A baby with a head far too large for its swaddled body, little arms poking out of the wrappings. The legs are bound in cloth, so you never see them. 子 became so beloved that it was attached to the names of the greatest teachers: Kǒngzǐ — Confucius — literally means "Master Kong".
A piece of culture
The zodiac begins with 子 The Chinese zodiac hour of 子 (11 pm–1 am) belongs to the rat, the first of the twelve animals. Legend says the Jade Emperor held a race to order the zodiac; the clever rat rode the ox's head across the river and leapt off to win. Every Chinese new year begins a new animal's year — ask someone their animal and you can politely guess their age.