TALES OF THE 24 EXEMPLARS: TSAI SHUN

Picking Mulberries For His Mother: Tsai Shun (A.D. 176)
Tsai Shun whose  father died when he was young was a filial son to his mother. At that time, the ruler was Wang Mang who had just usurped the throne. The whole country was in a chaotic state. To make matters worse there was a famine. During that time, he gathered some mulberries to eat in place of rice. He used to gather two wicker baskets in one of which he collects black mulberries which are well-ripened for his mother; while in the other he keeps the red ones which are only half-ripened for himself. At one time, Tsai Chun met some robbers on the hill. They asked him why he kept the mulberries in two separate bowls.
Tsai Shun answered, "The black mulberries are riper and sweeter. I will give those to my mother. The red ones are not ripe, but sour. Those I eat myself". Please do not kill me or else my mother won't have anybody to look after her. The robbers were touched by the boys sincerity and also his sense of filial piety for this mother. They decided not to harm the boy and instead rewarded him with rice and allowed him to go back to his mother.

Links
http://nirvana-sg.com/24-filial-exemplars/cai-shun
http://www.yogichen.org/cw/cw43/bk144.html