It's not easy for people to change their ways once they've become set in them, but an ancient story shows that it is indeed possible.

Mr. Wang Lei (141 AD – 218 AD) was a well-respected scholar, who was known for his virtue. He opened schools and promoted righteousness among people. Under his influence, people strove for the good and stayed away from evil. People would even resolve conflicts peaceably among themselves, because they were ashamed to let Mr. Wang know that they had done wrong.

Once, a thief was caught for stealing a cow. The cow's owner felt the thief had confessed sincerely and decided to let him go.

The thief asked the owner, “I was lost and didn't know how to live a virtuous life. Now I have decided to be a new person. Since you have pardoned me, could you please not let Mr. Wang Lei know about it?”

Later, the story made its way to Mr. Wang anyway. He was happy that the thief made the right decision, so he sent some clothes to encourage the thief for taking up a righteous lifestyle.

A few years later, an old man was walking down the road carrying a heavy bag. Suddenly, a man came up behind him, took the bag from him and carried the bag for twenty miles without saying a word.

The old man was very thankful and invited the stranger to his home for a rest. But the man just laid down the bag and left, without even telling the old man his name.

A while later, the old man realized that he had lost his sword while he was out. Fortunately, a man had kept watch over the sword, waiting for the owner to come back and get it. When the old man came back for his sword, he realized that the young man who had kept watch over his sword was the same person who had carried the bag for him!

The old man was very grateful.

“I have never met anyone this kind. Please let me know your name and I'll tell Mr. Wang Lei about you!” he told the young man.

When the old man told Mr. Wang about him, Mr. Wang found out that man was the thief he had given clothes to, many years ago.

宽容仁善　感化盗贼

古代有个人叫王烈，通透豁达，有识人之明。

当时国中有人偷牛，被牛的主人捉住了。偷牛的人说：“我以前迷惑不知该走怎样的人生路，从今以后改过自新。您既然已经赦免、宽宥了我，请不要让王烈（这位贤人）知道。”后来，王烈得知此事，特意赠给偷牛的人一些布，奖励他改过知耻的善念，鼓励他。

过了些年，有个老汉挑著很重的担子行路，有人替他挑担走了数十里路。老汉要邀请他到家里去，他放下担子就离去了。问他姓名，他不说。

老汉又往前走，在路上丢失了剑。有人在路上拾到了剑，本想放置在路边、离去，担心后面的人拾走，就守在路边等候，直到晚上。剑的主人——老汉返回，见到宝剑失而复得，发现守在路边、归还剑的人，就是之前替他挑担的好心人。老汉揽著恩人的衣服说：“您之前替我挑担，我不知您的姓名。现在您又守在这里归还我的剑。没有人像您这样仁义。请告诉我您的姓名，我要告诉王烈（这位贤人）。”他就把姓名告诉了老汉，离开了。老汉告诉了王烈，王烈说：“我没见过世上有这样的仁义人。”让人查询，原来是昔日的偷牛人。

正是因为王烈赠送给偷牛人布匹、鼓励他改过向善，偷牛人才变成了替人挑担、拾到宝剑归还的仁善人啊。把盗贼感化成好人，也许只有在古代才有这样的事啊。

参考资料：《太平御览 卷九百　兽部十二 牛下》宋 李昉