led his horse forward and asked with cupped hands:
“Old woman, how far is it to Zhongnan Mountain from here?”
The old woman replied:
“It’s a hundred miles if you go straight and three hundred miles if you take the long way around. There are three hundred peaks and three hundred immortal beings: which one do you want to find?”
Overjoyed, Lu Ban replied:
“I want to find the master of carpentry. Which path should I take?”
The old woman said:
“There are nine hundred and ninety-nine small paths, and the middle path is the way to go.”
Lu Ban repeatedly thanked her, then began counting from the left, four hundred and ninety-nine paths, and then from the right, another four hundred and ninety-nine paths. He then walked up the middle path and rode his horse straight up the mountain.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, Lu Ban saw only one dilapidated house hidden among the trees. As he approached, he saw a small, three-room house. Lu Ban gently pushed open the door and saw that the floor was littered with broken axes, dull chisels, and other tools, leaving barely any room to walk. Looking up, he saw an old man with white hair sleeping on the bed, snoring like thunder. Lu Ban thought to himself, “This old man must be the master carpenter.”
Not wanting to disturb his teacher’s sleep, Lu Ban quietly gathered the broken axes and dull chisels and placed them in a wooden box. Then he sat upright on a long bench, waiting for the old man to wake up.
The old man slept very soundly, turning over several times before finally waking up as the sun set behind the mountain. Lu Ban stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and said:
“Teacher, your apprentice is here today to pay his respects and ask you to accept me as your student and teach me your craft.”
The old man asked:
“What’s your name, and where are you from?”
Lu Ban replied:
“My name is Lu Ban, and I’m from Lu Jia Loan, over ten thousand miles from here.”
The old man asked again:
“Why did you come to me to learn carpentry?”
Lu Ban replied decisively:
“Because you are the master of carpentry.”
The old man paused for a moment and then said:
“I’ll have to test you first. If you answer correctly, I’ll accept you as my student. If you answer incorrectly, don’t blame me for not taking you in, and you can leave the way you came.”
Lu Ban was startled:
“If I can’t answer today, please give me until tomorrow. Whenever I can answer, please accept me as your student.”
“How many main columns, secondary columns, beams, and rafters are there in a standard three-room house?”
Lu Ban immediately replied:
“A standard three-room house has three main columns, three secondary columns, twenty beams of different sizes, and a hundred rafters. I’ve been counting them since I was five.”
The old man nodded slightly and asked another question:
“For the same subject, some students can learn it in three months, while others take three years. So, where do these two periods of time come from?”
Lu Ban thought for a moment and replied:
“Three months of learning comes from the eyes, and three years of learning comes from the heart.”
The old man nodded slightly and asked a third question:
“A carpenter taught two apprentices. The first apprentice swung his axe and immediately earned a fortune, while the second apprentice swung his axe and immediately carved his name in people’s hearts. If you finish your apprenticeship, which one would you follow?”
Lu Ban immediately replied:
“I will follow the second one!”
The old man stopped asking questions and said:
“Alright, you’ve answered correctly, and I’ll accept you as my student. But there’s one more thing. If you want to learn my craft, you must be able to use my ‘tools.’ These tools haven’t been changed in five hundred years, so take them and fix them.”
Lu Ban stood up, picked up the wooden box containing the tools, and placed it on a stone. He took out each tool and examined them. The axe heads were broken, the saw teeth were dull and missing, and the two chisels were bent, dull, and rusty. Without hesitation, Lu Ban rolled up his sleeves and began sharpening them. He sharpened day and night until his arms were numb and his hands were swollen. The sharpening stone, which had been thick and tall, was now worn down like a crescent moon. Lu Ban sharpened for seven days and seven nights, and the axe heads were sharp, the saw teeth were pointed, and the chisels were no longer rusty, with all the tools sharp and shiny. Lu Ban brought each tool to the old man to examine. The old man merely nodded without saying a word, and it was unclear if he approved or not. Finally, the old man said:
“Let’s test the sharpness of the saw. Go and cut down the ancient tree at the door. This tree has been standing here for five hundred years.”
Lu Ban picked up the saw and went to the ancient tree. The tree trunk was so large that two people couldn’t reach around it, and the top seemed to touch the sky. Lu Ban sat at the base of the tree and began sawing. He sawed for exactly twelve days and twelve nights before the ancient tree fell. Lu Ban brought the saw back to the old man. The old man said again:
“Let’s test the sharpness of the axe. Take the axe and shape this piece of wood into a large beam. It must be smooth, without a single scratch, and round like the full moon.”
Lu Ban turned and took the axe to the wood. He swung the axe to chop off the branches and strip off the bark. He worked for exactly twelve days and twelve nights before completing the large beam. Lu Ban brought the axe back to the old man. The old man said again:
“One more test for the chisels. Take the chisels and make two thousand four hundred holes in the beam: six hundred square holes, six hundred round holes, six hundred triangular holes, and six hundred diamond-shaped holes.”
Lu Ban took the chisels and began chiseling. Wood chips flew everywhere, and the more he chiseled, the
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