To give someone a high hat, it means to flatter someone.

Once upon a time,a scholar was sent to be a public servent in another province,before he went, his teacher told him:"it is diffcult to be a public servent outside your hometown,so you should try your best to keep a good relationship with your colleags."

And the student answered: "don't worry sir,I have prepared 100 high hats and I give out one to whomever I met,so that people would like me."

The teacher became angry,he said:" how can you do that? We are Confucius scholars so we should never flatter other people as snobs do."

"yes," the student said," but I don''t think it would work,for in this wicked world,who else can be a real Confucius follower and hate flattering as you,my teacher?"

And his teacher nodded with a smile:"what you said is very correct."

when the student went out,he told his classmate:"I have prepared 1,000 high hats,but now there are only 99 ones left."