Chinese idiom: bá miáo zhù zhăng

拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhăng)

Helping seedlings to grow by pulling them up

There once was a farmer who lived during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). He was a very impatient man. The anxious farmer measured the size his crops every day. One day, he found that his crops were growing much slower than expected, which upset him a great deal.

The farmer racked his brains trying to find ways to get quicker results. One day, he came up with a solution. He would physically pull the crops out of the ground, thereby making them taller. The farmer worked very hard and at day's end was exhausted but extremely proud of himself because his plan had produced the desired results.

When the farmer went home, he excitedly told his son of his "brilliant" idea. His son went to the fields only to discover that all of his crops had died.