There was a man named Dong Pu during the Ming dynasty, who was slow when he was young. He could only remember a few lines even when he studied all day long.
An elder in the neighborhood sympathized with him and told his father; “Your son is not so smart, why force him to study? Why not let him care for a herd of cattle!” Dong Pu felt deeply ashamed.
He therefore had someone draw a picture of a man herding cattle and put it nearby to encourage himself.
Dong Pu thus studied hard. When he grew up, he became a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination.
