Tale of Three Larks

Professor DK Jeong loves to use metaphors. One day, I told him that I wanted to apply to integrated PhD program. He said, "You may know a tale of three warlords and a lark in Sengoku period of Japan. Well, let me tell you a different story about three kinds of larks. One sings when you beat it, another sings when you make it sing, and the other sings itself. What lark are you?" He wanted me to be a student who does his own job himeself. 11 years later, I told him that episode and the professor then said, "Fly high. Be a lark singing loudly." Another lovely metaphor.