春秋时代，晋国的国君晋平公坐船游玩。
他开心地说：“我想要找到一些有才能的人，和他们一起分享这里的美景。”
划船的船夫名叫盍胥，他听到晋平公的话后，跪下来说：“大王，您并不是真的喜欢有才能的人。”
盍胥解释说：“海里的珠宝和山里的玉石都没有脚，但是因为您喜欢它们，所以您能得到它们。可是，那些有才能的人是有脚的，但他们却没有来到您的身边，这是因为您并不真正喜欢他们。”
晋平公回答说：“我家里有很多人吃饭，如果他们在早上吃不饱，我会在晚上到市集去收税来给他们买食物；如果他们在晚上吃不饱，我会在早上到市集去收税来给他们买食物。这样怎么能说我不是喜欢有才能的人呢？”
盍胥想了想，然后说：“大鸟展翅一飞可以飞很远，是因为它有一对翅膀。但是，它的背上的毛或肚子下面的细毛，不管是多一点还是少一点，都不会影响它飞行。现在大王您家里有很多人，他们是像双翅一样有用的人才，还是像细毛一样可有可无的人呢？《诗经》里说：‘虽然有很多人在一起商量事情，但都不是贤能人士。’”
后来，人们就把盍胥说的“无足而至”，引申成为“不胫而走”这句成语，意思是事物不用推展，也能快速流传。
In the Spring and Autumn period, the ruler of Jin Kingdom, Ping Gong, was taking a boat ride.
He happily said, "I want to find some talented people to share this beautiful scenery with."
The boatman's name was He Xu. Upon hearing Ping Gong's words, he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, you do not truly like talented people."
He Xu explained, "Pearls in the sea and jade in the mountains have no feet, but because you like them, you can obtain them. However, those talented people have feet, yet they do not come to your side. This is because you do not truly like them."
Ping Gong replied, "There are many people eating in my house. If they are not full in the morning, I will collect taxes at the market in the evening to buy food for them; if they are not full in the evening, I will collect taxes at the market in the morning to buy food for them. How can it be said that I do not like talented people?"
He Xu thought for a moment and then said, "A big bird can fly far with its wings. But whether there are more or fewer feathers on its back or belly does not affect its flight. Now, Your Majesty, there are many people in your house. Are they like wings, useful talents, or like feathers, insignificant? The Book of Songs says, 'Many people discuss things together, but none of them are virtuous.'"
Later, people took He Xu's phrase 'no legs yet comes' and extended it into the idiom 'Without Legs, It Walks', meaning things can spread quickly without promotion.
