Li Bai, the renowned Tang Dynasty poet, was exceptionally gifted, having read many classic texts by the age of ten.
Li Bai's father was a wealthy merchant, so the family had plenty of money. From a young age, Li Bai developed a playful nature and couldn't focus on his studies. Often, after reading for just a short while, he would put down his book and wander outside to idle about.
One day, Li Bai grew restless from his reading and stepped outside, where he encountered an old woman diligently grinding an iron rod.
Li Bai, puzzled, asked, "Old woman, what are you doing?" The old woman looked up at him and replied, "Child, I am grinding this iron rod into a needle!" Astonished, Li Bai exclaimed, "But this iron rod is so thick—can you really grind it into a needle?" The old woman smiled and said, "If I keep grinding without stopping, the rod will grow thinner and thinner, and eventually it will become a needle. Why wouldn't it work?"
Moved by the old woman's words, Li Bai resolved to persevere in his studies, and he later became one of China's greatest poets.
Later, the idiom "Grinding an Iron Pestle into a Needle" came to symbolize that with perseverance and determination, even the greatest difficulties can be overcome.
Source: *Qian Que Lei Shu*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "磨杵成针" came to describe with perseverance and determination, even the greatest difficulties can be overcome.