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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Chinese Fairy Book
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: R. Wilhelm
+
+Illustrator: George W. Hood
+
+Translator: Frederick H. Martens
+
+Release Date: September 8, 2009 [EBook #29939]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHINESE FAIRY BOOK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                  THE
+              CHINESE FAIRY
+                  BOOK
+
+               EDITED BY
+             DR. R. WILHELM
+
+  TRANSLATED AFTER ORIGINAL SOURCES BY
+          FREDERICK H. MARTENS
+
+
+             [Illustration]
+
+
+   WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY
+             GEORGE W. HOOD
+
+
+                NEW YORK
+       FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+               PUBLISHERS
+
+
+
+
+          _Copyright, 1921, by_
+       FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+
+          _All Rights Reserved_
+
+
+
+
+    BOOKS IN THE "FAIRY SERIES"
+
+      _The English Fairy Book_
+      _The Welsh Fairy Book_
+      _The Irish Fairy Book_
+      _The Scottish Fairy Book_
+      _The Italian Fairy Book_
+      _The Hungarian Fairy Book_
+      _The Indian Fairy Book_
+      _The Jewish Fairy Book_
+      _The Swedish Fairy Book_
+      _The Chinese Fairy Book_
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: "THE CROWS COME FLYING AND FORM A BRIDGE OVER WHICH
+    THE WEAVING MAIDEN CROSSES THE SILVER RIVER."
+                                                  --_Page 40_]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+The fairy tales and legends of olden China have in common with the
+"Thousand and One Nights" an oriental glow and glitter of precious
+stones and gold and multicolored silks, an oriental wealth of
+fantastic and supernatural action. And yet they strike an exotic note
+distinct in itself. The seventy-three stories here presented after
+original sources, embracing "Nursery Fairy Tales," "Legends of the
+Gods," "Tales of Saints and Magicians," "Nature and Animal Tales,"
+"Ghost Stories," "Historic Fairy Tales," and "Literary Fairy Tales,"
+probably represent the most comprehensive and varied collection of
+oriental fairy tales ever made available for American readers. There
+is no child who will not enjoy their novel color, their fantastic
+beauty, their infinite variety of subject. Yet, like the "Arabian
+Nights," they will amply repay the attention of the older reader as
+well. Some are exquisitely poetic, such as "The Flower-Elves," "The
+Lady of the Moon" or "The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden"; others
+like "How Three Heroes Came By Their Deaths Because Of Two Peaches,"
+carry us back dramatically and powerfully to the Chinese age of
+Chivalry. The summits of fantasy are scaled in the quasi-religious
+dramas of "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" and "Notscha," or the weird sorceries
+unfolded in "The Kindly Magician." Delightful ghost stories, with
+happy endings, such as "A Night on the Battlefield" and "The Ghost Who
+Was Foiled," are paralleled with such idyllic love-tales as that of
+"Rose of Evening," or such Lilliputian fancies as "The King of the
+Ants" and "The Little Hunting Dog." It is quite safe to say that these
+Chinese fairy tales will give equal pleasure to the old as well as the
+young. They have been retold simply, with no changes in style or
+expression beyond such details of presentation which differences
+between oriental and occidental viewpoints at times compel. It is the
+writer's hope that others may take as much pleasure in reading them as
+he did in their translation.
+
+    FREDRICK H. MARTENS.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+
+    PREFACE                                                          v
+
+
+    NURSERY FAIRY TALES
+
+    CHAPTER
+
+          I WOMEN'S WORDS PART FLESH AND BLOOD                       1
+
+         II THE THREE RHYMSTERS                                      4
+
+        III HOW GREED FOR A TRIFLING THING LED A MAN TO LOSE A
+              GREAT ONE                                              6
+
+         IV WHO WAS THE SINNER?                                      9
+
+          V THE MAGIC CASK                                          10
+
+         VI THE FAVORITE OF FORTUNE AND THE CHILD OF ILL LUCK       11
+
+        VII THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS                                13
+
+       VIII THE CAVE OF THE BEASTS                                  17
+
+         IX THE PANTHER                                             20
+
+          X THE GREAT FLOOD                                         24
+
+         XI THE FOX AND THE TIGER                                   27
+
+        XII THE TIGER'S DECOY                                       28
+
+       XIII THE FOX AND THE RAVEN                                   29
+
+        XIV WHY DOG AND CAT ARE ENEMIES                             30
+
+
+    LEGENDS OF THE GODS
+
+         XV HOW THE FIVE ANCIENTS BECAME MEN                        35
+
+        XVI THE HERD BOY AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN                     37
+
+       XVII YANG OERLANG                                            42
+
+      XVIII NOTSCHA                                                 44
+
+        XIX THE LADY OF THE MOON                                    53
+
+         XX THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR                        55
+
+        XXI THE GIRL WITH THE HORSE'S HEAD OR THE SILKWORM
+              GODDESS                                               56
+
+       XXII THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN                                     58
+
+      XXIII THE FIRE-GOD                                            61
+
+       XXIV THE THREE RULING GODS                                   62
+
+        XXV A LEGEND OF CONFUCIUS                                   64
+
+       XXVI THE GOD OF WAR                                          66
+
+
+    TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS
+
+      XXVII THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS                                 71
+
+     XXVIII LAOTSZE                                                 73
+
+       XXIX THE ANCIENT MAN                                         75
+
+        XXX THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)                                 76
+
+       XXXI THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)                                82
+
+      XXXII THE TWO SCHOLARS                                        84
+
+     XXXIII THE MISERLY FARMER                                      88
+
+      XXXIV SKY O'DAWN                                              90
+
+       XXXV KING MU OF DSCHOU                                       95
+
+      XXXVI THE KING OF HUAI NAN                                    99
+
+     XXXVII OLD DSCHANG                                            102
+
+    XXXVIII THE KINDLY MAGICIAN                                    107
+
+
+    NATURE AND ANIMAL TALES
+
+      XXXIX THE FLOWER-ELVES                                       119
+
+         XL THE SPIRIT OF THE WU-LIAN MOUNTAIN                     124
+
+        XLI THE KING OF THE ANTS                                   125
+
+       XLII THE LITTLE HUNTING DOG                                 127
+
+      XLIII THE DRAGON AFTER HIS WINTER SLEEP                      130
+
+       XLIV THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW RIVER                        131
+
+        XLV THE DRAGON-PRINCESS                                    137
+
+       XLVI HELP IN NEED                                           142
+
+      XLVII THE DISOWNED PRINCESS                                  151
+
+     XLVIII FOX-FIRE                                               161
+
+
+    GHOST STORIES
+
+       XLIX THE TALKING SILVER FOXES                               165
+
+          L THE CONSTABLE                                          168
+
+         LI THE DANGEROUS REWARD                                   174
+
+        LII RETRIBUTION                                            177
+
+       LIII THE GHOST WHO WAS FOILED                               180
+
+        LIV THE PUNISHMENT OF GREED                                184
+
+         LV THE NIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELD                           186
+
+        LVI THE KINGDOM OF THE OGRES                               189
+
+       LVII THE MAIDEN WHO WAS STOLEN AWAY                         196
+
+      LVIII THE FLYING OGRE                                        199
+
+        LIX BLACK ARTS                                             201
+
+
+    HISTORIC LEGENDS
+
+         LX THE SORCERER OF THE WHITE LOTUS LODGE                  209
+
+        LXI THE THREE EVILS                                        212
+
+       LXII HOW THREE HEROES CAME BY THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF
+              TWO PEACHES                                          215
+
+      LXIII HOW THE RIVER GOD'S WEDDING WAS BROKEN OFF             218
+
+       LXIV DSCHANG LIANG                                          220
+
+        LXV OLD DRAGONBEARD                                        223
+
+       LXVI HOW MOLO STOLE THE LOVELY ROSE-RED                     231
+
+      LXVII THE GOLDEN CANISTER                                    235
+
+     LXVIII YANG GUI FE                                            240
+
+       LXIX THE MONK OF THE YANGTZE-KIANG                          243
+
+
+    LITERARY FAIRY TALES
+
+        LXX THE HEARTLESS HUSBAND                                  251
+
+       LXXI GIAUNA THE BEAUTIFUL                                   261
+
+      LXXII THE FROG PRINCESS                                      271
+
+     LXXIII ROSE OF EVENING                                        280
+
+      LXXIV THE APE SUN WU KUNG                                    288
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    "The crows come flying and form a bridge over which the
+      Weaving Maiden crosses the Silver River"          _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                           FACING PAGE
+
+    "Beside it stood a Cassia-tree"                                 54
+
+    "'And I crossed the water on the shoe'"                         90
+
+    "A fisherboy dived into the water and brought up a pearl
+      from beneath the chin of a black dragon"                     138
+
+    "Tsian Tang brought out a platter of red amber on which
+      lay a carbuncle"                                             156
+
+    "Then he took his master and Rose-Red upon his back and
+      flew with them over the steep walls"                         234
+
+
+
+
+NURSERY FAIRY TALES
+
+
+
+
+THE CHINESE FAIRY BOOK
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+WOMEN'S WORDS PART FLESH AND BLOOD
+
+
+Once upon a time there were two brothers, who lived in the same house.
+And the big brother listened to his wife's words, and because of them
+fell out with the little one. Summer had begun, and the time for
+sowing the high-growing millet had come. The little brother had no
+grain, and asked the big one to loan him some, and the big one ordered
+his wife to give it to him. But she took the grain, put it in a large
+pot and cooked it until it was done. Then she gave it to the little
+fellow. He knew nothing about it, and went and sowed his field with
+it. Yet, since the grain had been cooked, it did not sprout. Only a
+single grain of seed had not been cooked; so only a single sprout shot
+up. The little brother was hard-working and industrious by nature, and
+hence he watered and hoed the sprout all day long. And the sprout grew
+mightily, like a tree, and an ear of millet sprang up out of it like a
+canopy, large enough to shade half an acre of ground. In the fall the
+ear was ripe. Then the little brother took his ax and chopped it down.
+But no sooner had the ear fallen to the ground, than an enormous Roc
+came rushing down, took the ear in his beak and flew away. The little
+brother ran after him as far as the shore of the sea.
+
+Then the bird turned and spoke to him like a human being, as follows:
+"You should not seek to harm me! What is this one ear worth to you?
+East of the sea is the isle of gold and silver. I will carry you
+across. There you may take whatever you want, and become very rich."
+
+The little brother was satisfied, and climbed on the bird's back, and
+the latter told him to close his eyes. So he only heard the air
+whistling past his ears, as though he were driving through a strong
+wind, and beneath him the roar and surge of flood and waves. Suddenly
+the bird settled on a rock: "Here we are!" he said.
+
+Then the little brother opened his eyes and looked about him: and on
+all sides he saw nothing but the radiance and shimmer of all sorts of
+white and yellow objects. He took about a dozen of the little things
+and hid them in his breast.
+
+"Have you enough?" asked the Roc.
+
+"Yes, I have enough," he replied.
+
+"That is well," answered the bird. "Moderation protects one from
+harm."
+
+Then he once more took him up, and carried him back again.
+
+When the little brother reached home, he bought himself a good piece
+of ground in the course of time, and became quite well to do.
+
+But his brother was jealous of him, and said to him, harshly: "Where
+did you manage to steal the money?"
+
+So the little one told him the whole truth of the matter. Then the big
+brother went home and took counsel with his wife.
+
+"Nothing easier," said his wife. "I will just cook grain again and
+keep back one seedling so that it is not done. Then you shall sow it,
+and we will see what happens."
+
+No sooner said than done. And sure enough, a single sprout shot up,
+and sure enough, the sprout bore a single ear of millet, and when
+harvest time came around, the Roc again appeared and carried it off in
+his beak. The big brother was pleased, and ran after him, and the Roc
+said the same thing he had said before, and carried the big brother to
+the island. There the big brother saw the gold and silver heaped up
+everywhere. The largest pieces were like hills, the small ones were
+like bricks, and the real tiny ones were like grains of sand. They
+blinded his eyes. He only regretted that he knew of no way by which he
+could move mountains. So he bent down and picked up as many pieces as
+possible.
+
+The Roc said: "Now you have enough. You will overtax your strength."
+
+"Have patience but a little while longer," said the big brother. "Do
+not be in such a hurry! I must get a few more pieces!"
+
+And thus time passed.
+
+The Roc again urged him to make haste: "The sun will appear in a
+moment," said he, "and the sun is so hot it burns human beings up."
+
+"Wait just a little while longer," said the big brother. But that very
+moment a red disk broke through the clouds with tremendous power. The
+Roc flew into the sea, stretched out both his wings, and beat the
+water with them in order to escape the heat. But the big brother was
+shrivelled up by the sun.
+
+    Note: This fairy-tale is traditionally narrated. The
+    Roc is called _pong_ in Chinese, and the treasures on
+    the island are spoken of as "all sorts of yellow and
+    white objects" because the little fellow does not know
+    that they are gold and silver.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+THE THREE RHYMSTERS
+
+
+Once there were three daughters in a family. The oldest one married a
+physician, the second one married a magistrate; but the third, who was
+more than usually intelligent and a clever talker, married a farmer.
+
+Now it chanced, once upon a time, that their parents were celebrating
+a birthday. So the three daughters came, together with their husbands,
+to wish them long life and happiness. The parents-in-law prepared a
+meal for their three sons-in-law, and put the birthday wine on the
+table. But the oldest son-in-law, who knew that the third one had not
+attended school, wanted to embarrass him.
+
+"It is far too tiresome," said he, "just to sit here drinking: let us
+have a drinking game. Each one of us must invent a verse, one that
+rimes and makes sense, on the words: 'in the sky, on the earth, at the
+table, in the room,' And whoever cannot do so, must empty three
+glasses as a punishment."
+
+All the company were satisfied. Only the third son-in-law felt
+embarrassed and insisted on leaving. But the guests would not let him
+go, and obliged him to keep his seat.
+
+Then the oldest son-in-law began: "I will make a start with my verse.
+Here it is:
+
+    "In the sky the phenix proudly flies,
+    On the earth the lambkin tamely lies,
+    At the table through an ancient book I wade,
+    In the room I softly call the maid."
+
+The second one continued: "And I say:
+
+    "In the sky the turtle-dove flies round,
+    On the earth the ox paws up the ground,
+    At the table one studies the deeds of yore,
+    In the room the maid she sweeps the floor."
+
+But the third son-in-law stuttered, and found nothing to say. And when
+all of them insisted, he broke out in rough tones of voice:
+
+    "In the sky--flies a leaden bullet,
+    On the earth--stalks a tiger-beast,
+    On the table--lies a pair of scissors,
+    In the room--I call the stable-boy."
+
+The other two sons-in-law clapped their hands and began to laugh
+loudly.
+
+"Why the four lines do not rime at all," said they, "and, besides
+they do not make sense. A leaden bullet is no bird, the stable-boy
+does his work outside, would you call him into the room? Nonsense,
+nonsense! Drink!"
+
+Yet before they had finished speaking, the third daughter raised the
+curtain of the women's room, and stepped out. She was angry, yet she
+could not suppress a smile.
+
+"How so do our lines not make sense?" said she. "Listen a moment, and
+I'll explain them to you: In the sky our leaden bullet will shoot your
+phenix and your turtle-dove. On the earth our tiger-beast will devour
+your sheep and your ox. On the table our pair of scissors will cut up
+all your old books. And finally, in the room--well, the stable-boy can
+marry your maid!"
+
+Then the oldest son-in-law said: "Well scolded! Sister-in-law, you
+know how to talk! If you were a man you would have had your degree
+long ago. And, as a punishment, we will empty our three glasses."
+
+    Note: This is also a fairy-tale traditionally handed
+    down.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+HOW GREED FOR A TRIFLING THING LED A MAN TO LOSE A GREAT ONE
+
+
+Once upon a time there was an old woman, who had two sons. But her
+older son did not love his parents, and left his mother and brother.
+The younger one served her so faithfully, however, that all the people
+spoke of his filial affection.
+
+One day it happened that there was a theatrical performance given
+outside the village. The younger son started to carry his mother there
+on his back, so that she might look on. But there was a ravine before
+the village, and he slipped and fell down in the middle of it. And his
+mother was killed by the rolling stones, and her blood and flesh were
+sprinkled about everywhere. The son stroked his mother's corpse, and
+wept bitterly. He was about to kill himself when, suddenly, he saw a
+priest standing before him.
+
+The latter said: "Have no fear, for I can bring your mother back to
+life again!" And as he said so, he stooped, gathered up her flesh and
+bones, and laid them together as they should be. Then he breathed upon
+them, and at once the mother was alive again. This made the son very
+happy, and he thanked the priest on his knees. Yet on a sharp point of
+rock he still saw a bit of his mother's flesh hanging, a bit about an
+inch long.
+
+"That should not be left hanging there either," said he, and hid it in
+his breast.
+
+"In truth, you love your mother as a son should," said the priest.
+Then he bade the son give him the bit of flesh, kneaded a manikin out
+of it, breathed upon it, and in a minute there it stood, a really
+fine-looking little boy.
+
+"His name is Small Profit," said he, turning to the son, "and you may
+call him brother. You are poor and have not the wherewithal with which
+to nourish your mother. If you need something, Small Profit can get it
+for you."
+
+The son thanked him once more, then took his mother on his back again,
+and his new little brother by the hand, and went home. And when he
+said to Small Profit: "Bring meat and wine!" then meat and wine were
+at hand at once, and steaming rice was already cooking in the pot. And
+when he said to Small Profit: "Bring money and cloth!" then his purse
+filled itself with money, and the chests were heaped up with cloth to
+the brim. Whatever he asked for that he received. Thus, in the course
+of time, they came to be very well off indeed.
+
+But his older brother envied him greatly. And when there was another
+theatrical performance in the village, he took his mother on his
+back--by force--and went to it. And when he reached the ravine, he
+slipped purposely, and let his mother fall into the depths, only
+intent to see that she really was shattered into fragments. And sure
+enough his mother had such a bad fall that her limbs and trunk were
+strewn around in all directions. He then climbed down, took his
+mother's head in his hands, and pretended to weep.
+
+And at once the priest was on hand again, and said: "I can wake the
+dead to life again, and surround white bones with flesh and blood!"
+
+Then he did as he had done before, and the mother came to life again.
+But the older brother already had hidden one of her ribs on purpose.
+He now pulled it out and said to the priest: "Here is a bone left.
+What shall I do with it?"
+
+The priest took the bone, enclosed it in lime and earth, breathed upon
+it, as he had done the other time, and it became a little man,
+resembling Small Profit, but larger in stature.
+
+"His name is Great Duty," he told his older brother, "if you stick to
+him he will always lend you a hand."
+
+The son took his mother back again, and Great Duty walked beside him.
+
+When he came to their courtyard door, he saw his younger brother
+coming out, holding Small Profit in his arms.
+
+"Where are you going?" he said to him.
+
+His brother answered: "Small Profit is a divine being, who does not
+wish to dwell for all time among men. He wants to fly back to the
+heavens, and so I am escorting him."
+
+"Give Small Profit to me! Don't let him get away!" cried the older
+brother.
+
+Yet, before he had ended his speech, Small Profit was rising in the
+air. The older brother then quickly let his mother drop on the ground,
+and stretched out his hand to catch Small Profit. But he did not
+succeed, and now Great Duty, too, rose from the ground, took Small
+Profit's hand, and together they ascended to the clouds and
+disappeared.
+
+Then the older brother stamped on the ground, and said with a sigh:
+"Alas, I have lost my Great Duty because I was too greedy for that
+Small Profit!"
+
+    Note: In China--usually on festive days or because of
+    some religious celebration--a provisional stage is
+    erected before the village or temple, and a play given.
+    Permanent theaters are to be found only in the large
+    cities.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+WHO WAS THE SINNER?
+
+
+Once upon a time there were ten farmers, who were crossing a field
+together. They were surprised by a heavy thunder-storm, and took
+refuge in a half-ruined temple. But the thunder drew ever nearer, and
+so great was the tumult that the air trembled about them, while the
+lightning flew around the temple in a continuous circle. The farmers
+were greatly frightened, and thought that there must be a sinner among
+them, whom the lightning would strike. In order to find out who it
+might be, they agreed to hang their straw hats up before the door, and
+he whose hat was blown away was to yield himself up to his fate.
+
+No sooner were the hats outside, than one of them was blown away, and
+the rest thrust its unfortunate owner out of doors without pity. But
+as soon as he had left the temple the lightning ceased circling
+around, and struck it with a crash.
+
+The one whom the rest had thrust out, had been the only righteous one
+among them, and for his sake the lightning had spared the temple. So
+the other nine had to pay for their hard-heartedness with their lives.
+
+    Note: A traditionally narrated fairy-tale.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+THE MAGIC CASK
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man who dug up a big, earthenware cask in
+his field. So he took it home with him and told his wife to clean it
+out. But when his wife started brushing the inside of the cask, the
+cask suddenly began to fill itself with brushes. No matter how many
+were taken out, others kept on taking their place. So the man sold the
+brushes, and the family managed to live quite comfortably.
+
+Once a coin fell into the cask by mistake. At once the brushes
+disappeared and the cask began to fill itself with money. So now the
+family became rich; for they could take as much money out of the cask
+as ever they wished.
+
+Now the man had an old grandfather at home, who was weak and shaky.
+Since there was nothing else he could do, his grandson set him to work
+shoveling money out of the cask, and when the old grandfather grew
+weary and could not keep on, he would fall into a rage, and shout at
+him angrily, telling him he was lazy and did not want to work. One
+day, however, the old man's strength gave out, and he fell into the
+cask and died. At once the money disappeared, and the whole cask began
+to fill itself with dead grandfathers. Then the man had to pull them
+all out and have them buried, and for this purpose he had to use up
+again all the money he had received. And when he was through, the cask
+broke, and he was just as poor as before.
+
+    Note: "The Magic Cask" is a traditionally narrated tale.
+    In Northern China wooden casks or barrels are unknown.
+    Large vessels, open at the top, of earth or stone are
+    used to hold water and other liquids.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+THE FAVORITE OF FORTUNE AND THE CHILD OF ILL LUCK
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a proud prince who had a daughter. But the
+daughter was a child of ill luck. When it came time for her to marry,
+she had all her suitors assemble before her father's palace. She was
+going to throw down a ball of red silk among them, and whoever caught
+it was to be her husband. Now there were many princes and counts
+gathered before the castle, and in their midst there was also a
+beggar. And the princess could see dragons crawling into his ears and
+crawling out again from his nostrils, for he was a child of luck. So
+she threw the ball to the beggar and he caught it.
+
+Her father asked angrily: "Why did you throw the ball into the
+beggar's hands?"
+
+"He is a favorite of Fortune," said the princess, "I will marry him,
+and then, perhaps, I will share in his good luck."
+
+But her father would not hear of it, and since she insisted, he drove
+her from the castle in his rage. So the princess had to go off with
+the beggar. She dwelt with him in a little hut, and had to hunt for
+herbs and roots, and cook them herself, so that they might have
+something to eat; and often they both went hungry.
+
+One day her husband said to her: "I will set out and seek my fortune.
+And when I have found it, I will come back again and fetch you." The
+princess was willing, and he went away, and was gone for eighteen
+years. Meanwhile the princess lived in want and affliction, for her
+father remained hard and merciless. If her mother had not secretly
+given her food and money, no doubt she would have starved to death
+during all that time.
+
+But the beggar found his fortune, and at length became emperor. He
+returned and stood before his wife. She however, no longer recognized
+him: She only knew that he was the powerful emperor.
+
+He asked her how she were getting along.
+
+"Why do you ask me how I am getting along?" she replied. "I am too far
+beneath your notice."
+
+"And who may your husband be!"
+
+"My husband was a beggar. He went away to seek his fortune. That was
+eighteen years ago, and he has not yet returned."
+
+"And what have you done during all those long years?"
+
+"I have been waiting for him to return."
+
+"Do you wish to marry some one else, seeing that he has been missing
+so long?"
+
+"No, I will remain his wife until I die."
+
+When the emperor saw how faithful his wife was, he told her who he
+was, had her clothed in magnificent garments, and took her with him to
+his imperial palace. And there they lived in splendor and happiness.
+
+After a few days the emperor said to his wife: "We spend every day in
+festivities, as though every day were New Year."
+
+"And why should we not celebrate," answered his wife, "since we have
+now become emperor and empress?"
+
+Yet his wife was a child of ill luck. When she had been empress no
+more than eighteen days, she fell sick and died. But her husband lived
+for many a long year.
+
+    Note: "The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill
+    Luck" is a traditionally narrated fairy-tale. The dragon
+    is the symbol of imperial rule, and the New Year's
+    feasts, which old and young celebrate for weeks, is the
+    greatest of Chinese festivals.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS
+
+
+Long, long ago, there once lived a king and a queen who had a
+daughter. One day, when the daughter went walking in the garden, a
+tremendous storm suddenly came up and carried her away with it. Now
+the storm had come from the bird with nine heads, who had robbed the
+princess, and brought her to his cave. The king did not know whither
+his daughter had disappeared, so he had proclaimed throughout the
+land: "Whoever brings back the princess may have her for his bride!"
+
+Now a youth had seen the bird as he was carrying the princess to his
+cave. This cave, though, was in the middle of a sheer wall of rock.
+One could not climb up to it from below, nor could one climb down to
+it from above. And as the youth was walking around the rock, another
+youth came along and asked him what he was doing there. So the first
+youth told him that the bird with nine heads had carried off the
+king's daughter, and had brought her up to his cave. The other chap
+knew what he had to do. He called together his friends, and they
+lowered the youth to the cave in a basket. And when he went into the
+cave, he saw the king's daughter sitting there, and washing the wound
+of the bird with nine heads; for the hound of heaven had bitten off
+his tenth head, and his wound was still bleeding. The princess,
+however, motioned to the youth to hide, and he did so. When the king's
+daughter had washed his wound and bandaged it, the bird with nine
+heads felt so comfortable, that one after another, all his nine heads
+fell asleep. Then the youth stepped forth from his hiding-place, and
+cut off his nine heads with a sword. But the king's daughter said: "It
+would be best if you were hauled up first, and I came after."
+
+"No," said the youth. "I will wait below here, until you are in
+safety." At first the king's daughter was not willing; yet at last she
+allowed herself to be persuaded, and climbed into the basket. But
+before she did so, she took a long pin from her hair, broke it into
+two halves and gave him one and kept the other. She also divided her
+silken kerchief with him, and told him to take good care of both her
+gifts. But when the other man had drawn up the king's daughter, he
+took her along with him, and left the youth in the cave, in spite of
+all his calling and pleading.
+
+The youth now took a walk about the cave. There he saw a number of
+maidens, all of whom had been carried off by the bird with nine heads,
+and who had perished there of hunger. And on the wall hung a fish,
+nailed against it with four nails. When he touched the fish, the
+latter turned into a handsome youth, who thanked him for delivering
+him, and they agreed to regard each other as brothers. Soon the first
+youth grew very hungry. He stepped out in front of the cave to search
+for food, but only stones were lying there. Then, suddenly, he saw a
+great dragon, who was licking a stone. The youth imitated him, and
+before long his hunger had disappeared. He next asked the dragon how
+he could get away from the cave, and the dragon nodded his head in the
+direction of his tail, as much as to say he should seat himself upon
+it. So he climbed up, and in the twinkling of an eye he was down on
+the ground, and the dragon had disappeared. He then went on until he
+found a tortoise-shell full of beautiful pearls. But they were magic
+pearls, for if you flung them into the fire, the fire ceased to burn
+and if you flung them into the water, the water divided and you could
+walk through the midst of it. The youth took the pearls out of the
+tortoise-shell, and put them in his pocket. Not long after he reached
+the sea-shore. Here he flung a pearl into the sea, and at once the
+waters divided and he could see the sea-dragon. The sea-dragon cried:
+"Who is disturbing me here in my own kingdom?" The youth answered: "I
+found pearls in a tortoise-shell, and have flung one into the sea, and
+now the waters have divided for me."
+
+"If that is the case," said the dragon, "then come into the sea with
+me and we will live there together." Then the youth recognized him for
+the same dragon whom he had seen in the cave. And with him was the
+youth with whom he had formed a bond of brotherhood: He was the
+dragon's son.
+
+"Since you have saved my son and become his brother, I am your
+father," said the old dragon. And he entertained him hospitably with
+food and wine.
+
+One day his friend said to him: "My father is sure to want to reward
+you. But accept no money, nor any jewels from him, but only the little
+gourd flask over yonder. With it you can conjure up whatever you
+wish."
+
+And, sure enough, the old dragon asked him what he wanted by way of a
+reward, and the youth answered: "I want no money, nor any jewels. All
+I want is the little gourd flask over yonder."
+
+At first the dragon did not wish to give it up, but at last he did let
+him have it, after all. And then the youth left the dragon's castle.
+
+When he set his foot on dry land again he felt hungry. At once a table
+stood before him, covered with a fine and plenteous meal. He ate and
+drank. After he had gone on a while, he felt weary. And there stood an
+ass, waiting for him, on which he mounted. After he had ridden for a
+while, the ass's gait seemed too uneven, and along came a wagon, into
+which he climbed. But the wagon shook him up too, greatly, and he
+thought: "If I only had a litter! That would suit me better." No more
+had he thought so, than the litter came along, and he seated himself
+in it. And the bearers carried him to the city in which dwelt the
+king, the queen and their daughter.
+
+When the other youth had brought back the king's daughter, it was
+decided to hold the wedding. But the king's daughter was not willing,
+and said: "He is not the right man. My deliverer will come and bring
+with him half of the long pin for my hair, and half my silken kerchief
+as a token." But when the youth did not appear for so long a time, and
+the other one pressed the king, the king grew impatient and said: "The
+wedding shall take place to-morrow!" Then the king's daughter went
+sadly through the streets of the city, and searched and searched in
+the hope of finding her deliverer. And this was on the very day that
+the litter arrived. The king's daughter saw the half of her silken
+handkerchief in the youth's hand, and filled with joy, she led him to
+her father. There he had to show his half of the long pin, which
+fitted the other exactly, and then the king was convinced that he was
+the right, true deliverer. The false bridegroom was now punished, the
+wedding celebrated, and they lived in peace and happiness till the end
+of their days.
+
+    Note: "The Bird With Nine Heads" is a traditionally
+    narrated fairy-tale. The long hair needle is an example
+    of the halved jewel used as a sign of recognition by
+    lovers (see No. 68, "Yang Gui Fe"). The "Fish" in the
+    cave is the dragon's son, for like East Indian
+    _Nagaradjas_, the Chinese dragons are often sea-gods.
+    Gourd flasks often occur as magic talismans in Chinese
+    fairy-tales, and spirits who serve their owners are
+    often imprisoned in them. See No. 81.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+THE CAVE OF THE BEASTS
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a family in which there were seven
+daughters. One day when the father went out to gather wood, he found
+seven wild duck eggs. He brought them home, but did not think of
+giving any to his children, intending to eat them himself, with his
+wife. In the evening the oldest daughter woke up, and asked her mother
+what she was cooking. The mother said: "I am cooking wild duck eggs. I
+will give you one, but you must not let your sisters know." And so she
+gave her one. Then the second daughter woke up, and asked her mother
+what she was cooking. She said: "Wild duck eggs. If you will not tell
+your sisters, I'll give you one." And so it went. At last the
+daughters had eaten all the eggs, and there were none left.
+
+In the morning the father was very angry with the children, and said:
+"Who wants to go along to grandmother?" But he intended to lead the
+children into the mountains, and let the wolves devour them there. The
+older daughters suspected this, and said: "We are not going along!"
+But the two younger ones said: "We will go with you." And so they
+drove off with their father. After they had driven a good ways, they
+asked: "Will we soon get to grandmother's house?" "Right away," said
+their father. And when they had reached the mountains he told them:
+"Wait here. I will drive into the village ahead of you, and tell
+grandmother that you are coming." And then he drove off with the
+donkey-cart. They waited and waited, but their father did not come. At
+last they decided that their father would not come back to fetch them,
+and that he had left them alone in the mountains. So they went further
+and further into the hills seeking a shelter for the night. Then they
+spied a great stone. This they selected for a pillow, and rolled it
+over to the place where they were going to lie down to sleep. And then
+they saw that the stone was the door to a cave. There was a light in
+the cave, and they went into it. The light they had seen came from the
+many precious stones and jewels of every sort in the cave, which
+belonged to a wolf and a fox. They had a number of jars of precious
+stones and pearls that shone by night. The girls said: "What a lovely
+cave this is! We will lie right down and go to bed." For there stood
+two golden beds with gold-embroidered covers. So they lay down and
+fell asleep. During the night the wolf and fox came home. And the
+wolf said: "I smell human flesh!" But the fox replied: "Oh, nonsense!
+There are no human beings who can enter our cave. We lock it up too
+well for that." The wolf said: "Very well, then let us lie down in our
+beds and sleep." But the fox answered: "Let us curl up in the kettles
+on the hearth. They still hold a little warmth from the fire." The one
+kettle was of gold and the other of silver, and they curled up in
+them.
+
+When the girls rose early in the morning, they saw the wolf and the
+fox lying there, and were much frightened. And they put the covers on
+the kettles and heaped a number of big stones on them, so that the
+wolf and the fox could not get out again. Then they made a fire. The
+wolf and the fox said: "Oh, how nice and warm it is this morning! How
+does that happen?" But at length it grew too hot for them. Then they
+noticed that the two girls had kindled a fire and they cried: "Let us
+out! We will give you lots of precious stones, and lots of gold, and
+will do you no harm!" But the girls would not listen to them, and kept
+on making a bigger fire. So that was the end of the wolf and the fox
+in the kettles.
+
+Then the girls lived happily for a number of days in the cave. But
+their father was seized with a longing for his daughters, and he went
+into the mountains to look for them. And he sat right down on the
+stone in front of the cave to rest, and tapped his pipe against it to
+empty the ashes. Then the girls within called out: "Who is knocking at
+our door?" And the father said: "Are those not my daughters' voices?"
+While the daughters replied: "Is that not our father's voice?" Then
+they pushed aside the stone and saw that it was their father, and
+their father was glad to see them once more. He was much surprised to
+think that they should have chanced on this cave full of precious
+stones, and they told him the whole story. Then their father fetched
+people to help him carry home the jewels. And when they got home, his
+wife wondered where he had obtained all these treasures. So the father
+and daughters told her everything, and they became a very wealthy
+family, and lived happily to the end of their days.
+
+    Note: "The Cave of the Beasts" is traditionally
+    narrated.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+THE PANTHER
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters and a little
+son. And one day the mother said to her daughters: "Take good care of
+the house, for I am going to see grandmother, together with your
+little brother!" So the daughters promised her they would do so, and
+their mother went off. On her way a panther met her, and asked where
+she were going.
+
+She said: "I am going with my child to see my mother."
+
+"Will you not rest a bit?" asked the panther.
+
+"No," said she, "it is already late, and it is a long road to where my
+mother lives."
+
+But the panther did not cease urging her, and finally she gave in and
+sat down by the road side.
+
+"I will comb your hair a bit," said the panther. And the woman allowed
+the panther to comb her hair. But as he passed his claws through her
+hair, he tore off a bit of her skin and devoured it.
+
+"Stop!" cried the woman, "the way you comb my hair hurts!"
+
+But the panther tore off a much larger piece of skin. Now the woman
+wanted to call for help, but the panther seized and devoured her. Then
+he turned on her little son and killed him too, put on the woman's
+clothes, and laid the child's bones, which he had not yet devoured, in
+her basket. After that he went to the woman's home, where her two
+daughters were, and called in at the door: "Open the door, daughters!
+Mother has come home!" But they looked out through a crack and said:
+"Our mother's eyes are not so large as yours!"
+
+Then the panther said: "I have been to grandmother's house, and saw
+her hens laying eggs. That pleases me, and is the reason why my eyes
+have grown so large."
+
+"Our mother had no spots in her face such as you have."
+
+"Grandmother had no spare bed, so I had to sleep on the peas, and they
+pressed themselves into my face."
+
+"Our mother's feet are not so large as yours."
+
+"Stupid things! That comes from walking such a distance. Come, open
+the door quickly!"
+
+Then the daughters said to each other: "It must be our mother," and
+they opened the door. But when the panther came in, they saw it was
+not really their mother after all.
+
+At evening, when the daughters were already in bed, the panther was
+still gnawing the bones he had brought with him.
+
+Then the daughters asked: "Mother, what are you eating?"
+
+"I'm eating beets," was the answer.
+
+Then the daughters said: "Oh, mother, give us some of your beets,
+too! We are so hungry!"
+
+"No," was the reply, "I will not give you any. Now be quiet and go to
+sleep."
+
+But the daughters kept on begging until the false mother gave them a
+little finger. And then they saw that it was their little brother's
+finger, and they said to each other: "We must make haste to escape
+else he will eat us as well." And with that they ran out of the door,
+climbed up into a tree in the yard, and called down to the false
+mother: "Come out! We can see our neighbor's son celebrating his
+wedding!" But it was the middle of the night.
+
+Then the mother came out, and when she saw that they were sitting in
+the tree, she called out angrily: "Why, I'm not able to climb!"
+
+The daughters said: "Get into a basket and throw us the rope and we
+will draw you up!"
+
+The mother did as they said. But when the basket was half-way up, they
+began to swing it back and forth, and bump it against the tree. Then
+the false mother had to turn into a panther again, lest she fall down.
+And the panther leaped out of the basket, and ran away.
+
+Gradually daylight came. The daughters climbed down, seated themselves
+on the doorstep, and cried for their mother. And a needle-vender came
+by and asked them why they were crying.
+
+"A panther has devoured our mother and our brother," said the girls.
+"He has gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as well."
+
+Then the needle-vender gave them a pair of needles, and said: "Stick
+these needles in the cushion of the arm chair, with the points up."
+The girls thanked him and went on crying.
+
+Soon a scorpion-catcher came by; and he asked them why they were
+crying. "A panther has devoured our mother and brother," said the
+girls. "He has gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as
+well."
+
+The man gave them a scorpion and said: "Put it behind the hearth in
+the kitchen." The girls thanked him and went on crying.
+
+Then an egg-seller came by and asked them why they were crying. "A
+panther has devoured our mother and our brother," said the girls. "He
+has gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as well."
+
+So he gave them an egg and said: "Lay it beneath the ashes in the
+hearth." The girls thanked him and went on crying.
+
+Then a dealer in turtles came by, and they told him their tale. He
+gave them a turtle and said: "Put it in the water-barrel in the yard."
+And then a man came by who sold wooden clubs. He asked them why they
+were crying. And they told him the whole story. Then he gave them two
+wooden clubs and said: "Hang them up over the door to the street." The
+girls thanked him and did as the men had told them.
+
+In the evening the panther came home. He sat down in the armchair in
+the room. Then the needles in the cushion stuck into him. So he ran
+into the kitchen to light the fire and see what had jabbed him so; and
+then it was that the scorpion hooked his sting into his hand. And when
+at last the fire was burning, the egg burst and spurted into one of
+his eyes, which was blinded. So he ran out into the yard and dipped
+his hand into the water-barrel, in order to cool it; and then the
+turtle bit it off. And when in his pain he ran out through the door
+into the street, the wooden clubs fell on his head and that was the
+end of him.
+
+    Note: "The Panther" in this tale is in reality the same
+    beast as "the talking silver fox" in No. 49, and the
+    fairy-tale is made up of motives to be found in "Little
+    Red Riding-Hood," "The Wolf and the Seven Kids," and
+    "The Vagabonds."
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+THE GREAT FLOOD
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a widow, who had a child. And the child was
+a kind-hearted boy of whom every one was fond. One day he said to his
+mother: "All the other children have a grandmother, but I have none.
+And that makes me feel very sad!"
+
+"We will hunt up a grandmother for you," said his mother. Now it once
+happened that an old beggar-woman came to the house, who was very old
+and feeble. And when the child saw her, he said to her: "You shall be
+my grandmother!" And he went to his mother and said: "There is a
+beggar-woman outside, whom I want for my grandmother!" And his mother
+was willing and called her into the house; though the old woman was
+very dirty. So the boy said to his mother: "Come, let us wash
+grandmother!" And they washed the woman. But she had a great many
+burrs in her hair, so they picked them all out and put them in a jar,
+and they filled the whole jar. Then the grandmother said: "Do not
+throw them away, but bury them in the garden. And you must not dig
+them up again before the great flood comes."
+
+"When is the great flood coming?" asked the boy.
+
+"When the eyes of the two stone lions in front of the prison grow red,
+then the great flood will come," said the grandmother.
+
+So the boy went to look at the lions, but their eyes were not yet
+red. And the grandmother also said to him: "Make a little wooden ship
+and keep it in a little box." And this the boy did. And he ran to the
+prison every day and looked at the lions, much to the astonishment of
+the people in the street.
+
+One day, as he passed the chicken-butcher's shop, the butcher asked
+him why he was always running to the lions. And the boy said: "When
+the lions' eyes grow red then the great flood will come." But the
+butcher laughed at him. And the following morning, quite early, he
+took some chicken-blood and rubbed it on the lions' eyes. When the boy
+saw that the lions' eyes were red he ran swiftly home, and told his
+mother and grandmother. And then his grandmother said: "Dig up the jar
+quickly, and take the little ship out of its box." And when they dug
+up the jar, it was filled with the purest pearls and the little ship
+grew larger and larger, like a real ship. Then the grandmother said:
+"Take the jar with you and get into the ship. And when the great flood
+comes, then you may save all the animals that are driven into it; but
+human beings, with their black heads, you are not to save." So they
+climbed into the ship, and the grandmother suddenly disappeared.
+
+Now it began to rain, and the rain kept falling more and more heavily
+from the heavens. Finally there were no longer any single drops
+falling, but just one big sheet of water which flooded everything.
