To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength;
秋毫 is explained as the fur of a hare, which is finest in autumn,
when it begins to grow afresh. The phrase is a very common one in
Chinese writers. Cf. Mencius, I. 1. vii. 10, and Chuang Tzŭ,
知北遊, _et al._
to see sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of
thunder is no sign of a quick ear.
Ho Shih gives as real instances of strength, sharp sight and quick
hearing: 烏𫉬 Wu Huo, who could lift a tripod weighing 250 stone;
離朱 Li Chu, who at a distance of a hundred paces could see objects
no bigger than a mustard seed; and 師曠 Shih K‘uang, a blind
musician who could hear the footsteps of a mosquito.