There is a small island in the East China Sea where an old fisherman and his wife live.
Usually, the fisherman swings his boat to catch fish, and his wife raises chickens and feeds ducks on the island. Besides buying some clothes, oil and salt, they seldom communicate with the outside world.
One year in autumn, a flock of swans came to the island. They flew from the far north, ready to go to the south for the winter. The old couple was very happy to see this group of overseas visitors because they had lived here for many years and no one had ever come to visit.
To express their joy, the fisherman and his wife took out the feed for the chickens and the small fish to entertain the swans, so the swans became familiar with the couple, and on the island, they not only dared to strut around but also went with the boat and played around when the old fisherman was fishing.
When winter came, these swans surprisingly did not continue to fly south. They fed on the lake during the day and roost on the island at night. When the lake froze over, and they couldn’t get food, the old couple opened their cottage to let the geese in to keep warm and feed them, and this care continued until spring came and the lake thawed.
Day after day, year after year, every winter, the old couple gave their love in this way. One year, they got old and left the island, and the swans disappeared, but instead of flying south, they starved to death during the lake freeze the next year.
In this world, there is no greater emotion than love, but love must also have a degree. Beyond that degree, love may become harmful. Many modern couples are a replica of the fisherman couple in the story. They think giving their children the best material enjoyment is love, but they don’t know that teaching them survival skills is the most precious thing to share.