+
+Then a dog came drifting along, and they saved him in their ship. Soon
+after came a pair of mice, with their little ones, loudly squeaking in
+their fear. And these they also saved. The water was already rising to
+the roofs of the houses, and on one roof stood a cat, arching her back
+and mewing pitifully. They took the cat into the ship, too. Yet the
+flood increased and rose to the tops of the trees. And in one tree sat
+a raven, beating his wings and cawing loudly. And him, too, they took
+in. Finally a swarm of bees came flying their way. The little
+creatures were quite wet, and could hardly fly. So they took in the
+bees on their ship. At last a man with black hair floated by on the
+waves. The boy said: "Mother, let us save him, too!" But the mother
+did not want to do so. "Did not grandmother tell us that we must save
+no black-headed human beings?" But the boy answered: "We will save the
+man in spite of that. I feel sorry for him, and cannot bear to see him
+drifting along in the water." So they also saved the man.
+
+Gradually the water subsided. Then they got out of their ship, and
+parted from the man and the beasts. And the ship grew small again and
+they put it away in its box.
+
+But the man was filled with a desire for the pearls. He went to the
+judge and entered a complaint against the boy and his mother, and they
+were both thrown into jail. Then the mice came, and dug a hole in the
+wall. And the dog came through the hole and brought them meat, and the
+cat brought them bread, so they did not have to hunger in their
+prison. But the raven flew off and returned with a letter for the
+judge. The letter had been written by a god, and it said: "I wandered
+about in the world of men disguised as a beggar woman. And this boy
+and his mother took me in. The boy treated me like his own
+grandmother, and did not shrink from washing me when I was dirty.
+Because of this I saved them out of the great flood by means of which
+I destroyed the sinful city wherein they dwelt. Do you, O judge, free
+them, or misfortune shall be your portion!"
+
+So the judge had them brought before him, and asked what they had
+done, and how they had made their way through the flood. Then they
+told him everything, and what they said agreed with the god's letter.
+So the judge punished their accuser, and set them both at liberty.
+
+When the boy had grown up he came to a city of many people, and it was
+said that the princess intended to take a husband. But in order to
+find the right man, she had veiled herself, and seated herself in a
+litter, and she had had the litter, together with many others, carried
+into the market place. In every litter sat a veiled woman, and the
+princess was in their midst. And whoever hit upon the right litter, he
+was to get the princess for his bride. So the youth went there, too,
+and when he reached the market place, he saw the bees whom he had
+saved from the great flood, all swarming about a certain litter. Up he
+stepped to it, and sure enough, the princess was sitting in it. And
+then their wedding was celebrated, and they lived happily ever
+afterward.
+
+    Note: "The Great Flood" is traditionally narrated and a
+    diluvian legend seems to underlie it. Compare with
+    Grimm's fairy-tale (No. 73) "The Queen of the Bees."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+THE FOX AND THE TIGER
+
+
+Once a fox met a tiger. The latter bared his teeth, stretched out his
+claws, and was about to devour him. But the fox spoke and said: "My
+dear sir, you must not think that you are the only king of beasts.
+Your courage does not compare with my own. Let us walk together, and
+do you keep behind me. And if men catch sight of me and do not fear
+me, then you may devour me." The tiger was willing, and so the fox led
+him along a broad highway. But the travelers, when they saw the tiger
+in the distance, were all frightened and ran away.
+
+Then the fox said: "How about it? I went in advance, and the men saw
+me and had not as yet seen you."
+
+And thereupon the tiger drew in his tail and ran away himself.
+
+The tiger had remarked quite well that the men were afraid of the fox,
+but he had not noticed that the fox had borrowed the terror he
+inspired from him.
+
+    Note: This universally known fable is traditionally
+    narrated. Animal fables are very rare in China.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+THE TIGER'S DECOY
+
+
+That the fox borrowed the terror he inspired from the tiger is more
+than a simile; but that the tiger has his decoy is something we read
+about in the story books, and grandfathers talk about a good deal,
+too. So there must be some truth in it. It is said that when a tiger
+devours a human being, the latter's spirit cannot free itself, and
+that the tiger then uses it for a decoy. When he goes out to seek his
+prey, the spirit of the man he has devoured must go before him, to
+hide him, so that people cannot see him. And the spirit is apt to
+change itself into a beautiful girl, or a lump of gold or a bolt of
+silk. All sorts of deceptions are used to lure folk into the mountain
+gorges. Then the tiger comes along and devours his victim, and the new
+spirit must serve as his decoy. The old spirit's time of service is
+over and it may go. And so it continues, turn by turn. Probably that
+is why they say of people who are forced to yield themselves up to
+cunning and powerful men, in order that others may be harmed: "They
+are the tiger's decoys!"
+
+    Note: This tale is traditionally narrated.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+THE FOX AND THE RAVEN
+
+
+The fox knows how to flatter, and how to play many cunning tricks.
+Once upon a time he saw a raven, who alighted on a tree with a piece
+of meat in his beak. The fox seated himself beneath the tree, looked
+up at him, and began to praise him.
+
+"Your color," he began, "is pure black. This proves to me that you
+possess all the wisdom of Laotzse, who knows how to shroud his
+learning in darkness. The manner in which you manage to feed your
+mother shows that your filial affection equals that which the Master
+Dsong had for his parents. Your voice is rough and strong. It proves
+that you have the courage with which King Hiang once drove his foes to
+flight by the mere sound of his voice. In truth, you are the king of
+birds!"
+
+The raven, hearing this, was filled with joy and said: "I thank you! I
+thank you!"
+
+And before he knew it, the meat fell to earth from his opened beak.
+
+The fox caught it up, devoured it and then said, laughing: "Make note
+of this, my dear sir: if some one praises you without occasion, he is
+sure to have a reason for doing so."
+
+    Note: Traditionally narrated, it may be taken for
+    granted that this is simply Æsop's fable in Chinese
+    dress. The manner of presentation is characteristically
+    Chinese. For "the wisdom of Laotzse" compare, p. 30,
+    "The Ancient's Book of Wisdom and Life": "Who sees his
+    light, yet dwells in darkness." Master Dsong was King
+    Dsi's most faithful pupil, renowned for his piety. The
+    raven is known in China as "the bird of filial love,"
+    for it is said that the young ravens bring forth the
+    food they have eaten from their beaks again, in order to
+    feed the old birds.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+WHY DOG AND CAT ARE ENEMIES
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man and his wife and they had a ring of
+gold. It was a lucky ring, and whoever owned it always had enough to
+live on. But this they did not know, and hence sold the ring for a
+small sum. But no sooner was the ring gone than they began to grow
+poorer and poorer, and at last did not know when they would get their
+next meal. They had a dog and a cat, and these had to go hungry as
+well. Then the two animals took counsel together as to how they might
+restore to their owners their former good fortune. At length the dog
+hit upon an idea.
+
+"They must have the ring back again," he said to the cat.
+
+The cat answered: "The ring has been carefully locked up in the
+chest, where no one can get at it."
+
+"You must catch a mouse," said the dog, "and the mouse must gnaw a
+hole in the chest and fetch out the ring. And if she does not want to,
+say that you will bite her to death, and you will see that she will do
+it."
+
+This advice pleased the cat, and she caught a mouse. Then she wanted
+to go to the house in which stood the chest, and the dog came after.
+They came to a broad river. And since the cat could not swim, the dog
+took her on his back and swam across with her. Then the cat carried
+the mouse to the house in which the chest stood. The mouse gnawed a
+hole in the chest, and fetched out the ring. The cat put the ring in
+her mouth and went back to the river, where the dog was waiting for
+her, and swam across with her. Then they started out together for
+home, in order to bring the lucky ring to their master and mistress.
+But the dog could only run along the ground; when there was a house in
+the way he always had to go around it. The cat, however, quickly
+climbed over the roof, and so she reached home long before the dog,
+and brought the ring to her master.
+
+Then her master said to his wife: "What a good creature the cat is! We
+will always give her enough to eat and care for her as though she were
+our own child!"
+
+But when the dog came home they beat him and scolded him, because he
+had not helped to bring home the ring again. And the cat sat by the
+fireplace, purred and said never a word. Then the dog grew angry at
+the cat, because she had robbed him of his reward, and when he saw her
+he chased her and tried to seize her.
+
+And ever since that day cat and dog are enemies.
+
+    Note: "Why Dog and Cat are Enemies." This fairy-tale is
+    given in the current popular version.
+
+
+
+
+LEGENDS OF THE GODS
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+HOW THE FIVE ANCIENTS BECAME MEN
+
+
+Before the earth was separated from the heavens, all there was was a
+great ball of watery vapor called chaos. And at that time the spirits
+of the five elemental powers took shape, and became the five Ancients.
+The first was called the Yellow Ancient, and he was the ruler of the
+earth. The second was called the Red Lord, and he was the ruler of the
+fire. The third was called the Dark Lord, and he was the ruler of the
+water. The fourth was known as the Wood Prince, and he was the ruler
+of the wood. The fifth was called the Mother of Metals, and ruled over
+them. These five Ancients set all their primal spirit into motion, so
+that water and earth sank down. The heavens floated upward, and the
+earth grew firm in the depths. Then they allowed the waters to gather
+into rivers and seas, and hills and plains made their appearance. So
+the heavens opened and the earth was divided. And there were sun, moon
+and all the stars, wind, clouds, rain, and dew. The Yellow Ancient set
+earth's purest power spinning in a circle, and added the effect of
+fire and water thereto. Then there came forth grasses and trees, birds
+and beasts, and the tribes of the serpents and insects, fishes and
+turtles. The Wood Prince and the Mother of Metals combined light and
+darkness, and thus created the human race as men and women. And thus
+the world gradually came to be.
+
+At that time there was one who was known as the True Prince of the
+Jasper Castle. He had acquired the art of sorcery through the
+cultivation of magic. The five Ancients begged him to rule as the
+supreme god. He dwelt above the three and thirty heavens, and the
+Jasper Castle, of white jade with golden gates, was his. Before him
+stood the stewards of the eight-and-twenty houses of the moon, and the
+gods of the thunders and the Great Bear, and in addition a class of
+baneful gods whose influence was evil and deadly. They all aided the
+True Prince of the Jasper Castle to rule over the thousand tribes
+under the heavens, and to deal out life and death, fortune and
+misfortune. The Lord of the Jasper Castle is now known as the Great
+God, the White Jade Ruler.
+
+The five Ancients withdrew after they had done their work, and
+thereafter lived in quiet purity. The Red Lord dwells in the South as
+the god of fire. The Dark Lord dwells in the North, as the mighty
+master of the somber polar skies. He lived in a castle of liquid
+crystal. In later ages he sent Confucius down upon earth as a saint.
+Hence this saint is known as the Son of Crystal. The Wood Prince
+dwells in the East. He is honored as the Green Lord, and watches over
+the coming into being of all creatures. In him lives the power of
+spring and he is the god of love. The Mother of Metals dwells in the
+West, by the sea of Jasper, and is also known as the Queen-Mother of
+the West. She leads the rounds of the fairies, and watches over change
+and growth. The Yellow Ancient dwells in the middle. He is always
+going about in the world, in order to save and to help those in any
+distress. The first time he came to earth he was the Yellow Lord, who
+taught mankind all sorts of arts. In his later years he fathomed the
+meaning of the world on the Ethereal Mount, and flew up to the radiant
+sun. Under the rule of the Dschou dynasty he was born again as Li
+Oerl, and when he was born his hair and beard were white, for which
+reason he was called Laotsze, "Old Child." He wrote the book of
+"Meaning and Life" and spread his teachings through the world. He is
+honored as the head of Taoism. At the beginning of the reign of the
+Han dynasty, he again appeared as the Old Man of the River, (Ho Schang
+Gung). He spread the teachings of Tao abroad mightily, so that from
+that time on Taoism flourished greatly. These doctrines are known to
+this day as the teachings of the Yellow Ancient. There is also a
+saying: "First Laotsze was, then the heavens were." And that must mean
+that Laotsze was that very same Yellow Ancient of primal days.
+
+    Note: "How the Five Ancients Became Men." This
+    fairy-tale, the first of the legends of the gods, is
+    given in the version current among the people. In it the
+    five elemental spirits of earth, fire, water, wood and
+    metal are brought into connection with a creation myth.
+    "Prince of the Jasper Castle" or "The White Jade Ruler,"
+    Yu Huang Di, is the popular Chinese synonym for "the
+    good lord." The phrase "White Jade" serves merely to
+    express his dignity. All in all, there are 32 other Yu
+    Huangs, among whom he is the highest. He may be compared
+    to Indra, who dwells in a heaven that also comprises 33
+    halls. The astronomic relationship between the two is
+    very evident.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+THE HERD BOY AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN
+
+
+The Herd Boy was the child of poor people. When he was twelve years
+old, he took service with a farmer to herd his cow. After a few years
+the cow had grown large and fat, and her hair shone like yellow gold.
+She must have been a cow of the gods.
+
+One day while he had her out at pasture in the mountains, she suddenly
+began to speak to the Herd Boy in a human voice, as follows: "This is
+the Seventh Day. Now the White Jade Ruler has nine daughters, who
+bathe this day in the Sea of Heaven. The seventh daughter is beautiful
+and wise beyond all measure. She spins the cloud-silk for the King and
+Queen of Heaven, and presides over the weaving which maidens do on
+earth. It is for this reason she is called the Weaving Maiden. And if
+you go and take away her clothes while she bathes, you may become her
+husband and gain immortality."
+
+"But she is up in Heaven," said the Herd Boy, "and how can I get
+there?"
+
+"I will carry you there," answered the yellow cow.
+
+So the Herd Boy climbed on the cow's back. In a moment clouds began to
+stream out of her hoofs, and she rose into the air. About his ears
+there was a whistling like the sound of the wind, and they flew along
+as swiftly as lightning. Suddenly the cow stopped.
+
+"Now we are here," said she.
+
+Then round about him the Herd Boy saw forests of chrysophrase and
+trees of jade. The grass was of jasper and the flowers of coral. In
+the midst of all this splendor lay a great, four-square sea, covering
+some five-hundred acres. Its green waves rose and fell, and fishes
+with golden scales were swimming about in it. In addition there were
+countless magic birds who winged above it and sang. Even in the
+distance the Herd Boy could see the nine maidens in the water. They
+had all laid down their clothes on the shore.
+
+"Take the red clothes, quickly," said the cow, "and hide away with
+them in the forest, and though she ask you for them never so sweetly
+do not give them back to her until she has promised to become your
+wife."
+
+Then the Herd Boy hastily got down from the cow's back, seized the red
+clothes and ran away. At the same moment the nine maidens noticed him
+and were much frightened.
+
+"O youth, whence do you come, that you dare to take our clothes?" they
+cried. "Put them down again quickly!"
+
+But the Herd Boy did not let what they said trouble him; but crouched
+down behind one of the jade trees. Then eight of the maidens hastily
+came ashore and drew on their clothes.
+
+"Our seventh sister," said they, "whom Heaven has destined to be
+yours, has come to you. We will leave her alone with you."
+
+The Weaving Maiden was still crouching in the water.
+
+But the Herd Boy stood before her and laughed.
+
+"If you will promise to be my wife," said he, "then I will give you
+your clothes."
+
+But this did not suit the Weaving Maiden.
+
+"I am a daughter of the Ruler of the Gods," said she, "and may not
+marry without his command. Give back my clothes to me quickly, or else
+my father will punish you!"
+
+Then the yellow cow said: "You have been destined for each other by
+fate, and I will be glad to arrange your marriage, and your father,
+the Ruler of the Gods, will make no objection. Of that I am sure."
+
+The Weaving Maiden replied: "You are an unreasoning animal! How could
+you arrange our marriage?"
+
+The cow said: "Do you see that old willow-tree there on the shore?
+Just give it a trial and ask it. If the willow tree speaks, then
+Heaven wishes your union."
+
+And the Weaving Maiden asked the willow.
+
+The willow replied in a human voice:
+
+    "This is the Seventh day,
+    The Herd Boy his court to the Weaver doth pay!"
+
+and the Weaving Maiden was satisfied with the verdict. The Herd Boy
+laid down her clothes, and went on ahead. The Weaving Maiden drew them
+on and followed him. And thus they became man and wife.
+
+But after seven days she took leave of him.
+
+"The Ruler of Heaven has ordered me to look after my weaving," said
+she. "If I delay too long I fear that he will punish me. Yet, although
+we have to part now, we will meet again in spite of it."
+
+When she had said these words she really went away. The Herd Boy ran
+after her. But when he was quite near she took one of the long needles
+from her hair and drew a line with it right across the sky, and this
+line turned into the Silver River. And thus they now stand, separated
+by the River, and watch for one another.
+
+And since that time they meet once every year, on the eve of the
+Seventh Day. When that time comes, then all the crows in the world of
+men come flying and form a bridge over which the Weaving Maiden
+crosses the Silver River. And on that day you will not see a single
+crow in the trees, from morning to night, no doubt because of the
+reason I have mentioned. And besides, a fine rain often falls on the
+evening of the Seventh Day. Then the women and old grandmothers say to
+one another: "Those are the tears which the Herd Boy and the Weaving
+Maiden shed at parting!" And for this reason the Seventh Day is a rain
+festival.
+
+To the west of the Silver River is the constellation of the Weaving
+Maiden, consisting of three stars. And directly in front of it are
+three other stars in the form of a triangle. It is said that once the
+Herd Boy was angry because the Weaving Maiden had not wished to cross
+the Silver River, and had thrown his yoke at her, which fell down just
+in front of her feet. East of the Silver River is the Herd Boy's
+constellation, consisting of six stars. To one side of it are
+countless little stars which form a constellation pointed at both ends
+and somewhat broader in the middle. It is said that the Weaving Maiden
+in turn threw her spindle at the Herd Boy; but that she did not hit
+him, the spindle falling down to one side of him.
+
+    Note: "The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden" is retold
+    after an oral source. The Herd Boy is a constellation in
+    Aquila, the Weaving Maiden one in Lyra. The Silver River
+    which separates them is the Milky Way. The Seventh Day
+    of the seventh month is the festival of their reunion.
+    The Ruler of the Heavens has nine daughters in all, who
+    dwell in the nine heavens. The oldest married Li Dsing
+    (comp. "Notscha," No. 18); the second is the mother of
+    Yang Oerlang (comp. No. 17); the third is the mother of
+    the planet Jupiter (comp. "Sky O'Dawn," No. 34); and the
+    fourth dwelt with a pious and industrious scholar, by
+    name of Dung Yung, whom she aided to win riches and
+    honor. The seventh is the Spinner, and the ninth had to
+    dwell on earth as a slave because of some transgression
+    of which she had been guilty. Of the fifth, the sixth
+    and the eighth daughters nothing further is known.
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+YANG OERLANG
+
+
+The second daughter of the Ruler of Heaven once came down upon the
+earth and secretly became the wife of a mortal man named Yang. And
+when she returned to Heaven she was blessed with a son. But the Ruler
+of Heaven was very angry at this desecration of the heavenly halls. He
+banished her to earth and covered her with the Wu-I hills. Her son,
+however, Oerlang by name, the nephew of the Ruler of Heaven, was
+extraordinarily gifted by nature. By the time he was full grown he had
+learned the magic art of being able to control eight times nine
+transformations. He could make himself invisible, or could assume the
+shape of birds and beasts, grasses, flowers, snakes and fishes, as he
+chose. He also knew how to empty out seas and remove mountains from
+one place to another. So he went to the Wu-I hills and rescued his
+mother, whom he took on his back and carried away. They stopped to
+rest on a flat ledge of rock.
+
+Then the mother said: "I am very thirsty!"
+
+Oerlang climbed down into the valley in order to fetch her water, and
+some time passed before he returned. When he did his mother was no
+longer there. He searched eagerly, but on the rock lay only her skin
+and bones, and a few blood-stains. Now you must know that at that time
+there were still ten suns in the heavens, glowing and burning like
+fire. The Daughter of Heaven, it is true, was divine by nature; yet
+because she had incurred the anger of her father and had been banished
+to earth, her magic powers had failed her. Then, too, she had been
+imprisoned so long beneath the hills in the dark that, coming out
+suddenly into the sunlight, she had been devoured by its blinding
+radiance.
+
+When Oerlang thought of his mother's sad end, his heart ached. He took
+two mountains on his shoulders, pursued the suns and crushed them to
+death between the mountains. And whenever he had crushed another
+sun-disk, he picked up a fresh mountain. In this way he had already
+slain nine of the ten suns, and there was but one left. And as Oerlang
+pursued him relentlessly, he hid himself in his distress beneath the
+leaves of the portulacca plant. But there was a rainworm close by who
+betrayed his hiding-place, and kept repeating: "There he is! There he
+is!"
+
+Oerlang was about to seize him, when a messenger from the Ruler of the
+Heaven suddenly descended from the skies with a command: "Sky, air and
+earth need the sunshine. You must allow this one sun to live, so that
+all created beings may live. Yet, because you rescued your mother, and
+showed yourself to be a good son, you shall be a god, and be my
+bodyguard in the Highest Heaven, and shall rule over good and evil in
+the mortal world, and have power over devils and demons." When Oerlang
+received this command he ascended to Heaven.
+
+Then the sun-disk came out again from beneath the portulacca leaves,
+and out of gratitude, since the plant had saved him, he bestowed upon
+it the gift of a free-blooming nature, and ordained that it never need
+fear the sunshine. To this very day one may see on the lower side of
+the portulacca leaves quite delicate little white pearls. They are the
+sunshine that remained hanging to the leaves when the sun hid under
+them. But the sun pursues the rainworm, when he ventures forth out of
+the ground, and dries him up as a punishment for his treachery.
+
+Since that time Yang Oerlang has been honored as a god. He has
+oblique, sharply marked eyebrows, and holds a double-bladed,
+three-pointed sword in his hand. Two servants stand beside him, with a
+falcon and a hound; for Yang Oerlang is a great hunter. The falcon is
+the falcon of the gods, and the hound is the hound of the gods. When
+brute creatures gain possession of magic powers or demons oppress men,
+he subdues them by means of the falcon and hound.
+
+    Note: Yang Oerlang is a huntsman, as is indicated by his
+    falcon and hound. His Hound of the Heavens, literally
+    "the divine, biting hound" recalls the hound of Indra.
+    The myth that there were originally ten suns in the
+    skies, of whom nine were shot down by an archer, is also
+    placed in the period of the ruler Yau. In that story the
+    archer is named Hou I, or I (comp. No. 19). Here,
+    instead of the shooting down of the suns with arrows, we
+    have the Titan motive of destruction with the mountains.
+
+
+
+
+XVIII
+
+NOTSCHA
+
+
+The oldest daughter of the Ruler of Heaven had married the great
+general Li Dsing. Her sons were named Gintscha, Mutscha and Notscha.
+But when Notscha was given her, she dreamed at night that a Taoist
+priest came into her chamber and said: "Swiftly receive the Heavenly
+Son!" And straightway a radiant pearl glowed within her. And she was
+so frightened at her dream that she awoke. And when Notscha came into
+the world, it seemed as though a ball of flesh were turning in circles
+like a wheel, and the whole room was filled with strange fragrances
+and a crimson light.
+
+Li Dsing was much frightened, and thought it was an apparition. He
+clove the circling ball with his sword, and out of it leaped a small
+boy whose whole body glowed with a crimson radiance. But his face was
+delicately shaped and white as snow. About his right arm he wore a
+golden armlet and around his thighs was wound a length of crimson
+silk, whose glittering shine dazzled the eyes. When Li Dsing saw the
+child he took pity on him and did not slay him, while his wife began
+to love the boy dearly.
+
+When three days had passed, all his friends came to wish him joy. They
+were just sitting at the festival meal when a Taoist priest entered
+and said: "I am the Great One. This boy is the bright Pearl of the
+Beginning of Things, bestowed upon you as your son. Yet the boy is
+wild and unruly, and will kill many men. Therefore I will take him as
+my pupil to gentle his savage ways." Li Dsing bowed his thanks and the
+Great One disappeared.
+
+When Notscha was seven years old he once ran away from home. He came
+to the river of nine bends, whose green waters flowed along between
+two rows of weeping-willows. The day was hot, and Notscha entered the
+water to cool himself. He unbound his crimson silk cloth and whisked
+it about in the water to wash it. But while Notscha sat there and
+whisked about his scarf in the water, it shook the castle of the
+Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea to its very foundations. So the
+Dragon-King sent out a Triton, terrible to look upon, who was to find
+out what was the matter. When the Triton saw the boy he began to
+scold. But the latter merely looked up and said: "What a
+strange-looking beast you are, and you can actually talk!" Then the
+Triton grew enraged, leaped up and struck at Notscha with his ax. But
+the latter avoided the blow, and threw his golden armlet at him. The
+armlet struck the Triton on the head and he sank down dead.
+
+Notscha laughed and said: "And there he has gone and made my armlet
+bloody!" And he once more sat down on a stone, in order to wash his
+armlet. Then the crystal castle of the dragon began to tremble as
+though it were about to fall apart. And a watchman also came and
+reported that the Triton had been slain by a boy. So the Dragon-King
+sent out his son to capture the boy. And the son seated himself on the
+water-cleaving beast, and came up with a thunder of great waves of
+water. Notscha straightened up and said: "That is a big wave!"
+Suddenly he saw a creature rise out of the waves, on whose back sat an
+armed man who cried in a loud voice: "Who has slain my Triton?"
+Notscha answered: "The Triton wanted to slay me so I killed him. What
+difference does it make?" Then the dragon assailed him with his
+halberd. But Notscha said: "Tell me who you are before we fight." "I
+am the son of the Dragon-King," was the reply. "And I am Notscha, the
+son of General Li Dsing. You must not rouse my anger with your
+violence, or I will skin you, together with that old mud-fish, your
+father!" Then the dragon grew wild with rage, and came storming along
+furiously. But Notscha cast his crimson cloth into the air, so that it
+flashed like a ball of fire, and cast the dragon-youth from his
+breast. Then Notscha took his golden armlet and struck him on the
+forehead with it, so that he had to reveal himself in his true form as
+a golden dragon, and fall down dead.
+
+Notscha laughed and said: "I have heard tell that dragon-sinews make
+good cords. I will draw one out and bring it to my father, and he can
+tie his armor together with it." And with that he drew out the
+dragon's back sinew and took it home.
+
+In the meantime the Dragon-King, full of fury, had hastened to
+Notscha's father Li Dsing and demanded that Notscha be delivered up to
+him. But Li Dsing replied: "You must be mistaken, for my boy is only
+seven years old and incapable of committing such misdeeds." While they
+were still quarreling Notscha came running up and cried: "Father, I'm
+bringing along a dragon's sinew for you, so that you may bind up your
+armor with it!" Now the dragon broke out into tears and furious
+scolding. He threatened to report Li Dsing to the Ruler of the Heaven,
+and took himself off, snorting with rage.
+
+Li Dsing grew very much excited, told his wife what had happened, and
+both began to weep. Notscha, however, came to them and said: "Why do
+you weep? I will just go to my master, the Great One, and he will know
+what is to be done." And no sooner had he said the words than he had
+disappeared. He came into his master's presence and told him the whole
+tale. The latter said: "You must get ahead of the dragon, and prevent
+him from accusing you in Heaven!" Then he did some magic, and Notscha
+found himself set down by the gate of Heaven, where he waited for the
+dragon. It was still early in the morning; the gate of Heaven had not
+yet been opened, nor was the watchman at his post. But the dragon was
+already climbing up. Notscha, whom his master's magic had rendered
+invisible, threw the dragon to the ground with his armlet, and began
+to pitch into him. The dragon scolded and screamed. "There the old
+worm flounders about," said Notscha, "and does not care how hard he is
+beaten! I will scratch off some of his scales." And with these words
+he began to tear open the dragon's festal garments, and rip off some
+of the scales beneath his left arm, so that the red blood dripped out.
+Then the dragon could no longer stand the pain and begged for mercy.
+But first he had to promise Notscha that he would not complain of
+him, before the latter would let him go. And then the dragon had to
+turn himself into a little green snake, which Notscha put into his
+sleeve and took back home with him. But no sooner had he drawn the
+little snake from his sleeve than it assumed human shape. The dragon
+then swore that he would punish Li Dsing in a terrible manner, and
+disappeared in a flash of lightning.
+
+Li Dsing was now angry with his son in earnest. Therefore Notscha's
+mother sent him to the rear of the house to keep out of his father's
+sight. Notscha disappeared and went to his master, in order to ask him
+what he should do when the dragon returned. His master advised him and
+Notscha went back home. And all the Dragon Kings of the four seas were
+assembled, and had bound his parents, with cries and tumult, in order
+to punish them. Notscha ran up and cried with a loud voice: "I will
+take the punishment for whatever I have done! My parents are
+blameless! What is the punishment you wish to lay upon me?" "Life for
+life!" said the dragon. "Very well then, I will destroy myself!" And
+so he did and the dragons went off satisfied; while Notscha's mother
+buried him with many tears.
+
+But the spiritual part of Notscha, his soul, fluttered about in the
+air, and was driven by the wind to the cave of the Great One. He took
+it in and said to it: "You must appear to your mother! Forty miles
+distant from your home rises a green mountain cliff. On this cliff she
+must build a shrine for you. And after you have enjoyed the incense of
+human adoration for three years, you shall once more have a human
+body." Notscha appeared to his mother in a dream, and gave her the
+whole message, and she awoke in tears. But Li Dsing grew angry when
+she told him about it. "It serves the accursed boy right that he is
+dead! It is because you are always thinking of him that he appears to
+you in dreams. You must pay no attention to him." The woman said no
+more, but thenceforward he appeared to her daily, as soon as she
+closed her eyes, and grew more and more urgent in his demand. Finally
+all that was left for her to do was to erect a temple for Notscha
+without Li Dsing's knowledge.
+
+And Notscha performed great miracles in his temple. All prayers made
+in it were granted. And from far away people streamed to it to burn
+incense in his honor.
+
+Thus half a year passed. Then Li Dsing, on the occasion of a great
+military drill, once came by the cliff in question, and saw the people
+crowding thickly about the hill like a swarm of ants. Li Dsing
+inquired what there were to see upon the hill. "It is a new god, who
+performs so many miracles that people come from far and near to honor
+him." "What sort of a god is he?" asked Li Dsing. They did not dare
+conceal from him who the god was. Then Li Dsing grew angry. He spurred
+his horse up the hill and, sure enough, over the door of the temple
+was written: "Notscha's Shrine." And within it was the likeness of
+Notscha, just as he had appeared while living. Li Dsing said: "While
+you were alive you brought misfortune to your parents. Now that you
+are dead you deceive the people. It is disgusting!" With these words
+he drew forth his whip, beat Notscha's idolatrous likeness to pieces
+with it, had the temple burned down, and the worshipers mildly
+reproved. Then he returned home.
+
+Now Notscha had been absent in the spirit upon that day. When he
+returned he found his temple destroyed; and the spirit of the hill
+gave him the details. Notscha hurried to his master and related with
+tears what had befallen him. The latter was roused and said: "It is Li
+Dsing's fault. After you had given back your body to your parents,
+you were no further concern of his. Why should he withdraw from you
+the enjoyment of the incense?" Then the Great One made a body of
+lotus-plants, gave it the gift of life, and enclosed the soul of
+Notscha within it. This done he called out in a loud voice: "Arise!" A
+drawing of breath was heard, and Notscha leaped up once more in the
+shape of a small boy. He flung himself down before his master and
+thanked him. The latter bestowed upon him the magic of the fiery
+lance, and Notscha thenceforward had two whirling wheels beneath his
+feet: The wheel of the wind and the wheel of fire. With these he could
+rise up and down in the air. The master also gave him a bag of
+panther-skin in which to keep his armlet and his silken cloth.
+
+Now Notscha had determined to punish Li Dsing. Taking advantage of a
+moment when he was not watched, he went away, thundering along on his
+rolling wheels to Li Dsing's dwelling. The latter was unable to
+withstand him and fled. He was almost exhausted when his second son,
+Mutscha, the disciple of the holy Pu Hain, came to his aid from the
+Cave of the White Crane. A violent quarrel took place between the
+brothers; they began to fight, and Mutscha was overcome; while Notscha
+once more rushed in pursuit of Li Dsing. At the height of his
+extremity, however, the holy Wen Dschu of the Hill of the Five
+Dragons, the master of Gintscha, Li Dsing's oldest son, stepped forth
+and hid Li Dsing in his cave. Notscha, in a rage, insisted that he be
+delivered up to him; but Wen Dschu said: "Elsewhere you may indulge
+your wild nature to your heart's content, but not in this place."
+
+And when Notscha in the excess of his rage turned his fiery lance upon
+him, Wen Dschu stepped back a pace, shook the seven-petaled lotus from
+his sleeve, and threw it into the air. A whirlwind arose, clouds and
+mists obscured the sight, and sand and earth were flung up from the
+ground. Then the whirlwind collapsed with a great crash. Notscha
+fainted, and when he regained consciousness found himself bound to a
+golden column with three thongs of gold, so that he could no longer
+move. Wen Dschu now called Gintscha to him and ordered him to give his
+unruly brother a good thrashing. And this he did, while Notscha,
+obliged to stand it, stood grinding his teeth. In his extremity he saw
+the Great One floating by, and called out to him: "Save me, O Master!"
+But the latter did not notice him; instead he entered the cave and
+thanked Wen Dschu for the severe lesson which he had given Notscha.
+Finally they called Notscha in to them and ordered him to be
+reconciled to his father. Then they dismissed them both and seated
+themselves to play chess. But no sooner was Notscha free than he again
+fell into a rage, and renewed his pursuit of his father. He had again
+overtaken Li Dsing when still another saint came forward to defend the
+latter. This time it was the old Buddha of the Radiance of the Light.
+When Notscha attempted to battle with him he raised his arm, and a
+pagoda shaped itself out of red, whirling clouds and closed around
+Notscha. Then Radiance of Light placed both his hands on the pagoda
+and a fire arose within it which burned Notscha so that he cried
+loudly for mercy. Then he had to promise to beg his father's
+forgiveness and always to obey him in the future. Not till he had
+promised all this did the Buddha let him out of the pagoda again. And
+he gave the pagoda to Li Dsing; and taught him a magic saying which
+would give him the mastery over Notscha. It is for this reason that Li
+Dsing is called the Pagoda-bearing King of Heaven.
+
+Later on Li Dsing and his three sons, Gintscha, Mutscha and Notscha,
+aided King Wu of the Dschou dynasty to destroy the tyrant Dschou-Sin.
+
+None could withstand their might. Only once did a sorcerer succeed in
+wounding Notscha in the left arm. Any other would have died of the
+wound. But the Great One carried him into his cave, healed his wound
+and gave him three goblets of the wine of the gods to drink, and three
+fire-dates to eat. When Notscha had eaten and drunk he suddenly heard
+a crash at his left side and another arm grew out from it. He could
+not speak and his eyes stood out from their sockets with horror. But
+it went on as it had begun: six more arms grew out of his body and two
+more heads, so that finally he had three heads and eight arms. He
+called out to his Master: "What does all this mean?" But the latter
+only laughed and said: "All is as it should be. Thus equipped you will
+really be strong!" Then he taught him a magic incantation by means of
+which he could make his arms and heads visible or invisible as he
+chose. When the tyrant Dschou-Sin had been destroyed, Li Dsing and his
+three sons, while still on earth, were taken up into heaven and seated
+among the gods.
+
+    Note: Li Dsing, the Pagoda-bearing King of Heaven, may
+    be traced back to Indra, the Hindoo god of thunder and
+    lightning. The Pagoda might be an erroneous variant of
+    the thunderbolt Vadjra. In such case Notscha would be a
+    personification of the thunder. The Great One (Tai I),
+    is the condition of things before their separation into
+    the active and passive principles. There is a whole
+    genealogy of mythical saints and holy men who took part
+    in the battles between King Wu of Dschou and the tyrant
+    Dschou-Sin. These saints are, for the most part,
+    Buddhist-Brahminic figures which have been reshaped. The
+    Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea also occurs in the tale
+    of Sun Wu Kung (No. 74). "Dragon sinew" means the spinal
+    cord, the distinction between nerves and sinews not
+    being carefully observed. "Three spirits and seven
+    souls": man has three spirits, usually above his head,
+    and seven animal souls. "Notscha had been absent in the
+    spirit upon that day": the idol is only the seat of the
+    godhead, which the latter leaves or inhabits as he
+    chooses. Therefore the godhead must be summoned when
+    prayers are offered, by means of bells and incense. When
+    the god is not present, his idol is merely a block of
+    wood or stone. Pu Hain, the Buddha of the Lion, is the
+    Indian Samantabharda, one of the four great Boddhisatvas
+    of the Tantra School. Wen Dschu, the Buddha on the
+    Golden-haired Mountain Lion, (Hou), is the Indian
+    Mandjusri. The old Buddha of the Radiance of the Light,
+    Jan Dong Go Fu, is the Indian Dipamkara.
+
+
+
+
+XIX
+
+THE LADY OF THE MOON
+
+
+In the days of the Emperor Yau lived a prince by the name of Hou I,
+who was a mighty hero and a good archer. Once ten suns rose together
+in the sky, and shone so brightly and burned so fiercely that the
+people on earth could not endure them. So the Emperor ordered Hou I to
+shoot at them. And Hou I shot nine of them down from the sky. Besides
+his bow, Hou I also had a horse which ran so swiftly that even the
+wind could not catch up with it. He mounted it to go a-hunting, and
+the horse ran away and could not be stopped. So Hou I came to Kunlun
+Mountain and met the Queen-Mother of the Jasper Sea. And she gave him
+the herb of immortality. He took it home with him and hid it in his
+room. But his wife who was named Tschang O, once ate some of it on the
+sly when he was not at home, and she immediately floated up to the
+clouds. When she reached the moon, she ran into the castle there, and
+has lived there ever since as the Lady of the Moon.
+
+On a night in mid-autumn, an emperor of the Tang dynasty once sat at
+wine with two sorcerers. And one of them took his bamboo staff and
+cast it into the air, where it turned into a heavenly bridge, on which
+the three climbed up to the moon together. There they saw a great
+castle on which was inscribed: "The Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold."
+Beside it stood a cassia tree which blossomed and gave forth a
+fragrance filling all the air. And in the tree sat a man who was
+chopping off the smaller boughs with an ax. One of the sorcerers said:
+"That is the man in the moon. The cassia tree grows so luxuriantly
+that in the course of time it would overshadow all the moon's
+radiance. Therefore it has to be cut down once in every thousand
+years." Then they entered the spreading halls. The silver stories of
+the castle towered one above the other, and its walls and columns were
+all formed of liquid crystal. In the walls were cages and ponds, where
+fishes and birds moved as though alive. The whole moon-world seemed
+made of glass. While they were still looking about them on all sides
+the Lady of the Moon stepped up to them, clad in a white mantle and a
+rainbow-colored gown. She smiled and said to the emperor: "You are a
+prince of the mundane world of dust. Great is your fortune, since you
+have been able to find your way here!" And she called for her
+attendants, who came flying up on white birds, and sang and danced
+beneath the cassia tree. A pure clear music floated through the air.
+Beside the tree stood a mortar made of white marble, in which a jasper
+rabbit ground up herbs. That was the dark half of the moon. When the
+dance had ended, the emperor returned to earth again with the
+sorcerers. And he had the songs which he had heard on the moon written
+down and sung to the accompaniment of flutes of jasper in his
+pear-tree garden.
+
+    Note: This fairy-tale is traditional. The archer Hou I
+    (or Count I, the Archer-Prince, comp. Dschuang Dsi), is
+    placed by legend in different epochs. He also occurs in
+    connection with the myths regarding the moon, for one
+    tale recounts how he saved the moon during an eclipse by
+    means of his arrows. The Queen-Mother is Si Wang Mu
+    (comp. with No. 15). The Tang dynasty reigned 618-906
+    A.D. "The Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold": The goddess
+    of the ice also has her habitation in the moon. The hare
+    in the moon is a favorite figure. He grinds the grains
+    of maturity or the herbs that make the elixir of life.
+    The rain-toad Tschan, who has three legs, is also placed
+    on the moon. According to one version of the story,
+    Tschang O took the shape of this toad.
+
+  [Illustration: "BESIDE IT STOOD A CASSIA-TREE."
+                                                  --_Page 54_]
+
+
+
+
+XX
+
+THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR
+
+
+Once upon a time there were two stars, sons of the Golden King of the
+Heavens. The one was named Tschen and the other Shen. One day they
+quarreled, and Tschen struck Shen a terrible blow. Thereupon both
+stars made a vow that they would never again look upon each other. So
+Tschen only appears in the evening, and Shen only appears in the
+morning, and not until Tschen has disappeared is Shen again to be
+seen. And that is why people say: "When two brothers do not live
+peaceably with one another they are like Tschen and Shen."
+
+    Note: Tschen and Shen are Hesperus and Lucifer, the
+    morning and evening stars. The tale is told in its
+    traditional form.
+
+
+
+
+XXI
+
+THE GIRL WITH THE HORSE'S HEAD OR THE SILKWORM GODDESS
+
+
+In the dim ages of the past there once was an old man who went on a
+journey. No one remained at home save his only daughter and a white
+stallion. The daughter fed the horse day by day, but she was lonely
+and yearned for her father.
+
+So it happened that one day she said in jest to the horse: "If you
+will bring back my father to me then I will marry you!"
+
+No sooner had the horse heard her say this, than he broke loose and
+ran away. He ran until he came to the place where her father was. When
+her father saw the horse, he was pleasantly surprised, caught him and
+seated himself on his back. And the horse turned back the way he had
+come, neighing without a pause.
+
+"What can be the matter with the horse?" thought the father.
+"Something must have surely gone wrong at home!" So he dropped the
+reins and rode back. And he fed the horse liberally because he had
+been so intelligent; but the horse ate nothing, and when he saw the
+girl, he struck out at her with his hoofs and tried to bite her. This
+surprised the father; he questioned his daughter, and she told him the
+truth, just as it had occurred.
+
+"You must not say a word about it to any one," spoke her father, "or
+else people will talk about us."
+
+And he took down his crossbow, shot the horse, and hung up his skin in
+the yard to dry. Then he went on his travels again.
