The Meaning of Plants (15)

瓜熟蒂落：Fruits fall off when ripe. It means that Things will be easily settled when conditions are ripe. In many cases that people are worried something too much. They expect that it will be ready overnight. In such case friends are usually use this idiom to console the person concerned. The story started from 翟灏of Qing Dynasty (1644 October 30-1912 February 12) the original idiom was瓜熟蒂落，啐啄同时. Fruits fall off when ripe. When the hatched egg matured, the baby chick pecks from inside and mother chicken pecks from outside. It means to say, when something is destined, various factors will help it to be realized.

瓜田李下, in a melon patch or under a plum tree. These two place are most vulnerable place for a suspect. The story start from郭茂傅 of the Southern Song Dynasty（1127－1279）. When he talking about the behaviour of a decent man, he said, “瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠.” A decent man should not put on his shoes in a melon patch or adjust his hat under a plum tree. The purpose is avoiding being suspected.