Starving between Chen and Cai, still singing

During his years of wandering, Confucius and his disciples were trapped in the countryside between the states of Chen and Cai. The sources differ on why, but the result was the same: they ran out of food, and for seven days they had nothing to eat.

His followers fell ill and could barely stand. Confucius went on lecturing, reciting poetry, and playing the zither and singing.

His disciple Zilu, blunt as always, confronted him: did a gentleman also have to suffer hardship? Confucius replied that a gentleman stays firm in hardship; it is the small man who, in hardship, loses all restraint.

Eventually they were rescued. Later followers loved the story because it showed his main teaching in action: you cannot always choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you behave inside them.