+
+One day his daughter went out walking with the daughter of a
+neighbor. When they entered the yard, she pushed the horse-hide with
+her foot and said: "What an unreasonable animal you were--wanting to
+marry a human being! What happened to you served you right!"
+
+But before she had finished her speech, the horse-hide moved, rose up,
+wrapped itself about the girl and ran off.
+
+Horrified, her companion ran home to her father and told him what had
+happened. The neighbors looked for the girl everywhere, but she could
+not be found.
+
+At last, some days afterward, they saw the girl hanging from the
+branches of a tree, still wrapped in the horse-hide; and gradually she
+turned into a silkworm and wove a cocoon. And the threads which she
+spun were strong and thick. Her girl friend then took down the cocoon
+and let her slip out of it; and then she spun the silk and sold it at
+a large profit.
+
+But the girl's relatives longed for her greatly. So one day the girl
+appeared riding in the clouds on her horse, followed by a great
+company and said: "In heaven I have been assigned to the task of
+watching over the growing of silkworms. You must yearn for me no
+longer!" And thereupon they built temples to her in her native land,
+and every year, at the silkworm season, sacrifices are offered to her
+and her protection is implored. And the Silkworm Goddess is also known
+as the girl with the Horse's Head.
+
+    Note: This tale is placed in the times of the Emperor
+    Hau, and the legend seems to have originated in
+    Setchuan. The stallion is the sign of the zodiac which
+    rules the springtime, the season when the silkworms are
+    cultivated. Hence she is called the Goddess with the
+    Horse's Head. The legend itself tells a different tale.
+    In addition to this goddess, the spouse of Schen Nung,
+    the "Divine Husbandman," is also worshiped as the
+    goddess of silkworm culture. The Goddess with the
+    Horse's Head is more of a totemic representation of the
+    silkworm as such; while the wife of Schen Nung is
+    regarded as the protecting goddess of silk culture, and
+    is supposed to have been the first to teach women its
+    details. The spouse of the Yellow Lord is mentioned in
+    the same connection. The popular belief distinguishes
+    three goddesses who protect the silkworm culture in
+    turn. The second is the best of the three, and when it
+    is her year the silk turns out well.
+
+
+
+
+XXII
+
+THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN
+
+
+The Queen of Heaven, who is also known as the Holy Mother, was in
+mortal life a maiden of Fukien, named Lin. She was pure, reverential
+and pious in her ways and died at the age of seventeen. She shows her
+power on the seas and for this reason the seamen worship her. When
+they are unexpectedly attacked by wind and waves, they call on her and
+she is always ready to hear their pleas.
+
+There are many seamen in Fukien, and every year people are lost at
+sea. And because of this, most likely, the Queen of Heaven took pity
+on the distress of her people during her lifetime on earth. And since
+her thoughts are uninterruptedly turned toward aiding the drowning in
+their distress, she now appears frequently on the seas.
+
+In every ship that sails a picture of the Queen of Heaven hangs in the
+cabin, and three paper talismans are also kept on shipboard. On the
+first she is painted with crown and scepter, on the second as a maiden
+in ordinary dress, and on the third she is pictured with flowing hair,
+barefoot, standing with a sword in her hand. When the ship is in
+danger the first talisman is burnt, and help comes. But if this is of
+no avail, then the second and finally the third picture is burned. And
+if no help comes then there is nothing more to be done.
+
+When seamen lose their course among wind and waves and darkling
+clouds, they pray devoutly to the Queen of Heaven. Then a red lantern
+appears on the face of the waters. And if they follow the lantern they
+will win safe out of all danger. The Queen of Heaven may often be seen
+standing in the skies, dividing the wind with her sword. When she does
+this the wind departs for the North and South, and the waves grow
+smooth.
+
+A wooden wand is always kept before her holy picture in the cabin. It
+often happens that the fish-dragons play in the seas. They are two
+giant fish who spout up water against one another till the sun in the
+sky is obscured, and the seas are shrouded in profound darkness. And
+often, in the distance, one may see a bright opening in the darkness.
+If the ship holds a course straight for this opening it will win
+through, and is suddenly floating in calm waters again. Looking back,
+one may see the two fishes still spouting water, and the ship will
+have passed directly beneath their jaws. But a storm is always near
+when the fish dragons swim; therefore it is well to burn paper or wool
+so that the dragons do not draw the ship down into the depths. Or the
+Master of the Wand may burn incense before the wand in the cabin. Then
+he must take the wand and swing it over the water three times, in a
+circle. If he does so the dragons will draw in their tails and
+disappear.
+
+When the ashes in the censer fly up into the air without any cause,
+and are scattered about, it is a sign that great danger is
+threatening.
+
+Nearly two-hundred years ago an army was fitted out to subdue the
+island of Formosa. The captain's banner had been dedicated with the
+blood of a white horse. Suddenly the Queen of Heaven appeared at the
+tip of the banner-staff. In another moment she had disappeared, but
+the invasion was successful.
+
+On another occasion, in the days of Kien Lung, the minister Dschou
+Ling was ordered to install a new king in the Liu-Kiu Islands. When
+the fleet was sailing by south of Korea, a storm arose, and his ship
+was driven toward the Black Whirlpool. The water had the color of ink,
+sun and moon lost their radiance, and the word was passed about that
+the ship had been caught in the Black Whirlpool, from which no living
+man had ever returned. The seaman and travelers awaited their end with
+lamentations. Suddenly an untold number of lights, like red lanterns,
+appeared on the surface of the water. Then the seamen were overjoyed
+and prayed in the cabins. "Our lives are saved!" they cried, "the Holy
+Mother has come to our aid!" And truly, a beautiful maiden with golden
+earrings appeared. She waved her hand in the air and the winds became
+still and the waves grew even. And it seemed as though the ship were
+being drawn along by a mighty hand. It moved plashing through the
+waves, and suddenly it was beyond the limits of the Black Whirlpool.
+
+Dschou Ling on his return told of this happening, and begged that
+temples be erected in honor of the Queen of Heaven, and that she be
+included in the list of the gods. And the emperor granted his prayer.
+
+Since then temples of the Queen of Heaven are to be found in all
+sea-port towns, and her birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of
+the fourth month with spectacles and sacrifices.
+
+    Note: "The Queen of Heaven," whose name is Tian Hou, or
+    more exactly, Tian Fe Niang Niang, is a Taoist goddess
+    of seamen, generally worshiped in all coast towns. Her
+    story is principally made up of local legends of Fukien
+    province, and a variation of the Indian Maritschi (who
+    as Dschunti with the eight arms, is the object of quite
+    a special cult). Tian Hou, since the establishment of
+    the Manchu dynasty, is one of the officially recognized
+    godheads.
+
+
+
+
+XXIII
+
+THE FIRE-GOD
+
+
+Long before the time of Fu Hi, Dschu Yung, the Magic Welder, was the
+ruler of men. He discovered the use of fire, and succeeding
+generations learned from him to cook their food. Hence his descendants
+were intrusted with the preservation of fire, while he himself was
+made the Fire-God. He is a personification of the Red Lord, who showed
+himself at the beginning of the world as one of the Five Ancients. The
+Fire-God is worshiped as the Lord of the Holy Southern Mountain. In
+the skies the Fiery Star, the southern quarter of the heavens and the
+Red Bird belong to his domain. When there is danger of fire the Fiery
+Star glows with a peculiar radiance. When countless numbers of
+fire-crows fly into a house, a fire is sure to break out in it.
+
+In the land of the four rivers there dwelt a man who was very rich.
+One day he got into his wagon and set out on a long journey. And he
+met a girl, dressed in red, who begged him to take her with him. He
+allowed her to get into the wagon, and drove along for half-a-day
+without even looking in her direction. Then the girl got out again and
+said in farewell: "You are truly a good and honest man, and for that
+reason I must tell you the truth. I am the Fire-God. To-morrow a fire
+will break out in your house. Hurry home at once to arrange your
+affairs and save what you can!" Frightened, the man faced his horses
+about and drove home as fast as he could. All that he possessed in the
+way of treasures, clothes and jewels, he removed from the house. And,
+when he was about to lie down to sleep, a fire broke out on the hearth
+which could not be quenched until the whole building had collapsed in
+dust and ashes. Yet, thanks to the Fire-God, the man had saved all his
+movable belongings.
+
+    Note: "The Fire-God" (comp. with No. 15). The Holy
+    Southern Mountain is Sung-Schan in Huan. The Fiery Star
+    is Mars. The constellations of the southern quarter of
+    the heavens are grouped by the Chinese as under the name
+    of the "Red Bird." The "land of the four rivers" is
+    Setchuan, in the western part of present-day China.
+
+
+
+
+XXIV
+
+THE THREE RULING GODS
+
+
+There are three lords: in heaven, and on the earth and in the waters,
+and they are known as the Three Ruling Gods. They are all brothers,
+and are descended from the father of the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang.
+When the latter was sailing on the river he was cast into the water by
+a robber. But he did not drown, for a Triton came his way who took him
+along with him to the dragon-castle. And when the Dragon-King saw him
+he realized at once that there was something extraordinary about the
+Monk, and he married him to his daughter.
+
+From their early youth his three sons showed a preference for the
+hidden wisdom. And together they went to an island in the sea. There
+they seated themselves and began to meditate. They heard nothing, they
+saw nothing, they spoke not a word and they did not move. The birds
+came and nested in their hair; the spiders came and wove webs across
+their faces; worms and insects came and crawled in and out of their
+noses and ears. But they paid no attention to any of them.
+
+After they had meditated thus for a number of years, they obtained the
+hidden wisdom and became gods. And the Lord made them the Three Ruling
+Gods. The heavens make things, the earth completes things, and the
+waters create things. The Three Ruling Gods sent out the current of
+their primal power to aid in ordering all to this end. Therefore they
+are also known as the primal gods, and temples are erected to them all
+over the earth.
+
+If you go into a temple you will find the Three Ruling Gods all seated
+on one pedestal. They wear women's hats upon their heads, and hold
+scepters in their hands, like kings. But he who sits on the last
+place, to the right, has glaring eyes and wears a look of rage. If you
+ask why this is you are told: "These three were brothers and the Lord
+made them the Ruling Gods. So they talked about the order in which
+they were to sit. And the youngest said: 'To-morrow morning, before
+sunrise, we will meet here. Whoever gets here first shall have the
+seat of honor in the middle; the second one to arrive shall have the
+second place, and the third the third.' The two older brothers were
+satisfied. The next morning, very early, the youngest came first,
+seated himself in the middle place, and became the god of the waters.
+The middle brother came next, sat down on the left, and became the god
+of the heavens. Last of all came the oldest brother. When he saw that
+his brothers were already sitting in their places, he was disgusted
+and yet he could not say a word. His face grew red with rage, his
+eyeballs stood forth from their sockets like bullets, and his veins
+swelled like bladders. And he seated himself on the right and became
+god of the earth." The artisans who make the images of the gods
+noticed this, so they always represent him thus.
+
+    Note: "The Three Ruling Gods" is set down as told by the
+    people. It is undoubtedly a version of the Indian
+    Trimurti. The meaning of the terrible appearance of the
+    third godhead, evidently no longer understood by the
+    people, points to Siva, and has given rise to the
+    fairy-tale here told. As regards the Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang, comp. with No. 69.
+
+
+
+
+XXV
+
+A LEGEND OF CONFUCIUS
+
+
+When Confucius came to the earth, the Kilin, that strange beast which
+is the prince of all four-footed animals, and only appears when there
+is a great man on earth, sought the child and spat out a jade whereon
+was written: "Son of the Watercrystal you are destined to become an
+uncrowned king!" And Confucius grew up, studied diligently, learned
+wisdom and came to be a saint. He did much good on earth, and ever
+since his death has been reverenced as the greatest of teachers and
+masters. He had foreknowledge of many things. And even after he had
+died he gave evidence of this.
+
+Once, when the wicked Emperor Tsin Schi Huang had conquered all the
+other kingdoms, and was traveling through the entire empire, he came
+to the homeland of Confucius. And he found his grave. And, finding his
+grave, he wished to have it opened and see what was in it. All his
+officials advised him not to do so, but he would not listen to them.
+So a passage was dug into the grave, and in its main chamber they
+found a coffin, whose wood appeared to be quite fresh. When struck it
+sounded like metal. To the left of the coffin was a door, which led
+into an inner chamber. In this chamber stood a bed, and a table with
+books and clothing, all as though meant for the use of a living
+person. Tsin Schi Huang seated himself on the bed and looked down. And
+there on the floor stood two shoes of red silk, whose tips were
+adorned with a woven pattern of clouds. A bamboo staff leaned against
+the wall. The Emperor, in jest, put on the shoes, took the staff and
+left the grave. But as he did so a tablet suddenly appeared before his
+eyes on which stood the following lines:
+
+    O'er kingdoms six Tsin Schi Huang his army led,
+    To ope my grave and find my humble bed;
+    He steals my shoes and takes my staff away
+    To reach Schakiu--and his last earthly day!
+
+Tsin Schi Huang was much alarmed, and had the grave closed again. But
+when he reached Schakiu he fell ill of a hasty fever of which he died.
+
+    Note: The Kilin is an okapi-like legendary beast of the
+    most perfected kindness, prince of all the four-footed
+    animals. The "Watercrystal" is the dark Lord of the
+    North, whose element is water and wisdom, for which last
+    reason Confucius is termed his son. Tsin Schi Huang
+    (B.C. 200) is the burner of books and reorganizer of
+    China famed in history. Schakiu (Sandhill) was a city in
+    the western part of the China of that day.
+
+
+
+
+XXVI
+
+THE GOD OF WAR
+
+
+The God of War, Guan Di, was really named Guan Yu. At the time when
+the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans was raging throughout the empire,
+he, together with two others whom he met by the wayside, and who were
+inspired with the same love of country which possessed him, made a
+pact of friendship. One of the two was Liu Be, afterward emperor, the
+other was named Dschang Fe. The three met in a peach-orchard and swore
+to be brothers one to the other, although they were of different
+families. They sacrificed a white steed and vowed to be true to each
+other to the death.
+
+Guan Yu was faithful, honest, upright and brave beyond all measure. He
+loved to read Confucius's "Annals of Lu," which tell of the rise and
+fall of empires. He aided his friend Liu Be to subdue the Yellow Turbans
+and to conquer the land of the four rivers. The horse he rode was known
+as the Red Hare, and could run a thousand miles in a day. Guan Yu had a
+knife shaped like a half-moon which was called the Green Dragon. His
+eyebrows were beautiful like those of the silk-butterflies, and his eyes
+were long-slitted like the eyes of the Phenix. His face was scarlet-red
+in color, and his beard so long that it hung down over his stomach.
+Once, when he appeared before the emperor, the latter called him Duke
+Fairbeard, and presented him with a silken pocket in which to place his
+beard. He wore a garment of green brocade. Whenever he went into battle
+he showed invincible bravery. Whether he were opposed by a thousand
+armies or by ten thousand horsemen--he attacked them as though they were
+merely air.
+
+Once the evil Tsau Tsau had incited the enemies of his master, the
+Emperor, to take the city by treachery. When Guan Yu heard of it he
+hastened up with an army to relieve the town. But he fell into an
+ambush, and, together with his son, was brought a captive to the
+capital of the enemy's land. The prince of that country would have
+been glad to have had him go over to his side; but Guan Yu swore that
+he would not yield to death himself. Thereupon father and son were
+slain. When he was dead, his horse Red Hare ceased to eat and died. A
+faithful captain of his, by name of Dschou Dsang, who was
+black-visaged and wore a great knife, had just invested a fortress
+when the news of the sad end of the duke reached him. And he, as well
+as other faithful followers would not survive their master, and
+perished.
+
+At the time a monk, who was an old compatriot and acquaintance of Duke
+Guan was living in the Hills of the Jade Fountains. He used to walk at
+night in the moonlight.
+
+Suddenly he heard a loud voice cry down out of the air: "I want my
+head back again!"
+
+The monk looked up and saw Duke Guan, sword in hand, seated on his
+horse, just as he appeared while living. And at his right and left
+hand, shadowy figures in the clouds, stood his son Guan Ping and his
+captain, Dschou Dsang.
+
+The monk folded his hands and said: "While you lived you were upright
+and faithful, and in death you have become a wise god; and yet you do
+not understand fate! If you insist on having your head back again, to
+whom shall the many thousands of your enemies who lost their lives
+through you appeal, in order to have life restored to them?"
+
+When he heard this the Duke Guan bowed and disappeared. Since that
+time he has been without interruption spiritually active. Whenever a
+new dynasty is founded, his holy form may be seen. For this reason
+temples and sacrifices have been instituted for him, and he has been
+made one of the gods of the empire. Like Confucius, he received the
+great sacrifice of oxen, sheep and pigs. His rank increases with the
+passing of centuries. First he was worshiped as Prince Guan, later as
+King Guan, and then as the great god who conquers the demons. The last
+dynasty, finally, worships him as the great, divine Helper of the
+Heavens. He is also called the God of War, and is a strong deliverer
+in all need, when men are plagued by devils and foxes. Together with
+Confucius, the Master of Peace, he is often worshiped as the Master of
+War.
+
+    Note: The Chinese God of War is a historical personality
+    from the epoch of the three empires, which later joined
+    the Han dynasty, about 250 A.D. Liu Be founded the
+    "Little Han dynasty" in Setchuan, with the aid of Guan
+    Yu and Dschang Fe. Guan Yu or Guan Di, i.e., "God
+    Yuan," has become one of the most popular figures in
+    Chinese legend in the course of time, God of War and
+    deliverer in one and the same person. The talk of the
+    monk with the God Guan Di in the clouds is based on the
+    Buddhist law of Karma. Because Guan Di--even though his
+    motives might be good--had slain other men, he must
+    endure like treatment at their hands, even while he is a
+    god.
+
+
+
+
+TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS
+
+
+
+
+XXVII
+
+THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS
+
+
+The true gods all have halos around their heads. When the lesser gods
+and demons see these halos, they hide and dare not move. The Master of
+the Heavens on the Dragon-Tiger Mountain meets the gods at all times.
+One day the God of War came down to the mountain while the mandarin of
+the neighboring district was visiting the Master of the Heavens. The
+latter advised the mandarin to withdraw and hide himself in an inner
+chamber. Then he went out to receive the God of War. But the mandarin
+peeped through a slit in the door, and he saw the red face and green
+garment of the God of War as he stood there, terrible and
+awe-inspiring. Suddenly a red halo flashed up above his head, whose
+beams penetrated into the inner chamber so that the mandarin grew
+blind in one eye. After a time the God of War went away again, and the
+Master of the Heavens accompanied him. Suddenly Guan Di said, with
+alarm: "Confucius is coming! The halo he wears illumines the whole
+world. I cannot endure its radiance even a thousand miles away, so I
+must hurry and get out of the way!" And with that he stepped into a
+cloud and disappeared. The Master of the Heavens then told the
+mandarin what had happened, and added: "Fortunately you did not see
+the God of War face to face! Whoever does not possess the greatest
+virtue and the greatest wisdom, would be melted by the red glow of
+his halo." So saying he gave him a pill of the elixir of life to eat,
+and his blind eye gradually regained its sight.
+
+It is also said that scholars wear a red halo around their heads which
+devils, foxes and ghosts fear when they see it.
+
+There was once a scholar who had a fox for a friend. The fox came to
+see him at night, and went walking with him in the villages. They
+could enter the houses, and see all that was going on, without people
+being any the wiser. But when at a distance the fox saw a red halo
+hanging above a house he would not enter it. The scholar asked him why
+not.
+
+"Those are all celebrated scholars," answered the fox. "The greater
+the halo, the more extensive is their knowledge. I dread them and do
+not dare enter their houses."
+
+Then the man said: "But I am a scholar, too! Have I no halo which
+makes you fear me, instead of going walking with me?"
+
+"There is only a black mist about your head," answered the fox. "I
+have never yet seen it surrounded by a halo."
+
+The scholar was mortified and began to scold him; but the fox
+disappeared with a horse-laugh.
+
+    Note: This tale is told as traditionally handed down.
+    The Master of the Heavens, Tian Schi, who dwells on the
+    Lung Hu Schan, is the so-called Taoist pope.
+
+
+
+
+XXVIII
+
+LAOTSZE
+
+
+Laotsze is really older than heaven and earth put together. He is the
+Yellow Lord or Ancient, who created this world together with the other
+four. At various times he has appeared on earth, under various names.
+His most celebrated incarnation, however, is that of Laotsze, "The Old
+Child," which name he was given because he made his appearance on
+earth with white hair.
+
+He acquired all sorts of magic powers by means of which he extended
+his life-span. Once he hired a servant to do his bidding. He agreed to
+give him a hundred pieces of copper daily; yet he did not pay him, and
+finally he owed him seven million, two hundred thousand pieces of
+copper. Then he mounted a black steer and rode to the West. He wanted
+to take his servant along. But when they reached the Han-Gu pass, the
+servant refused to go further, and insisted on being paid. Yet Laotsze
+gave him nothing.
+
+When they came to the house of the guardian of the pass, red clouds
+appeared in the sky. The guardian understood this sign and knew that a
+holy man was drawing near. So he went out to meet him and took him
+into his house. He questioned him with regard to hidden knowledge, but
+Laotsze only stuck out his tongue at him and would not say a word.
+Nevertheless, the guardian of the pass treated him with the greatest
+respect in his home. Laotsze's servant told the servant of the
+guardian that his master owed him a great deal of money, and begged
+the latter to put in a good word for him. When the guardian's servant
+heard how large a sum it was, he was tempted to win so wealthy a man
+for a son-in-law, and he married him to his daughter. Finally the
+guardian heard of the matter and came to Laotsze together with the
+servant. Then Laotsze said to his servant: "You rascally servant. You
+really should have been dead long ago. I hired you, and since I was
+poor and could give you no money, I gave you a life-giving talisman to
+eat. That is how you still happen to be alive. I said to you: 'If you
+will follow me into the West, the land of Blessed Repose, I will pay
+you your wages in yellow gold. But you did not wish to do this.'" And
+with that he patted his servant's neck. Thereupon the latter opened
+his mouth, and spat out the life-giving talisman. The magic signs
+written on it with cinnabar, quite fresh and well-preserved, might
+still be seen. But the servant suddenly collapsed and turned into a
+heap of dry bones. Then the guardian of the pass cast himself to earth
+and pleaded for him. He promised to pay the servant for Laotsze and
+begged the latter to restore him to life. So Laotsze placed the
+talisman among the bones and at once the servant came to life again.
+The guardian of the pass paid him his wages and dismissed him. Then he
+adored Laotsze as his master, and the latter taught him the art of
+eternal life, and left him his teachings, in five thousand words,
+which the guardian wrote down. The book which thus came into being is
+the Tao Teh King, "The Book of the Way and Life." Laotsze then
+disappeared from the eyes of men. The guardian of the pass however,
+followed his teachings, and was given a place among the immortals.
+
+    Note: The Taoists like to assert that Laotsze's journey
+    to the West was undertaken before the birth of Buddha,
+    who, according to many, is only a reincarnation of
+    Laotsze. The guardian of the Han-Gu pass is mentioned
+    by the name of Guan Yin Hi, in the Lia Dsi and the
+    Dschuang Dsi.
+
+
+
+
+XXIX
+
+THE ANCIENT MAN
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man named Huang An. He must have been
+well over eighty and yet he looked like a youth. He lived on cinnabar
+and wore no clothing. Even in winter he went about without garments.
+He sat on a tortoise three feet long. Once he was asked: "About how
+old might this tortoise be?" He answered: "When Fu Hi first invented
+fish-nets and eel-pots he caught this tortoise and gave it to me. And
+since then I have worn its shield quite flat sitting on it. The
+creature dreads the radiance of the sun and moon, so it only sticks
+its head out of its shell once in two thousand years. Since I have had
+the beast, it has already stuck its head out five times." With these
+words he took his tortoise on his back and went off. And the legend
+arose that this man was ten thousand years old.
+
+    Note: Cinnabar is frequently used in the preparation of
+    the elixir of life (comp. No. 30). Fu Hi is "the
+    life-breeding breath." Tortoises live to a great age.
+
+
+
+
+XXX
+
+THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)
+
+
+There is a legend which declares that Eight Immortals dwell in the
+heavens. The first is named Dschung Li Kuan. He lived in the time of
+the Han dynasty, and discovered the wonderful magic of golden
+cinnabar, the philosopher's stone. He could melt quicksilver and burn
+lead and turn them into yellow gold and white silver. And he could fly
+through the air in his human form. He is the chief of the Eight
+Immortals.
+
+The second is named Dschang Go. In primal times he gained hidden
+knowledge. It is said that he was really a white bat, who turned into
+a man. In the first days of the Tang dynasty an ancient with a white
+beard and a bamboo drum on his back, was seen riding backward on a
+black ass in the town of Tschang An. He beat the drum and sang, and
+called himself old Dschang Go. Another legend says that he always had
+a white mule with him which could cover a thousand miles in a single
+day. When he had reached his destination he would fold up the animal
+and put it in his trunk. When he needed it again, he would sprinkle
+water on it with his mouth, and the beast would regain its first
+shape.
+
+The third is named Lu Yuan or Lu Dung Bin (The Mountain Guest). His
+real name was Li, and he belonged to the ruling Tang dynasty. But when
+the Empress Wu seized the throne and destroyed the Li family to almost
+the last man, he fled with his wife into the heart of the mountains.
+They changed their names to Lu, and, since they lived in hiding in the
+caverns in the rocks, he called himself the Mountain Guest or the
+Guest of the Rocks. He lived on air and ate no bread. Yet he was fond
+of flowers. And in the course of time he acquired the hidden wisdom.
+
+In Lo Yang, the capital city, the peonies bloomed with special
+luxuriance. And there dwelt a flower fairy, who changed herself into a
+lovely maiden with whom Guest of the Rocks, when he came to Lo Yang,
+was wont to converse. Suddenly along came the Yellow Dragon, who had
+taken the form of a handsome youth. He mocked the flower fairy. Guest
+of the Rocks grew furious and cast his flying sword at him, cutting
+off his head. From that time onward he fell back again into the world
+of mundane pleasure and death. He sank down into the dust of the
+diurnal, and was no longer able to wing his way to the upper regions.
+Later he met Dschung Li Kuan, who delivered him, and then he was taken
+up in the ranks of the Immortals.
+
+Willowelf was his disciple. This was an old willow-tree which had
+drawn into itself the most ethereal powers of the sunrays and the
+moonbeams, and had thus been able to assume the shape of a human
+being. His face is blue and he has red hair. Guest of the Rocks
+received him as a disciple. Emperors and kings of future times honor
+Guest of the Rocks as the ancestor and master of the pure sun. The
+people call him Grandfather Lu. He is very wise and powerful. And
+therefore the people still stream into Grandfather Lu's temples to
+obtain oracles and pray for good luck. If you want to know whether you
+will be successful or not in an undertaking, go to the temple, light
+incense and bow your head to earth. On the altar is a bamboo goblet,
+in which are some dozens of little lottery sticks. You must shake them
+while kneeling, until one of the sticks flies out. On the
+lottery-stick is inscribed a number. This number must then be looked
+up in the Book of Oracles, where it is accompanied by a four-line
+stanza. It is said that fortune and misfortune, strange to think,
+occur to one just as foretold by the oracle.
+
+The fourth Immortal is Tsau Guo Gui (Tsau the Uncle of the State). He
+was the younger brother of the Empress Tsau, who for a time ruled the
+land. For this reason he was called the Uncle of the State. From his
+earliest youth he had been a lover of the hidden wisdom. Riches and
+honors were no more to him than dust. It was Dschung Li Kuan who aided
+him to become immortal.
+
+The fifth is called Lan Tsai Ho. Nothing is known of his true name,
+his time nor his family. He was often seen in the market-place, clad
+in a torn blue robe and wearing only a single shoe, beating a block of
+wood and singing the nothingness of life.
+
+The sixth Immortal is known as Li Tia Guai (Li with the iron crutch).
+He lost his parents in early youth and was brought up in his older
+brother's home. His sister-in-law treated him badly and never gave him
+enough to eat. Because of this he fled into the hills, and there
+learned the hidden wisdom.
+
+Once he returned in order to see his brother, and said to his
+sister-in-law: "Give me something to eat!" She answered: "There is no
+kindling wood on hand!" He replied: "You need only to prepare the
+rice. I can use my leg for kindling wood, only you must not say that
+the fire might injure me, and if you do not no harm will be done."
+
+His sister-in-law wished to see his art, so she poured the rice into
+the pot. Li stretched one of his legs out under it and lit it. The
+flames leaped high and the leg burned like coal.
+
+When the rice was nearly boiled his sister-in-law said: "Won't your
+leg be injured?"
+
+And Li replied angrily: "Did I not warn you not to say anything! Then
+no harm would have been done. Now one of my legs is lamed." With these
+words he took an iron poker and fashioned it into a crutch for
+himself. Then he hung a bottle-gourd on his back, and went into the
+hills to gather medicinal herbs. And that is why he is known as Li
+with the Iron Crutch.
+
+It is also told of him that he often was in the habit of ascending
+into the heavens in the spirit to visit his master Laotsze. Before he
+left he would order a disciple to watch his body and soul within it,
+so that the latter did not escape. Should seven days have gone by
+without his spirit returning, then he would allow his soul to leave
+the empty tenement. Unfortunately, after six days had passed, the
+disciple was called to the death-bed of his mother, and when the
+master's spirit returned on the evening of the seventh day, the life
+had gone out of its body. Since there was no place for his spirit in
+his own body, in his despair he seized upon the first handy body from
+which the vital essence had not yet dispersed. It was the body of a
+neighbor, a lame cripple, who had just died, so that from that time on
+the master appeared in his form.
+
+The seventh Immortal is called Hang Siang Dsi. He was the nephew of
+the famous Confucian scholar Han Yu, of the Tang dynasty. From his
+earliest youth he cultivated the arts of the deathless gods, left his
+home and became a Taoist. Grandfather Lu awakened him and raised him
+to the heavenly world. Once he saved his uncle's life. The latter had
+been driven from court, because he had objected when the emperor sent
+for a bone of Buddha with great pomp. When he reached the Blue Pass in
+his flight, a deep snowfall had made the road impassable. His horse
+had floundered in a snow-drift, and he himself was well-nigh frozen.
+Then Hang Siang Dsi suddenly appeared, helped him and his horse out of
+the drift, and brought them safely to the nearest inn along the Blue
+Pass. Han Yu sang a verse, in which the lines occurred:
+
+    Tsin Ling Hill 'mid clouds doth lie,
+      And home is far, beyond my sight!
+    Round the Blue Pass snow towers high,
+      And who will lead the horse aright?
+
+Suddenly it occurred to him that several years before, Hang Siang Dsi
+had come to his house to congratulate him on his birthday. Before he
+had left, he had written these words on a slip of paper, and his uncle
+had read them, without grasping their meaning. And now he was
+unconsciously singing the very lines of that song that his nephew had
+written. So he said to Hang Siang Dsi, with a sigh: "You must be one
+of the Immortals, since you were able thus to foretell the future!"
+
+And thrice Hang Siang Dsi sought to deliver his wife from the bonds of
+earth. For when he left his home to seek the hidden wisdom, she sat
+all day long yearning for his presence. Hang Siang Dsi wished to
+release her into immortality, but he feared she was not capable of
+translation. So he appeared to her in various forms, in order to try
+her, once as a beggar, another time as a wandering monk. But his wife
+did not grasp her opportunities. At last he took the shape of a lame
+Taoist, who sat on a mat, beat a block of wood and read sutras before
+the house.
+
+His wife said: "My husband is not at home. I can give you nothing."
+
+The Taoist answered: "I do not want your gold and silver, I want you.
+Sit down beside me on the mat, and we will fly up into the air and you
+shall find your husband again!"
+
+Hereupon the woman grew angry and struck at him with a cudgel.
+
+Then Hang Siang Dsi changed himself into his true form, stepped on a
+shining cloud and was carried aloft. His wife looked after him and
+wept loudly; but he had disappeared and was not seen again.
+
+The eighth Immortal is a girl and was called Ho Sian Gu. She was a
+peasant's daughter, and though her step-mother treated her harshly she
+remained respectful and industrious. She loved to give alms, though
+her step-mother tried to prevent her. Yet she was never angry, even
+when her step-mother beat her. She had sworn not to marry, and at last
+her step-mother did not know what to do with her. One day, while she
+was cooking rice, Grandfather Du came and delivered her. She was still
+holding the rice-spoon in her hand as she ascended into the air. In
+the heavens she was appointed to sweep up the fallen flowers at the
+Southern Gate of Heaven.
+
+    Note: The legends of the Eight Immortals, regarded as
+    one group, do not go back further than the Manchu
+    dynasty, though individual ones among them were known
+    before. Some of the Immortals, like Han Siang Dsi, are
+    historic personages, others purely mythical. In the
+    present day they play an important part in art and in
+    the art-crafts. Their emblems also occur frequently:
+    Dschung Li Kuan is represented with a fan. Dschang Go
+    has a bamboo drum with two drum-sticks (and his donkey).
+    Lu Dung Bin has a sword and a flower-basket on his
+    back. Tsau Guo Gui has two small boards, (Yin Yang Ban),
+    which he can throw into the air. Li Tia Guai has the
+    bottle-gourd, out of which emerges a bat, the emblem of
+    good fortune. Lan Tsai Ho, who is also pictured as a woman,
+    has a flute. Han Siang Dsi has a flower-basket and a
+    dibble. Ho Sian Gu has a spoon, usually formed in the
+    shape of a lotus-flower.
+
+
+
+
+XXXI
+
+THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a poor man, who at last had no roof to
+shelter him and not a bite to eat. So, weary and worn, he lay down
+beside a little temple of the field-god that stood by the roadside and
+fell asleep. And he dreamed that the old, white-bearded field-god came
+out of his little shrine and said to him: "I know of a means to help
+you! To-morrow the Eight Immortals will pass along this road. Cast
+yourself down before them and plead to them!"
+
+When the man awoke he seated himself beneath the great tree beside the
+field-god's little temple, and waited all day long for his dream to
+come true. At last, when the sun had nearly sunk, eight figures came
+down the road, which the beggar clearly recognized as those of the
+Eight Immortals. Seven of them were hurrying as fast as they could,
+but one among them, who had a lame leg, limped along after the rest.
+Before him--it was Li Tia Guai--the man cast himself to earth. But the
+lame Immortal did not want to bother with him, and told him to go
+away. Yet the poor man would not give over pleading with him, begging
+that he might go with them and be one of the Immortals, too. That
+would be impossible, said the cripple. Yet, as the poor man did not
+cease his prayers and would not leave him, he at last said: "Very
+well, then, take hold of my coat!" This the man did and off they went
+in flying haste over paths and fields, on and on, and even further on.
+Suddenly they stood together high up on the tower of Pong-lai-schan,
+the ghost mountain by the Eastern Sea. And, lo, there stood the rest
+of the Immortals as well! But they were very discontented with the
+companion whom Li Tia Guai had brought along. Yet since the poor man
+pleaded so earnestly, they too allowed themselves to be moved, and
+said to him: "Very well! We will now leap down into the sea. If you
+follow us you may also become an Immortal!" And one after another the
+seven leaped down into the sea. But when it came to the man's turn he
+was frightened, and would not dare the leap. Then the cripple said to
+him: "If you are afraid, then you cannot become an Immortal!"
+
+"But what shall I do now?" wailed the man, "I am far from my home and
+have no money!" The cripple broke off a fragment of the battlement of
+the tower, and thrust it into the man's hand; then he also leaped from
+the tower and disappeared into the sea like his seven companions.
+
+When the man examined the stone in his hand more closely, he saw that
+it was the purest silver. It provided him with traveling money during
+the many weeks it took him to reach his home. But by that time the
+silver was completely used up, and he found himself just as poor as he
+had been before.
+
+    Note: Little field-god temples, Tu Di Miau, are
+    miniature stone chapels which stand before every
+    village. As regards the field-god, see No. 51.
+
+
+
+
+XXXII
+
+THE TWO SCHOLARS
+
+
+Once upon a time there were two scholars. One was named Liu Tschen and
+the other Yuan Dschau. Both were young and handsome. One spring day
+they went together into the hills of Tian Tai to gather curative
+herbs. There they came to a little valley where peach-trees blossomed
+luxuriantly on either side. In the middle of the valley was a cave,
+where two maidens stood under the blossoming trees, one of them clad
+in red garments, the other in green. And they were beautiful beyond
+all telling. They beckoned to the scholars with their hands.
+
+"And have you come?" they asked. "We have been waiting for you
+overlong!"
+
+Then they led them into the cave and served them with tea and wine.
+
+"I have been destined for the lord Liu," said the maiden in the red
+gown; "and my sister is for the lord Yuan!"
+
+And so they were married. Every day the two scholars gazed at the
+flowers or played chess so that they forgot the mundane world
+completely. They only noticed that at times the peach-blossoms on the
+trees before the cave opened, and at others that they fell from the
+boughs. And, at times, unexpectedly, they felt cold or warm, and had
+to change the clothing they were wearing. And they marveled within
+themselves that it should be so.
+
+Then, one day, they were suddenly overcome by homesickness. Both
+maidens were already aware of it.
+
+"When our lords have once been seized with homesickness, then we may
+hold them no longer," said they.
+
+On the following day they prepared a farewell banquet, gave the
+scholars magic wine to take along with them and said:
+
+"We will see one another again. Now go your way!"
+
+And the scholars bade them farewell with tears.
+
+When they reached home the gates and doors had long since vanished,
+and the people of the village were all strangers to them. They crowded
+about the scholars and asked who they might be.
+
+"We are Liu Tschen and Yuan Dschau. Only a few days ago we went into
+the hills to pick herbs!"
+
+With that a servant came hastening up and looked at them. At last he
+fell at Liu Tschen's feet with great joy and cried: "Yes, you are
+really my master! Since you went away, and we had no news of any kind
+regarding you some seventy years or more have passed."
+
+Thereupon he drew the scholar Liu through a high gateway, ornamented
+with bosses and a ring in a lion's mouth, as is the custom in the
+dwellings of those of high estate.
+
+And when he entered the hall, an old lady with white hair and bent
+back, leaning on a cane, came forward and asked: "What man is this?"
+
+"Our master has returned again," replied the servant. And then,
+turning to Liu he added: "That is the mistress. She is nearly a
+hundred years old, but fortunately is still strong and in good
+health."
+
+Tears of joy and sadness filled the old lady's eyes.
+
+"Since you went away among the immortals, I had thought that we should
+never see each other again in this life," said she. "What great good
+fortune that you should have returned after all!"
+
+And before she had ended the whole family, men and women, came
+streaming up and welcomed him in a great throng outside the hall.
+
+And his wife pointed out this one and that and said: "That is so and
+so, and this is so and so!"
+
+At the time the scholar had disappeared there had been only a tiny boy
+in his home, but a few years old. And he was now an old man of eighty.
+He had served the empire in a high office, and had already retired to
+enjoy his old age in the ancestral gardens. There were three
+grand-children, all celebrated ministers; there were more than ten
+great-grand-children, of whom five had already passed their examinations
+for the doctorate; there were some twenty great-great-grand-children, of
+whom the oldest had just returned home after having passed his induction
+examinations for the magistracy with honor. And the little ones, who
+were carried in their parents' arms, were not to be counted. The
+grand-children, who were away, busy with their duties, all asked for
+leave and returned home when they heard that their ancestor had
+returned. And the girl grand-children, who had married into other
+families, also came. This filled Liu with joy, and he had a family
+banquet prepared in the hall, and all his descendants, with their wives
+and husbands sat about him in a circle. He himself and his wife, a
+white-haired, wrinkled old lady, sat in their midst at the upper end.
+The scholar himself still looked like a youth of twenty years, so that
+all the young people in the circle looked around and laughed.
+
+Then the scholar said: "I have a means of driving away old age!"
+
+And he drew out his magic wine and gave his wife some of it to drink.
+And when she had taken three glasses, her white hair gradually turned
+black again, her wrinkles disappeared, and she sat beside her husband,
+a handsome young woman. Then his son and the older grand-children
+came up and all asked for a drink of the wine. And whichever of them
+drank only so much as a drop of it was turned from an old man into a
+youth. The tale was bruited abroad and came to the emperor's ears. The
+emperor wanted to call Liu to his court, but he declined with many
+thanks. Yet he sent the emperor some of his magic wine as a gift. This
+pleased the emperor greatly, and he gave Liu a tablet of honor, with
+the inscription:
+
+    "The Common Home of Five Generations"
+
+Besides this he sent him three signs which he had written with his own
+imperial brush signifying:
+
+    "Joy in longevity"
+
+As to the other of the two scholars, Yuan Dschau, he was not so
+fortunate. When he came home he found that his wife and child had long
+since died, and his grand-children and great-grand-children were
+mostly useless people. So he did not remain long, but returned to the
+hills. Yet Liu Tschen remained for some years with his family, then
+taking his wife with him, went again to the Tai Hills and was seen no
+more.
+
+    Note: This tale is placed in the reign of the Emperor
+    Ming Di (A.D. 58-75). Its motive is that of the legend
+    of the Seven Sleepers, and is often found in Chinese
+    fairy tales.
+
+
+
+
+XXXIII
+
+THE MISERLY FARMER
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a farmer who had carted pears to market.
+Since they were very sweet and fragrant, he hoped to get a good price
+for them. A bonze with a torn cap and tattered robe stepped up to his
+cart and asked for one. The farmer repulsed him, but the bonze did not
+go. Then the farmer grew angry and began to call him names. The bonze
+said: "You have pears by the hundred in your cart. I only ask for one.
+Surely that does you no great injury. Why suddenly grow so angry about
+it?"
+
+The bystanders told the farmer that he ought to give the bonze one of
+the smaller pears and let him go. But the farmer would not and did
+not. An artisan saw the whole affair from his shop, and since the
+noise annoyed him, he took some money, bought a pear and gave it to
+the bonze.
