文字学考证认为，兔的前肢短，后肢长而有力，拔腿飞奔是它们的逃生本能，故“逸”字从兔，甲骨文本义为追逐兔子。甲骨文中有“冤”字，为会意字，字形为兔在网中，其本义同“罝”，《诗经》中有“肃肃兔罝”的记载，描述了在岔路口和密林中设置又紧又密的网以捕兔的情形。

宋人有耕者。田中有株，兔走触株，折颈而死。因释其耒而守株，冀复得兔。兔不可复得，而身为宋国笑。 ——《韩非子•五蠹》

Stand by a Stump Waiting for More Suicidal Hares

A farmer of the state of Song was ploughing in the fields when a hare came dashing past and ran into a tree stump in its way.

It broke its neck and fell down dead, Seeing this, the farmer put aside his plough and went up to stand by the stump, hoping to get some more hares this way.

Naturally, no more hares came and for this, the farmer became a laughing stock all over the state.