To be overly cautious and indecisive; to hesitate and be full of misgivings; to be timid and irresolute.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
In the 11th year of Duke Ling of Jin (610 BC), Duke Ling of Jin convened an alliance with several feudal lords in Hu. Duke Mu of Zheng wished to join this grand event, but Duke Ling, who presided over the alliance, refused to meet him. The reason was that Duke Ling believed Zheng colluded with Chu and harbored disloyalty towards Jin.
Zheng's minister Zǐ Jiā sent an envoy to Jin, carrying a letter for the powerful minister Zhao Dun (an ancestor of the Zhao state). The letter stated that since Duke Mu of Zheng ascended the throne, Zheng had always been friendly with Jin, and even under immense pressure from the powerful state of Chu, they never dared to be disloyal to Jin. The letter also refuted Jin's unwarranted accusations against Zheng.
It then adopted a firm tone, quoting an ancient saying: "Fearing the head and fearing the tail, how much of the body is left?" (畏首畏尾，身其余几). It also said: "A dying deer does not choose its cry" (鹿死不择音).
If a small state serves a large state, and the large state treats it with virtue, then the small state will be as submissive as a human. The letter continued: If the large state treats it without propriety, the small state will act recklessly like a cornered deer, no longer able to choose its path. "Your country's orders have no standard, and we know we face extinction. We can only prepare our soldiers to await your command. As for what we should do next, we will follow your orders."
Zhao Dun, seeing the reasonableness in the letter, persuaded Duke Ling of Jin to retract his refusal for Duke Mu of Zheng to participate in the alliance. This story gave rise to the idioms "畏首畏尾" (wèishǒu wèiwěi) and "铤而走险" (tǐng'ér zǒuxiǎn).