+
+The bonze thanked him and said: "One like myself, who has given up the
+world, must not be miserly. I have beautiful pears myself, and I
+invite you all to eat them with me." Then some one asked: "If you have
+pears then why do you not eat your own?" He answered: "I first must
+have a seed to plant."
+
+And with that he began to eat the pear with gusto. When he had
+finished, he held the pit in his hand, took his pick-ax from his
+shoulder; and dug a hole a couple of inches deep. Into this he thrust
+the pit, and covered it with earth. Then he asked the folk in the
+market place for water, with which to water it. A pair of curiosity
+seekers brought him hot water from the hostelry in the street, and
+with it the bonze watered the pit. Thousands of eyes were turned on
+the spot. And the pit could already be seen to sprout. The sprout grew
+and in a moment it had turned into a tree. Branches and leaves
+burgeoned out from it. It began to blossom and soon the fruit had
+ripened: large, fragrant pears, which hung in thick clusters from the
+boughs. The bonze climbed into the tree and handed down the pears to
+the bystanders. In a moment all the pears had been eaten up. Then the
+bonze took his pick-ax and cut down the tree. Crash, crash! so it went
+for a while, and the tree was felled. Then he took the tree on his
+shoulder and walked away at an easy gait.
+
+When the bonze had begun to make his magic, the farmer, too, had
+mingled with the crowd. With neck outstretched and staring eyes he had
+stood there and had entirely forgotten the business he hoped to do
+with his pears. When the bonze had gone off he turned around to look
+after his cart. His pears had all disappeared. Then he realized that
+the pears the bonze had divided had been his own. He looked more
+closely, and the axle of his cart had disappeared. It was plainly
+evident that it had been chopped off quite recently. The farmer fell
+into a rage and hastened after the bonze as fast as ever he could. And
+when he turned the corner, there lay the missing piece from the axle
+by the city wall. And then he realized that the pear-tree which the
+bonze had chopped down must have been his axle. The bonze, however,
+was nowhere to be found. And the whole crowd in the market burst out
+into loud laughter.
+
+    Note: The axle in China is really a handle, for the
+    little Chinese carts are one-wheel push-carts with two
+    handles or shafts.
+
+
+
+
+XXXIV
+
+SKY O'DAWN
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man who took a child to a woman in a
+certain village, and told her to take care of him. Then he
+disappeared. And because the dawn was just breaking in the sky when
+the woman took the child into her home, she called him Sky O'Dawn.
+When the child was three years old, he would often look up to the
+heavens and talk with the stars. One day he ran away and many months
+passed before he came home again. The woman gave him a whipping. But
+he ran away again, and did not return for a year. His foster-mother
+was frightened, and asked: "Where have you been all year long?" The
+boy answered: "I only made a quick trip to the Purple Sea. There the
+water stained my clothes red. So I went to the spring at which the sun
+turns in, and washed them. I went away in the morning and I came back
+at noon. Why do you speak about my having been gone a year?"
+
+Then the woman asked: "And where did you pass on your way?"
+
+The boy answered: "When I had washed my clothes, I rested for a while
+in the City of the Dead and fell asleep. And the King-Father of the
+East gave me red chestnuts and rosy dawn-juice to eat, and my hunger
+was stilled. Then I went to the dark skies and drank the yellow dew,
+and my thirst was quenched. And I met a black tiger and wanted to ride
+home on his back. But I whipped him too hard, and he bit me in the
+leg. And so I came back to tell you about it."
+
+  [Illustration: "'AND I CROSSED THE WATER ON THE SHOE.'"
+                                                  --_Page 91_]
+
+Once more the boy ran away from home, thousands of miles, until he
+came to the swamp where dwelt the Primal Mist. There he met an old man
+with yellow eyebrows and asked him how old he might be. The old man
+said: "I have given up the habit of eating, and live on air. The
+pupils of my eyes have gradually acquired a green glow, which enables
+me to see all hidden things. Whenever a thousand years have passed I
+turn around my bones and wash the marrow. And every two thousand years
+I scrape my skin to get rid of the hair. I have already washed my
+bones thrice and scraped my skin five times."
+
+Afterward Sky O'Dawn served the Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. The
+Emperor, who was fond of the magic arts, was much attached to him. One
+day he said to him: "I wish that the empress might not grow old. Can
+you prevent it?"
+
+Sky O'Dawn answered: "I know of only one means to keep from growing
+old."
+
+The Emperor asked what herbs one had to eat. Sky O'Dawn replied: "In
+the North-East grow the mushrooms of life. There is a three-legged
+crow in the sun who always wants to get down and eat them. But the
+Sun-God holds his eyes shut and does not let him get away. If human
+beings eat them they become immortal, when animals eat them they grow
+stupefied."
+
+"And how do you know this?" asked the Emperor.
+
+"When I was a boy I once fell into a deep well, from which I could not
+get out for many decades. And down there was an immortal who led me to
+this herb. But one has to pass through a red river whose water is so
+light that not even a feather can swim on it. Everything that touches
+its surface sinks to the depths. But the man pulled off one of his
+shoes and gave it to me. And I crossed the water on the shoe, picked
+the herb and ate it. Those who dwell in that place weave mats of
+pearls and precious stones. They led me to a spot before which hung a
+curtain of delicate, colored skin. And they gave me a pillow carved of
+black jade, on which were graven sun and moon, clouds and thunder.
+They covered me with a dainty coverlet spun of the hair of a hundred
+gnats. A cover of that kind is very cool and refreshing in summer. I
+felt of it with my hands, and it seemed to be formed of water; but
+when I looked at it more closely, it was pure light."
+
+Once the Emperor called together all his magicians in order to talk
+with them about the fields of the blessed spirits. Sky O'Dawn was
+there, too, and said: "Once I was wandering about the North Pole and I
+came to the Fire-Mirror Mountain. There neither sun nor moon shines.
+But there is a dragon who holds a fiery mirror in his jaws in order to
+light up the darkness. On the mountain is a park, and in the park is a
+lake. By the lake grows the glimmer-stalk grass, which shines like a
+lamp of gold. If you pluck it and use it for a candle, you can see all
+things visible, and the shapes of the spirits as well. It even
+illuminates the interior of a human being."
+
+Once Sky O'Dawn went to the East, into the country of the fortunate
+clouds. And he brought back with him from that land a steed of the
+gods, nine feet high. The Emperor asked him how he had come to find
+it.
+
+So he told him: "The Queen-Mother of the West had him harnessed to her
+wagon when she went to visit the King-Father of the East. The steed
+was staked out in the field of the mushrooms of life. But he trampled
+down several hundred of them. This made the King-Father angry, and he
+drove the steed away to the heavenly river. There I found him and rode
+him home. I rode three times around the sun, because I had fallen
+asleep on the steed's back. And then, before I knew it, I was here.
+This steed can catch up with the sun's shadow. When I found him he was
+quite thin and as sad as an aged donkey. So I mowed the grass of the
+country of the fortunate clouds, which grows once every two-thousand
+years on the Mountain of the Nine Springs and fed it to the horse; and
+that made him lively again."
+
+The Emperor asked what sort of a place the country of the fortunate
+clouds might be. Sky O'Dawn answered: "There is a great swamp there.
+The people prophesy fortune and misfortune by the air and the clouds.
+If good fortune is to befall a house, clouds of five colors form in
+the rooms, which alight on the grass and trees and turn into a colored
+dew. This dew tastes as sweet as cider."
+
+The Emperor asked whether he could obtain any of this dew. Sky O'Dawn
+replied: "My steed could take me to the place where it falls four
+times in the course of a single day!"
+
+And sure enough he came back by evening, and brought along dew of
+every color in a crystal flask. The Emperor drank it and his hair grew
+black again. He gave it to his highest officials to drink, and the old
+grew young again and the sick became well.
+
+Once, when a comet appeared in the heavens, Sky O'Dawn gave the
+Emperor the astrologer's wand. The Emperor pointed it at the comet and
+the comet was quenched.
+
+Sky O'Dawn was an excellent whistler. And whenever he whistled in full
+tones, long drawn out, the motes in the sunbeams danced to his music.
+
+Once he said to a friend: "There is not a soul on earth who knows who
+I am with the exception of the astrologer!"
+
+When Sky O'Dawn had died, the Emperor called the astrologer to him
+and asked: "Did you know Sky O'Dawn?"
+
+He replied: "No!"
+
+The Emperor said: "What do you know?"
+
+The astrologer answered: "I know how to gaze on the stars."
+
+"Are all the stars in their places?" asked the Emperor.
+
+"Yes, but for eighteen years I have not seen the Star of the Great
+Year. Now it is visible once more."
+
+Then the Emperor looked up towards the skies and sighed: "For eighteen
+years Sky O'Dawn kept me company, and I did not know that he was the
+Star of the Great Year!"
+
+    Note: The mother of Sky O'Dawn, (Dung Fang So) who makes
+    so mysterious an appearance on earth, according to one
+    tradition, is the third daughter of the Lord of the
+    Heavens. (Comp. Note to No. 16). Dung Fang So is an
+    incarnation of the Wood Star or Star of the Great Year
+    (Jupiter). The King-Father of the East, one of the Five
+    Ancients, is the representative of wood (comp. No. 15).
+    Red chestnuts, like fire-dates, are fruits of the gods,
+    and bestow immortality. Sky O'Dawn was an excellent
+    whistler. Whistling is a famous means of magic among the
+    Taoists. The Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, was a prince
+    who is reputed to have devoted much attention to the
+    magic arts. He reigned from 140 to 86 B.C. The
+    three-legged crow in the sun is the counterpart of the
+    three-legged ram-toad in the moon. The Red River recalls
+    the Weak River by the Castle of the Queen-Mother of the
+    West.
+
+
+
+
+XXXV
+
+KING MU OF DSCHOU
+
+
+In the days of King Mu of Dschou a magician came out of the uttermost
+West, who could walk through water and fire, and pass through metal
+and stone. He could make mountains and rivers change place, shift
+about cities and castles, rise into emptiness without falling, strike
+against solid matter without finding it an obstruction; and he knew a
+thousand transformations in all their inexhaustible variety. And he
+could not only change the shape of things but he could change men's
+thoughts. The King honored him like a god, and served him as he would
+a master. He resigned his own apartments that the magician might be
+lodged in them, had beasts of sacrifice brought to offer him, and
+selected sweet singers to give him pleasure. But the rooms in the
+King's palace were too humble--the magician could not dwell in them;
+and the King's singers were not musical enough to be allowed to be
+near him. So King Mu had a new palace built for him. The work of
+bricklayers and carpenters, of painters and stainers left nothing to
+be desired with regard to skill. The King's treasury was empty when
+the tower had reached its full height. It was a thousand fathoms high,
+and rose above the top of the mountain before the capital. The King
+selected maidens, the loveliest and most dainty, gave them fragrant
+essences, had their eyebrows curved in lines of beauty, and adorned
+their hair and ears with jewels. He garbed them in fine cloth, and
+with white silks fluttering about them, and had their faces painted
+white and their eyebrows stained black. He had them put on armlets of
+precious stones and mix sweet-smelling herbs. They filled the palace
+and sang the songs of the ancient kings in order to please the
+magician. Every month the most costly garments were brought him, and
+every morning the most delicate food. The magician allowed them to do
+so, and since he had no choice, made the best of it.
+
+Not long afterward the magician invited the King to go traveling with
+him. The King grasped the magician's sleeve, and thus they flew up
+through the air to the middle of the skies. When they stopped they
+found they had reached the palace of the magician. It was built of
+gold and silver, and adorned with pearls and precious stones. It
+towered high over the clouds and rain; and none could say whereon it
+rested. To the eye it had the appearance of heaped-up clouds. All that
+it offered the senses was different from the things of the world of
+men. It seemed to the King as though he were bodily present in the
+midst of the purple depths of the city of the air, of the divine
+harmony of the spheres, where the Great God dwells. The King looked
+down, and his castles and pleasure-houses appeared to him like hills
+of earth and heaps of straw. And there the King remained for some
+decades and thought no more of his kingdom.
+
+Then the magician again invited the King to go traveling with him once
+more. And in the place to which they came there was to be seen neither
+sun nor moon above, nor rivers or sea below. The King's dazzled eyes
+could not see the radiant shapes which showed themselves; the King's
+dulled ears could not hear the sounds which played about them. It
+seemed as though his body were dissolving in confusion; his thoughts
+began to stray, and consciousness threatened to leave him. So he
+begged the magician to return. The magician put his spell upon him,
+and it seemed to the King as though he were falling into empty space.
+
+When he regained consciousness, he was sitting at the same place where
+he had been sitting when the magician had asked him to travel with him
+for the first time. The servants waiting on him were the same, and
+when he looked down, his goblet was not yet empty, and his food had
+not yet grown cold.
+
+The King asked what had happened. And the servants answered, "The King
+sat for a space in silence." Whereupon the King was quite bereft of
+reason, and it was three months before he regained his right mind.
+Then he questioned the magician. The magician said: "I was traveling
+with you in the spirit, O King! What need was there for the body to go
+along? And the place in which we stayed at that time was no less real
+than your own castle and your own gardens. But you are used only to
+permanent conditions, therefore visions which dissolve so suddenly
+appear strange to you."
+
+The King was content with the explanation. He gave no further thought
+to the business of government and took no more interest in his
+servants, but resolved to travel afar. So he had the eight famous
+steeds harnessed, and accompanied by a few faithful retainers, drove a
+thousand miles away. There he came to the country of the great
+hunters. The great hunters brought the King the blood of the white
+brant to drink, and washed his feet in the milk of mares and cows.
+When the King and his followers had quenched their thirst, they drove
+on and camped for the night on the slope of the Kunlun Mountain, south
+of the Red River. The next day they climbed to the peak of Kunlun
+Mountain and gazed at the castle of the Lord of the Yellow Earth.
+Then they traveled on to the Queen-Mother of the West. Before they got
+there they had to pass the Weak River. This is a river whose waters
+will bear neither floats nor ships. All that attempts to float over it
+sinks into its depths. When the King reached the shore, fish and
+turtles, crabs and salamanders came swimming up and formed a bridge,
+so that he could drive across with the wagon.
+
+It is said of the Queen-Mother of the West that she goes about with
+hair unkempt, with a bird's beak and tiger's teeth, and that she is
+skilled in playing the flute. Yet this is not her true figure, but
+that of a spirit who serves her, and rules over the Western sky. The
+Queen-Mother entertained King Mu in her castle by the Springs of Jade.
+And she gave him rock-marrow to drink and fed him with the fruit of
+the jade-trees. Then she sang him a song and taught him a magic
+formula by means of which one could obtain long life. The Queen-Mother
+of the West gathers the immortals around her, and gives them to eat of
+the peaches of long life; and then they come to her with wagons with
+purple canopies, drawn by flying dragons. Ordinary mortals sink in the
+Weak River when they try to cross. But she was kindly disposed to King
+Mu.
+
+When he took leave of her, he also went on to the spot where the sun
+turns in after running three thousand miles a day. Then he returned
+again to his kingdom.
+
+When King Mu was a hundred years old, the Queen-Mother of the West
+drew near his palace and led him away with her into the clouds.
+
+And from that day on he was seen no more.
+
+    Note: King Mu of Dschou reigned from 1001 to 946 B.C.
+    With his name are associated the stories of the
+    marvelous travels into the land of the far West, and
+    especially to the Queen-Mother (who is identified by
+    some with Juno). The peaches of immortality suggest the
+    apples of the Hesperides. (Comp. with the story of "The
+    Ape Sun Wu Kung.")
+
+
+
+
+XXXVI
+
+THE KING OF HUAI NAN
+
+
+The King of Huai Nan was a learned man of the Han dynasty. Since he
+was of the blood royal the emperor had given him a kingdom in fee. He
+cultivated the society of scholars, could interpret signs and foretell
+the future. Together with his scholars he had compiled the book which
+bears his name.
+
+One day eight aged men came to see him. They all had white beards and
+white hair. The gate-keeper announced them to the King. The King
+wished to try them, so he sent back the gate-keeper to put
+difficulties in the way of their entrance. The latter said to them:
+"Our King is striving to learn the art of immortal life. You gentlemen
+are old and feeble. How can you be of aid to him? It is unnecessary
+for you to pay him a visit."
+
+The eight old men smiled and said: "Oh, and are we too old to suit
+you? Well, then we will make ourselves young!" And before they had
+finished speaking they had turned themselves into boys of fourteen and
+fifteen, with hair-knots as black as silk and faces like
+peach-blossoms. The gate-keeper was frightened, and at once informed
+the King of what had happened. When the King heard it, he did not even
+take time to slip into his shoes, but hurried out barefoot to receive
+them. He led them into his palace, had rugs of brocade spread for
+them, and beds of ivory set up, fragrant herbs burned and tables of
+gold and precious stones set in front of them. Then he bowed before
+them as pupils do before a teacher, and told them how glad he was that
+they had come.
+
+The eight boys changed into old men again and said: "Do you wish to go
+to school to us, O King? Each one of us is master of a particular art.
+One of us can call up wind and rain, cause clouds and mists to gather,
+rivers to flow and mountains to heave themselves up, if he wills it
+so. The second can cause high mountains to split asunder and check
+great streams in their course. He can tame tigers and panthers and
+soothe serpents and dragons. Spirits and gods do his bidding. The
+third can send out doubles, transform himself into other shapes, make
+himself invisible, cause whole armies to disappear, and turn day into
+night. The fourth can walk through the air and clouds, can stroll on
+the surface of the waves, pass through walls and rocks and cover a
+thousand miles in a single breath. The fifth can enter fire without
+burning, and water without drowning. The winter frost cannot chill
+him, nor the summer heat burn him. The sixth can create and transform
+living creatures if he feel inclined. He can form birds and beasts,
+grasses and trees. He can transplace houses and castles. The seventh
+can bake lime so that it turns to gold, and cook lead so that it turns
+to silver; he can mingle water and stone so that the bubbles
+effervesce and turn into pearls. The eighth can ride on dragons and
+cranes to the eight poles of the world, converse with the immortals,
+and stand in the presence of the Great Pure One."
+
+The King kept them beside him from morning to night, entertained them
+and had them show him what they could do. And, true enough, they could
+do everything just as they had said. And now the King began to distil
+the elixir of life with their aid. He had finished, but not yet
+imbibed it when a misfortune overtook his family. His son had been
+playing with a courtier and the latter had heedlessly wounded him.
+Fearing that the prince might punish him, he joined other discontented
+persons and excited a revolt. And the emperor, when he heard of it,
+sent one of his captains to judge between the King and the rebels.
+
+The eight aged men spoke: "It is now time to go. This misfortune has
+been sent you from heaven, O King! Had it not befallen you, you would
+not have been able to resolve to leave the splendors and glories of
+this world!"
+
+They led him on to a mountain. There they offered sacrifices to
+heaven, and buried gold in the earth. Then they ascended into the
+skies in bright daylight. The footprints of the eight aged men and of
+the king were imprinted in the rock of the mountain, and may be seen
+there to this very day. Before they had left the castle, however, they
+had set what was left of the elixir of life out in the courtyard. Hens
+and hounds picked and licked it up, and all flew up into the skies. In
+Huai Nan to this very day the crowing of cocks and the barking of
+hounds may be heard up in the skies, and it is said that these are the
+creatures who followed the King at the time.
+
+One of the King's servants, however, followed him to an island in the
+sea, whence he sent him back. He told that the King himself had not
+yet ascended to the skies, but had only become immortal and was
+wandering about the world. When the emperor heard of the matter he
+regretted greatly that he had sent soldiers into the King's land and
+thus driven him out. He called in magicians to aid him, in hope of
+meeting the eight old men himself. Yet, for all that he spent great
+sums, he was not successful. The magicians only cheated him.
+
+    Note: The King of Huai Nan was named Liu An. He belonged
+    to the Han dynasty. He dabbled largely in magic, and
+    drew to his court many magicians whose labors are
+    collected in the philosophical work which bears his
+    name. Liu An lived at the time of the Emperor Wu (see
+    No. 34). The latter having no heirs, Liu An entered into
+    a conspiracy which, however, was discovered. As a
+    consequence he killed himself, 122 B.C. Our fairy-tale
+    presents these events in their legendary transformation.
+
+
+
+
+XXXVII
+
+OLD DSCHANG
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man who went by the name of Old Dschang.
+He lived in the country, near Yangdschou, as a gardener. His neighbor,
+named Sir We, held an official position in Yangdschou. Sir We had
+decided that it was time for his daughter to marry, so he sent for a
+match-maker and commissioned her to find a suitable husband. Old
+Dschang heard this, and was pleased. He prepared food and drink,
+entertained the match-maker, and told her to recommend him as a
+husband. But the old match-maker went off scolding.
+
+The next day he invited her to dinner again and gave her money. Then
+the old match-maker said: "You do not know what you wish! Why should a
+gentleman's beautiful daughter condescend to marry a poor old gardener
+like yourself? Even though you had money to burn, your white hair
+would not match her black locks. Such a marriage is out of the
+question!"
+
+But Old Dschang did not cease to entreat her: "Make an attempt, just
+one attempt, to mention me! If they will not listen to you, then I
+must resign myself to my fate!"
+
+The old match-maker had taken his money, so she could not well refuse,
+and though she feared being scolded, she mentioned him to Sir We. He
+grew angry and wanted to throw her out of the house.
+
+"I knew you would not thank me," said she, "but the old man urged it
+so that I could not refuse to mention his intention."
+
+"Tell the old man that if this very day he brings me two white
+jade-stones, and four hundred ounces of yellow gold, then I will give
+him my daughter's hand in marriage."
+
+But he only wished to mock the old man's folly, for he knew that the
+latter could not give him anything of the kind. The match-maker went
+to Old Dschang and delivered the message. And he made no objection;
+but at once brought the exact quantity of gold and jewels to Sir We's
+house. The latter was very much frightened and when his wife heard of
+it, she began to weep and wail loudly. But the girl encouraged her
+mother: "My father has given his word now and cannot break it. I will
+know how to bear my fate."
+
+So Sir We's daughter was married to Old Dschang. But even after the
+wedding the latter did not give up his work as a gardener. He spaded
+the field and sold vegetables as usual, and his wife had to fetch
+water and build the kitchen fire herself. But she did her work without
+false shame and, though her relatives reproached her, she continued to
+do so.
+
+Once an aristocratic relative visited Sir We and said: "If you had
+really been poor, were there not enough young gentlemen in the
+neighborhood for your daughter? Why did you have to marry her to such
+a wrinkled old gardener? Now that you have thrown her away, so to
+speak, it would be better if both of them left this part of the
+country."
+
+Then Sir We prepared a banquet and invited his daughter and Old
+Dschang to visit him. When they had had sufficient to eat and drink he
+allowed them to get an inkling of what was in his mind.
+
+Said Old Dschang: "I have only remained here because I thought you
+would long for your daughter. But since you are tired of us, I will be
+glad to go. I have a little country house back in the hills, and we
+will set out for it early to-morrow morning."
+
+The following morning, at break of dawn, Old Dschang came with his
+wife to say farewell. Sir We said: "Should we long to see you at some
+later time, my son can make inquiries." Old Dschang placed his wife on
+a donkey and gave her a straw hat to wear. He himself took his staff
+and walked after.
+
+A few years passed without any news from either of them. Then Sir We
+and his wife felt quite a longing to see their daughter and sent their
+son to make inquiries. When the latter got back in the hills he met a
+plow-boy who was plowing with two yellow steers. He asked him: "Where
+is Old Dschang's country house?" The plow-boy left the plow in the
+harrow, bowed and answered: "You have been a long time coming, sir!
+The village is not far from here: I will show you the way."
+
+They crossed a hill. At the foot of the hill flowed a brook, and when
+they had crossed the brook they had to climb another hill. Gradually
+the landscape changed. From the top of the hill could be seen a
+valley, level in the middle, surrounded by abrupt crags and shaded by
+green trees, among which houses and towers peeped forth. This was the
+country house of Old Dschang. Before the village flowed a deep brook
+full of clear, blue water. They passed over a stone bridge and reached
+the gate. Here flowers and trees grew in luxurious profusion, and
+peacocks and cranes flew about. From the distance could be heard the
+sound of flutes and of stringed instruments. Crystal-clear tones rose
+to the clouds. A messenger in a purple robe received the guest at the
+gate and led him into a hall of surpassing splendor. Strange
+fragrances filled the air, and there was a ringing of little bells of
+pearl. Two maid-servants came forth to greet him, followed by two rows
+of beautiful girls in a long processional. After them a man in a
+flowing turban, clad in scarlet silk, with red slippers, came floating
+along. The guest saluted him. He was serious and dignified, and at the
+same time seemed youthfully fresh. At first We's son did not recognize
+him, but when he looked more closely, why it was Old Dschang! The
+latter said with a smile: "I am pleased that the long road to travel
+has not prevented your coming. Your sister is just combing her hair.
+She will welcome you in a moment." Then he had him sit down and drink
+tea.
+
+After a short time a maid-servant came and led him to the inner rooms,
+to his sister. The beams of her room were of sandalwood, the doors of
+tortoise-shell and the windows inlaid with blue jade; her curtains
+were formed of strings of pearls and the steps leading into the room
+of green nephrite. His sister was magnificently gowned, and far more
+beautiful than before. She asked him carelessly how he was getting
+along, and what her parents were doing; but was not very cordial.
+After a splendid meal she had an apartment prepared for him.
+
+"My sister wishes to make an excursion to the Mountain of the
+Fairies," said Old Dschang to him. "We will be back about sunset, and
+you can rest until we return."
+
+Then many-colored clouds rose in the courtyard, and dulcet music
+sounded on the air. Old Dschang mounted a dragon, while his wife and
+sister rode on phenixes and their attendants on cranes. So they rose
+into the air and disappeared in an easterly direction. They did not
+return until after sunset.
+
+Old Dschang and his wife then said to him: "This is an abode of the
+blessed. You cannot remain here overlong. To-morrow we will escort you
+back."
+
+On the following day, when taking leave, Old Dschang gave him eighty
+ounces of gold and an old straw hat. "Should you need money," said he,
+"you can go to Yangdschou and inquire in the northern suburb for old
+Wang's drug-shop. There you can collect ten million pieces of copper.
+This hat is the order for them." Then he ordered his plow-boy to take
+him home again.
+
+Quite a few of the folks at home, to whom he described his adventures,
+thought that Old Dschang must be a holy man, while others regarded the
+whole thing a magic vision.
+
+After five or six years Sir We's money came to an end. So his son took
+the straw hat to Yangdschou and there asked for old Wang. The latter
+just happened to be standing in his drug-shop, mixing herbs. When the
+son explained his errand he said: "The money is ready. But is your hat
+genuine?" And he took the hat and examined it. A young girl came from
+an inner room and said: "I wove the hat for Old Dschang myself. There
+must be a red thread in it." And sure enough, there was. Then old Wang
+gave young We the ten million pieces of copper, and the latter now
+believed that Old Dschang was really a saint. So he once more went
+over the hills to look for him. He asked the forest-keepers, but they
+could tell him naught. Sadly he retraced his steps and decided to
+inquire of old Wang, but he had also disappeared.
+
+When several years had passed he once more came to Yangdschou, and was
+walking in the meadow before the city gate. There he met Old Dschang's
+plow-boy. The latter cried out: "How are you? How are you?" and drew
+out ten pounds of gold, which he gave to him, saying: "My mistress
+told me to give you this. My master is this very moment drinking tea
+with old Wang in the inn." Young We followed the plow-boy, intending
+to greet his brother-in-law. But when he reached the inn there was no
+one in sight. And when he turned around the plow-boy had disappeared
+as well. And since that time no one ever heard from Old Dschang again.
+
+    Note: The match-maker, according to Chinese custom--and
+    the custom of other oriental peoples--is an absolutely
+    necessary mediator between the two families. There are
+    old women who make their living at this profession.
+
+
+
+
+XXXVIII
+
+THE KINDLY MAGICIAN
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man named Du Dsi Tschun. In his youth he
+was a spendthrift and paid no heed to his property. He was given to
+drink and idling. When he had run through all his money, his relatives
+cast him out. One winter day he was walking barefoot about the city,
+with an empty stomach and torn clothes. Evening came on and still he
+had not found any food. Without end or aim he wandered about the
+market place. He was hungry, and the cold seemed well nigh
+unendurable. So he turned his eyes upward and began to lament aloud.
+
+Suddenly an ancient man stood before him, leaning on a staff, who
+said: "What do you lack since you complain so?"
+
+"I am dying of hunger," replied Du Dsi Tschun, "and not a soul will
+take pity on me!"
+
+The ancient man said: "How much money would you need in order to live
+in all comfort?"
+
+"If I had fifty thousand pieces of copper it would answer my purpose,"
+replied Du Dsi Tschun.
+
+The ancient said: "That would not answer."
+
+"Well, then, a million!"
+
+"That is still too little!"
+
+"Well, then, three million!"
+
+The ancient man said: "That is well spoken!" He fetched a thousand
+pieces of copper out of his sleeve and said: "That is for this
+evening. Expect me to-morrow by noon, at the Persian Bazaar!"
+
+At the time set Du Dsi Tschun went there, and, sure enough, there was
+the ancient, who gave him three million pieces of copper. Then he
+disappeared, without giving his name.
+
+When Du Dsi Tschun held the money in his hand, his love for
+prodigality once more awoke. He rode pampered steeds, clothed himself
+in the finest furs, went back to his wine, and led such an extravagant
+life that the money gradually came to an end. Instead of wearing
+brocade he had to wear cotton, and instead of riding horseback he went
+to the dogs. Finally he was again running about barefoot and in rags
+as before, and did not know how to satisfy his hunger. Once more he
+stood in the market-place and sighed. But the ancient was already
+there, took him by the hand and said: "Are you back already to where
+you were? That is strange! However, I will aid you once more!"
+
+But Du Dsi Tschun was ashamed and did not want to accept his help. Yet
+the ancient insisted, and led him along to the Persian Bazaar. This
+time he gave him ten million pieces of copper, and Du Dsi Tschun
+thanked him with shame in his heart.
+
+With money in hand, he tried to give time to adding to it, and saving
+in order to gain great wealth. But, as is always the case, it is hard
+to overcome ingrown faults. Gradually he began to fling his money away
+again, and gave free rein to all his desires. And once more his purse
+grew empty. In a couple of years he was as poor as ever he had been.
+
+Then he met the ancient the third time, but was so ashamed of himself
+that he hid his face when he passed him.
+
+The ancient seized his arm and said: "Where are you going? I will help
+you once more. I will give you thirty million. But if then you do not
+improve you are past all aid!"
+
+Full of gratitude, Du Dsi Tschun bowed before him and said: "In the
+days of my poverty my wealthy relatives did not seek me out. You alone
+have thrice aided me. The money you give me to-day shall not be
+squandered, that I swear; but I will devote it to good works in order
+to repay your great kindness. And when I have done this I will follow
+you, if needs be through fire and through water."
+
+The ancient replied: "That is right! When you have ordered these
+things ask for me in the temple of Laotsze beneath the two mulberry
+trees!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun took the money and went to Yangdschou. There he bought a
+hundred acres of the best land, and built a lofty house with many
+hundreds of rooms on the highway. And there he allowed widows and
+orphans to live. Then he bought a burial-place for his ancestors, and
+supported his needy relations. Countless people were indebted to him
+for their livelihood.
+
+When all was finished, he went to inquire after the ancient in the
+temple of Laotsze. The ancient was sitting in the shade of the
+mulberry trees blowing the flute. He took Du Dsi Tschun along with him
+to the cloudy peaks of the holy mountains of the West. When they had
+gone some forty miles into the mountains, he saw a dwelling, fair and
+clean. It was surrounded by many-colored clouds, and peacocks and
+cranes were flying about it. Within the house was a herb-oven nine
+feet high. The fire burned with a purple flame, and its glow leaped
+along the walls. Nine fairies stood at the oven, and a green dragon
+and a white tiger crouched beside it. Evening came. The ancient was no
+longer clad like an ordinary man; but wore a yellow cap and wide,
+flowing garments. He took three pellets of the White Stone, put them
+into a flagon of wine, and gave them to Du Dsi Tschun to drink. He
+spread out a tiger-skin against the western wall of the inner chamber,
+and bade Du Dsi Tschun sit down on it, with his face turned toward the
+East. Then he said to him: "Now beware of speaking a single word--no
+matter what happens to you, whether you encounter powerful gods or
+terrible demons, wild beasts or ogres, or all the tortures of the
+nether world, or even if you see your own relatives suffer--for all
+these things are only deceitful images! They cannot harm you. Think
+only of what I have said, and let your soul be at rest!" And when he
+had said this the ancient disappeared.
+
+Then Du Dsi Tschun saw only a large stone jug full of clear water
+standing before him. Fairies, dragon and tiger had all vanished.
+Suddenly he heard a tremendous crash, which made heaven and earth
+tremble. A man towering more than ten feet in height appeared. He
+called himself the great captain, and he and his horse were covered
+with golden armor. He was surrounded by more than a hundred soldiers,
+who drew their bows and swung their swords, and halted in the
+courtyard.
+
+The giant called out harshly: "Who are you? Get out of my way!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun did not move. And he returned no answer to his
+questions.
+
+Then the giant flew into a passion and cried with a thundering voice:
+"Chop off his head!"
+
+But Du Dsi Tschun remained unmoved, so the giant went off raging.
+
+Then a furious tiger and a poisonous serpent came up roaring and
+hissing. They made as though to bite him and leaped over him. But Du
+Dsi Tschun remained unperturbed in spirit, and after a time they
+dissolved and vanished.
+
+Suddenly a great rain began to fall in streams. It thundered and
+lightninged incessantly, so that his ears rang and his eyes were
+blinded. It seemed as though the house would fall. The water rose to a
+flood in a few moments' time, and streamed up to the place where he
+was sitting. But Du Dsi Tschun remained motionless and paid no
+attention to it. And after a time the water receded.
+
+Then came a great demon with the head of an ox. He set up a kettle in
+the middle of the courtyard, in which bubbled boiling oil. He caught
+Du Dsi Tschun by the neck with an iron fork and said: "If you will
+tell me who you are I will let you go!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun shut his eyes and kept silent. Then the demon picked
+him up with the fork and flung him into the kettle. He withstood the
+pain, and the boiling oil did not harm him. Finally the demon dragged
+him out again, and drew him down the steps of the house before a man
+with red hair and a blue face, who looked like the prince of the
+nether world. The latter cried: "Drag in his wife!"
+
+After a time Du Dsi Tschun's wife was brought on in chains. Her hair
+was torn and she wept bitterly.
+
+The demon pointed to Du Dsi Tschun and said: "If you will speak your
+name we will let her go!"
+
+But he answered not a word.
+
+Then the prince of evil had the woman tormented in all sorts of ways.
+And she pleaded with Du Dsi Tschun: "I have been your wife now for ten
+years. Will you not speak one little word to save me? I can endure no
+more!" And the tears ran in streams from her eyes. She screamed and
+scolded. Yet he spoke not a word.
+
+Thereupon the prince of evil shouted: "Chop her into bits!" And there,
+before his eyes, it seemed as though she were really being chopped to
+pieces. But Du Dsi Tschun did not move.
+
+"The scoundrel's measure is full!" cried the prince of evil. "He shall
+dwell no longer among the living! Off with his head!" And so they
+killed him, and it seemed to him that his soul fled his body. The
+ox-headed demon dragged him down into the nether regions, where he
+tasted all the tortures in turn. But Du Dsi Tschun remembered the
+words of the ancient. And the tortures, too, seemed bearable. So he
+did not scream and said not a word.
+
+Now he was once more dragged before the prince of evil. The latter
+said: "As punishment for his obstinacy this man shall come to earth
+again in the shape of a woman!"
+
+The demon dragged him to the wheel of life and he returned to earth
+in the shape of a girl. He was often ill, had to take medicine
+continually, and was pricked and burned with hot needles. Yet he never
+uttered a sound. Gradually he grew into a beautiful maiden. But since
+he never spoke, he was known as the dumb maid. A scholar finally took
+him for his bride, and they lived in peace and good fellowship. And a
+son came to them who, in the course of two years was already beyond
+measure wise and intelligent. One day the father was carrying the son
+on his arm. He spoke jestingly to his wife and said: "When I look at
+you it seems to me that you are not really dumb. Won't you say one
+little word to me? How delightful it would be if you were to become my
+speaking rose!"
+
+The woman remained silent. No matter how he might coax and try to make
+her smile, she would return no answer.
+
+Then his features changed: "If you will not speak to me, it is a sign
+that you scorn me; and in that case your son is nothing to me,
+either!" And with that he seized the boy and flung him against the
+wall.
+
+But since Du Dsi Tschun loved this little boy so dearly, he forgot the
+ancient's warning, and cried out: "Oh, oh!"
+
+And before the cry had died away Du Dsi Tschun awoke as though from a
+dream and found himself seated in his former place. The ancient was
+there as well. It must have been about the fifth hour of the night.
+Purple flames rose wildly from the oven, and flared up to the sky. The
+whole house caught fire and burned like a torch.
+
+"You have deceived me!" cried the ancient. Then he seized him by the
+hair and thrust him into the jug of water. And in a minute the fire
+went out. The ancient spoke: "You overcame joy and rage, grief and
+fear, hate and desire, it is true; but love you had not driven from
+your soul. Had you not cried out when the child was flung against the
+wall, then my elixir would have taken shape and you would have
+attained immortality. But in the last moment you failed me. Now it is
+too late. Now I can begin brewing my elixir of life once more from the
+beginning and you will remain a mere mortal man!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun saw that the oven had burst, and that instead of the
+philosopher's stone it held only a lump of iron. The ancient man cast
+aside his garments and chopped it up with a magic knife. Du Dsi Tschun
+took leave of him and returned to Yangdschou, where he lived in great
+affluence. In his old age he regretted that he had not completed his
+task. He once more went to the mountain to look for the ancient. But
+the ancient had vanished without leaving a trace.
+
+    Note: The "pieces of copper" are the ancient Chinese
+    copper coins, with a hole in the middle, usually hung on
+    strings to the number of 500 or 1000. Money had a
+    greater purchasing value in ancient China, however, than
+    in the China of to-day. The "Persian Bazaar": During the
+    reign of the Tang dynasty China maintained an active
+    intercourse with the West, traces of which are at
+    present being investigated in Central Asia. At that time
+    Persian bazaars were no novelty in the city of Si-An-Fu,
+    then the capital. "Herb-oven": a tripod kettle used for
+    brewing the elixir of life, with which the fairies,
+    dragon and tiger (both the last-mentioned
+    star-incarnations) are connected. In order to prepare
+    the elixir the master must have absolute endurance. It
+    is for this reason that he had placed Du Dsi Tschun in
+    his debt by means of kindness. The yellow cap which the
+    master wears is connected with the teachings of the
+    Yellow Ancient (comp. w. No. 15). The "prince of the
+    nether world," Yan Wang, or Yan Lo Wang, is the Indian
+    god Yama. There are in all ten princes of the nether
+    world, of whom the fifth is the highest and most feared.
+    "Obstinacy," literally; his real offense is reticence,
+    or the keeping secret of a thing. This quality belongs
+    to the Yin, the dark or feminine principle, and
+    determines Du Dsi Tschun's reappearance on earth as a
+    woman. "Purple flames rose wildly from the oven": Though
+    Du Dsi Tschun had overcome his other emotions, so that
+    fear and terror did not affect him, love, and love in
+    its highest form, mother-love, still remained in him.
+    This love created the flames which threatened to destroy
+    the building. The highest point in Taoism--as in
+    Buddhism--is, however, the absolute negation of all
+    feeling.
+
+
+
+
+NATURE AND ANIMAL TALES
+
+
+
+
+XXXIX
+
+THE FLOWER-ELVES
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a scholar who lived retired from the world
+in order to gain hidden wisdom. He lived alone and in a secret place.
+And all about the little house in which he dwelt he had planted every
+kind of flower, and bamboos and other trees. There it lay, quite
+concealed in its thick grove of flowers. With him he had only a boy
+servant, who dwelt in a separate hut, and who carried out his orders.
+He was not allowed to appear before his master unless summoned. The
+scholar loved his flowers as he did himself. Never did he set his foot
+beyond the boundaries of his garden.
+
+It chanced that once there came a lovely spring evening. Flowers and
+trees stood in full bloom, a fresh breeze was blowing, the moon shone
+clearly. And the scholar sat over his goblet and was grateful for the
+gift of life.
+
+Suddenly he saw a maiden in dark garments come tripping up in the
+moonlight. She made a deep courtesy, greeted him and said: "I am your
+neighbor. We are a company of young maids who are on our way to visit
+the eighteen aunts. We should like to rest in this court for awhile,
+and therefore ask your permission to do so."
+
+The scholar saw that this was something quite out of the common, and
+gladly gave his consent. The maiden thanked him and went away.
+
+In a short time she brought back a whole crowd of maids carrying
+flowers and willow branches. All greeted the scholar. They were
+charming, with delicate features, and slender, graceful figures. When
+they moved their sleeves, a delightful fragrance was exhaled. There is
+no fragrance known to the human world which could be compared with it.
+
+The scholar invited them to sit down for a time in his room. Then he
+asked them: "Whom have I really the honor of entertaining? Have you
+come from the castle of the Lady in the Moon, or the Jade Spring of
+the Queen-Mother of the West?"
+
+"How could we claim such high descent?" said a maiden in a green gown,
+with a smile. "My name is Salix." Then she presented another, clad in
+white, and said: "This is Mistress Prunophora"; then one in rose, "and
+this is Persica"; and finally one in a dark-red gown, "and this is
+Punica. We are all sisters and we want to visit the eighteen
+zephyr-aunts to-day. The moon shines so beautifully this evening and
+it is so charming here in the garden. We are most grateful to you for
+taking pity on us."
+
+"Yes, yes," said the scholar.
+
+Then the sober-clad servant suddenly announced: "The zephyr-aunts have
+already arrived!"
+
+At once the girls rose and went to the door to meet them.
