One day Mo Zi severely reproached one of his apostles（使徒）, Geng Zhuzi.

Geng Zhuzi felt wronged and complained, "I have not made more mistakes than others. Why did you give me such a going-over?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Zi said, "If you were driving a swift horse and a goat to ascend the Mt. Taihang, which one you would whip, the horse or the goat?"

Geng Zhuzi replied, "The swift horse, of course." Mo Zi then asked, "Why the swift horse? Because the swift horse is worth whipping, the goat is not." Geng Zhuzi answered.

"You are like the horse, not the goat, and worth reproaching. That is why I reproached you."

有一次，墨子严厉地责备他的门徒耕柱子。

耕柱子觉得委屈，抱怨说：“我可没有比别人犯更多的错，您为什么要这样苛责我呢？”

墨子听到以后说：“假如要驾着好马和羊上太行山，如果是你，你是鞭打马好还是鞭打羊好呢？”

耕柱子回答：“我当然要鞭打好马。”墨子问：“你为什么要鞭打好马而不鞭打好羊呢？”耕柱子回答说：“因为好马值得责打，而羊不值得。”

墨子说：“我责备你是因为你像马而不像羊，值得批评呀。”