Summary: There is a slow paced person who, in winter, gathers around a stove to keep warm with others. When he sees the corners of someone’s clothes being burned, he slowly says to the person, “There is something I have noticed for a long time. I want to tell you, but I’m afraid you won’t be able to calm down; I don’t want to tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll lose too much. So, is it okay or not?” The person asks what the matter is. The person quickly extinguished the fire and shouted at him, “Since you’ve already discovered it, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” The chronic person replied, “I told you you would be impatient, as expected
大意：有一个慢性子的人，冬天与别人围炉取暖，见别人衣服的边角被火烧着了，于是慢吞吞地对那人说：“有一件事，我早就发现了，想对您说，又怕您沉不住气；不对您说，又怕您损失太多，那么到底是说好呢还是不说好呢？”那人问到底是什么事。回答说：“火烧着您的衣服边了。”那人于是赶快把火灭了，对他吼道：“既已发现，为什么不早告诉我？”慢性子人说：“我说您会性急的吧，果不其然！”
《火烧裳尾》
有人性宽缓，冬日共人围炉，见人裳尾为火所烧，乃曰：“有一事，见之已久，欲言之，恐君性急；不言，恐君伤太多，然则言之是耶，不言之是耶？”人问何事，曰：“火烧君裳。”隧收衣火灭，大怒曰：“见之久，何不早道？”其人曰：“我言君性急，果是。”
–宋无名氏<<籍川笑林>>
A Fiery Temper
A group of people were sitting around a stove on a wintry day when one man of phlegmatic temperament suddenly announced to one of those present: “I have noticed something going on for some time now, but have hesitated to tell you, since I know you are hot-tempered. Yet should I fail to inform you before long, I fear you may sustain bodily injury. Shall I go ahead and tell you or not?”
“Well, be out with it, man!” the hot-tempered fellow exclaimed. Consequently, the first man shouted: “Your robe is on fire, sir!” The victim of the blaze immediately ripped off his own robe and stamped out the flames. Enraged, he cursed the other, saying: “Since you already knew for some time that my clothing was burning, why the devil didn’t you tell me earlier?” “You see!” the first man chortled. “Just as I have said, I knew you’d get angry no matter what I did!”