+
+"We were just about to visit you, aunts," they said, smiling. "This
+gentleman here had just invited us to sit for a moment. What a
+pleasant coincidence that you aunts have come here, too. This is such
+a lovely night that we must drink a goblet of nectar in honor of you
+aunts!"
+
+Thereon they ordered the servant to bring what was needed.
+
+"May one sit down here?" asked the aunts.
+
+"The master of the house is most kind," replied the maids, "and the
+spot is quiet and hidden."
+
+And then they presented the aunts to the scholar. He spoke a few
+kindly words to the eighteen aunts. They had a somewhat irresponsible
+and airy manner. Their words fairly gushed out, and in their
+neighborhood one felt a frosty chill.
+
+Meanwhile the servant had already brought in table and chairs. The
+eighteen aunts sat at the upper end of the board, the maids followed,
+and the scholar sat down with them at the lowest place. Soon the
+entire table was covered with the most delicious foods and most
+magnificent fruits, and the goblets were filled with a fragrant
+nectar. They were delights such as the world of men does not know! The
+moon shone brightly and the flowers exhaled intoxicating odors. After
+they had partaken of food and drink the maids rose, danced and sung.
+Sweetly the sound of their singing echoed through the falling gloam,
+and their dance was like that of butterflies fluttering about the
+flowers. The scholar was so overpowered with delight that he no longer
+knew whether he were in heaven or on earth.
+
+When the dance had ended, the girls sat down again at the table, and
+drank the health of the aunts in flowing nectar. The scholar, too, was
+remembered with a toast, to which he replied with well-turned phrases.
+
+But the eighteen aunts were somewhat irresponsible in their ways. One
+of them, raising her goblet, by accident poured some nectar on
+Punica's dress. Punica, who was young and fiery, and very neat, stood
+up angrily when she saw the spot on her red dress.
+
+"You are really very careless," said she, in her anger. "My other
+sisters may be afraid of you, but I am not!"
+
+Then the aunts grew angry as well and said: "How dare this young chit
+insult us in such a manner!"
+
+And with that they gathered up their garments and rose.
+
+All the maids then crowded about them and said: "Punica is so young
+and inexperienced! You must not bear her any ill-will! To-morrow she
+shall go to you switch in hand, and receive her punishment!"
+
+But the eighteen aunts would not listen to them and went off.
+Thereupon the maids also said farewell, scattered among the
+flower-beds and disappeared. The scholar sat for a long time lost in
+dreamy yearning.
+
+On the following evening the maids all came back again.
+
+"We all live in your garden," they told him. "Every year we are
+tormented by naughty winds, and therefore we have always asked the
+eighteen aunts to protect us. But yesterday Punica insulted them, and
+now we fear they will help us no more. But we know that you have
+always been well disposed toward us, for which we are heartily
+grateful. And now we have a great favor to ask, that every New Year's
+day you make a small scarlet flag, paint the sun, moon and five
+planets on it, and set it up in the eastern part of the garden. Then
+we sisters will be left in peace and will be protected from all evil.
+But since New Year's day has passed for this year, we beg that you
+will set up the flag on the twenty-first of this month. For the East
+Wind is coming and the flag will protect us against him!"
+
+The scholar readily promised to do as they wished, and the maids all
+said with a single voice: "We thank you for your great kindness and
+will repay it!" Then they departed and a sweet fragrance filled the
+entire garden.
+
+The scholar, however, made a red flag as described, and when early in
+the morning of the day in question the East Wind really did begin to
+blow, he quickly set it up in the garden.
+
+Suddenly a wild storm broke out, one that caused the forests to bend,
+and broke the trees. The flowers in the garden alone did not move.
+
+Then the scholar noticed that Salix was the willow; Prunophora the
+plum; Persica the peach, and the saucy Punica the Pomegranate, whose
+powerful blossoms the wind cannot tear. The eighteen zephyr-aunts,
+however, were the spirits of the winds.
+
+In the evening the flower-elves all came and brought the scholar
+radiant flowers as a gift of thanks.
+
+"You have saved us," they said, "and we have nothing else we can give
+you. If you eat these flowers you will live long and avoid old age.
+And if you, in turn, will protect us every year, then we sisters, too,
+will live long."
+
+The scholar did as they told him and ate the flowers. And his figure
+changed and he grew young again like a youth of twenty. And in the
+course of time he attained the hidden wisdom and was placed among the
+Immortals.
+
+    Note. Salix: the names of the "Flower Elves" are given
+    in the Chinese as family names, whose sound suggests the
+    flower-names without exactly using them. In the
+    translation the play on words is indicated by the Latin
+    names. "Zephyr-aunts": In Chinese the name given the
+    aunt is "Fong," which in another stylization means
+    "wind."
+
+
+
+
+XL
+
+THE SPIRIT OF THE WU-LIAN MOUNTAIN
+
+
+To the west of the gulf of Kiautschou is the Wu-Lian Mountain, where
+there are many spirits. Once upon a time a scholar who lived there was
+sitting up late at night, reading. And, as he stepped out before the
+house, a storm rose up suddenly, and a monster stretched out his claws
+and seized him by the hair. And he lifted him up in the air and
+carried him away. They passed by the tower which looks out to sea, a
+Buddhist temple in the hills. And in the distance, in the clouds, the
+scholar saw the figure of a god in golden armor. The figure looked
+exactly like the image of Weto which was in the tower. In its right
+hand it held an iron mace, while its left pointed toward the monster,
+and it looked at it with anger. Then the monster let the scholar fall,
+right on top of the tower, and disappeared. No doubt the saint in the
+tower had come to the scholar's aid, because his whole family
+worshiped Buddha dutifully.
+
+When the sun rose the priest came and saw the scholar on his tower. He
+piled up hay and straw on the ground; so that he could jump down
+without hurting himself. Then he took the scholar home, yet there
+where the monster had seized his hair, the hair remained stiff and
+unyielding. It did not improve until half a year had gone by.
+
+    Note: This legend comes from Dschungschong, west of the
+    gulf of Kiautschou. "The tower which looks out to sea,"
+    a celebrated tower which gives a view of the ocean. At
+    present the people give this name to the Tsingtau Signal
+    Station. Weto (Sanscrit, Veda), a legendary Boddhisatva,
+    leader of the hosts of the four kings of heaven. His
+    picture, with drawn sword, may be found at the entrance
+    of every Buddhist temple. In China, he is often
+    represented with a mace (symbolizing a thunderbolt)
+    instead of a sword. When this is the case he has
+    probably been confused with Vaisramana.
+
+
+
+
+XLI
+
+THE KING OF THE ANTS
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a scholar, who wandered away from his home
+and went to Emmet village. There stood a house which was said to be
+haunted. Yet it was beautifully situated and surrounded by a lovely
+garden. So the scholar hired it. One evening he was sitting over his
+books, when several hundred knights suddenly came galloping into the
+room. They were quite tiny, and their horses were about the size of
+flies. They had hunting falcons and dogs about as large as gnats and
+fleas.
+
+They came to his bed in the corner of the room, and there they held a
+great hunt, with bows and arrows: one could see it all quite plainly.
+They caught a tremendous quantity of birds and game, and all this game
+was no larger than little grains of rice.
+
+When the hunt was over, in came a long procession with banners and
+standards. They wore swords at their side and bore spears in their
+hands, and came to a halt in the north-west corner of the room. They
+were followed by several hundred serving-men. These brought with them
+curtains and covers, tents and tent-poles, pots and kettles, cups and
+plates, tables and chairs. And after them some hundreds of other
+servants carried in all sorts of fine dishes, the best that land and
+water had to offer. And several hundred more ran to and fro without
+stopping, in order to guard the roads and carry messages.
+
+The scholar gradually accustomed himself to the sight. Although the
+men were so very small he could distinguish everything quite clearly.
+
+Before long, a bright colored banner appeared. Behind it rode a
+personage wearing a scarlet hat and garments of purple. He was
+surrounded by an escort of several thousands. Before him went runners
+with whips and rods to clear the way.
+
+Then a man wearing an iron helmet and with a golden ax in his hand
+cried out in a loud voice: "His Highness is graciously pleased to look
+at the fish in the Purple Lake!" Whereupon the one who wore the
+scarlet hat got down from his horse, and, followed by a retinue of
+several hundred men, approached the saucer which the scholar used for
+his writing-ink. Tents were put up on the edge of the saucer and a
+banquet was prepared. A great number of guests sat down to the table.
+Musicians and dancers stood ready. There was a bright confusion of
+mingled garments of purple and scarlet, crimson and green. Pipes and
+flutes, fiddles and cymbals sounded, and the dancers moved in the
+dance. The music was very faint, and yet its melodies could be clearly
+distinguished. All that was said, too, the table-talk and orders,
+questions and calls, could be quite distinctly heard.
+
+After three courses, he who wore the scarlet hat said: "Quick! Make
+ready the nets and lines for fishing!"
+
+And at once nets were thrown out into the saucer which held the water
+in which the scholar dipped his brush. And they caught hundreds of
+thousands of fishes. The one with the scarlet hat contented himself
+with casting a line in the shallow waters of the saucer, and caught a
+baker's dozen of red carp.
+
+Then he ordered the head cook to cook the fish, and the most varied
+dishes were prepared with them. The odor of roasting fat and spices
+filled the whole room.
+
+And then the wearer of the scarlet hat in his arrogance, decided to
+amuse himself at the scholar's expense. So he pointed to him and said:
+"I know nothing at all about the writings and customs of the saints
+and wise men, and still I am a king who is highly honored! Yonder
+scholar spends his whole life toiling over his books and yet he
+remains poor and gets nowhere. If he could make up his mind to serve
+me faithfully as one of my officials, I might allow him to partake of
+our meal."
+
+This angered the scholar, and he took his book and struck at them. And
+they all scattered, wriggling and crawling out of the door. He
+followed them and dug up the earth in the place where they had
+disappeared. And there he found an ants' nest as large as a barrel, in
+which countless green ants were wriggling around. So he built a large
+fire and smoked them out.
+
+    Note: This charming tale is taken from the Tang Dai
+    Tsung Schu.
+
+
+
+
+XLII
+
+THE LITTLE HUNTING DOG
+
+
+Once upon a time, in the city of Shansi, there lived a scholar who
+found the company of others too noisy for him. So he made his home in
+a Buddhist temple. Yet he suffered because there were always so many
+gnats and fleas in his room that he could not sleep at night.
+
+Once he was resting on his bed after dinner, when suddenly two little
+knights with plumes in their helmets rode into the room. They might
+have been two inches high, and rode horses about the size of
+grasshoppers. On their gauntleted hands they held hunting falcons as
+large as flies. They rode about the room with great rapidity. The
+scholar had no more than set eyes on them when a third entered, clad
+like the others, but carrying a bow and arrows and leading a little
+hunting dog the size of an ant with him. After him came a great throng
+of footmen and horsemen, several hundred in all. And they had hunting
+falcons and hunting dogs by the hundred, too. Then the fleas and gnats
+began to rise in the air; but were all slain by the falcons. And the
+hunting dogs climbed on the bed, and sniffed along the walls trailing
+the fleas, and ate them up. They followed the trace of whatever hid in
+the cracks, and nosed it out, so that in a short space of time they
+had killed nearly all the vermin.
+
+The scholar pretended to be asleep and watched them. And the falcons
+settled down on him, and the dogs crawled along his body. Shortly
+after came a man clad in yellow, wearing a king's crown, who climbed
+on an empty couch and seated himself there. And at once all the
+horsemen rode up, descended from their horses and brought him all the
+birds and game. They then gathered beside him in a great throng, and
+conversed with him in a strange tongue.
+
+Not long after the king got into a small chariot and his bodyguards
+saddled their horses with the greatest rapidity. Then they galloped
+out with great cries of homage, till it looked as though some one were
+scattering beans and a heavy cloud of dust rose behind them.
+
+They had nearly all of them disappeared, while the scholar's eyes
+were still fixed on them full of terror and astonishment, and he could
+not imagine whence they had come. He slipped on his shoes and looked;
+but they had vanished without a trace. Then he returned and looked all
+about his room; but there was nothing to be seen. Only, on a brick
+against the wall, they had forgotten a little hunting dog. The scholar
+quickly caught it and found it quite tame. He put it in his paint-box
+and examined it closely. It had a very smooth, fine coat, and wore a
+little collar around its neck. He tried to feed it a few bread-crumbs,
+but the little dog only sniffed at them and let them lie. Then it
+leaped into the bed and hunted up some nits and gnats in the folds of
+the linen, which it devoured. Then it returned and lay down. When the
+night had passed the scholar feared it might have run away; but there
+it lay, curled up as before. Whenever the scholar went to bed, the dog
+climbed into it and bit to death any vermin it could find. Not a fly
+or gnat dared alight while it was around. The scholar loved it like a
+jewel of price.
+
+But once he took a nap in the daytime, and the little dog crawled into
+bed beside him. The scholar woke and turned around, supporting himself
+on his side. As he did so he felt something, and feared it might be
+his little dog. He quickly rose and looked, but it was already
+dead--pressed flat, as though cut out of paper!
+
+But at any rate none of the vermin had survived it.
+
+    Note: This tale is taken from the Liau Dschai ("Strange
+    Stories") of P'u Sung Lang (b. 1622). It is a parallel
+    of the preceding one and shows how the same material
+    returns in a different working-out.
+
+
+
+
+XLIII
+
+THE DRAGON AFTER HIS WINTER SLEEP
+
+
+Once there was a scholar who was reading in the upper story of his
+house. It was a rainy, cloudy day and the weather was gloomy. Suddenly
+he saw a little thing which shone like a fire-fly. It crawled upon the
+table, and wherever it went it left traces of burns, curved like the
+tracks of a rainworm. Gradually it wound itself about the scholar's
+book and the book, too, grew black. Then it occurred to him that it
+might be a dragon. So he carried it out of doors on the book. There he
+stood for quite some time; but it sat uncurled, without moving in the
+least.
+
+Then the scholar said: "It shall not be said of me that I was lacking
+in respect." With these words he carried back the book and once more
+laid it on the table. Then he put on his robes of ceremony, made a
+deep bow and escorted the dragon out on it again.
+
+No sooner had he left the door, than he noticed that the dragon raised
+his head and stretched himself. Then he flew up from the book with a
+hissing sound, like a radiant streak. Once more he turned around
+toward the scholar, and his head had already grown to the size of a
+barrel, while his body must have been a full fathom in length. He gave
+one more snaky twist, and then there was a terrible crash of thunder
+and the dragon went sailing through the air.
+
+The scholar then returned and looked to see which way the little
+creature had come. And he could follow his tracks hither and thither,
+to his chest of books.
+
+    Note: This tale is also from the "Strange Stories." The
+    dragon, head of all scaled creatures and insects,
+    hibernates during the winter according to the Chinese
+    belief. At the time he is quite small. When the first
+    spring storm comes he flies up to the clouds on the
+    lightning. Here the dragon's nature as an atmospheric
+    apparition is expressed.
+
+
+
+
+XLIV
+
+THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW RIVER
+
+
+The spirits of the Yellow River are called Dai Wang--Great King. For
+many hundreds of years past the river inspectors had continued to
+report that all sorts of monsters show themselves in the waves of the
+stream, at times in the shape of dragons, at others in that of cattle
+and horses, and whenever such a creature makes an appearance a great
+flood follows. Hence temples are built along the river banks. The
+higher spirits of the river are honored as kings, the lower ones as
+captains, and hardly a day goes by without their being honored with
+sacrifices or theatrical performances. Whenever, after a dam has been
+broken, the leak is closed again, the emperor sends officials with
+sacrifices and ten great bars of Tibetan incense. This incense is
+burned in a great sacrificial censer in the temple court, and the
+river inspectors and their subordinates all go to the temple to thank
+the gods for their aid. These river gods, it is said, are good and
+faithful servants of former rulers, who died in consequence of their
+toil in keeping the dams unbroken. After they died their spirits
+became river-kings; in their physical bodies, however, they appear as
+lizards, snakes and frogs.
+
+The mightiest of all the river-kings is the Golden Dragon-King. He
+frequently appears in the shape of a small golden snake with a square
+head, low forehead and four red dots over his eyes. He can make
+himself large or small at will, and cause the waters to rise and fall.
+He appears and vanishes unexpectedly, and lives in the mouths of the
+Yellow River and the Imperial Canal. But in addition to the Golden
+Dragon-King there are dozens of river-kings and captains, each of whom
+has his own place. The sailors of the Yellow River all have exact
+lists in which the lives and deeds of the river-spirits are described
+in detail.
+
+The river-spirits love to see theatrical performances. Opposite every
+temple is a stage. In the hall stands the little spirit-tablet of the
+river-king, and on the altar in front of it a small bowl of golden
+lacquer filled with clean sand. When a little snake appears in it, the
+river-king has arrived. Then the priests strike the gong and beat the
+drum and read from the holy books. The official is at once informed
+and he sends for a company of actors. Before they begin to perform the
+actors go up to the temple, kneel, and beg the king to let them know
+which play they are to give. And the river-god picks one out and
+points to it with his head; or else he writes signs in the sand with
+his tail. The actors then at once begin to perform the desired play.
+
+The river-god cares naught for the fortunes or misfortunes of human
+beings. He appears suddenly and disappears in the same way, as best
+suits him.
+
+Between the outer and the inner dam of the Yellow River are a number
+of settlements. Now it often happens that the yellow water moves to
+the very edge of the inner walls. Rising perpendicularly, like a wall,
+it gradually advances. When people see it coming they hastily burn
+incense, bow in prayer before the waters, and promise the river-god a
+theatrical performance. Then the water retires and the word goes
+round: "The river-god has asked for a play again!"
+
+In a village in that section there once dwelt a wealthy man. He built
+a stone wall, twenty feet high, around the village, to keep away the
+water. He did not believe in the spirits of the river, but trusted in
+his strong wall and was quite unconcerned.
+
+One evening the yellow water suddenly rose and towered in a straight
+line before the village. The rich man had them shoot cannon at it.
+Then the water grew stormy, and surrounded the wall to such a height
+that it reached the openings in the battlements. The water foamed and
+hissed, and seemed about to pour over the wall. Then every one in the
+village was very much frightened. They dragged up the rich man and he
+had to kneel and beg for pardon. They promised the river-god a
+theatrical performance, but in vain; but when they promised to build
+him a temple in the middle of the village and give regular
+performances, the water sank more and more and gradually returned to
+its bed. And the village fields suffered no damage, for the earth,
+fertilized by the yellow slime, yielded a double crop.
+
+Once a scholar was crossing the fields with a friend in order to visit
+a relative. On their way they passed a temple of the river-god where a
+new play was just being performed. The friend asked the scholar to go
+in with him and look on. When they entered the temple court they saw
+two great snakes upon the front pillars, who had wound themselves
+about the columns, and were thrusting out their heads as though
+watching the performance. In the hall of the temple stood the altar
+with the bowl of sand. In it lay a small snake with a golden body, a
+green head and red dots above his eyes. His neck was thrust up and his
+glittering little eyes never left the stage. The friend bowed and the
+scholar followed his example.
+
+Softly he said to his friend: "What are the three river-gods called?"
+
+"The one in the temple," was the reply, "is the Golden Dragon-King.
+The two on the columns are two captains. They do not dare to sit in
+the temple together with the king."
+
+This surprised the scholar, and in his heart he thought: "Such a tiny
+snake! How can it possess a god's power? It would have to show me its
+might before I would worship it."
+
+He had not yet expressed these secret thoughts before the little snake
+suddenly stretched forth his head from the bowl, above the altar.
+Before the altar burned two enormous candles. They weighed more than
+ten pounds and were as thick as small trees. Their flame burned like
+the flare of a torch. The snake now thrust his head into the middle of
+the candle-flame. The flame must have been at least an inch broad, and
+was burning red. Suddenly its radiance turned blue, and was split into
+two tongues. The candle was so enormous and its fire so hot that even
+copper and iron would have melted in it; but it did not harm the
+snake.
+
+Then the snake crawled into the censer. The censer was made of iron,
+and was so large one could not clasp it with both arms. Its cover
+showed a dragon design in open-work. The snake crawled in and out of
+the holes in this cover, and wound his way through all of them, so
+that he looked like an embroidery in threads of gold. Finally all the
+openings of the cover, large and small, were filled by the snake. In
+order to do so, he must have made himself several dozen feet long.
+Then he stretched out his head at the top of the censer and once more
+watched the play.
+
+Thereupon the scholar was frightened, he bowed twice, and prayed:
+"Great King, you have taken this trouble on my account! I honor you
+from my heart!"
+
+No sooner had he spoken these words than, in a moment, the little
+snake was back in his bowl, and just as small as he had been before.
+
+In Dsiningdschou they were celebrating the river god's birthday in his
+temple. They were giving him a theatrical performance for a birthday
+present. The spectators crowded around as thick as a wall, when who
+should pass but a simple peasant from the country, who said in a loud
+voice: "Why, that is nothing but a tiny worm! It is a great piece of
+folly to honor it like a king!"
+
+Before ever he had finished speaking the snake flew out of the temple.
+He grew and grew, and wound himself three times around the stage. He
+became as thick around as a small pail, and his head seemed like that
+of a dragon. His eyes sparkled like golden lamps, and he spat out red
+flame with his tongue. When he coiled and uncoiled the whole stage
+trembled and it seemed as though it would break down. The actors
+stopped their music and fell down on the stage in prayer. The whole
+multitude was seized with terror and bowed to the ground. Then some of
+the old men came along, cast the peasant on the ground, and gave him a
+good thrashing. So he had to cast himself on his knees before the
+snake and worship him. Then all heard a noise as though a great many
+firecrackers were being shot off. This lasted for some time, and then
+the snake disappeared.
+
+East of Shantung lies the city of Dongschou. There rises an
+observation-tower with a great temple. At its feet lies the
+water-city, with a sea-gate at the North, through which the flood-tide
+rises up to the city. A camp of the boundary guard is established at
+this gate.
+
+Once upon a time there was an officer who had been transferred to
+this camp as captain. He had formerly belonged to the land forces, and
+had not yet been long at his new post. He gave some friends of his a
+banquet, and before the pavilion in which they feasted lay a great
+stone shaped somewhat like a table. Suddenly a little snake was seen
+crawling on this stone. It was spotted with green, and had red dots on
+its square head. The soldiers were about to kill the little creature,
+when the captain went out to look into the matter. When he had looked
+he laughed and said: "You must not harm him! He is the river-king of
+Dsiningdschou. When I was stationed in Dsiningdschou he sometimes
+visited me, and then I always gave sacrifices and performances in his
+honor. Now he has come here expressly in order to wish his old friend
+luck, and to see him once more."
+
+There was a band in camp; the bandsmen could dance and play like a
+real theatrical troupe. The captain quickly had them begin a
+performance, had another banquet with wine and delicate foods
+prepared, and invited the river-god to sit down to the table.
+
+Gradually evening came and yet the river-god made no move to go.
+
+So the captain stepped up to him with a bow and said: "Here we are far
+removed from the Yellow River, and these people have never yet heard
+your name spoken. Your visit has been a great honor for me. But the
+women and fools who have crowded together chattering outside, are
+afraid of hearing about you. Now you have visited your old friend, and
+I am sure you wish to get back home again."
+
+With these words he had a litter brought up; cymbals were beaten and
+fire-works set off, and finally a salute of nine guns was fired to
+escort him on his way. Then the little snake crawled into the litter,
+and the captain followed after. In this order they reached the port,
+and just when it was about time to say farewell, the snake was already
+swimming in the water. He had grown much larger, nodded to the captain
+with his head, and disappeared.
+
+Then there were doubts and questionings: "But the river-god lives a
+thousand miles away from here, how does he get to this place?"
+
+Said the captain: "He is so powerful that he can get to any place, and
+besides, from where he dwells a waterway leads to the sea. To come
+down that way and swim to sea is something he can do in a moment's
+time!"
+
+    Note: "The Spirits of the Yellow River." The place of
+    the old river-god Ho Be (Count of the Stream), also
+    mentioned in No. 63, has to-day been taken by the Dai
+    Wang in the popular belief. These spirits are thought to
+    have placed many hindrances in the way of the erection
+    of the railroad bridge across the Yellow River. The
+    "spirit-tablet": images of the gods were first
+    introduced in China by the Buddhists. The old custom,
+    which Confucianism and ancestor-worship still follow,
+    holds that the seat of the gods is a small wooden tablet
+    on which the name of the god to be honored is written.
+    Theatrical performances as religious services are as
+    general in China as they were in ancient Greece.
+    Dsiningdschou is a district capital on the Imperial
+    Canal, near the Yellow River.
+
+
+
+
+XLV
+
+THE DRAGON-PRINCESS
+
+
+In the Sea of Dungting there is a hill, and in that hill there is a
+hole, and this hole is so deep that it has no bottom.
+
+Once a fisherman was passing there who slipped and fell into the hole.
+He came to a country full of winding ways which led over hill and dale
+for several miles. Finally he reached a dragon-castle lying in a great
+plain. There grew a green slime which reached to his knees. He went
+to the gate of the castle. It was guarded by a dragon who spouted
+water which dispersed in a fine mist. Within the gate lay a small
+hornless dragon who raised his head, showed his claws, and would not
+let him in.
+
+The fisherman spent several days in the cave, satisfying his hunger
+with the green slime, which he found edible and which tasted like
+rice-mush. At last he found a way out again. He told the district
+mandarin what had happened to him, and the latter reported the matter
+to the emperor. The emperor sent for a wise man and questioned him
+concerning it.
+
+The wise man said: "There are four paths in this cave. One path leads
+to the south-west shore of the Sea of Dungting, the second path leads
+to a valley in the land of the four rivers, the third path ends in a
+cave on the mountain of Lo-Fu and the fourth in an island of the
+Eastern Sea. In this cave dwells the seventh daughter of the
+Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, who guards his pearls and his
+treasure. It happened once in the ancient days, that a fisherboy dived
+into the water and brought up a pearl from beneath the chin of a black
+dragon. The dragon was asleep, which was the reason the fisherboy
+brought the pearl to the surface without being harmed. The treasure
+which the daughter of the Dragon-King has in charge is made up of
+thousands and millions of such jewels. Several thousands of small
+dragons watch over them in her service. Dragons have the peculiarity
+of fighting shy of wax. But they are fond of beautiful jade-stones,
+and of kung-tsing, the hollowgreen wood, and like to eat swallows. If
+one were to send a messenger with a letter, it would be possible to
+obtain precious pearls."
+
+  [Illustration: "A FISHERBOY DIVED INTO THE WATER AND BROUGHT UP A
+    PEARL FROM BENEATH THE CHIN OF A BLACK DRAGON."
+                                                  --_Page 138_]
+
+The emperor was greatly pleased, and announced a large reward for
+the man who was competent to go to the dragon-castle as his messenger.
+
+The first man to come forward was named So Pi-Lo. But the wise man
+said: "A great-great-great-great-grandfather of yours once slew more
+than a hundred of the dragons of the Eastern Sea, and was finally
+himself slain by the dragons. The dragons are the enemies of your
+family and you cannot go."
+
+Then came a man from Canton, Lo-Dsi-Tschun, with his two brothers, who
+said that his ancestors had been related to the Dragon-King. Hence
+they were well liked by the dragons and well known to them. They
+begged to be entrusted with the message.
+
+The wise man asked: "And have you still in your possession the stone
+which compels the dragons to do your will?"
+
+"Yes," said they, "we have brought it along with us."
+
+The wise man had them show him the stone; then he spoke: "This stone
+is only obeyed by the dragons who make clouds and send down the rain.
+It will not do for the dragons who guard the pearls of the sea-king."
+Then he questioned them further: "Have you the dragon-brain vapor?"
+
+When they admitted that they had not, the wise man said: "How then
+will you compel the dragons to yield their treasure?"
+
+And the emperor said: "What shall we do?"
+
+The wise man replied: "On the Western Ocean sail foreign merchants who
+deal in dragon-brain vapor. Some one must go to them and seek it from
+them. I also know a holy man who is an adept in the art of taming
+dragons, and who has prepared ten pounds of the dragon-stone. Some one
+should be sent for that as well."
+
+The emperor sent out his messengers. They met one of the holy man's
+disciples and obtained two fragments of dragon-stone from him.
+
+Said the wise man: "That is what we want!"
+
+Several more months went by, and at last a pill of dragon-brain vapor
+had also been secured. The emperor felt much pleased and had his
+jewelers carve two little boxes of the finest jade. These were
+polished with the ashes of the Wutung-tree. And he had an essence
+prepared of the very best hollowgreen wood, pasted with sea-fish lime,
+and hardened in the fire. Of this two vases were made. Then the bodies
+and the clothing of the messengers were rubbed with tree-wax, and they
+were given five hundred roasted swallows to take along with them.
+
+They went into the cave. When they reached the dragon-castle, the
+little dragon who guarded the gate smelled the tree-wax, so he
+crouched down and did them no harm. They gave him a hundred roasted
+swallows as a bribe to announce them to the daughter of the
+Dragon-King. They were admitted to her presence and offered her the
+jade caskets, the vases and the four hundred roasted swallows as
+gifts. The dragon's daughter received them graciously, and they
+unfolded the emperor's letter.
+
+In the castle there was a dragon who was over a thousand years old. He
+could turn himself into a human being, and could interpret the
+language of human beings. Through him the dragon's daughter learned
+that the emperor was sending her the gifts, and she returned them with
+a gift of three great pearls, seven smaller pearls and a whole bushel
+of ordinary pearls. The messengers took leave, rode off with their
+pearls on a dragon's back, and in a moment they had reached the banks
+of the Yangtze-kiang. They made their way to Nanking, the imperial
+capital, and there handed over their treasure of gems.
+
+The emperor was much pleased and showed them to the wise man. He said:
+"Of the three great pearls one is a divine wishing-pearl of the third
+class, and two are black dragon-pearls of medium quality. Of the seven
+smaller pearls two are serpent-pearls, and five are mussel-pearls. The
+remaining pearls are in part sea-crane pearls, in part snail and
+oyster-pearls. They do not approach the great pearls in value, and yet
+few will be found to equal them on earth."
+
+The emperor also showed them to all his servants. They, however,
+thought the wise man's words all talk, and did not believe what he
+said.
+
+Then the wise man said: "The radiance of wishing-pearls of the first
+class is visible for forty miles, that of the second class for twenty
+miles, and that of the third for ten miles. As far as their radiance
+carries, neither wind nor rain, thunder nor lightning, water, fire nor
+weapons may reach. The pearls of the black dragon are nine-colored and
+glow by night. Within the circle of their light the poison of serpents
+and worms is powerless. The serpent-pearls are seven-colored, the
+mussel-pearls five-colored. Both shine by night. Those most free from
+spots are the best. They grow within the mussel, and increase and
+decrease in size as the moon waxes and wanes."
+
+Some one asked how the serpent and sea-crane pearls could be told
+apart, and the wise man answered: "The animals themselves recognize
+them."
+
+Then the emperor selected a serpent-pearl and a sea-crane pearl, put
+them together with a whole bushel of ordinary pearls, and poured the
+lot out in the courtyard. Then a large yellow serpent and a black
+crane were fetched and placed among the pearls. At once the crane
+took up a sea-crane pearl in his bill and began to dance and sing and
+flutter around. But the serpent snatched at the serpent-pearl, and
+wound himself about it in many coils. And when the people saw this
+they acknowledged the truth of the wise man's words. As regards the
+radiance of the larger and smaller pearls it turned out, too, just as
+the wise man had said.
+
+In the dragon-castle the messengers had enjoyed dainty fare, which
+tasted like flowers, herbs, ointment and sugar. They had brought a
+remnant of it with them to the capital; yet exposed to the air it had
+become as hard as stone. The emperor commanded that these fragments be
+preserved in the treasury. Then he bestowed high rank and titles on
+the three brothers, and made each one of them a present of a thousand
+rolls of fine silk stuff. He also had investigated why it was that the
+fisherman, when he chanced upon the cave, had not been destroyed by
+the dragons. And it turned out that his fishing clothes had been
+soaked in oil and tree-wax. The dragons had dreaded the odor.
+
+    Note: As regards the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, see
+    Nos. 18 and 74. The pearl under the dragon's chin comes
+    from Dschuang Dsi. With regard to So Pi-Lo and
+    Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. 46.
+
+
+
+
+XLVI
+
+HELP IN NEED
+
+
+Some twenty miles east of Gingdschou lies the Lake of the Maidens. It
+is several miles square and surrounded on all sides by thick green
+thickets and tall forests. Its waters are clear and dark-blue. Often
+all kinds of wondrous creatures show themselves in the lake. The
+people of the vicinity have erected a temple there for the Dragon
+Princess. And in times of drought all make pilgrimage there to offer
+up prayers.
+
+West of Gingdschou, two hundred miles away, is another lake, whose god
+is named Tschauna, and who performs many miracles. During the time of
+the Tang dynasty there lived in Gingdschou a mandarin by name of
+Dschou Bau. While he was in office it chanced that in the fifth month
+clouds suddenly arose in the sky, piling themselves up like mountains,
+among which wriggled dragons and serpents; they rolled up and down
+between the two seas. Tempest and rain, thunder and lightning arose so
+that houses fell to pieces, trees were torn up by the roots, and much
+damage was done the crops. Dschou Bau took the blame upon himself, and
+prayed to the heavens that his people might be pardoned.
+
+On the fifth day of the sixth month he sat in his hall of audience and
+gave judgment; and suddenly he felt quite weary and sleepy. He took
+off his hat and laid down on the cushions. No sooner had he closed his
+eyes than he saw a warrior in helmet and armor, with a halberd in his
+hand, standing on the steps leading to the hall, who announced: "A
+lady is waiting outside who wishes to enter!" Dschou Bau asked him:
+"Who are you?" The answer was: "I am your door-keeper. In the
+invisible world I already have been performing this duty for many
+years." Meanwhile two figures clad in green came up the steps, knelt
+before him and said: "Our mistress has come to visit you!" Dschou Bau
+rose. He beheld lovely clouds, from which fell a fine rain, and
+strange fragrances enchanted him. Suddenly he saw a lady clad in a
+simple gown, but of surpassing beauty, float down from on high, with a
+retinue of many female servants. These were all neat and clean in
+appearance, and waited upon the lady as though she were a princess.
+When the latter entered the hall she raised her arms in greeting.
+Dschou Bau came forward to meet her and invited her to be seated. From
+all sides bright-colored clouds came floating in, and the courtyard
+was filled with a purple ether. Dschou Bau had wine and food brought
+and entertained them all in the most splendid way. But the goddess sat
+staring straight before her with wrinkled brows, and seemed to feel
+very sad. Then she rose and said with a blush: "I have been living in
+this neighborhood for many years. A wrong which has been done me,
+permits me to pass the bounds of what is fitting, and encourages me to
+ask a favor of you. Yet I do not know whether you wish to save me!"
+
+"May I hear what it is all about," answered Dschou Bau. "If I can help
+you, I will be glad to place myself at your disposal."
+
+The goddess said: "For hundreds of years my family has been living in
+the depth of the Eastern Sea. But we were unfortunate in that our
+treasures excited the jealousy of men. The ancestor of Pi-Lo nearly
+destroyed our entire clan by fire. My ancestors had to fly and hide
+themselves. And not long ago, our enemy Pi-Lo himself wanted to
+deliver an imperial letter in the cave of the Sea of Dungting. Under
+the pretext of begging for pearls and treasures, he wished to enter
+the dragon-castle and destroy our family. Fortunately a wise man saw
+through his treacherous purpose, and Lo-Dsi-Tschun and his brothers
+were sent in his stead. Yet my people did not feel safe from future
+attacks. For this reason they withdrew to the distant West. My father
+has done much good to mankind and hence is highly honored there. I am
+his ninth daughter. When I was sixteen I was wedded to the youngest
+son of the Rock-Dragon. But my good husband had a fiery temper, which
+often caused him to offend against the laws of courtesy, and in less
+than a year's time the punishment of heaven was his portion. I was
+left alone and returned to the home of my parents. My father wished me
+to marry again; but I had promised to remain true to the memory of my
+husband, and made a vow not to comply with my father's wish. My
+parents grew angry, and I was obliged to retire to this place in view
+of their anger. That was three years ago. Who could imagine that the
+contemptible dragon Tschauna, who was seeking a wife for his youngest
+brother, would try to force the wedding-gift upon me? I refused to
+accept it; but Tschauna knew how to gain his point with my father, and
+was determined to carry out his intention. My father, regardless of my
+wishes, promised me to him. And then the dragon Tschauna appeared with
+his youngest brother and wanted to carry me off by sheer force of
+arms. I encountered him with fifty faithful followers, and we fought
+on the meadow before the city. We were defeated, and I am more than
+ever afraid that Tschauna will attempt to drag me off. So I have
+plucked up courage to beg you to lend me your mercenaries so that I
+may beat off my foes and remain as I am. If you will help me I will be
+grateful to you till the end of my days."
+
+Dschou Bau answered: "You come from a noble family. Have you no
+kinsfolk who will hasten to help you in your need, that you are
+compelled to turn to a mortal man?"
+
+"It is true that my kinsfolk are far-famed and numerous. If I were to
+send out letters and they came to my aid, they would rub out that
+scaly scoundrel Tschauna as one might rub garlic. But my deceased
+husband offended the high heavens and he has not yet been pardoned.
+And my parents' will, too, is opposed to mine, so that I dare not call
+upon my kinsfolk for help. You will understand my need." Then Dschou
+Bau promised to help her, and the princess thanked him and departed.
+
+When he awoke, he sighed long thinking over his strange experience.
+And the following day he sent off fifteen hundred soldiers to stand
+guard by the Lake of the Maidens.
+
+On the seventh day of the sixth month Dschou Bau rose early. Darkness
+still lay before the windows, yet it seemed to him as though he could
+glimpse a man before the curtain. He asked who it might be. The man
+said: "I am the princess's adviser. Yesterday you were kind enough to
+send soldiers to aid us in our distress. But they were all living men,
+and such cannot fight against invisible spirits. You will have to send
+us soldiers of yours who have died, if you wish to aid us."
+
+Dschou Bau reflected for a time, and then it occurred to him that of
+course such must be the case. So he had his field-secretary examine
+the roster to see how many of his soldiers had fallen in battle. And
+the latter counted up to some two thousand foot-soldiers and
+five-hundred horsemen. Dschou Bau appointed his deceased officer Mong
+Yuan as their leader, and wrote his commands on a paper which he
+burned, in order thus to place them at the princess's disposal. The
+living soldiers he recalled. When they were being reviewed in the
+courtyard after their return, a soldier suddenly fell unconscious. It
+was not until early the following morning that he came to his senses
+again. He was questioned and replied: "I saw a man clad in red who
+approached me and said: 'Our princess is grateful for the aid your
+master has so kindly given her. Yet she still has a request to make
+and has asked me to call you.' I followed him to the temple. The
+princess bade me come forward and said to me: 'I thank your master
+from my heart for sending me the ghost soldiers, but Mong Yuan, their
+leader is incapable. Yesterday the robbers came with three thousand
+men, and Mong Yuan was beaten by them. When you return and again see
+your master, say that I earnestly beg him to send me a good general.
+Perhaps that will save me in my need.' Then she had me led back again
+and I regained consciousness."
+
+When Dschou Bau had heard these words, which seemed to fit strangely
+well with what he had dreamed, he thought he would try to see if this
+were really the case. Therefore he chose his victorious general
+Dschong Tschong-Fu to take the place of Mong Yuan. That evening he
+burned incense, offered wine and handed over to the princess this
+captain's soul.
+
+On the twenty-sixth of the month news came from the general's camp
+that he had suddenly died at midnight on the thirteenth. Dschou Bau
+was frightened, and sent a man to bring him a report. The latter
+informed him that the general's heart had hardly ceased to beat, and
+that, in spite of the hot summer weather, his body was free from any
+trace of decay. So the order was given not to bury him.
+
+Then one night an icy, spectral wind arose, which whirled up sand and
+stones, broke trees and tore down houses. The standing corn in the
+fields was blown down. The storm lasted all day. Finally, the crash of
+a terrific thunderbolt was heard, and then the skies cleared and the
+clouds scattered. That very hour the dead general began to breathe
+painfully on his couch, and when his attendants came to him, he had
+returned to life again.
+
+They questioned him and he told them: "First I saw a man in a purple
+gown riding a black horse, who came up with a great retinue. He
+dismounted before the door. In his hand he held a decree of
+appointment which he gave me, saying: 'Our princess begs you most
+respectfully to become her general. I hope that you will not refuse.'
+Then he brought forth gifts and heaped them up before the steps.
+Jade-stones, brocades, and silken garments, saddles, horses, helmets
+and suits of mail--he heaped them all up in the courtyard. I wished to
+decline, but this he would not allow, and urged me to enter his
+chariot with him. We drove a hundred miles and met a train of
+three-hundred armored horsemen who had ridden out to escort me. They
+led me to a great city, and before the city a tent had been erected in
+which played a band of musicians. A high official welcomed me. When I
+entered the city the onlookers were crowded together like walls.
+Servants ran to and fro bearing orders. We passed through more than a
+dozen gates before we reached the princess. There I was requested to
+dismount and change my clothes in order to enter the presence of the
+princess, for she wished to receive me as her guest. But I thought
+this too great an honor and greeted her below, on the steps. She,
+however, invited me to seat myself near her in the hall. She sat
+upright in all her incomparable beauty, surrounded by female
+attendants adorned with the richest jewels. These plucked lute-strings
+and played flutes. A throng of servitors stood about in golden girdles
+with purple tassels, ready to carry out her commands. Countless crowds
+were assembled before the palace. Five or six visitors sat in a circle
+about the princess, and a general led me to my place. The princess
+said to me: 'I have begged you to come here in order to entrust the
+command of my army to you. If you will break the power of my foe I
+will reward you richly.' I promised to obey her. Then wine was
+brought in, and the banquet was served to the sound of music. While we
+were at table a messenger entered: 'The robber Tschauna has invaded
+our land with ten thousand footmen and horsemen, and is approaching
+our city by various roads. His way is marked by columns of fire and
+smoke!' The guests all grew pale with terror when they heard the news.
