《列子·黄帝》
不久家里贫困起来，他打算限制猴子的食物，又怕猴子不听自己的话，便先欺骗它们说： 喂你们橡子，早上三个，晚上四个，够吗？ 
俄而匮焉，将限其食。恐众狙之不驯于己也，先诳之曰： 与若芧，朝三而暮四，足乎？ 
Soon the family became poor. He planned to limit the amount of food for the monkeys, but he was afraid that the monkeys would not listen to him, so he first deceived them by saying: I will feed you acorns, three in the morning, four in the evening, will that be enough?