《说苑》是汉代刘向所著的小说集，又名《新苑》。原二十卷，后仅存五卷，大部分已经散佚，后经宋曾巩搜辑，复为二十卷，每卷各有标目。

《古代寓言·好学的三个比喻》

晋平公问于师旷曰：

“吾年七十，欲学，恐已暮矣。”

师旷曰：“何不炳烛乎？”

平公曰：“安有为人臣而戏其君乎？”

师旷曰：“盲臣安敢戏（其）君（乎），臣闻之：少而好学，如日出之阳；壮而好学，如日中之光；老而好学，如炳烛之明：炳烛之明，孰与昧行乎？”

平公曰：“善哉！”

——《说苑》

A Parable on Study

“I am seventy already,” said Duke Ping of Jin to his blind musician Shi Kuang. “Though I want very much to study and read some books, I feel it is too late.”

“But why not light the candle?” suggested Shi Kuang.

“How dare a subject joke with his master?” cried the duke angrily.

“A blind musician, I dare not!” protested Shi Kuang. “But I have heard that if a man is fond of study in his youth, his future is as bright as the morning sun; if he applies himself to study in middle age, it is like the noon-day sun; while if he begins to study when he is old, it is like a candle's flame. Though a candle is not very bright, at least it is better than groping in the dark.”

The duke agreed with him.

--The Garden of Anecdotes (Shuo Yuan)