+And the princess said: 'This is the foe because of whom I have sought
+your aid. Save me in my hour of need!' Then she gave me two chargers,
+a suit of golden armor, and the insignia of a commander-in-chief, and
+bowed to me. I thanked her and went, called together the captains, had
+the army mustered and rode out before the city. At several decisive
+points I placed troops in ambush. The enemy was already approaching in
+great force, careless and unconcerned, intoxicated by his former
+victories. I sent out my most untrustworthy soldiers in advance, who
+allowed themselves to be beaten in order to lure him on. Light-armed
+men then went out against him, and retreated in skirmish order. And
+thus he fell into my ambush. Drums and kettledrums sounded together,
+the ring closed around them on all sides and the robber army suffered
+a grievous defeat. The dead lay about like hemp-stalks, but little
+Tschauna succeeded in breaking through the circle. I sent out the
+light horsemen after him, and they seized him before the tent of the
+enemy's commanding general. Hastily I sent word to the princess, and
+she reviewed the prisoners before the palace. All the people, high and
+low, streamed together, to acclaim her. Little Tschauna was about to
+be executed in the market place when a messenger came spurring up with
+a command from the princess's father to pardon him. The princess did
+not dare to disobey. So he was dismissed to his home after he had
+sworn to give up all thought of realizing his traitorous plans. I was
+loaded with benefits as a reward for my victory. I was invested with
+an estate with three thousand peasants, and was given a palace, horses
+and wagons, all sorts of jewels, men-servants and women-servants,
+gardens and forests, banners and suits of mail. And my subordinate
+officers, too, were duly rewarded. On the following day a banquet was
+held, and the princess herself filled a goblet, sent it to me by one
+of her attendants, and said: 'Widowed early in life, I opposed the
+wishes of my stern father and fled to this spot. Here the infamous
+Tschauna harassed me and well-nigh put me to shame. Had not your
+master's great kindness and your own courage come to my assistance,
+hard would have been my lot!' Then she began to thank me and her tears
+of emotion flowed like a stream. I bowed and begged her to grant me
+leave of absence, so that I might look after my family. I was given a
+month's leave and the following day she dismissed me with a splendid
+retinue. Before the city a pavilion had been erected in which I drank
+the stirrup-cup. Then I rode away and when I arrived before our own
+gate a thunder-peal crashed and I awoke."
+
+Thereupon the general wrote an account of what had happened to Dschou
+Bau, in which he conveyed the princess's thanks. Then he paid no
+further heed to worldly matters, but set his house in order and turned
+it over to his wife and son. When a month had passed, he died without
+any sign of illness.
+
+That same day one of his officers was out walking. Suddenly he saw a
+heavy cloud of dust rising along the highway, while flags and banners
+darkened the sun. A thousand knights were escorting a man who sat his
+horse proudly and like a hero. And when the officer looked at his
+face, it was the general Dschong Tschong-Fu. Hastily he stepped to the
+edge of the road, in order to allow the cavalcade to pass, and
+watched it ride by. The horsemen took the way to the Lake of the
+Maidens, where they disappeared.
+
+    Note: The expression: "Dschou Bau took the blame upon
+    himself" is explained by the fact that the territorial
+    mandarin is responsible for his district, just as the
+    emperor is for the whole empire. Since extraordinary
+    natural phenomena are the punishment of heaven, their
+    occurrence supposed the guilt of man. This train of
+    thought is in accord with the idea, as in this case,
+    that differences occurring among the spirits of the air
+    lead to misfortune, since where virtue is in the
+    ascendant in the mortal world, the spirits are prevented
+    from giving way to such demonstrations. "Drums and
+    kettledrums sounded together": the kettledrums sounded
+    the attack, and the drums the retreat. The simultaneous
+    sounding of both signals was intended to throw the
+    enemy's army into disorder.
+
+
+
+
+XLVII
+
+THE DISOWNED PRINCESS
+
+
+At the time that the Tang dynasty was reigning there lived a man named
+Liu I, who had failed to pass his examinations for the doctorate. So
+he traveled home again. He had gone six or seven miles when a bird
+flew up in a field, and his horse shied and ran ten miles before he
+could stop him. There he saw a woman who was herding sheep on a
+hillside. He looked at her and she was lovely to look upon, yet her
+face bore traces of hidden grief. Astonished, he asked her what was
+the matter.
+
+The woman began to sob and said: "Fortune has forsaken me, and I am in
+need and ashamed. Since you are kind enough to ask I will tell you
+all. I am the youngest daughter of the Dragon-King of the Sea of
+Dungting, and was married to the second son of the Dragon-King of Ging
+Dschou. Yet my husband ill-treated and disowned me. I complained to my
+step-parents, but they loved their son blindly and did nothing. And
+when I grew insistent they both became angry, and I was sent out here
+to herd sheep." When she had done, the woman burst into tears and lost
+all control of herself. Then she continued: "The Sea of Dungting is
+far from here; yet I know that you will have to pass it on your
+homeward journey. I should like to give you a letter to my father, but
+I do not know whether you would take it."
+
+Liu I answered: "Your words have moved my heart. Would that I had
+wings and could fly away with you. I will be glad to deliver the
+letter to your father. Yet the Sea of Dungting is long and broad, and
+how am I to find him?"
+
+"On the southern shore of the Sea stands an orange-tree," answered the
+woman, "which people call the tree of sacrifice. When you get there
+you must loosen your girdle and strike the tree with it three times in
+succession. Then some one will appear whom you must follow. When you
+see my father, tell him in what need you found me, and that I long
+greatly for his help."
+
+Then she fetched out a letter from her breast and gave it to Liu I.
+She bowed to him, looked toward the east and sighed, and, unexpectedly,
+the sudden tears rolled from the eyes of Liu I as well. He took the
+letter and thrust it in his bag.
+
+Then he asked her: "I cannot understand why you have to herd sheep. Do
+the gods slaughter cattle like men?"
+
+"These are not ordinary sheep," answered the woman; "these are
+rain-sheep."
+
+"But what are rain-sheep?"
+
+"They are the thunder-rams," replied the woman.
+
+And when he looked more closely he noticed that these sheep walked
+around in proud, savage fashion, quite different from ordinary sheep.
+
+Liu I added: "But if I deliver the letter for you, and you succeed in
+getting back to the Sea of Dungting in safety, then you must not use
+me like a stranger."
+
+The woman answered: "How could I use you as a stranger? You shall be
+my dearest friend."
+
+And with these words they parted.
+
+In course of a month Liu I reached the Sea of Dungting, asked for the
+orange-tree and, sure enough, found it. He loosened his girdle, and
+struck the tree with it three times. At once a warrior emerged from
+the waves of the sea, and asked: "Whence come you, honored guest?"
+
+Liu I said: "I have come on an important mission and want to see the
+King."
+
+The warrior made a gesture in the direction of the water, and the
+waves turned into a solid street along which he led Liu I. The
+dragon-castle rose before them with its thousand gates, and magic
+flowers and rare grasses bloomed in luxurious profusion. The warrior
+bade him wait at the side of a great hall.
+
+Liu I asked: "What is this place called?"
+
+"It is the Hall of the Spirits," was the reply.
+
+Liu I looked about him: all the jewels known to earth were there in
+abundance. The columns were of white quartz, inlaid with green jade;
+the seats were made of coral, the curtains of mountain crystal as
+clear as water, the windows of burnished glass, adorned with rich
+lattice-work. The beams of the ceiling, ornamented with amber, rose in
+wide arches. An exotic fragrance filled the hall, whose outlines were
+lost in darkness.
+
+Liu I had waited for the king a long time. To all his questions the
+warrior replied: "Our master is pleased at this moment to talk with
+the priest of the sun up on the coral-tower about the sacred book of
+the fire. He will, no doubt, soon be through."
+
+Liu I went on to ask: "Why is he interested in the sacred book of the
+fire?"
+
+The reply was: "Our master is a dragon. The dragons are powerful
+through the power of water. They can cover hill and dale with a single
+wave. The priest is a human being. Human beings are powerful through
+fire. They can burn the greatest palaces by means of a torch. Fire and
+water fight each other, being different in their nature. For that
+reason our master is now talking with the priest, in order to find a
+way in which fire and water may complete each other."
+
+Before they had quite finished there appeared a man in a purple robe,
+bearing a scepter of jade in his hand.
+
+The warrior said: "This is my master!"
+
+Liu I bowed before him.
+
+The king asked: "Are you not a living human being? What has brought
+you here?"
+
+Liu I gave his name and explained: "I have been to the capital and
+there failed to pass my examination. When I was passing by the Ging
+Dschou River, I saw your daughter, whom you love, herding sheep in the
+wilderness. The winds tousled her hair, and the rain drenched her. I
+could not bear to see her trouble and spoke to her. She complained
+that her husband had cast her out and wept bitterly. Then she gave me
+a letter for you. And that is why I have come to visit you, O King!"
+
+With these words he fetched out his letter and handed it to the king.
+When the latter had read it, he hid his face in his sleeve and said
+with a sigh: "It is my own fault. I picked out a worthless husband
+for her. Instead of securing her happiness I have brought her to shame
+in a distant land. You are a stranger and yet you have been willing to
+help her in her distress, for which I am very grateful to you." Then
+he once more began to sob, and all those about him shed tears.
+Thereupon the monarch gave the letter to a servant who took it into
+the interior of the palace; and soon the sound of loud lamentations
+rose from the inner rooms.
+
+The king was alarmed and turned to an official: "Go and tell them
+within not to weep so loudly! I am afraid that Tsian Tang may hear
+them."
+
+"Who is Tsian Tang?" asked Liu I.
+
+"He is my beloved brother," answered the king. "Formerly he was the
+ruler of the Tsian-Tang River, but now he has been deposed."
+
+Liu I asked: "Why should the matter be kept from him?"
+
+"He is so wild and uncontrollable," was the reply, "that I fear he
+would cause great damage. The deluge which covered the earth for nine
+long years in the time of the Emperor Yau was the work of his anger.
+Because he fell out with one of the kings of heaven, he caused a great
+deluge that rose and covered the tops of five high mountains. Then the
+king of heaven grew angry with him, and gave him to me to guard. I had
+to chain him to a column in my palace."
+
+Before he had finished speaking a tremendous turmoil arose, which
+split the skies and made the earth tremble, so that the whole palace
+began to rock, and smoke and clouds rose hissing and puffing. A red
+dragon, a thousand feet long, with flashing eyes, blood-red tongue,
+scarlet scales and a fiery beard came surging up. He was dragging
+along through the air the column to which he had been bound, together
+with its chain. Thunders and lightnings roared and darted around his
+body; sleet and snow, rain and hail-stones whirled about him in
+confusion. There was a crash of thunder, and he flew up to the skies
+and disappeared.
+
+Liu I fell to earth in terror. The king helped him up with his own
+hand and said: "Do not be afraid! That is my brother, who is hastening
+to Ging Dschou in his rage. We will soon have good news!"
+
+Then he had food and drink brought in for his guest. When the goblet
+had thrice made the rounds, a gentle breeze began to murmur and a fine
+rain fell. A youth clad in a purple gown and wearing a lofty hat
+entered. A sword hung at his side. His appearance was manly and
+heroic. Behind him walked a girl radiantly beautiful, wearing a robe
+of misty fragrance. And when Liu I looked at her, lo, it was the
+dragon-princess whom he had met on his way! A throng of maidens in
+rosy garments received her, laughing and giggling, and led her into
+the interior of the palace. The king, however, presented Liu I to the
+youth and said: "This is Tsian Tang, my brother!"
+
+Tsian Tang thanked him for having brought the message. Then he turned
+to his brother and said: "I have fought against the accursed dragons
+and have utterly defeated them!"
+
+"How many did you slay?"
+
+"Six hundred thousand."
+
+"Were any fields damaged?"
+
+"The fields were damaged for eight hundred miles around."
+
+"And where is the heartless husband?"
+
+"I ate him alive!"
+
+  [Illustration: "TSIAN TANG BROUGHT OUT A PLATTER OF RED AMBER ON
+    WHICH LAY A CARBUNCLE."
+                                                  --_Page 157_]
+
+Then the king was alarmed and said: "What the fickle boy did was not
+to be endured, it is true. But still you were a little too rough
+with him; in future you must not do anything of the sort again." And
+Tsian Tang promised not to.
+
+That evening Liu I was feasted at the castle. Music and dancing lent
+charm to the banquet. A thousand warriors with banners and spears in
+their hands stood at attention. Trombones and trumpets resounded, and
+drums and kettledrums thundered and rattled as the warriors danced a
+war-dance. The music expressed how Tsian Tang had broken through the
+ranks of the enemy, and the hair of the guest who listened to it rose
+on his head in terror. Then, again, there was heard the music of
+strings, flutes and little golden bells. A thousand maidens in
+crimson and green silk danced around. The return of the princess was
+also told in tones. The music sounded like a song of sadness and
+plaining, and all who heard it were moved to tears. The King of the
+Sea of Dungting was filled with joy. He raised his goblet and drank
+to the health of his guest, and all sorrow departed from them. Both
+rulers thanked Liu I in verses, and Liu I answered them in a rimed
+toast. The crowd of courtiers in the palace-hall applauded. Then the
+King of the Sea of Dungting drew forth a blue cloud-casket in which
+was the horn of a rhinoceros, which divides the water. Tsian Tang
+brought out a platter of red amber on which lay a carbuncle. These
+they presented to their guest, and the other inmates of the palace
+also heaped up embroideries, brocades and pearls by his side.
+Surrounded by shimmer and light Liu I sat there, smiling, and bowed
+his thanks to all sides. When the banquet was ended he slept in the
+Palace of Frozen Radiance.
+
+On the following day another banquet was held. Tsian Tang, who was not
+quite himself, sat carelessly on his seat and said: "The Princess of
+the Dungting Sea is handsome and delicately fashioned. She has had
+the misfortune to be disowned by her husband, and to-day her marriage
+is annulled. I should like to find another husband for her. If you
+were agreeable it would be to your advantage. But if you were not
+willing to marry her, you may go your way, and should we ever meet
+again we will not know each other."
+
+Liu I was angered by the careless way in which Tsian Tang spoke to
+him. The blood rose to his head and he replied: "I served as a
+messenger, because I felt sorry for the princess, but not in order to
+gain an advantage for myself. To kill a husband and carry off a wife
+is something an honest man does not do. And since I am only an
+ordinary man, I prefer to die rather than do as you say."
+
+Tsian Tang rose, apologized and said: "My words were over-hasty. I
+hope you will not take them ill!" And the King of the Dungting Sea
+also spoke kindly to him, and censured Tsian Tang because of his rude
+speech. So there was no more said about marriage.
+
+On the following day Liu I took his leave, and the Queen of the
+Dungting Sea gave a farewell banquet in his honor.
+
+With tears the queen said to Liu I: "My daughter owes you a great debt
+of gratitude, and we have not had an opportunity to make it up to you.
+Now you are going away and we see you go with heavy hearts!"
+
+Then she ordered the princess to thank Liu I.
+
+The princess stood there, blushing, bowed to him and said: "We will
+probably never see each other again!" Then tears choked her voice.
+
+It is true that Liu I had resisted the stormy urging of her uncle, but
+when he saw the princess standing before him in all the charm of her
+loveliness, he felt sad at heart; yet he controlled himself and went
+his way. The treasures which he took with him were incalculable. The
+king and his brother themselves escorted him as far as the river.
+
+When, on his return home, he sold no more than a hundredth part of
+what he had received, his fortune already ran into the millions, and
+he was wealthier than all his neighbors. He decided to take a wife,
+and heard of a widow who lived in the North with her daughter. Her
+father had become a Taoist in his later years and had vanished in the
+clouds without ever returning. The mother lived in poverty with the
+daughter; yet since the girl was beautiful beyond measure she was
+seeking a distinguished husband for her.
+
+Liu I was content to take her, and the day of the wedding was set. And
+when he saw his bride unveiled on the evening of her wedding day, she
+looked just like the dragon-princess. He asked her about it, but she
+merely smiled and said nothing.
+
+After a time heaven sent them a son. Then she told her husband:
+"To-day I will confess to you that I am truly the Princess of Dungting
+Sea. When you had rejected my uncle's proposal and gone away, I fell
+ill of longing, and was near death. My parents wanted to send for you,
+but they feared you might take exception to my family. And so it was
+that I married you disguised as a human maiden. I had not ventured to
+tell you until now, but since heaven has sent us a son, I hope that
+you will love his mother as well."
+
+Then Liu I awoke as though from a deep sleep, and from that time on
+both were very fond of each other.
+
+One day his wife said: "If you wish to stay with me eternally, then we
+cannot continue to dwell in the world of men. We dragons live ten
+thousand years, and you shall share our longevity. Come back with me
+to the Sea of Dungting!"
+
+Ten years passed and no one knew where Liu I, who had disappeared,
+might be. Then, by accident, a relative went sailing across the Sea of
+Dungting. Suddenly a blue mountain rose up out of the water.
+
+The seamen cried in alarm: "There is no mountain on this spot! It must
+be a water-demon!"
+
+While they were still pointing to it and talking, the mountain drew
+near the ship, and a gaily-colored boat slid from its summit into the
+water. A man sat in the middle, and fairies stood at either side of
+him. The man was Liu I. He beckoned to his cousin, and the latter drew
+up his garments and stepped into the boat with him. But when he had
+entered the boat it turned into a mountain. On the mountain stood a
+splendid castle, and in the castle stood Liu I, surrounded with
+radiance, and with the music of stringed instruments floating about
+him.
+
+They greeted each other, and Liu I said to his cousin: "We have been
+parted no more than a moment, and your hair is already gray!"
+
+His cousin answered: "You are a god and blessed: I have only a mortal
+body. Thus fate has decreed."
+
+Then Liu I gave him fifty pills and said: "Each pill will extend your
+life for the space of a year. When you have lived the tale of these
+years, come to me and dwell no longer in the earthly world of dust,
+where there is nothing but toil and trouble."
+
+Then he took him back across the sea and disappeared.
+
+His cousin, however, retired from the world, and fifty years later,
+and when he had taken all the pills, he disappeared and was never seen
+again.
+
+    Note: The outcast princess is represented as "herding
+    sheep." In Chinese the word sheep is often used as an
+    image for clouds. (Sheep and goats are designated by the
+    same word in Chinese.) Tsian Tang is the name of a
+    place used for the name of the god of that place. The
+    deluge is the flood which the great Yu regulated as
+    minister of the Emperor Yau. It is here represented in
+    an exaggerated sense, as a deluge.
+
+
+
+
+XLVIII
+
+FOX-FIRE
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a strong young farmer who came home late
+one evening from market. His way led him past the gardens of a wealthy
+gentleman, in which stood a number of tall buildings. Suddenly he saw
+something shining floating in the air inside the gardens, something
+which glowed like a ball of crystal. He was astonished, and climbed
+the wall around the gardens, but there was not a human being in sight;
+all he saw was, at a distance, something which appeared to be a dog,
+looking up at the moon. And whenever it blew its breath out a ball of
+fire came out of its mouth, and rose to the moon. And whenever it drew
+its breath in the ball sank down again, and it caught it in its jaws.
+And so it went on without a stop. Then the farmer realized that it was
+a fox, who was preparing the elixir of life. He hid in the grass and
+waited until the ball of fire came down again, at about the height of
+his own head. Then he stepped hastily from his hiding-place, took it
+away and at once swallowed it. And he could feel it glow as it passed
+down his throat into his stomach. When the fox saw what had happened
+he grew angry. He looked furiously at the farmer, but feared his
+strength. For this reason he did not dare attack him, but went angrily
+on his way.
+
+From that time on the farmer-boy could make himself invisible, was
+able to see ghosts and devils, and had intercourse with the
+spirit-world. In cases of sickness, when people lay unconscious, he
+could call back their souls, and if some one had committed a sin he
+could plead for them. He earned much money owing to these gifts.
+
+When he reached his fiftieth year, he withdrew from all things and
+would no longer exercise his arts. One summer evening he was sitting
+in his courtyard, enjoying the cool air. While there he drank a number
+of goblets of wine, and by midnight had fallen fast asleep. Suddenly
+he awoke, feeling ill. It seemed as though some one were patting him
+on the back, and before he knew it, the ball of fire had leaped out
+from his throat. At once a hand reached for it and a voice said: "For
+thirty long years you kept my treasure from me, and from a poor
+farmer-lad you have grown to be a wealthy man. Now you have enough,
+and I would like to have my fire-ball back again!"
+
+Then the man knew what had happened, but the fox was gone.
+
+    Note: The thought underlying the story is the belief
+    that the fox prepares the elixir of life out of his own
+    breath, which he allows to rise to the moon. If a thief
+    can rob him of the elixir he gains supernatural powers.
+
+
+
+
+GHOST STORIES
+
+
+
+
+XLIX
+
+THE TALKING SILVER FOXES
+
+
+The silver foxes resemble other foxes, but are yellow, fire-red or
+white in color. They know how to influence human beings, too. There is
+a kind of silver fox which can learn to speak like a man in a year's
+time. These foxes are called "Talking Foxes."
+
+South-west of the bay of Kaiutschou there is a mountain by the edge of
+the sea, shaped like a tower, and hence known as Tower Mountain. On
+the mountain there is an old temple with the image of a goddess, who
+is known as the Old Mother of Tower Mountain. When children fall ill
+in the surrounding villages, the magicians often give orders that
+paper figures of them be burned at her altar, or little lime images of
+them be placed around it. And for this reason the altar and its
+surroundings are covered with hundreds of figures of children made in
+lime. Paper flowers, shoes and clothing are also brought to the Old
+Mother, and lie in a confusion of colors. The pilgrimage festivals
+take place on the third day of the third month, and the ninth day of
+the ninth month, and then there are theatrical performances, and the
+holy writings are read. And there is also an annual fair. The girls
+and women of the neighborhood burn incense and pray to the goddess.
+Parents who have no children go there and pick out one of the little
+children made of lime, and tie a red thread around its neck, or even
+secretly break off a small bit of its body, dissolve it in water and
+drink it. Then they pray quietly that a child may be sent them.
+
+Behind the temple is a great cave where, in former times, some talking
+foxes used to live. They would even come out and seat themselves on
+the point of a steep rock by the wayside. When a wanderer came by they
+would begin to talk to him in this fashion: "Wait a bit, neighbor;
+first smoke a pipe!" The traveler would look around in astonishment,
+to see where the voice came from, and would become very much
+frightened. If he did not happen to be exceptionally brave, he would
+begin to perspire with terror, and run away. Then the fox would laugh:
+"Hi hi!"
+
+Once a farmer was plowing on the side of the mountain. When he looked
+up he saw a man with a straw hat, wearing a mantle of woven grass and
+carrying a pick across his shoulder coming along the way.
+
+"Neighbor Wang," said he, "first smoke a pipeful and take a little
+rest! Then I will help you plow."
+
+Then he called out "Hu!" the way farmers do when they talk to their
+cattle.
+
+The farmer looked at him more closely and saw then that he was a
+talking fox. He waited for a favorable opportunity, and when it came
+gave him a lusty blow with his ox-whip. He struck home, for the fox
+screamed, leaped into the air and ran away. His straw hat, his mantle
+of woven grass and the rest he left lying on the ground. Then the
+farmer saw that the straw hat was just woven out of potato-leaves; he
+had cut it in two with his whip. The mantle was made of oak-leaves,
+tied together with little blades of grass. And the pick was only the
+stem of a kau-ling plant, to which a bit of brick had been fastened.
+
+Not long after, a woman in a neighboring village became possessed. A
+picture of the head priest of the Taoists was hung up in her room,
+but the evil spirit did not depart. Since there were none who could
+exorcise devils in the neighborhood, and the trouble she gave was
+unendurable, the woman's relatives decided to send to the temple of
+the God of War and beg for aid.
+
+But when the fox heard of it he said: "I am not afraid of your Taoist
+high-priest nor of your God of War; the only person I fear is your
+neighbor Wang in the Eastern village, who once struck me cruelly with
+his whip."
+
+This suited the people to a T. They sent to the Eastern village, and
+found out who Wang was. And Wang took his ox-whip and entered the
+house of the possessed woman.
+
+Then he said in a deep voice: "Where are you? Where are you? I have
+been on your trail for a long time. And now, at last, I have caught
+you!"
+
+With that he snapped his whip.
+
+The fox hissed and spat and flew out of the window.
+
+They had been telling stories about the talking fox of Tower Mountain
+for more than a hundred years when one fine day, a skilful archer came
+to that part of the country who saw a creature like a fox, with a
+fiery-red pelt, whose back was striped with gray. It was lying under a
+tree. The archer aimed and shot off its hind foot.
+
+At once it said in a human voice: "I brought myself into this danger
+because of my love for sleep; but none may escape their fate! If you
+capture me you will get at the most no more than five thousand pieces
+of copper for my pelt. Why not let me go instead? I will reward you
+richly, so that all your poverty will come to an end."
+
+But the archer would not listen to him. He killed him, skinned him
+and sold his pelt; and, sure enough, he received five thousand pieces
+of copper for it.
+
+From that time on the fox-spirit ceased to show itself.
+
+    Note: The silver fox is known in Chinese as "Pi," the
+    same word also being used for "panthers," since this
+    legendary beast partakes of the nature of both animals.
+    "The Old Mother" is really the mother-goddess of the
+    Taischan. But in other localities she is chiefly honored
+    as a child-giving goddess. "A picture of the head priest
+    of the Taoists": Talismans painted by the head priest of
+    the Taoists or the Taoist pope, the so-called "Master of
+    the Heavens," (Tian Schi) have special virtues against
+    all kinds of sorcery and enchantment. The war god Guan
+    Di also is appealed to as a savior in all sorts of
+    emergencies.
+
+
+
+
+L
+
+THE CONSTABLE
+
+
+In a city in the neighborhood of Kaiutschou there once lived a
+constable by the name of Dung. One day when he returned from a hunt
+after thieves the twilight had already begun to fall. So before he
+waded through the stream that flowed through the city he sat down on
+the bank, lit a pipe and took off his shoes. When he looked up, he
+suddenly saw a man in a red hat dressed as a constable crouching
+beside him.
+
+Astonished, he inquired: "Who are you? Your clothes indicate that you
+are a member of our profession, but I have never yet seen you among
+the men of our local force. Tell me, pray, whence you come?"
+
+The other answered: "I am weary, having come a long journey, and would
+like to enjoy a pipeful of tobacco in your company. I am sure you will
+not object to that."
+
+Dung handed him a pipe and tobacco.
+
+But the other constable said: "I do not need them. Just you keep on
+smoking. It is enough for me to enjoy the odor."
+
+So they chatted awhile together, and together waded through the
+stream. And gradually they became quite confidential and the stranger
+said: "I will be quite frank with you. I am the head constable of the
+Nether World, and am subject to the Lord of the Great Mountain. You
+yourself are a constable of reputation here in the upper world. And,
+because of my skill, I have standing in the world below. Since we are
+so well suited to each other, I should like to enter into a bond of
+brotherhood with you."
+
+Dung was agreeable and asked: "But what really brings you here?"
+
+Said the other: "In your district there lives a certain Wang, who was
+formerly superintendent of the granaries, and at that time caused the
+death of an officer. This man has now accused him in the Nether World.
+The King of the Nether World cannot come to a decision in the case,
+and therefore has asked the Lord of the Great Mountain to settle it.
+The Lord of the Great Mountain has ordered that Wang's property and
+life be shortened. First his property is to be sequestered here in the
+upper world, and then his soul is to be dragged to the nether one. I
+have been sent out by the Judge of the Dead to fetch him. Yet the
+established custom is, when some one is sent for, that the constable
+has first to report to the god of the city. The god of the city then
+issues a summons, and sends one of his own spirit constables to seize
+the soul and deliver it over to me. Only then may I take it away with
+me."
+
+Dung asked him further particulars; but the other merely said: "Later
+on you will see it all for yourself."
+
+When they reached the city Dung invited his colleague to stay at his
+home, and entertained him with wine and food. But the other only
+talked and touched neither the goblet nor the chop-sticks.
+
+Said Dung: "In my haste I could not find any better meal for you. I am
+afraid it is not good enough."
+
+But his guest replied: "Oh no, I am already surfeited and satisfied! We
+spirits feed only on odors; in which respect we differ from men."
+
+It was late at night before he set out to visit the temple of the city
+god.
+
+No sooner did morning dawn than he reappeared to take farewell and
+said: "Now all is in order: I am off! In two years' time you will go
+to Taianfu, the city near the Great Mountain, and there we will meet
+again."
+
+Dung began to feel ill at ease. A few days later, in fact, came the
+news that Wang had died. The district mandarin journeyed to the dead
+man's natal village in order to express his sympathy. Among his
+followers was Dung. The inn-keeper there was a tenant of Wang's.
+
+Dung asked him: "Did anything out of the ordinary happen when Sir Wang
+died?"
+
+"It was all very strange," answered the inn-keeper, "and my mother who
+had been very busy in his house, came home and fell into a violent
+fever. She was unconscious for a day and a night, and could hardly
+breathe. She came to on the very day when the news of Sir Wang's death
+was made public, and said: 'I have been to the Nether World and I met
+him there. He had chains about his neck and several devils were
+dragging him along. I asked him what he had done, but he said: "I have
+no time to tell you now. When you return ask my wife and she will tell
+you all!"' And yesterday my mother went there and asked her. And
+Wang's wife told her with tears: 'My master was an official, but for a
+long time he did not make any head-way. He was superintendent of the
+granaries in Nanking, and in the same city was a high officer, with
+whom my master became very intimate. He always came to visit at our
+house and he and my master would talk and drink together. One day my
+master said to him: "We administrative mandarins have a large salary
+and a good income besides. You are an officer, and have even reached
+the second step in rank, yet your salary is so small that you cannot
+possibly make it do. Have you any other income aside from it?" The
+officer replied: "We are such good friends that I know I can speak
+openly to you. We officers are compelled to find some additional
+sources of revenue in order that our pockets may not be altogether
+empty. When we pay our men we make a small percentage of gains on the
+exchange; and we also carry more soldiers on our rosters than there
+actually are present. If we had to live on our salaries we would die
+of hunger!"
+
+"'When my husband heard him say this he could not rid himself of the
+idea that by disclosing these criminal proceedings the State would be
+indebted to him, and that it would surely aid his plans for
+advancement. On the other hand, he reflected that it would not be
+right to abuse his friend's confidence. With these ideas in his mind
+he retired to his inner rooms. In the courtyard stood a round
+pavilion. Lost in heavy thought, he crossed his hands behind his back,
+and for a long time walked round and round the pavilion. Finally he
+said with a sigh: "Charity begins at home; I will sacrifice my
+friend!" Then he drew up his report, in which the officer was
+indicted. An imperial order was issued, the matter was investigated,
+and the officer was condemned to death. My husband, however, was at
+once increased in rank, and from that time on advanced rapidly. And
+with the exception of myself no one ever knew anything of the matter.'
+When my mother told them of her encounter with Wang in the Nether
+World, the whole family burst into loud weeping. Four tents full of
+Buddhist and Taoist priests were sent for, who fasted and read masses
+for thirty-five days in order that Wang might be delivered. Whole
+mountains of paper money, silk and straw figures were burned, and the
+ceremonies have not as yet come to an end."
+
+When Dung heard this he was very much frightened.
+
+Two years later he received an order to journey to Taianfu in order to
+arrest some robbers there. He thought to himself: "My friend, the
+spirit, must be very powerful indeed, to have known about this trip so
+far in advance. I must inquire for him. Perhaps I will see him again."
+
+When he reached Taianfu he sought out an inn.
+
+The inn-keeper received him with the words: "Are you Master Dung, and
+have you come from the bay of Kaiutschou?"
+
+"I am the man," answered Dung, alarmed, "how do you happen to know
+me?"
+
+The inn-keeper replied: "The constable of the temple of the Great
+Mountain appeared to me last night and said: 'To-morrow a man by the
+name of Dung who is a good friend of mine is coming from the bay of
+Kaiutschou!' And then he described your appearance and your clothes to
+me exactly, and told me to make careful note of them, and when you
+came to treat you with the greatest consideration, and to take no pay
+from you, since he would repay me lavishly. So when I saw you coming
+everything was exactly as my dreams had foretold, and I knew you at
+once. I have already prepared a quiet room for you, and beg that you
+will condescend to make yourself at ease."
+
+Joyfully Dung followed him, and the inn-keeper waited on him with the
+greatest consideration, and saw that he had great plenty to eat and to
+drink.
+
+At midnight the spirit arrived. Without having opened the door, he
+stood by Dung's bedside, gave him his hand, and asked how things had
+gone with him since he had last seen him.
+
+Dung answered all his questions and thanked him into the bargain for
+appearing to the inn-keeper in a dream.
+
+He continued to live for some days at the inn. During the day he went
+walking on the Great Mountain and at night his friend came to visit
+him and talked with him, and at the same time asked him what had
+happened to Sir Wang.
+
+"His sentence has already been spoken," answered the other. "This man
+pretended to be conscientious, and traitorously brought about the
+death of his friend. Of all sins there is no greater sin than this. As
+a punishment he will be sent forth again into the world as an animal."
+Then he added: "When you reach home you must take constant care of
+your health. Fate has allowed you seventy-eight years of mortal life.
+When your time is up I will come to fetch you myself. Then I will see
+that you obtain a place as constable in the Nether World, where we can
+always be together."
+
+When he had said this, he disappeared.
+
+    Note: "The Constable" is a tale of modern origin. The
+    Lord of the Great Mountain (Taischan) is even greater
+    than Yan Wang, the God of Death. His Temple of the
+    Easterly Holy Mountain (Dung Yuo Miau), is to be found
+    in every district capital. These temples play an
+    important part in the care of the dead before interment.
+
+
+
+
+LI
+
+THE DANGEROUS REWARD
+
+
+Once upon a time a man named Hu-Wu-Bau, who lived near the Great
+Mountain, went walking there one day. And there, under a tree, he met
+a messenger in a red robe who called out to him: "The Lord of the
+Great Mountain would like to see you!" The man was much frightened,
+but dared offer no objection. The messenger bade him shut his eyes,
+and when he was allowed to open them again after a short time, he
+found himself standing before a lofty palace. He entered it to see the
+god. The latter had a meal prepared for him and said: "I only sent for
+you to-day because I had heard you intended traveling to the West. And
+in that case I should like to give you a letter to take to my
+daughter."
+
+"But where is your daughter?" asked the man.
+
+"She is married to the river-god," was the reply. "All you need to do
+is to take along the letter lying there. When you reach the middle of
+the Yellow River, beat against the side of the ship and call out:
+'Greencoat!' Then some one will appear and take the letter from you."
+
+And with these words he handed Hu-Wu-Bau the letter, and he was taken
+back again to the upper world.
+
+When he came to the Yellow River on his journey, he did what the Lord
+of the Great Mountain had told him, and cried: "Greencoat!" And sure
+enough, a girl in green garments rose from the water, took him by the
+hand and told him to close his eyes. Then she led him into the palace
+of the river-god and he delivered the letter. The river-god
+entertained him splendidly, and thanked him as best he knew how. At
+parting he said: "I am grateful that you have made this long journey
+to see me. I have nothing to give you, however, save this pair of
+green silk shoes. While you are wearing them you can keep on walking
+as long as you like and never grow weary. And they will give you the
+second sight, so that you will be able to see the spirits and gods."
+
+The man thanked him for the gift and returned to his ship. He
+continued on his journey to the West, and after a year had passed,
+came back again. When he reached the Great Mountain, he thought it
+would be fit and proper to report to the god. So he once more knocked
+against the tree and gave his name. In a moment the red-clad messenger
+appeared and led him to the Lord of the Mountain. So he reported that
+he had delivered the letter to the river-god, and how all things were
+there, and the Lord of the Mountain thanked him. During the meal which
+the god had prepared for him, he withdrew for a few moments to a quiet
+spot. Suddenly he saw his deceased father, bound and loaded with
+chains, who together with several hundred other criminals, was doing
+menial labor.
+
+Moved to tears, he asked: "O my father, why are you here?"
+
+His father replied: "During my life on earth I happened to tread on
+bread, hence I was condemned to hard labor at this spot. I have passed
+two years in this manner, yet their bitterness has been unspeakable.
+Since you are acquainted with the Lord of the Mountain, you might
+plead for me, and beg him to excuse me from this task and make me the
+field-god in our village."
+
+His son promised to do so, and went back and pleaded with the Lord of
+the Mountain as he had agreed. The latter seemed inclined to listen to
+his prayer, yet said warningly: "The quick and the dead tread
+different paths. It is not well for the dead and the living to abide
+near one another permanently."
+
+The man returned home. Yet, in about a year's time nearly all his
+children had died. In the terror of his heart he turned to the Lord of
+the Great Mountain. He beat on the tree; the red-coat came and led him
+into the palace. There he told of his misfortune and begged the god to
+protect him. The Lord of the Mountain smiled: "Did I not tell you in
+the start that the quick and the dead tread different paths, and that
+it is not well if they abide near each other permanently? Now you see
+what has happened!" Yet he sent his messenger to fetch the man's
+father. The father came and the god spake to him as follows: "I
+forgave you your offense and sent you back to your home as a
+field-god. It was your duty to bring happiness to your family.
+Instead, nearly all of your grand-children have died off. Why is
+this?"
+
+And the father said: "I had been away from home so long that I was
+overjoyed to return. Besides I had meat and drink in overflowing
+measure. So I thought of my little grand-children and called them to
+me."
+
+Then the Lord of the Great Mountain appointed another field-god for
+that village, and also gave the father another place. And from that
+time no further misfortune happened to the family of Hu-Wu-Bau.
+
+    Note: The Lord of the Great Mountain was originally
+    Huang Fe-Hu, a faithful servant of the tyrant
+    Dschou-Sin. Because of an insult offered him, he joined
+    King Wu, and when the latter overcame the tyrant, was
+    made Lord of the Mountain, and overlord of the ten
+    princes of the nether world.
+
+
+
+
+LII
+
+RETRIBUTION
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a boy named Ma, whose father taught him
+himself, at home. The window of the upper story looked out on the rear
+upon a terrace belonging to old Wang, who had a garden of
+chrysanthemums there. One day Ma rose early, and stood leaning against
+the window, watching the day dawn. And out came old Wang from his
+terrace and watered his chrysanthemums. When he had just finished and
+was going in again, along came a water-carrier, bearing two pails on
+his shoulders, who seemed to want to help him. But the old man grew
+annoyed and motioned him off. Yet the water-carrier insisted on
+mounting the terrace. So they pulled each other about on the
+terrace-edge. It had been raining, the terrace was slippery, its
+border high and narrow, and when the old man thrust back the
+water-carrier with his hand, the latter lost his balance, slipped and
+tumbled down the slope. Then the old man hastened down to pick him up;
+but the two pails had fallen on his chest and he lay there with feet
+outstretched. The old man was extremely frightened. Without uttering a
+sound, he took hold of the water-carrier's feet, and dragged him
+through the back door to the bank of the stream which flowed by the
+garden. Then he fetched the pails and set them down beside the corpse.
+After that he went home, locked the door and went to bed again.
+
+Little Ma, in spite of his youth, thought it would be better to say
+nothing about an affair of this kind, in which a human life was
+involved. He shut the window and withdrew. The sun rose higher, and
+soon he heard a clamor without: "A dead man is lying on the
+river-bank!" The constable gave notice, and in the afternoon the judge
+came up to the beating of gongs, and the inspector of the dead knelt
+down and uncovered the corpse; yet the body showed no wound. So it was
+said: "He slipped and fell to his death!" The judge questioned the
+neighbors, but the neighbors all insisted that they knew nothing of
+the matter. Thereupon the judge had the body placed in a coffin,
+sealed it with his seal, and ordered that the relatives of the
+deceased be found. And then he went his way.
+
+Nine years passed by, and young Ma had reached the age of twenty-one
+and become a baccalaureate. His father had died, and the family was
+poor. So it came about that in the same room in which he had formerly
+studied his lessons, he now gathered a few pupils about him, to
+instruct them.
+
+The time for examinations drew near. Ma had risen early, in order to
+work. He opened the window and there, in the distant alley, he saw a
+man with two pails gradually drawing nearer. When he looked more
+closely, it was the water-carrier. Greatly frightened, he thought that
+he had returned to repay old Wang. Yet he passed the old man's door
+without entering it. Then he went a few steps further to the house of
+the Lis; and there went in. The Lis were wealthy people, and since
+they were near neighbors the Mas and they were on a visiting footing.
+The matter seemed very questionable to Ma, and he got up and followed
+the water-carrier.
+
+At the door of Li's house he met an old servant who was just coming
+out and who said: "Heaven is about to send a child to our mistress! I
+must go buy incense to burn to the gods in order to show our
+gratitude!"
+
+Ma asked: "Did not a man with two pails of water on his shoulder just
+go in?"
+
+The servant said there had not, but before he had finished speaking a
+maid came from the house and said: "You need not go to buy incense,
+for I have found some. And, through the favor of heaven, the child has
+already come to us." Then Ma began to realize that the water-carrier
+had returned to be born again into the life of earth, and not to exact
+retribution. He wondered, though, for what merit of his the former
+water-carrier happened to be re-born into so wealthy a family. So he
+kept the matter in mind, and from time to time inquired as to the
+child's well-being.
+
+Seven more years went by, and the boy gradually grew up. He did not
+show much taste for learning, but he loved to keep birds. Old Wang was
+still strong and healthy. And though he was by this time more than
+eighty years old, his love for his chrysanthemums had only increased
+with age.
+
+One day Ma once more rose early, and stood leaning against his window.
