Herbal Legends IX:
Once upon a time there was an elderly doctor and herb-gatherer. He had been practicing his healing art for many years. However, he never married and lived by himself. When he realised that he had become old, he accepted many students, to whom he wanted to pass on his knowledge of herbs. Thus, he led them into the mountains to collect herbs and let them assist him during his treatments 
of patients. During those times he transmitted much of his medical wisdom. He was quite content with his students, as they studied diligently and absorbed eagerly the knowledge, which he revealed to them. But the old doctor knew that healing knowledge alone was not enough to become a good doctor. But it was also paramount to be endowed with a noble character and high medical ethics. That is why he wanted to test his students before imparting the crucial medicinal knowledge to them. Therefore, he assembled his students and said to them:
“Presently I am old and weak and most likely I will not be able anymore to go into the mountains, collect herbs and practice medicine. You have followed me for several years and received the basic knowledge of herbology, herb preparation and application. Now is the time that you go your own way.”
The students assumed that their teacher must have piled up a considerate fortune during his lifetime of treating patients. The eldest student, who in his mind already started calculating the abacus, invited his teacher to live with him, only with the hope to obtain a good inheritance. He claimed to treat him like his own father. The old doctor was relieved and felt that he had not instructed his students in vain and consequently moved in with his eldest student. At the beginning his eldest 
student treated him respectfully and cared for him from morning to evening. But after a few days he grasped the opportunity to secretly rummage through his master’s luggage. When he realized that his master did not own anything, but his torn and tattered clothes, he all of a sudden was much less friendly to him, gave him the cold shoulder and complained about him. Once the old doctor saw through his students disguise, he took his belongings and moved to the second eldest student. But the second student was not the slightest bit better. When he noticed that his teacher had no money, he also rejected him. Then the old master in despair turned to his third student. But he was even worse than the previous two, because once he found out that his teacher was just a poor wandering doctor, he demanded of him to get out after only three days. Deeply disappointed the doctor contemplated:
“Who would have anticipated that they all just have money on their minds and contempt human beings? “
He had no choice, but to homeless meander in the streets filled with sorrow and sadness. When his fourth student, the youngest, heard of all this, he rushed to fetch his teacher. The elder asked him:
“I do not own a single cent and you truly want me to live and eat at your home?”
His youngest disciple replied:
“A teacher is like parent to the student. To feed your teacher as a student is a deed to be taken the most granted in this world. You can be at ease and reside with me.”
After having only lived for three days with this disciple, the doctor fell severely ill. His disciple took care of him devotedly during that time and nurtured him back to health, as if he was his own father. When the old doctor saw the righteousness and kind-heartedness of his youngest disciple, he felt overcome by joy. After he had recovered, he summoned his student and opened a bag, which he always carried on his body. Within this bag was a herb, which he explained to his disciple:
“This herb supplements the Liver and Kidneys and strengthens the body’s tendons. I, herby, hand over this secret to you. In the future you will help many people.”
Shortly afterwards the old doctor passed away and his disciple buried him. Later the student treated many patients effectively with the secret method of his master and became a widely admired and venerated doctor. But the herb had no name yet. The young disciple looked at it and noticed that the nodes on his stem resembled the knees of oxen, and named it “Ox Knee” [niu xi 牛膝 ] – Achyranthes bidentata.
