戰國時期，魏國有個叫樂羊子的人。

樂羊子離開家到了一個很遠的地方，去拜師求學。

一年後，樂羊子突然回到家中，他的妻子很驚訝地問：“你怎麽回來了？你才和那些學者學了一年呀。”

樂羊子說：“我太想你了，所以回來看看。”

他的妻子聽了以後，二話不說，拿起剪刀走到她的織布機前。

她指著那塊已經完成了一半的錦緞說：“這塊錦緞用的是最好的絲。我一絲絲的累積來織成這錦緞。如果我現在把它剪斷，就等於前功盡棄。你求學也是這樣。如果現在停止，和剪斷織布機上的錦緞有什麽區別？”

樂羊子被妻子的話所感動，於是立刻離開家，繼續拜師求學。幾年後，樂羊子終於完成學業，成為一個博學的人。

During the Warring States Period (475-221BC), there was a man called Yue Yangzi in State Wei.

Yue Yangzi felt that he should go out and visit scholars to enrich his knowledge. So he set off.

A year later, he came back home suddenly. "Why have you returned?" asked his wife in surprise, "You've only spent one year studying with scholars."

"I come back because I missed you very much."

Without saying anything, his wife took a pair of scissors and went to the loom at which she had worked.

Pointing at the half done brocade, she proclaimed : "This brocade is woven from the finest silk.I wove one strand after another to produce the brocade. Now if I cut it, all my previous work will be wasted. It's the same with your studies. You can acquire knowledge only through diligence. Now, you've given up halfway. Isn't it the same as cutting the brocade on the loom?"

Yue Yangzi was moved by what she said. He again left home to visit scholars. Several years later he became a knowledgable man.