+And he saw old Wang come out upon his terrace and begin to water his
+chrysanthemums. Little Li sat in the upper story of his house flying
+his pigeons. Suddenly some of the pigeons flew down on the railing of
+the flower-garden. The boy was afraid they might fly off and called
+them, but the pigeons did not move. The boy did not know what to do:
+he picked up stones and threw them at the birds. By mistake one of
+them struck old Wang. The old man started, slipped, and fell down over
+the terrace. Time passed and he did not rise. He lay there with his
+feet outstretched. The boy was very much frightened. Without uttering
+a sound he softly closed his window and went away. The sun gradually
+rose higher, and the old man's sons and grandsons all came out to look
+for him. They found him and said: "He slipped and fell to his death!"
+And they buried him as was the custom.
+
+    Note: This little tale, from the "Sin Tsi Hia," is a
+    literary masterpiece because of the exactness with which
+    the punishment follows upon the act, long after the
+    latter has been forgiven, and all chance of mishap
+    seemed to have passed.
+
+
+
+
+LIII
+
+THE GHOST WHO WAS FOILED
+
+
+There are ghosts of many kinds, but the ghosts of those who have hung
+themselves are the worst. Such ghosts are always coaxing other living
+people to hang themselves from the beams of the roof. If they succeed
+in persuading some one to hang himself, then the road to the Nether
+World is open to them, and they can once more enter into the wheel of
+transformation. The following story of such a ghost is told by persons
+worthy of belief.
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man in Tsing Tschoufu who had passed
+his military examination, and had been ordered to Tsinanfu to report
+for duty. It was at the season of rains. So it happened that evening
+came on before he could reach the town-inn where he had expected to
+pass the night. Just as the sun was setting he reached a small village
+and asked for a night's lodging. But there were only poor families in
+the village who had no room for him in their huts. So they directed
+him to an old temple which stood outside the village, and said he
+could spend the night there.
+
+The images of the gods in the temple were all decayed, so that one
+could not distinguish one from the other. Thick spider-webs covered
+the entrance, and the dust lay inches high everywhere. So the soldier
+went out into the open, where he found an old flight of steps. He
+spread out his knapsack on a stone step, tied his horse to an old
+tree, took his flask from his pocket and drank--for it had been a hot
+day. There had been a heavy rain, but it had just cleared again. The
+new moon was on the decline. The soldier closed his eyes and tried to
+sleep.
+
+Suddenly he heard a rustling sound in the temple, and a cool wind
+passed over his face and made him shudder. And he saw a woman come out
+of the temple, dressed in an old dirty red gown, and with a face as
+white as a chalk wall. She stole past quietly as though she were
+afraid of being seen. The soldier knew no fear. So he pretended to be
+asleep and did not move, but watched her with half-shut eyes. And he
+saw her draw a rope from her sleeve and disappear. Then he knew that
+she was the ghost of one who had hung herself. He got up softly and
+followed her, and, sure enough, she went into the village.
+
+When she came to a certain house she slipped into the court through a
+crack in the door. The soldier leaped over the wall after her. It was
+a house with three rooms. In the rear room a lamp was burning dimly.
+The soldier looked through the window into the room, and there was a
+young woman of about twenty sitting on the bed, sighing deeply, and
+her kerchief was wet through with tears. Beside her lay a little
+child, asleep. The woman looked up toward the beam of the ceiling. One
+moment she would weep and the next she would stroke the child. When
+the soldier looked more closely, there was the ghost sitting up on the
+beam. She had passed the rope around her neck and was hanging herself
+in dumb show. And whenever she beckoned with her hand the woman looked
+up toward her. This went on for some time.
+
+Finally the woman said: "You say it would be best for me to die. Very
+well, then, I will die; but I cannot part from my child!"
+
+And once more she burst into tears. But the ghost merely laughed and
+coaxed her again.
+
+So the woman said determinedly: "It is enough. I will die!"
+
+With these words she opened her chest of clothes, put on new garments,
+and painted her face before the mirror. Then she drew up a bench and
+climbed up on it. She undid her girdle and knotted it to the beam. She
+had already stretched forth her neck and was about to leap from the
+bench, when the child suddenly awoke and began to cry. The woman
+climbed down again and soothed and quieted her child, and while she
+was petting it she wept, so that the tears fell from her eyes like a
+string of pearls. The ghost frowned and hissed, for it feared to lose
+its prey. In a short time the child had fallen asleep again, and the
+woman once more began to look aloft. Then she rose, again climbed on
+the bench, and was about to lay the noose about her neck when the
+soldier began to call out loudly and drum on the window-pane. Then he
+broke it and climbed into the room. The woman fell to the ground and
+the ghost disappeared. The soldier recalled the woman to
+consciousness, and then he saw something hanging down from the beam,
+like a cord without an end. Knowing that it belonged to the ghost of
+the hanged woman he took and kept it.
+
+Then he said to the woman: "Take good care of your child! You have
+but one life to lose in this world!"
+
+And with that he went out.
+
+Then it occurred to him that his horse and his baggage were still in
+the temple. And he went there to get them. When he came out of the
+village there was the ghost, waiting for him in the road.
+
+The ghost bowed and said: "I have been looking for a substitute for
+many years, and to-day, when it seemed as though I should really get
+one, you came along and spoiled my chances. So there is nothing more
+for me to do. Yet there is something which I left behind me in my
+hurry. You surely must have found it, and I will ask you to return it
+to me. If I only have this one thing, my not having found a substitute
+will not worry me."
+
+Then the soldier showed her the rope and said with a laugh: "Is this
+the thing you mean? Why, if I were to give it back to you then some
+one is sure to hang themselves. And that I could not allow."
+
+With these words he wound the rope around his arm, drove her off and
+said: "Now be off with you!"
+
+But then the ghost grew angry. Her face turned greenish-black, her
+hair fell in wild disorder down her neck, her eyes grew bloodshot, and
+her tongue hung far out of her mouth. She stretched forth both hands
+and tried to seize the soldier, but he struck out at her with his
+clenched fist. By mistake he hit himself in the nose and it began to
+bleed. Then he sprinkled a few drops of blood in her direction and,
+since the ghosts cannot endure human blood, she ceased her attack,
+moved off a few paces and began to abuse him. This she did for some
+time, until the cock in the village began to crow. Then the ghost
+disappeared.
+
+In the meantime the farmer-folk of the village had come to thank the
+soldier. It seems that after he had left the woman her husband had
+come home, and asked his wife what had happened. And then for the
+first time he had learned what had occurred. So they all set out
+together along the road in order to look for the soldier outside the
+village. When they found him he was still beating the air with his
+fists and talking wildly. So they called out to him and he told them
+what had taken place. The rope could still be seen on his bare arm;
+yet it had grown fast to it, and surrounded it in the shape of a red
+ring of flesh.
+
+The day was just dawning, so the soldier swung himself into his saddle
+and rode away.
+
+    Note: This tale has been handed down traditionally, and
+    is given as told among the people.
+
+
+
+
+LIV
+
+THE PUNISHMENT OF GREED
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man south of the Yangtze-kiang. He had
+taken a position as a teacher in Sutschoufu, on the border of
+Shantung. But when he got there he found that the schoolhouse had not
+yet been completed. Yet a two-story building in the neighborhood had
+been rented, in which the teacher was to live and hold school in the
+meantime. This house stood outside the village, not far from the river
+bank. A broad plain, overgrown with tangled brush, stretched out from
+it on every side. The teacher was pleased with the view.
+
+Well, one evening he was standing in the door of his house watching
+the sun go down. The smoke that rose from the village chimneys
+gradually merged with the twilight shadows. All the noises of the day
+had died away. Suddenly, off in the distance, along the river bank, he
+beheld a fiery gleam. He hurried away at once in order to see what it
+might be. And there, on the bank, he found a wooden coffin, from which
+came the radiance he had noticed. Thought the teacher to himself: "The
+jewels with which they adorn the dead on their journey shine by night.
+Perhaps there are gems in the coffin!" And greed awoke in his heart,
+and he forgot that a coffin is a resting-place of the dead and should
+be respected. He took up a large stone, broke the cover of the coffin,
+and bent over to look more closely. And there in the coffin lay a
+youth. His face was as white as paper, he wore a mourning turban on
+his head, his body was wrapped in hempen garments, and he wore straw
+sandals on his feet. The teacher was greatly frightened and turned to
+go away. But the corpse had already raised itself to a sitting
+posture. Then the teacher's fear got the better of him, and he began
+to run. And the corpse climbed out of its coffin and ran after him.
+Fortunately the house was not far away. The teacher ran as fast as he
+could, flew up the steps and locked the door after him. Gradually he
+caught his breath again. Outside there was not a sound to be heard. So
+he thought that perhaps the corpse had not followed him all the way.
+He opened the window and peered down. The corpse was leaning against
+the wall of the house. Suddenly it saw that the window had been
+opened, and with one leap it bounded up and in through it. Overcome by
+terror, the teacher fell down the stairs of the house, and rolled
+unconscious to the bottom of the flight. And when he did so the
+corpse fell down on the floor of the room above.
+
+At the time the school children had all long since gone home. And the
+owner of the house lived in another dwelling, so that no one knew
+anything about what had happened. On the following morning the
+children came to school as usual. They found the door locked, and when
+they called no one answered. Then they broke down the door and found
+their teacher lying unconscious on the ground. They sprinkled him with
+ginger, but it took a long time before he woke from his coma. When
+they asked he told them all that had occurred. Then they all went
+upstairs and took away the corpse. It was taken outside the village
+limits and burned, and the bones which remained were once more laid in
+the coffin. But the teacher said, with a sigh: "Because of a moment's
+greed, I nearly lost my life!" He resigned his position, returned home
+and never, through all the days of his life, did he speak of gain
+again.
+
+    Note: The corpse wears a mourning turban and is dressed
+    in mourning. According to local tradition, young people
+    who die before their parents, are laid in their coffins
+    clad in mourning, so that even in death they may do
+    their duty and be able to mourn their parents when the
+    latter shall have died. The tale is taken from the Su
+    Tsi Hia.
+
+
+
+
+LV
+
+THE NIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELD
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a merchant, who was wandering toward
+Shantung with his wares, along the road from the South. At about the
+second watch of the night, a heavy storm blew up from the North. And
+he chanced to see an inn at one side of the road, whose lights were
+just being lit. He went in to get something to drink and order
+lodgings for the night, but the folk at the inn raised objections. Yet
+an old man among them took pity on his unhappy situation and said: "We
+have just prepared a meal for warriors who have come a long distance,
+and we have no wine left to serve you. But there is a little side room
+here which is still free, and there you may stay overnight." With
+these words he led him into it. But the merchant could not sleep
+because of his hunger and thirst. Outside he could hear the noise of
+men and horses. And since all these proceedings did not seem quite
+natural to him, he got up and looked through a crack in the door. And
+he saw that the whole inn was filled with soldiers, who were sitting
+on the ground, eating and drinking, and talking about campaigns of
+which he had never heard. After a time they began calling to each
+other: "The general is coming!" And far off in the distance could be
+heard the cries of his bodyguard. All the soldiers hurried out to
+receive him. Then the merchant saw a procession with many paper
+lanterns, and riding in their midst a man of martial appearance with a
+long beard. He dismounted, entered the inn, and took his place at the
+head of the board. The soldiers mounted guard at the door, awaiting
+his commands, and the inn-keeper served food and drink, to which the
+general did full justice.
+
+When he had finished his officers entered, and he said to them: "You
+have now been underway for some time. Go back to your men. I shall
+rest a little myself. It will be time enough to beat the assembly when
+the order to advance is given."
+
+The officers received his commands and withdrew. Then the general
+called out: "Send Asti in!" and a young officer entered from the left
+side of the house. The people of the inn locked the gates and withdrew
+for the night, while Asti conducted the long-haired general to a door
+at the left, through a crack of which shone the light of a lamp. The
+merchant stole from his room and looked through the crack in the door.
+Within the room was a bed of bamboo, without covers or pillows. The
+lamp stood on the ground. The long-bearded general took hold of his
+head. It came off and he placed it on the bed. Then Asti took hold of
+his arms. These also came off and were carefully placed beside the
+head. Then the old general threw himself down on the bed crosswise,
+and Asti took hold of his body, which came apart below the thighs, and
+the two legs fell to the ground. Then the lamp went out. Overcome by
+terror the merchant hurried back to his room as fast as he could,
+holding his sleeves before his eyes, and laid down on his bed, where
+he tossed about sleepless all night.
+
+At last he heard a cock crow in the distance. He was shivering. He
+took his sleeves from his face and saw that dawn was stealing along
+the sky. And when he looked about him, there he was lying in the
+middle of a thick clump of brush. Round about him was a wilderness,
+not a house, not even a grave was to be seen anywhere. In spite of
+being chilled, he ran about three miles till he came to the nearest
+inn. The inn-keeper opened the door and asked him with astonishment
+where he came from at that early hour. So the merchant told him his
+experiences and inquired as to the sort of place at which he had spent
+the night. The inn-keeper shook his head: "The whole neighborhood is
+covered with old battlefields," was his reply, "and all sorts of
+supernatural things take place on them after dark."
+
+    Note: This tale is taken from the Sin Tsi Hia.
+
+
+
+
+LVI
+
+THE KINGDOM OF THE OGRES
+
+
+In the land of Annam there once dwelt a man named Su, who sailed the
+seas as a merchant. Once his ship was suddenly driven on a distant
+shore by a great storm. It was a land of hills broken by ravines and
+green with luxuriant foliage, yet he could see something along the
+hills which looked like human dwellings. So he took some food with him
+and went ashore. No sooner had he entered the hills than he could see
+at either hand the entrances to caves, one close beside the other,
+like a row of beehives. So he stopped and looked into one of the
+openings. And in it sat two ogres, with teeth like spears and eyes
+like fiery lamps. They were just devouring a deer. The merchant was
+terrified by this sight and turned to flee; but the ogres had already
+noticed him and they caught him and dragged him into their cave. Then
+they talked to each other with animal sounds, and were about to tear
+his clothes from his body and devour him. But the merchant hurriedly
+took a bag of bread and dried meat out and offered it to them. They
+divided it, ate it up and it seemed to taste good to them. Then they
+once more went through the bag; but he gestured with his hand to show
+them that he had no more.
+
+Then he said: "Let me go! Aboard my ship I have frying-pans and
+cooking-pots, vinegar and spices. With these I could prepare your
+food."
+
+The ogres did not understand what he was saying, however, and were
+still ferocious. So he tried to make them understand in dumb show, and
+finally they seemed to get an idea of his meaning. So they went to the
+ship with him, and he brought his cooking gear to the cave, collected
+brush-wood, made a fire and cooked the remains of the deer. When it
+was done to a turn he gave them some of it to eat, and the two
+creatures devoured it with the greatest satisfaction. Then they left
+the cave and closed the opening with a great rock. In a short space of
+time they returned with another deer they had caught. The merchant
+skinned it, fetched fresh water, washed the meat and cooked several
+kettles full of it. Suddenly in came a whole herd of ogres, who
+devoured all he had cooked, and became quite animated over their
+eating. They all kept pointing to the kettle which seemed too small to
+them. When three or four days had passed, one of the ogres dragged in
+an enormous cooking-pot on his back, which was thenceforth used
+exclusively.
+
+Now the ogres crowded about the merchant, bringing him wolves and deer
+and antelopes, which he had to cook for them, and when the meat was
+done they would call him to eat it with them.
+
+Thus a few weeks passed and they gradually came to have such
+confidence in him that they let him run about freely. And the merchant
+listened to the sounds which they uttered, and learned to understand
+them. In fact, before very long he was able to speak the language of
+the ogres himself. This pleased the latter greatly, and they brought
+him a young ogre girl and made her his wife. She gave him valuables
+and fruit to win his confidence, and in course of time they grew much
+attached to each other.
+
+One day the ogres all rose very early, and each one of them hung a
+string of radiant pearls about his neck. They ordered the merchant to
+be sure and cook a great quantity of meat. The merchant asked his wife
+what it all meant.
+
+"This will be a day of high festival," answered she, "we have invited
+the great king to a banquet."
+
+But to the other ogres she said: "The merchant has no string of
+pearls!"
+
+Then each of the ogres gave him five pearls and his wife added ten, so
+that he had fifty pearls in all. These his wife threaded and hung the
+pearl necklace about his neck, and there was not one of the pearls
+which was not worth at least several hundred ounces of silver.
+
+Then the merchant cooked the meat, and having done so left the cave
+with the whole herd in order to receive the great king. They came to a
+broad cave, in the middle of which stood a huge block of stone, as
+smooth and even as a table. Round it were stone seats. The place of
+honor was covered with a leopard-skin, and the rest of the seats with
+deerskins. Several dozen ogres were sitting around the cave in rank
+and file.
+
+Suddenly a tremendous storm blew up, whirling around the dust in
+columns, and a monster appeared who had the figure of an ogre. The
+ogres all crowded out of the cave in a high state of excitement to
+receive him. The great king ran into the cave, sat down with his legs
+outstretched, and glanced about him with eyes as round as an eagle's.
+The whole herd followed him into the cave, and stood at either hand of
+him, looking up to him and folding their arms across their breasts in
+the form of a cross in order to do him honor.
+
+The great king nodded, looked around and asked: "Are all the folk of
+the Wo-Me hills present?"
+
+The entire herd declared that they were.
+
+Then he saw the merchant and asked: "From whence does he hail?"
+
+His wife answered for him, and all spoke with praise of his art as a
+cook. A couple of ogres brought in the cooked meat and spread it out
+on the table. Then the great king ate of it till he could eat no more,
+praised it with his mouth full, and said that in the future they were
+always to furnish him with food of this kind.
+
+Then he looked at the merchant and asked: "Why is your necklace so
+short?"
+
+With these words he took ten pearls from his own necklace, pearls as
+large and round as bullets of a blunderbuss. The merchant's wife
+quickly took them on his behalf and hung them around his neck; and the
+merchant crossed his arms like the ogres and spoke his thanks. Then
+the great king went off again, flying away like lightning on the
+storm.
+
+In the course of time heaven sent the merchant children, two boys and
+a girl. They all had a human form and did not resemble their mother.
+Gradually the children learned to speak and their father taught them
+the language of men. They grew up, and were soon so strong that they
+could run across the hills as though on level ground.
+
+One day the merchant's wife had gone out with one of the boys and the
+girl and had been absent for half-a-day. The north wind was blowing
+briskly, and in the merchant's heart there awoke a longing for his old
+home. He took his son by the hand and went down to the sea-shore.
+There his old ship was still lying, so he climbed into it with his
+boy, and in a day and a night was back in Annam again.
+
+When he reached home he loosened two of his pearls from his chain,
+and sold them for a great quantity of gold, so that he could keep
+house in handsome style. He gave his son the name of Panther, and when
+the boy was fourteen years of age he could lift thirty hundred weight
+with ease. Yet he was rough by nature and fond of fighting. The
+general of Annam, astonished at his bravery, appointed him a colonel,
+and in putting down a revolt his services were so meritorious that he
+was already a general of the second rank when but eighteen.
+
+At about this time another merchant was also driven ashore by a storm
+on the island of Wo-Me. When he reached land he saw a youth who asked
+him with astonishment: "Are you not from the Middle Kingdom?"
+
+The merchant told him how he had come to be driven ashore on the
+island, and the youth led him to a little cave in a secret valley.
+Then he brought deer-flesh for him to eat, and talked with him. He
+told him that his father had also come from Annam, and it turned out
+that his father was an old acquaintance of the man to whom he was
+talking.
+
+"We will have to wait until the wind blows from the North," said the
+youth, "then I will come and escort you. And I will give you a message
+of greeting to take to my father and brother."
+
+"Why do you not go along yourself and hunt up your father?" asked the
+merchant.
+
+"My mother does not come from the Middle Kingdom," replied the youth.
+"She is different in speech and appearance, so it cannot well be."
+
+One day the wind blew strongly from the North, and the youth came and
+escorted the merchant to his ship, and ordered him, at parting, not to
+forget a single one of his words.
+
+When the merchant returned to Annam, he went to the palace of
+Panther, the general, and told him all that had happened. When Panther
+listened to him telling about his brother, he sobbed with bitter
+grief. Then he secured leave of absence and sailed out to sea with two
+soldiers. Suddenly a typhoon arose, which lashed the waves until they
+spurted sky-high. The ship turned turtle, and Panther fell into the
+sea. He was seized by a creature and flung up on a strand where there
+seemed to be dwellings. The creature who had seized him looked like an
+ogre, so Panther addressed him in the ogre tongue. The ogre,
+surprised, asked him who he was, and Panther told him his whole story.
+
+The ogre was pleased and said: "Wo-Me is my old home, but it lies
+about eight thousand miles away from here. This is the kingdom of the
+poison dragons."
+
+Then the ogre fetched a ship and had Panther seat himself in it, while
+he himself pushed the ship before him through the water so that it
+clove the waves like an arrow. It took a whole night, but in the
+morning a shoreline appeared to the North, and there on the strand
+stood a youth on look-out. Panther recognized his brother. He stepped
+ashore and they clasped hands and wept. Then Panther turned around to
+thank the ogre, but the latter had already disappeared.
+
+Panther now asked after his mother and sister and was told that both
+were well and happy, so he wanted to go to them with his brother. But
+the latter told him to wait, and went off alone. Not long after he
+came back with their mother and sister. And when they saw Panther,
+both wept with emotion. Panther now begged them to return with him to
+Annam.
+
+But his mother replied: "I fear that if I went, people would mock me
+because of my figure."
+
+"I am a high officer," replied Panther, "and people would not dare to
+insult you."
+
+So they all went down to the ship together with him. A favorable wind
+filled their sails and they sped home swiftly as an arrow flies. On
+the third day they reached land. But the people whom they encountered
+were all seized with terror and ran away. Then Panther took off his
+mantle and divided it among the three so that they could dress
+themselves.
+
+When they reached home and the mother saw her husband again, she at
+once began to scold him violently because he had said not a word to
+her when he went away. The members of his family, who all came to
+greet the wife of the master of the house, did so with fear and
+trembling. But Panther advised his mother to learn the language of the
+Middle Kingdom, dress in silks, and accustom herself to human food.
+This she agreed to do; yet she and her daughter had men's clothing
+made for them. The brother and sister gradually grew more fair of
+complexion, and looked like the people of the Middle Kingdom.
+Panther's brother was named Leopard, and his sister Ogrechild. Both
+possessed great bodily strength.
+
+But Panther was not pleased to think that his brother was so
+uneducated, so he had him study. Leopard was highly gifted; he
+understood a book at first reading; yet he felt no inclination to
+become a man of learning. To shoot and to ride was what he best loved
+to do. So he rose to high rank as a professional soldier, and finally
+married the daughter of a distinguished official.
+
+It was long before Ogrechild found a husband, because all suitors were
+afraid of their mother-in-law to be. But Ogrechild finally married one
+of her brother's subordinates. She could draw the strongest bow, and
+strike the tiniest bird at a distance of a hundred paces. Her arrow
+never fell to earth without having scored a hit. When her husband went
+out to battle she always accompanied him, and that he finally became a
+general was largely due to her. Leopard was already a field marshal at
+the age of thirty, and his mother accompanied him on his campaigns.
+When a dangerous enemy drew near, she buckled on armor, and took a
+knife in her hand to meet him in place of her son. And among the
+enemies who encountered her there was not a single one who did not
+flee from her in terror. Because of her courage the emperor bestowed
+upon her the title of "The Superwoman."
+
+    Note: The ogres here mentioned are the primitive
+    inhabitants of the Island of Ceylon, also called
+    Rakshas, who appear in legend as man-devouring monsters.
+
+
+
+
+LVII
+
+THE MAIDEN WHO WAS STOLEN AWAY
+
+
+In the western portion of the old capital city of Lo Yang there was a
+ruined cloister, in which stood an enormous pagoda, several hundred
+stories high. Three or four people could still find room to stand on
+its very top.
+
+Not far from it there lived a beautiful maiden, and one very hot
+summer's day she was sitting in the courtyard of her home, trying to
+keep cool. And as she sat there a sudden cyclone came up and carried
+her off. When she opened her eyes, there she was on top of the pagoda,
+and beside her stood a young man in the dress of a student.
+
+He was very polite and affable, and said to her: "It seems as though
+heaven had meant to bring us together, and if you promise to marry me,
+we will be very happy." But to this the maiden would not agree. So the
+student said that until she changed her mind she would have to remain
+on the pagoda-top. Then he produced bread and wine for her to satisfy
+her hunger and thirst, and disappeared.
+
+Thereafter he appeared each day and asked her whether she had changed
+her mind, and each day she told him she had not. When he went away he
+always carefully closed the openings in the pagoda-top with stones,
+and he had also removed some of the steps of the stairs, so that she
+could not climb down. And when he came to the pagoda-top he always
+brought her food and drink, and he also presented her with rouge and
+powder, dresses and mandarin-coats and all sorts of jewelry. He told
+her he had bought them in the market place. And he also hung up a
+great carbuncle-stone so that the pagoda-top was bright by night as
+well as by day. The maiden had all that heart could wish, and yet she
+was not happy.
+
+But one day when he went away he forgot to lock the window. The maiden
+spied on him without his knowing it, and saw that from a youth he
+turned himself into an ogre, with hair as red as madder and a face as
+black as coal. His eyeballs bulged out of their sockets, and his mouth
+looked like a dish full of blood. Crooked white fangs thrust
+themselves from his lips, and two wings grew from his shoulders.
+Spreading them, he flew down to earth and at once turned into a man
+again.
+
+The maiden was seized with terror and burst into tears. Looking down
+from her pagoda she saw a wanderer passing below. She called out, but
+the pagoda was so high that her voice did not carry down to him. She
+beckoned with her hand, but the wanderer did not look up. Then she
+could think of nothing else to do but to throw down the old clothes
+she had formerly worn. They fluttered through the air to the ground.
+
+The wanderer picked up the clothes. Then he looked up at the pagoda,
+and quite up at the very top he saw a tiny figure which looked like
+that of a girl; yet he could not make out her features. For a long
+time he wondered who it might be, but in vain. Then he saw a light.
+
+"My neighbor's daughter," said he to himself, "was carried away by a
+magic storm. Is it possible that she may be up there?"
+
+So he took the clothes with him and showed them to the maiden's
+parents, and when they saw them they burst into tears.
+
+But the maiden had a brother, who was stronger and braver than any one
+for miles around. When the tale had been told him he took a heavy ax
+and went to the pagoda. There he hid himself in the tall grass and
+waited for what would happen. When the sun was just going down, along
+came a youth, tramping the hill. Suddenly he turned into an ogre,
+spread his wings and was about to fly. But the brother flung his ax at
+him and struck him on the arm. He began to roar loudly, and then fled
+to the western hills. But when the brother saw that it was impossible
+to climb the pagoda, he went back and enlisted the aid of several
+neighbors. With them he returned the following morning and they
+climbed up into the pagoda. Most of the steps of the stairway were in
+good condition for the ogre had only destroyed those at the top. But
+they were able to get up with a ladder, and then the brother fetched
+down his sister and brought her safely home again.
+
+And that was the end of the enchantment.
+
+    Note: In this tale the ogre is a Yakscha or a Fe Tian Ya
+    Tscha.
+
+
+
+
+LVIII
+
+THE FLYING OGRE
+
+
+There once lived in Sianfu an old Buddhist monk, who loved to wander
+in lonely places. In the course of his wanderings he once came to the
+Kuku-Nor, and there he saw a tree which was a thousand feet high and
+many cords in breadth. It was hollow inside and one could see the sky
+shining down into it from above.
+
+When he had gone on a few miles, he saw in the distance a girl in a
+red coat, barefoot, and with unbound hair, who was running as fast as
+the wind. In a moment she stood before him.
+
+"Take pity on me and save my life!" said she to him.
+
+When the monk asked her what was the trouble, she replied: "A man is
+pursuing me. If you will tell him you have not seen me, I will be
+grateful to you all my life long!"
+
+With that she ran up to the hollow tree and crawled into it.
+
+When the monk had gone a little further, he met one who rode an
+armored steed. He wore a garment of gold, a bow was slung across his
+shoulders, and a sword hung at his side. His horse ran with the speed
+of lightning, and covered a couple of miles with every step. Whether
+it ran in the air or on the ground, its speed was the same.
+
+"Have you seen the girl in the red coat?" asked the stranger. And when
+the monk replied that he had seen nothing, the other continued:
+"Bonze, you should not lie! This girl is not a human being, but a
+flying ogre. Of flying ogres there are thousands of varieties, who
+bring ruin to people everywhere. I have already slain a countless
+number of them, and have pretty well done away with them. But this one
+is the worst of all. Last night the Lord of the Heavens gave me a
+triple command, and that is the reason I have hurried down from the
+skies. There are eight thousand of us under way in all directions to
+catch this monster. If you do not tell the truth, monk, then you are
+sinning against heaven itself!"
+
+Upon that the monk did not dare deceive him, but pointed to the hollow
+tree. The messenger of the skies dismounted, stepped into the tree and
+looked about him. Then he once more mounted his horse, which carried
+him up the hollow trunk and out at the end of the tree. The monk
+looked up and could see a small, red flame come out of the tree-top.
+It was followed by the messenger of the skies. Both rose up to the
+clouds and disappeared. After a time there fell a rain of blood. The
+ogre had probably been hit by an arrow or captured.
+
+Afterward the monk told the tale to the scholar who wrote it down.
+
+    Note: This flying ogre is also of the Yakscha tribe.
+
+
+
+
+LIX
+
+BLACK ARTS
+
+
+The wild people who dwell in the South-West are masters of many black
+arts. They often lure men of the Middle Kingdom to their country by
+promising them their daughters in marriage, but their promises are not
+to be trusted. Once there was the son of a poor family, who agreed to
+labor for three years for one of the wild men in order to become his
+son-in-law. At the end of that time the wedding was celebrated, and
+the couple were given a little house for a home. But no sooner had
+they entered it than the wife warned her husband to be on his guard,
+since her parents did not like him, and would seek to do him harm. In
+accordance with the custom she entered the house first with a lighted
+lantern, but when the bridegroom followed her she had disappeared. And
+thus it went, day by day. During the daytime she was there, but when
+evening came she disappeared.
+
+And one day, not long after they had been married, his wife said to
+him: "To-morrow morning my mother celebrates her birthday, and you
+must go to congratulate her. They will offer you tea and food. The tea
+you may drink, but be sure not to touch any of the food. Keep this in
+mind!"
+
+So the following day the wife and husband went to her mother's home
+and offered their congratulations. Her parents seemed highly pleased,
+and served them with tea and sweets. The son-in-law drank, but ate
+nothing, though his wife's parents, with kind words and friendly
+gestures, kept urging him to help himself. At last the son-in-law did
+not know what to do, and thought that surely they could mean him no
+ill. And seeing the fresh caught eels and crabs on the plate before
+him, he ate a little of them. His wife gave him a reproachful glance,
+and he offered some excuse for taking his leave.
+
+But his mother-in-law said: "This is my birthday. You simply must
+taste my birthday noodles!"
+
+With that she placed a great dish before him, filled with noodles that
+looked like threads of silver, mingled with fat meat, and spiced with
+fragrant mushrooms. During all the time he had been living in the
+country the son-in-law had never yet seen such an appetizing dish. Its
+pleasant odor rose temptingly to his nostrils, and he could not resist
+raising his chop-sticks. His wife glanced over at him, but he
+pretended that he did not see her.
+
+She coughed significantly, but he acted as though he did not hear.
+Finally she trod on his foot under the table; and then he regained
+control of himself.
+
+He had not as yet eaten half of the food and said: "My hunger is
+satisfied."
+
+Then he took leave, and went off with his wife.
+
+"This is a serious matter," said the latter. "You would not listen to
+my words, and now you will surely have to die!"
+
+But still he did not believe her, until he suddenly felt terrible
+pains, which soon grew unbearable, so that he fell to the ground
+unconscious. His wife at once hung him up by the feet from the beam of
+the roof, and put a panful of glowing charcoal under his body, and a
+great jar of water, into which she had poured sesame oil, in front of
+the fire, directly below his mouth. And when the fire had heated him
+thoroughly, he suddenly opened his mouth--and can you imagine what
+came out of it? A squirming, crawling mass of poisonous worms,
+centipedes, toads and tadpoles, who all fell into the jar of water.
+Then his wife untied him, carried him to bed, and gave him wine
+mingled with realgar to drink. Then he recovered.
+
+"What you ate in the belief that they were eels and crabs," said his
+wife, "were nothing but toads and tadpoles, and the birthday noodles
+were poisonous worms and centipedes. But you must continue to be
+careful. My parents know that you have not died, and they will think
+up other evil plans."
+
+A few days later his father-in-law said to him: "There is a large tree
+growing on the precipice which juts over the cave. In it is the nest
+of the phenix. You are still young and able to climb, so go there
+quickly and fetch me the eggs!"
+
+His son-in-law went home and told his wife.
+
+"Take long bamboo poles," said she, "and tie them together, and fasten
+a curved sword at the top. And take these nine loaves of bread and
+these hens' eggs, there are seven times seven of them. Carry them
+along with you in a basket. When you come to the spot you will see a
+large nest up in the branches. Do not climb the tree, but chop it down
+with the curved sword. Then throw away your poles, and run for dear
+life. Should a monster appear and follow you, throw him the loaves of
+bread, three loaves at a time, and finally throw down the eggs on the
+ground and make for home as quickly as you can. In this way you may
+escape the danger which threatens you."
+
+The man noted all she said exactly and went. And sure enough he saw
+the bird's nest--it was as large as a round pavilion. Then he tied his
+curved sword to the poles, chopped at the tree with all his strength,
+laid down his poles on the ground and never looked around but ran for
+dear life. Suddenly he heard the roaring of a thunder-storm rising
+above him. When he looked up he saw a great dragon, many fathoms long
+and some ten feet across. His eyes gleamed like two lamps and he was
+spitting fire and flame from his maw. He had stretched out two feelers
+and was feeling along the ground. Then the man swiftly flung the
+loaves into the air. The dragon caught them, and it took a little time
+before he had devoured them. But no sooner had the man gained a few
+steps than the dragon once more came flying after him. Then he flung
+him more loaves and when the loaves came to an end, he turned over his
+basket so that the eggs rolled over the ground. The dragon had not yet
+satisfied his hunger and opened his greedy jaws wide. When he suddenly
+caught sight of the eggs, he descended from the air, and since the
+eggs were scattered round about, it took some time before he had
+sucked them all. In the meantime the man succeeded in escaping to his
+home.
+
+When he entered the door and saw his wife, he said to her, amid sobs:
+"It was all I could do to escape, and I am lucky not to be in the
+dragon's stomach! If this sort of thing keeps up much longer I am
+bound to die!"
+
+With these words he kneeled and begged his wife pitifully to save his
+life.
+
+"Where is your home?" asked his wife.
+
+"My home is about a hundred miles away from here, in the Middle
+Kingdom, and my old mother is still living. The only thing that
+worries me is that we are so poor."
+
+His wife said: "I will flee with you, and we will find your mother.
+And waste no regrets on your poverty."
+
+With that she gathered up all the house held in the way of pearls and
+precious stones, put them in a bag and had her husband tie it around
+his waist. Then she also gave him an umbrella, and in the middle of
+the night they climbed the wall with the aid of a ladder, and stole
+away.
+
+His wife had also said to him: "Take the umbrella on your back and run
+as fast as ever you can! Do not open it, and do not look around! I
+will follow you in secret."
+
+So he turned North and ran with all his might and main. He had been
+running for a day and a night, had covered nearly a hundred miles, and
+passed the boundaries of the wild people's country, when his legs gave
+out and he grew hungry. Before him lay a mountain village. He stopped
+at the village gate to rest, drew some food from his pocket and began
+to eat. And he looked around without being able to see his wife.
+
+Said he to himself: "Perhaps she has deceived me after all, and is not
+coming with me!"
+
+After he had finished eating, he took a drink from a spring, and
+painfully dragged himself further. When the heat of the day was
+greatest a violent mountain rain suddenly began to fall. In his haste
+he forgot what his wife had told him and opened his umbrella. And out
+fell his wife upon the ground.
+
+She reproached him: "Once more you have not listened to my advice. Now
+the damage has been done!"
+
+Quickly she told him to go to the village, and there to buy a white
+cock, seven black tea-cups, and half a length of red nettlecloth.
+
+"Do not be sparing of the silver pieces in your pocket!" she cried
+after him as he went off.
+
+He went to the village, attended to everything, and came back. The
+woman tore the cloth apart, made a coat of it and put it on. No sooner
+had they walked a few miles before they could see a red cloud rising
+up in the South, like a flying bird.
+
+"That is my mother," said the woman.
+
+In a moment the cloud was overhead. Then the woman took the black
+tea-cups and threw them at it. Seven she threw and seven fell to earth
+again. And then they could hear the mother in the cloud weeping and
+scolding, and thereupon the cloud disappeared.
+
+They went on for about four hours. Then they heard a sound like the
+noise of silk being torn, and could see a cloud as black as ink, which
+was rushing up against the wind.
+
+"Alas, that is my father!" said the woman. "This is a matter of life
+and death, for he will not let us be! Because of my love for you I
+will now have to disobey the holiest of laws!"
+
+With these words she quickly seized the white cock, separated its head
+from its body, and flung the head into the air. At once the black
+cloud dissolved, and her father's body, the head severed from the
+trunk, fell down by the edge of the road. Then the woman wept
+bitterly, and when she had wept her fill they buried the corpse.
+Thereupon they went together to her husband's home, where they found
+his old mother still living. They then undid the bag of pearls and
+jewels, bought a piece of good ground, built a fine house, and became
+wealthy and respected members of the community.
+
+    Note: Realgar: The Chinese believe that realgar is a
+    mithridate and tonic.
+
+
+
+
+HISTORIC LEGENDS
+
+
+
+
+LX
+
+THE SORCERER OF THE WHITE LOTUS LODGE
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a sorcerer who belonged to the White Lotus
+Lodge. He knew how to deceive the multitude with his black arts, and
+many who wished to learn the secret of his enchantments became his
+pupils.
+
+One day the sorcerer wished to go out. He placed a bowl which he
+covered with another bowl in the hall of his house, and ordered his
+pupils to watch it. But he warned them against uncovering the bowl to
+see what might be in it.
+
+No sooner had he gone than the pupils uncovered the bowl and saw that
+it was filled with clear water. And floating on the water was a little
+ship made of straw, with real masts and sails. They were surprised and
+pushed it with their fingers till it upset. Then they quickly righted
+it again and once more covered the bowl. By that time the sorcerer was
+already standing among them. He was angry and scolded them, saying:
+"Why did you disobey my command?"
+
+His pupils rose and denied that they had done so.
+
+But the sorcerer answered: "Did not my ship turn turtle at sea, and
+yet you try to deceive me?"
+
+On another evening he lit a giant candle in his room, and ordered his
+pupils to watch it lest it be blown out by the wind. It must have been
+at the second watch of the night and the sorcerer had not yet come
+back. The pupils grew tired and sleepy, so they went to bed and
+gradually fell asleep. When they woke up again the candle had gone
+out. So they rose quickly and re-lit it. But the sorcerer was already
+in the room, and again he scolded them.
+
+"Truly we did not sleep! How could the light have gone out?"
+
+Angrily the sorcerer replied: "You let me walk fifteen miles in the
+dark, and still you can talk such nonsense!"
+
+Then his pupils were very much frightened.
+
+In the course of time one of his pupils insulted the sorcerer. The
+latter made note of the insult, but said nothing. Soon after he told
+the pupil to feed the swine, and no sooner had he entered the sty than
+his master turned him into a pig. The sorcerer then at once called in
+a butcher, sold the pig to the man, and he went the way of all pigs
+who go to the butcher.
+
+One day this pupil's father turned up to ask after his son, for he had
+not come back to his home for a long time. The sorcerer told him that
+his son had left him long ago. The father returned home and inquired
+everywhere for his son without success. But one of his son's
+fellow-pupils, who knew of the matter, informed the father. So the
+father complained to the district mandarin. The latter, however,
+feared that the sorcerer might make himself invisible. He did not dare
+to have him arrested, but informed his superior and begged for a
+thousand well-armed soldiers. These surrounded the sorcerer's home and
+seized him, together with his wife and child. All three were put into
+wooden cages to be transported to the capital.
+
+The road wound through the mountains, and in the midst of the hills up
+came a giant as large as a tree, with eyes like saucers, a mouth like
+a plate, and teeth a foot long. The soldiers stood there trembling and
+did not dare to move.
+
+Said the sorcerer: "That is a mountain spirit. My wife will be able to
+drive him off."
+
+They did as he suggested, unchained the woman, and she took a spear
+and went to meet the giant. The latter was angered, and he swallowed
+her, tooth and nail. This frightened the rest all the more.
+
+The sorcerer said: "Well, if he has done away with my wife, then it is
+my son's turn!"
+
+So they let the son out of his cage. But the giant swallowed him in
+the same way. The rest all looked on without knowing what to do.
+
+The sorcerer then wept with rage and said: "First he destroys my wife,
+and then my son. If only he might be punished for it! But I am the
+only one who can punish him!"
+
+And, sure enough, they took him out of his cage, too, gave him a
+sword, and sent him out against the giant. The sorcerer and the giant
+fought with each other for a time, and at last the giant seized the
+sorcerer, thrust him into his maw, stretched his neck and swallowed
+him. Then he went his way contentedly.
+
+And now when it was too late, the soldiers realized that the sorcerer
+had tricked them.
+
+    Note: The Lodge of the White Lotus is one of the secret
+    revolutionary societies of China. It harks back to Tung
+    Tian Giau Dschu as its founder. Compare note to No. 18.
+    The "mountain spirit," of course, is an optical illusion
+    called up by the sorcerer, by means of which he frees
+    his family and himself from the soldiers.
+
+
+
+
+LXI
+
+THE THREE EVILS
+
+
+Once upon a time, in the old days, there lived a young man by the name
+of Dschou Tschu. He was of more than ordinary strength, and no one
+could withstand him. He was also wild and undisciplined, and wherever
+he was, quarrels and brawls arose. Yet the village elders never
+ventured to punish him seriously. He wore a high hat on his head,
+adorned with two pheasants' wings. His garments were woven of
+embroidered silk, and at his side hung the Dragonspring sword. He was
+given to play and to drinking, and his hand was inclined to take that
+which belonged to others. Whoever offended him had reason to dread the
+consequences, and he always mixed into disputes in which others were
+engaged. Thus he kept it up for years, and was a pest throughout the
+neighborhood.
