As it was believed that ghosts liked to take the lives of the smartest and most well-behaved children, parents would give their children vulgar, foolish nicknames and cut their hair in peculiar styles such as those depicted in the painting, in order to deceive the ghosts.
原來這是由於古時醫藥衛生不發達，小孩容易夭折，人們以為有小鬼作怪，專抓乖巧的小孩。因此不是為小兒取個俚俗粗鄙的小名，就是剪個奇奇怪怪的髮型以避邪。