+
+Then a new mandarin came to that district. When he had arrived, he
+first went quietly about the country and listened to the people's
+complaints. And they told him that there were three great evils in
+that district.
+
+Then he clothed himself in coarse garments, and wept before Dschou
+Tschu's door. Dschou Tschu was just coming from the tavern, where he
+had been drinking. He was slapping his sword and singing in a loud
+voice.
+
+When he reached his house he asked: "Who is weeping here so
+pitifully?"
+
+And the mandarin replied: "I am weeping because of the people's
+distress."
+
+Then Dschou Tschu saw him and broke out into loud laughter.
+
+"You are mistaken, my friend," said he. "Revolt is seething round
+about us like boiling water in a kettle. But here, in our little
+corner of the land, all is quiet and peaceful. The harvest has been
+abundant, corn is plentiful, and all go happily about their work. When
+you talk to me about distress I have to think of the man who groans
+without being sick. And who are you, tell me that, who instead of
+grieving for yourself, are grieving for others? And what are you doing
+before my door?"
+
+"I am the new mandarin," replied the other. "Since I left my litter I
+have been looking about in the neighborhood. I find the people are
+honest and simple in their way of life, and every one has sufficient
+to wear and to eat. This is all just as you state. Yet, strange to
+say, when the elders come together, they always sigh and complain. And
+if they are asked why, they answer: 'There are three great evils in
+our district!' I have come to ask you to do away with two of them, as
+to the third, perhaps I had better remain silent. And this is the
+reason I weep before your door."
+
+"Well, what are these evils?" answered Dschou Tschu. "Speak freely,
+and tell me openly all that you know!"
+
+"The first evil," said the mandarin, "is the evil dragon at the long
+bridge, who causes the water to rise so that man and beast are drowned
+in the river. The second evil is the tiger with the white forehead,
+who dwells in the hills. And the third evil, Dschou Tschu--is
+yourself!"
+
+Then the blush of shame mounted to the man's cheek, and he bowed and
+said: "You have come here from afar to be the mandarin of this
+district, and yet you feel such sympathy for the people? I was born in
+this place and yet I have only made our elders grieve. What sort of a
+creature must I be? I beg that you will return home again. I will see
+to it that matters improve!"
+
+Then he ran without stopping to the hills, and hunted the tiger out of
+his cave. The latter leaped into the air so that the whole forest was
+shaken as though by a storm. Then he came rushing up, roaring, and
+stretching out his claws savagely to seize his enemy. Dschou Tschu
+stepped back a pace, and the tiger lit on the ground directly in front
+of him. Then he thrust the tiger's neck to the ground with his left
+hand, and beat him without stopping with his right, until he lay dead
+on the earth. Dschou Tschu loaded the tiger on his back and went home.
+
+Then he went to the long bridge. He undressed, took his sword in his
+hand, and thus dived into the water. No sooner had he disappeared,
+than there was a boiling and hissing, and the waves began to foam and
+billow. It sounded like the mad beating of thousands of hoofs. After a
+time a stream of blood shot up from the depths, and the water of the
+river turned red. Then Dschou Tschu, holding the dragon in his hand,
+rose out of the waves.
+
+He went to the mandarin and reported, with a bow: "I have cut off the
+dragon's head, and have also done away with the tiger. Thus I have
+happily accomplished your command. And now I shall wander away so that
+you may be rid of the third evil as well. Lord, watch over my country,
+and tell the elders that they need sorrow no more!"
+
+When he had said this he enlisted as a soldier. In combat against the
+robbers he gained a great reputation and once, when the latter were
+pressing him hard, and he saw that he could not save himself, he bowed
+to the East and said: "The day has come at last when I can atone for
+my sin with my life!" Then he offered his neck to the sword and died.
+
+    Note: A legendary tale rather than a folk-story, with a
+    fine moral.
+
+
+
+
+LXII
+
+HOW THREE HEROES CAME BY THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF TWO PEACHES
+
+
+At the beginning of his reign Duke Ging of Tsi loved to draw heroes
+about him. Among those whom he attached to him were three of quite
+extraordinary bravery. The first was named Gung Sun Dsia, the second
+Tian Kai Giang, the third Gu I Dsi. All three were highly honored by
+the prince, but the honor paid them made them presumptuous, they kept
+the court in a turmoil, and overstepped the bounds of respect which
+lie between a prince and his servants.
+
+At the time Yan Dsi was chancellor of Tsi. The duke consulted him as
+to what would be best to do. And the chancellor advised him to give a
+great court banquet and invite all his courtiers. On the table, the
+choicest dish of all, stood a platter holding four magnificent
+peaches.
+
+Then, in accordance with his chancellor's advice, the Duke rose and
+said: "Here are some magnificent peaches, but I cannot give one to
+each of you. Only those most worthy may eat of them. I myself reign
+over the land, and am the first among the princes of the empire. I
+have been successful in holding my possessions and power, and that is
+my merit. Hence one of the peaches falls to me. Yan Dsi sits here as
+my chancellor. He regulates communications with foreign lands and
+keeps the peace among the people. He has made my kingdom powerful
+among the kingdoms of the earth. That is his merit, and hence the
+second peach falls to him. Now there are but two peaches left; yet I
+cannot tell which ones among you are the worthiest. You may rise
+yourselves and tell us of your merits. But whoever has performed no
+great deeds, let him hold his tongue!"
+
+Then Gung Sun Dsia beat upon his sword, rose up and said: "I am the
+prince's captain general. In the South I besieged the kingdom of Lu,
+in the West I conquered the kingdom of Dsin, in the North I captured
+the army of Yan. All the princes of the East come to the Duke's court
+and acknowledge the overlordship of Tsi. That is my merit. I do not
+know whether it deserves a peach."
+
+The Duke replied: "Great is your merit! A peach is your just due!"
+
+Then Tian Kai Giang rose, beat on the table, and cried: "I have fought
+a hundred battles in the army of the prince. I have slain the enemy's
+general-in-chief, and captured the enemy's flag. I have extended the
+borders of the Duke's land till the size of his realm has been
+increased by a thousand miles. How is it with my merit?"
+
+The Duke said: "Great is your merit! A peach is your just due!"
+
+Then Gu I Dsi arose; his eyes started from their sockets, and he
+shouted with a loud voice: "Once, when the Duke was crossing the
+Yellow River, wind and waters rose. A river-dragon snapped up one of
+the steeds of the chariot and tore it away. The ferry-boat rocked like
+a sieve and was about to capsize. Then I took my sword and leaped into
+the stream. I fought with the dragon in the midst of the foaming
+waves. And by reason of my strength I managed to kill him, though my
+eyes stood out of my head with my exertions. Then I came to the
+surface with the dragon's head in one hand, and holding the rein of
+the rescued horse in the other, and I had saved my prince from
+drowning. Whenever our country was at war with neighboring states, I
+refused no service. I commanded the van, I fought in single combat.
+Never did I turn my back on the foe. Once the prince's chariot stuck
+fast in the swamp, and the enemy hurried up on all sides. I pulled the
+chariot out, and drove off the hostile mercenaries. Since I have been
+in the prince's service I have saved his life more than once. I grant
+that my merit is not to be compared with that of the prince and that
+of the chancellor, yet it is greater than that of my two companions.
+Both have received peaches, while I must do without. This means that
+real merit is not rewarded, and that the Duke looks on me with
+disfavor. And in such case how may I ever show myself at court again!"
+
+With these words he drew his sword and killed himself.
+
+Then Gung Sun Dsia rose, bowed twice, and said with a sigh: "Both my
+merit and that of Tian Kai Giang does not compare with Gu I Dsi's and
+yet the peaches were given us. We have been rewarded beyond our
+deserts, and such reward is shameful. Hence it is better to die than
+to live dishonored!"
+
+He took his sword and swung it, and his own head rolled on the sand.
+
+Tian Kai Giang looked up and uttered a groan of disgust. He blew the
+breath from his mouth in front of him like a rainbow, and his hair
+rose on end with rage. Then he took sword in hand and said: "We three
+have always served our prince bravely. We were like the same flesh and
+blood. The others are dead, and it is my duty not to survive them!"
+
+And he thrust his sword into his throat and died.
+
+The Duke sighed incessantly, and commanded that they be given a
+splendid burial. A brave hero values his honor more than his life. The
+chancellor knew this, and that was why he purposely arranged to incite
+the three heroes to kill themselves by means of the two peaches.
+
+    Note: Duke Ging of Tsi (Eastern Shantung) was an older
+    contemporary of Confucius. The chancellor Yan Dsi, who
+    is the reputed author of a work on philosophy, is the
+    same who prevented the appointment of Confucius at the
+    court of Tsi.
+
+
+
+
+LXIII
+
+HOW THE RIVER-GOD'S WEDDING WAS BROKEN OFF
+
+
+At the time of the seven empires there lived a man by the name of
+Si-Men Bau, who was a governor on the Yellow River. In this district
+the river-god was held in high honor. The sorcerers and witches who
+dwelt there said: "Every year the river-god looks for a bride, who
+must be selected from among the people. If she be not found then wind
+and rain will not come at the proper seasons, and there will be scanty
+crops and floods!" And then, when a girl came of age in some wealthy
+family, the sorcerers would say that she should be selected. Whereupon
+her parents, who wished to protect their daughter, would bribe them
+with large sums of money to look for some one else, till the sorcerers
+would give in, and order the rich folk to share the expense of buying
+some poor girl to be cast into the river. The remainder of the money
+they would keep for themselves as their profit on the transaction. But
+whoever would not pay, their daughter was chosen to be the bride of
+the river-god, and was forced to accept the wedding gifts which the
+sorcerers brought her. The people of the district chafed grievously
+under this custom.
+
+Now when Si-Men entered into office, he heard of this evil custom. He
+had the sorcerers come before him and said: "See to it that you let me
+know when the day of the river-god's wedding comes, for I myself wish
+to be present to honor the god! This will please him, and in return he
+will shower blessings on my people." With that he dismissed them. And
+the sorcerers were full of praise for his piety.
+
+So when the day arrived they gave him notice. Si-Men dressed himself
+in his robes of ceremony, entered his chariot and drove to the river
+in festival procession. The elders of the people, as well as the
+sorcerers and the witches were all there. And from far and near men,
+women and children had flocked together in order to see the show. The
+sorcerers placed the river-bride on a couch, adorned her with her
+bridal jewels, and kettledrums, snaredrums and merry airs vied with
+each other in joyful sound.
+
+They were about to thrust the couch into the stream, and the girl's
+parents said farewell to her amid tears. But Si-Men bade them wait and
+said: "Do not be in such a hurry! I have appeared in person to escort
+the bride, hence everything must be done solemnly and in order. First
+some one must go to the river-god's castle, and let him know that he
+may come himself and fetch his bride."
+
+And with these words he looked at a witch and said: "You may go!" The
+witch hesitated, but he ordered his servants to seize her and thrust
+her into the stream. After which about an hour went by.
+
+"That woman did not understand her business," continued Si-Men, "or
+else she would have been back long ago!" And with that he looked at
+one of the sorcerers and added: "Do you go and do better!" The
+sorcerer paled with fear, but Si-Men had him seized and cast into the
+river. Again half-an-hour went by.
+
+Then Si-Men pretended to be uneasy. "Both of them have made a botch of
+their errand," said he, "and are causing the bride to wait in vain!"
+Once more he looked at a sorcerer and said: "Do you go and hunt them
+up!" But the sorcerer flung himself on the ground and begged for
+mercy. And all the rest of the sorcerers and witches knelt to him in a
+row, and pleaded for grace. And they took an oath that they would
+never again seek a bride for the river-god.
+
+Then Si-Men held his hand, and sent the girl back to her home, and the
+evil custom was at an end forever.
+
+    Note: Si-Men Bau was an historical personage, who lived
+    five centuries before Christ.
+
+
+
+
+LXIV
+
+DSCHANG LIANG
+
+
+Dschang Liang was a native of one of those states which had been
+destroyed by the Emperor Tsin Schi Huang. And Dschang Liang determined
+to do a deed for his dead king's sake, and to that end gathered
+followers with whom to slay Tsin Schi Huang.
+
+Once Tsin Schi Huang was making a progress through the country. When
+he came to the plain of Bo Lang, Dschang Liang armed his people with
+iron maces in order to kill him. But Tsin Schi Huang always had two
+traveling coaches which were exactly alike in appearance. In one of
+them he sat himself, while in the other was seated another person.
+Dschang Liang and his followers met the decoy wagon, and Dschang Liang
+was forced to flee from the Emperor's rage. He came to a ruined
+bridge. An icy wind was blowing, and the snowflakes were whirling
+through the air. There he met an old, old man wearing a black turban
+and a yellow gown. The old man let one of his shoes fall into the
+water, looked at Dschang Liang and said: "Fetch it out, little one!"
+
+Dschang Liang controlled himself, fetched out the shoe and brought it
+to the old man. The latter stretched out his foot to allow Dschang
+Liang to put it on, which he did in a respectful manner. This pleased
+the old man and he said: "Little one, something may be made of you!
+Come here to-morrow morning early, and I will have something for you."
+
+The following morning at break of dawn, Dschang Liang appeared. But
+the old man was already there and reproached him: "You are too late.
+To-day I will tell you nothing. To-morrow you must come earlier."
+
+So it went on for three days, and Dschang Liang's patience was not
+exhausted. Then the old man was satisfied, brought forth the Book of
+Hidden Complements, and gave it to him. "You must read it," said he,
+"and then you will be able to rule a great emperor. When your task is
+completed, seek me at the foot of the Gu Tschong Mountain. There you
+will find a yellow stone, and I will be by that yellow stone."
+
+Dschang Liang took the book and aided the ancestor of the Han dynasty
+to conquer the empire. The emperor made him a count. From that time
+forward Dschang Liang ate no human food and concentrated in spirit. He
+kept company with the four whitebeards of the Shang Mountain, and with
+them shared the sunset roses in the clouds. Once he met two boys who
+were singing and dancing:
+
+    "Green the garments you should wear,
+    If to heaven's gate you'd fare;
+    There the Golden Mother greet,
+    Bow before the Wood Lord's feet!"
+
+When Dschang Liang heard this, he bowed before the youths, and said to
+his friends: "Those are angel children of the King Father of the East.
+The Golden Mother is the Queen of the West. The Lord of Wood is the
+King Father of the East. They are the two primal powers, the parents
+of all that is male and female, the root and fountain of heaven and
+earth, to whom all that has life is indebted for its creation and
+nourishment. The Lord of Wood is the master of all the male saints,
+the Golden Mother is the mistress of all the female saints. Whoever
+would gain immortality, must first greet the Golden Mother and then
+bow before the King Father. Then he may rise up to the three Pure Ones
+and stand in the presence of the Highest. The song of the angel
+children shows the manner in which the hidden knowledge may be
+acquired."
+
+At about that time the emperor was induced to have some of his
+faithful servants slain. Then Dschang Liang left his service and went
+to the Gu Tschong Mountain. There he found the old man by the yellow
+stone, gained the hidden knowledge, returned home, and feigning
+illness loosed his soul from his body and disappeared.
+
+Later, when the rebellion of the "Red Eyebrows" broke out, his tomb
+was opened. But all that was found within it was a yellow stone.
+Dschang Liang was wandering with Laotsze in the invisible world.
+
+Once his grandson Dschang Dau Ling went to Kunlun Mountain, in order
+to visit the Queen Mother of the West. There he met Dschang Liang.
+Dschang Dau Ling gained power over demons and spirits, and became the
+first Taoist pope. And the secret of his power has been handed down in
+his family from generation to generation.
+
+    Note: "In a yellow robe," is an indication of Taoism:
+    compare with No. 38. "The Book of Hidden Complements"
+    (Yin Fu Ging). Compare with Lia Dsi, Introduction.
+
+
+
+
+LXV
+
+OLD DRAGONBEARD
+
+
+At the time of the last emperor of the Sui dynasty, the power was in
+the hands of the emperor's uncle, Yang Su. He was proud and
+extravagant. In his halls stood choruses of singers and bands of
+dancing girls, and serving-maids stood ready to obey his least sign.
+When the great lords of the empire came to visit him he remained
+comfortably seated on his couch while he received them.
+
+In those days there lived a bold hero named Li Dsing. He came to see
+Yang Su in humble clothes in order to bring him a plan for the
+quieting of the empire.
+
+He made a low bow to which Yang Su did not reply, and then he said:
+"The empire is about to be troubled by dissension and heroes are
+everywhere taking up arms. You are the highest servant of the imperial
+house. It should be your duty to gather the bravest around the throne.
+And you should not rebuff people by your haughtiness!"
+
+When Yang Su heard him speak in this fashion he collected himself,
+rose from his place, and spoke to him in a friendly manner.
+
+Li Dsing handed him a memorial, and Yang Su entered into talk with him
+concerning all sorts of things. A serving-maid of extraordinary beauty
+stood beside them. She held a red flabrum in her hand, and kept her
+eyes fixed on Li Dsing. The latter at length took his leave and
+returned to his inn.
+
+Later in the day some one knocked at his door. He looked out, and
+there, before the door, stood a person turbaned and gowned in purple,
+and carrying a bag slung from a stick across his shoulder.
+
+Li Dsing asked who it was and received the answer: "I am the
+fan-bearer of Yang Su!"
+
+With that she entered the room, threw back her mantle and took off her
+turban. Li Dsing saw that she was a maiden of eighteen or nineteen.
+
+She bowed to him, and when he had replied to her greeting she began:
+"I have dwelt in the house of Yang Su for a long time and have seen
+many famous people, but none who could equal you. I will serve you
+wherever you go!"
+
+Li Dsing answered: "The minister is powerful. I am afraid that we will
+plunge ourselves into misfortune."
+
+"He is a living corpse, in whom the breath of life grows scant," said
+the fan-bearer, "and we need not fear him."
+
+He asked her name, and she said it was Dschang, and that she was the
+oldest among her brothers and sisters.
+
+And when he looked at her, and considered her courageous behavior and
+her sensible words, he realized that she was a girl of heroic cast,
+and they agreed to marry and make their escape from the city in
+secret. The fan-bearer put on men's clothes, and they mounted horses
+and rode away. They had determined to go to Taiyuanfu.
+
+On the following day they stopped at an inn. They had their room put
+in order and made a fire on the hearth to cook their meal. The
+fan-bearer was combing her hair. It was so long that it swept the
+ground, and so shining that you could see your face in it. Li Dsing
+had just left the room to groom the horses. Suddenly a man who had a
+long curling mustache like a dragon made his appearance. He came along
+riding on a lame mule, threw down his leather bag on the ground in
+front of the hearth, took a pillow, made himself comfortable on a
+couch, and watched the fan-bearer as she combed her hair. Li Dsing saw
+him and grew angry; but the fan-bearer had at once seen through the
+stranger. She motioned Li Dsing to control himself, quickly finished
+combing her hair and tied it in a knot.
+
+Then she greeted the guest and asked his name.
+
+He told her that he was named Dschang.
+
+"Why, my name is also Dschang," said she, "so we must be relatives!"
+
+Thereupon she bowed to him as her elder brother.
+
+"How many are there of you brothers?" she then inquired.
+
+"I am the third," he answered, "and you?"
+
+"I am the oldest sister."
+
+"How fortunate that I should have found a sister to-day," said the
+stranger, highly pleased.
+
+Then the fan-bearer called to Li Dsing through the door and said:
+"Come in! I wish to present my third brother to you!"
+
+Then Li Dsing came in and greeted him.
+
+They sat down beside each other and the stranger asked: "What have you
+to eat?"
+
+"A leg of mutton," was the answer.
+
+"I am quite hungry," said the stranger.
+
+So Li Dsing went to the market and brought bread and wine. The
+stranger drew out his dagger, cut the meat, and they all ate in
+company. When they had finished he fed the rest of the meat to his
+mule.
+
+Then he said: "Sir Li, you seem to be a moneyless knight. How did you
+happen to meet my sister?"
+
+Li Dsing told him how it had occurred.
+
+"And where do you wish to go now?"
+
+"To Taiyuanfu," was the answer.
+
+Said the stranger: "You do not seem to be an ordinary fellow. Have you
+heard anything regarding a hero who is supposed to be in this
+neighborhood?"
+
+Li Dsing answered: "Yes, indeed, I know of one, whom heaven seems
+destined to rule."
+
+"And who might he be?" inquired the other.
+
+"He is the son of Duke Li Yuan of Tang, and he is no more than twenty
+years of age."
+
+"Could you present him to me some time?" asked the stranger.
+
+And when Li Dsing has assured him he could, he continued: "The
+astrologers say that a special sign has been noticed in the air above
+Taiyuanfu. Perhaps it is caused by the very man. To-morrow you may
+await me at the Fenyang Bridge!"
+
+With these words he mounted his mule and rode away, and he rode so
+swiftly that he seemed to be flying.
+
+The fan-bearer said to him: "He is not a pleasant customer to deal
+with. I noticed that at first he had no good intentions. That is why I
+united him to us by bonds of relationship."
+
+Then they set out together for Taiyuanfu, and at the appointed place,
+sure enough, they met Dragonbeard. Li Dsing had an old friend, a
+companion of the Prince of Tang.
+
+He presented the stranger to this friend, named Liu Wendsing, saying:
+"This stranger is able to foretell the future from the lines of the
+face, and would like to see the prince."
+
+Thereupon Liu Wendsing took him in to the prince. The prince was
+clothed in a simple indoor robe, but there was something impressive
+about him, which made him remarked among all others. When the stranger
+saw him, he fell into a profound silence, and his face turned gray.
+After he had drunk a few flagons of wine he took his leave.
+
+"That man is a true ruler," he told Li Dsing. "I am almost certain of
+the fact, but to be sure my friend must also see him."
+
+Then he arranged to meet Li Dsing on a certain day at a certain inn.
+
+"When you see this mule before the door, together with a very lean
+jackass, then you may be certain I am there with my friend."
+
+On the day set Li Dsing went there and, sure enough he saw the mule
+and the jackass before the door. He gathered up his robe and descended
+to the upper story of the inn. There sat old Dragonbeard and a Taoist
+priest over their wine. When the former saw Li Dsing he was much
+pleased, bade him sit down and offered him wine. After they had
+pledged each other, all three returned to Liu Wendsing. He was engaged
+in a game of chess with the prince. The prince rose with respect and
+asked them to be seated.
+
+As soon as the Taoist priest saw his radiant and heroic countenance he
+was disconcerted, and greeted him with a low bow, saying: "The game is
+up!"
+
+When they took their leave Dragonbeard said to Li Dsing: "Go on to
+Sianfu, and when the time has come, ask for me at such and such a
+place."
+
+And with that he went away snorting.
+
+Li Dsing and the fan-bearer packed up their belongings, left Taiyuanfu
+and traveled on toward the West. At that time Yang Su died, and great
+disturbance arose throughout the empire.
+
+In the course of a few days Li Dsing and his wife reached the
+meeting-place appointed by Dragonbeard. They knocked at a little
+wooden door, and out came a servant, who led them through long
+passages. When they emerged magnificent buildings arose before them,
+in front of which stood a crowd of slave girls. Then they entered a
+hall in which the most valuable dowry that could be imagined had been
+piled up: mirrors, clothes, jewelry, all more beautiful than earth is
+wont to show. Handsome slave girls led them to the bath, and when they
+had changed their garments their friend was announced. He stepped in
+clad in silks and fox-pelts, and looking almost like a dragon or a
+tiger. He greeted his guests with pleasure and also called in his
+wife, who was of exceptional loveliness. A festive banquet was served,
+and all four sat down to it. The table was covered with the most
+expensive viands, so rare that they did not even know their names.
+Flagons and dishes and all the utensils were made of gold and jade,
+and ornamented with pearls and precious stones. Two companies of girl
+musicians alternately blew flutes and chalameaus. They sang and
+danced, and it seemed to the visitors that they had been transported
+to the palace of the Lady of the Moon. The rainbow garments fluttered,
+and the dancing girls were beautiful beyond all the beauty of earth.
+
+After they had banqueted, Dragonbeard commanded his servitors to bring
+in couches upon which embroidered silken covers had been spread. And
+after they had seen everything worth seeing, he presented them with a
+book and a key.
+
+Then he said: "In this book are listed the valuables and the riches
+which I possess. I make you a wedding-present of them. Nothing great
+may be undertaken without wealth, and it is my duty to endow my sister
+properly. My original intention had been to take the Middle Kingdom in
+hand and do something with it. But since a ruler has already arisen to
+reign over it, what is there to keep me in this country? For Prince
+Tang of Taiyuanfu is a real hero, and will have restored order within
+a few years' time. You must both of you aid him, and you will be
+certain to rise to high honors. You, my sister, are not alone
+beautiful, but you have also the right way of looking at things. None
+other than yourself would have been able to recognize the true worth
+of Li Dsing, and none other than Li Dsing would have had the good
+fortune to encounter you. You will share the honors which will be your
+husband's portion, and your name will be recorded in history. The
+treasures which I bestow upon you, you are to use to help the true
+ruler. Bear this in mind! And in ten years' time a glow will rise far
+away to the South-east, and it shall be a sign that I have reached my
+goal. Then you may pour a libation of wine in the direction of the
+South-east, to wish me good fortune!"
+
+Then, one after another, he had his servitors and slave-girls greet
+Li Dsing and the fan-bearer, and said to them: "This is your master
+and your mistress!"
+
+When he had spoken these words, he took his wife's hand, they mounted
+three steeds which were held ready, and rode away.
+
+Li Dsing and his wife now established themselves in the house, and
+found themselves possessed of countless wealth. They followed Prince
+Tang, who restored order to the empire, and aided him with their
+money. Thus the great work was accomplished, and after peace had been
+restored throughout the empire, Li Dsing was made Duke of We, and the
+fan-bearer became a duchess.
+
+Some ten years later the duke was informed that in the empire beyond
+the sea a thousand ships had landed an army of a hundred thousand
+armored soldiers. These had conquered the country, killed its prince,
+and set up their leader as its king. And order now reigned in that
+empire.
+
+Then the duke knew that Dragonbeard had accomplished his aim. He told
+his wife, and they robed themselves in robes of ceremony and offered
+wine in order to wish him good fortune. And they saw a radiant crimson
+ray flash up on the South-eastern horizon. No doubt Dragonbeard had
+sent it in answer. And both of them were very happy.
+
+    Note: Yang Su died in the year 606 A.D. The Li Dsing of
+    this tale has nothing in common with Li Dsing, the
+    father of Notscha (No. 18). He lived as a historical
+    personage, 571-649 A.D. Li Yuan was the founder of the
+    Tang dynasty, 565-635 A.D. His famous son, to whom he
+    owed the throne, the "Prince of Tang," was named Li Schi
+    Min. His father abdicated in 618 in his favor. This tale
+    is not, of course, historical, but legendary. Compare
+    with the introduction of the following one.
+
+
+
+
+LXVI
+
+HOW MOLO STOLE THE LOVELY ROSE-RED
+
+
+At the time when the Tang dynasty reigned over the Middle Kingdom,
+there were master swordsmen of various kinds. Those who came first
+were the saints of the sword. They were able to take different shapes
+at will, and their swords were like strokes of lightning. Before their
+opponents knew they had been struck their heads had already fallen.
+Yet these master swordsmen were men of lofty mind, and did not lightly
+mingle in the quarrels of the world. The second kind of master
+swordsmen were the sword heroes. It was their custom to slay the
+unjust, and to come to the aid of the oppressed. They wore a hidden
+dagger at their side and carried a leather bag at their belt. By magic
+means they were able to turn human heads into flowing water. They
+could fly over roofs and walk up and down walls, and they came and
+went and left no trace. The swordsmen of the lowest sort were the mere
+bought slayers. They hired themselves out to those who wished to do
+away with their enemies. And death was an everyday matter to them.
+
+Old Dragonbeard must have been a master swordsman standing midway
+between those of the first and of the second order. Molo, however, of
+whom this story tells, was a sword hero.
+
+At that time there lived a young man named Tsui, whose father was a
+high official and the friend of the prince. And the father once sent
+his son to visit his princely friend, who was ill. The son was young,
+handsome and gifted. He went to carry out his father's instructions.
+When he entered the prince's palace, there stood three beautiful
+slave girls, who piled rosy peaches into a golden bowl, poured sugar
+over them and presented them to him. After he had eaten he took his
+leave, and his princely host ordered one of the slave girls, Rose-Red
+by name, to escort him to the gate. As they went along the young man
+kept looking back at her. And she smiled at him and made signs with
+her fingers. First she would stretch out three fingers, then she would
+turn her hand around three times, and finally she would point to a
+little mirror which she wore on her breast. When they parted she
+whispered to him: "Do not forget me!"
+
+When the young man reached home his thoughts were all in confusion.
+And he sat down absent-mindedly like a wooden rooster. Now it happened
+that he had an old servant named Molo, who was an extraordinary being.
+
+"What is the trouble, master," said he. "Why are you so sad? Do you
+not want to tell your old slave about it?"
+
+So the boy told him what had occurred, and also mentioned the signs
+the girl had made to him in secret.
+
+Said Molo: "When she stretched out three fingers, it meant that she is
+quartered in the third court of the palace. When she turned round her
+hand three times, it meant the sum of three times five fingers, which
+is fifteen. When she pointed at the little mirror, she meant to say
+that on the fifteenth, when the moon is round as a mirror, at
+midnight, you are to go for her."
+
+Then the young man was roused from his confused thoughts, and was so
+happy he could hardly control himself.
+
+But soon he grew sad again and said: "The prince's palace is shut off
+as though by an ocean. How would it be possible to win into it?"
+
+"Nothing easier," said Molo. "On the fifteenth we will take two
+pieces of dark silk and wrap ourselves up in them, and thus I will
+carry you there. Yet there is a wild dog on guard at the slave girl's
+court, who is strong as a tiger and watchful as a god. No one can pass
+by him, so he must be killed."
+
+When the appointed day had come, the servant said: "There is no one
+else in the world who can kill this dog but myself!"
+
+Full of joy the youth gave him meat and wine, and the old man took a
+chain-hammer and disappeared with it.
+
+And after no more time had elapsed than it takes to eat a meal he was
+back again and said: "The dog is dead, and there is nothing further to
+hinder us!"
+
+At midnight they wrapped themselves in dark silk, and the old man
+carried the youth over the tenfold walls which surrounded the palace.
+They reached the third gateway and the gate stood ajar. Then they saw
+the glow of a little lamp, and heard Rose-Red sigh deeply. The entire
+court was silent and deserted. The youth raised the curtain and
+stepped into the room. Long and searchingly Rose-Red looked at him,
+then seized his hand.
+
+"I knew that you were intelligent, and would understand my sign
+language. But what magic power have you at your disposal, that you
+were able to get here?"
+
+The youth told her in detail how Molo had helped him.
+
+"And where is Molo?" she asked.
+
+"Outside, before the curtain," was his answer.
+
+Then she called him in and gave him wine to drink from a jade goblet
+and said: "I am of good family and have come here from far away. Force
+alone has made me a slave in this palace. I long to leave it. For
+though I have jasper chop-sticks with which to eat, and drink my wine
+from golden flagons, though silk and satin rustle around me and jewels
+of every kind are at my disposal, all these are but so many chains and
+fetters to hold me here. Dear Molo, you are endowed with magic powers.
+I beg you to save me in my distress! If you do, I will be glad to
+serve your master as a slave, and will never forget the favor you do
+me."
+
+The youth looked at Molo. Molo was quite willing. First he asked
+permission to carry away Rose-Red's gear and jewels in sacks and bags.
+Three times he went away and returned until he had finished. Then he
+took his master and Rose-Red upon his back, and flew away with them
+over the steep walls. None of the watchmen of the prince's palace
+noticed anything out of the way. At home the youth hid Rose-Red in a
+distant room.
+
+When the prince discovered that one of his slave-girls was missing,
+and that one of his wild dogs had been killed, he said: "That must
+have been some powerful sword hero!" And he gave strict orders that
+the matter should not be mentioned, and that investigations should be
+made in secret.
+
+Two years passed, and the youth no longer thought of any danger.
+Hence, when the flowers began to bloom in the spring, Rose-Red went
+driving in a small wagon outside the city, near the river. And there
+one of the prince's servants saw her, and informed his master. The
+latter sent for the youth, who, since he could not conceal the matter,
+told him the whole story exactly as it had happened.
+
+Said the prince: "The whole blame rests on Rose-Red. I do not reproach
+you. Yet since she is now your wife I will let the whole matter rest.
+But Molo will have to suffer for it!"
+
+  [Illustration: "THEN HE TOOK HIS MASTER AND ROSE-RED UPON HIS BACK
+    AND FLEW WITH THEM OVER THE STEEP WALLS."
+                                                  --_Page 234_]
+
+So he ordered a hundred armored soldiers, with bows and swords, to
+surround the house of the youth, and under all circumstances to take
+Molo captive. But Molo drew his dagger and flew up the high wall.
+Thence he looked about him like a hawk. The arrows flew as thick as
+rain, but not one hit him. And in a moment he had disappeared, no one
+knew where.
+
+Yet ten years later one of his former master's servants ran across him
+in the South, where he was selling medicine. And he looked exactly as
+he had looked ten years before.
+
+    Note: This fairy-tale has many features in common with
+    the fairy-tales of India, noticeably the use of the sign
+    language, which the hero himself does not understand,
+    but which is understood by his companion.
+
+
+
+
+LXVII
+
+THE GOLDEN CANISTER
+
+
+In the days of the Tang dynasty there lived a certain count in the
+camp at Ludschou. He had a slave who could play the lute admirably,
+and was also so well versed in reading and writing that the count
+employed her to indite his confidential letters.
+
+Once there was a great feast held in the camp. Said the slave-girl:
+"The large kettledrum sounds so sad to-day; some misfortune must
+surely have happened to the kettledrummer!"
+
+The count sent for the kettledrummer and questioned him.
+
+"My wife has died," he replied, "yet I did not venture to ask for
+leave of absence. That is why, in spite of me, my kettledrum sounded
+so sad."
+
+The count allowed him to go home.
+
+At that time there was much strife and jealousy among the counts along
+the Yellow River. The emperor wished to put an end to their
+dissensions by allying them to each other by marriages. Thus the
+daughter of the Count of Ludschou had married the son of the old Count
+of Webo. But this did not much improve matters. The old Count of Webo
+had lung trouble, and when the hot season came it always grew worse,
+and he would say: "Yes, if I only had Ludschou! It is cooler and I
+might feel better there!"
+
+So he gathered three thousand warriors around him, gave them good pay,
+questioned the oracle with regard to a lucky day, and set out to take
+Ludschou by force.
+
+The Count of Ludschou heard of it. He worried day and night, but could
+see no way out of his difficulties. One night, when the water-clock
+had already been set up, and the gate of the camp had been locked, he
+walked about the courtyard, leaning on his staff. Only his slave-girl
+followed him.
+
+"Lord," said she, "it is now more than a month since sleep and
+appetite have abandoned you! You live sad and lonely, wrapped up in
+your grief. Unless I am greatly deceived it is on account of Webo."
+
+"It is a matter of life and death," answered the count, "of which you
+women understand nothing."
+
+"I am no more than a slave-girl," said she, "and yet I have been able
+to guess the cause of your grief."
+
+The count realized that there was meaning in her words and replied:
+"You are in truth an extraordinary girl. It is a fact that I am
+quietly reflecting on some way of escape."
+
+The slave-girl said: "That is easily done! You need not give it a
+thought, master! I will go to Webo and see how things are. This is the
+first watch of the night. If I go now, I can be back by the fifth
+watch."
+
+"Should you not succeed," said the count, "you merely bring misfortune
+upon me the more quickly."
+
+"A failure is out of the question," answered the slave-girl.
+
+Then she went to her room and prepared for her journey. She combed her
+raven hair, tied it in a knot on the top of her head, and fastened it
+with a golden pin. Then she put on a short garment embroidered with
+purple, and shoes woven of dark silk. In her breast she hid a dagger
+with dragon-lines graved on it, and upon her forehead she wrote the
+name of the Great God. Then she bowed before the count and
+disappeared.
+
+The count poured wine for himself and waited for her, and when the
+morning horn was blown, the slave-girl floated down before him as
+light as a leaf.
+
+"Did all go well?" asked the count.
+
+"I have done no discredit to my mission," replied the girl.
+
+"Did you kill any one?"
+
+"No, I did not have to go to such lengths. Yet I took the golden
+canister at the head of Webo's couch along as a pledge."
+
+The count asked what her experience had been, and she began to tell
+her story:
+
+"I set out when the drums were beating their first tattoo and reached
+Webo three hours before midnight. When I stepped through the gate, I
+could see the sentries asleep in their guard-rooms. They snored so
+that it sounded like thunder. The camp sentinels were pacing their
+beats, and I went in through the left entrance into the room in which
+the Count of Webo slept. There lay your relative on his back behind
+the curtain, plunged in sweet slumber. A costly sword showed from
+beneath his pillow; and beside it stood an open canister of gold. In
+the canister were various slips. On one of them was set down his age
+and the day of his birth, on another the name of the Great Bear God.
+Grains of incense and pearls were scattered over it. The candles in
+the room burned dimly, and the incense in the censers was paling to
+ash. The slave-girls lay huddled up, round about, asleep. I could have
+drawn out their hair-pins and raised their robes and they would not
+have awakened. Your relative's life was in my hand, but I could not
+bring myself to kill him. So I took the golden canister and returned.
+The water-clock marked the third hour when I had finished my journey.
+Now you must have a swift horse saddled quickly, and must send a man
+to Webo to take back the golden canister. Then the Lord of Webo will
+come to his senses, and will give up his plans of conquest."
+
+The Count of Ludschou at once ordered an officer to ride to Webo as
+swiftly as possible. He rode all day long and half the night and
+finally arrived. In Webo every one was excited because of the loss of
+the golden canister. They were searching the whole camp rigorously.
+The messenger knocked at the gate with his riding-whip, and insisted
+on seeing the Lord of Webo. Since he came at so unusual an hour the
+Lord of Webo guessed that he was bringing important information, and
+left his room to receive the messenger. The latter handed him a letter
+which said: "Last night a stranger from Webo came to us. He informed
+us that with his own hands he had taken a golden canister from beside
+your bed. I have not ventured to keep it and hence am sending it back
+to you by messenger." When the Lord of Webo saw the golden canister he
+was much frightened. He took the messenger into his own room, treated
+him to a splendid meal, and rewarded him generously.
+
+On the following day he sent the messenger back again, and gave him
+thirty thousand bales of silk and a team of four horses along as a
+present for his master. He also wrote a letter to the Count of
+Ludschou:
+
+"My life was in your hand. I thank you for having spared me, regret my
+evil intentions and will improve. From this time forward peace and
+friendship shall ever unite us, and I will let no thought to the
+contrary enter my mind. The citizen soldiery I have gathered I will
+use only as a protection against robbers. I have already disarmed the
+men and sent them back to their work in the fields."
+
+And thenceforward the heartiest friendship existed between the two
+relatives North and South of the Yellow River.
+
+One day the slave-girl came and wished to take leave of her master.
+
+"In my former existence," said the slave-girl, "I was a man. I was a
+physician and helped the sick. Once upon a time I gave a little child
+a poison to drink by mistake instead of a healing draught, and the
+child died. This led the Lord of Death to punish me, and I came to
+earth again in the shape of a slave-girl. Yet I remembered my former
+life, tried to do well in my new surroundings, and even found a rare
+teacher who taught me the swordsman's art. Already I have served you
+for nineteen years. I went to Webo for you in order to repay your
+kindness. And I have succeeded in shaping matters so that you are
+living at peace with your relatives again, and thus have saved the
+lives of thousands of people. For a weak woman this is a real service,
+sufficient to absolve me of my original fault. Now I shall retire from
+the world and dwell among the silent hills, in order to labor for
+sanctity with a clean heart. Perhaps I may thus succeed in returning
+to my former condition of life. So I beg of you to let me depart!"
+
+The count saw that it would not be right to detain her any longer. So
+he prepared a great banquet, invited a number of guests to the
+farewell meal, and many a famous knight sat down to the board. And all
+honored her with toasts and poems.
+
+The count could no longer hide his emotion, and the slave-girl also
+bowed before him and wept. Then she secretly left the banquet-hall,
+and no human being ever discovered whither she had gone.
+
+    Note: This motive of the intelligent slave-girl also
+    occurs in the story of the three empires. "On her
+    forehead she wrote the name of the Great God": Regarding
+    this god, Tai I, the Great One, compare annotation to
+    No. 18. The God of the Great Bear, i.e., of the
+    constellation. The letters which are exchanged are quite
+    as noticeable for what is implied between the lines, as
+    for what is actually set down.
+
+
+
+
+LXVIII
+
+YANG GUI FE
+
+
+The favorite wife of the emperor Ming Huang of the Tang dynasty was
+the celebrated Yang Gui Fe. She so enchanted him by her beauty that he
+did whatever she wished him to do. But she brought her cousin to the
+court, a gambler and a drinker, and because of him the people began to
+murmur against the emperor. Finally a revolt broke out, and the
+emperor was obliged to flee. He fled with his entire court to the land
+of the four rivers.
+
+But when they reached a certain pass his own soldiers mutinied. They
+shouted that Yang Gui Fe's cousin was to blame for all, and that he
+must die or they would go no further. The emperor did not know what to
+do. At last the cousin was delivered up to the soldiers and was slain.
+But still they were not satisfied.
+
+"As long as Yang Gui Fe is alive she will do all in her power to
+punish us for the death of her cousin, so she must die as well!"
+
+Sobbing, she fled to the emperor. He wept bitterly and endeavored to
+protect her; but the soldiers grew more and more violent. Finally she
+was hung from a pear-tree by a eunuch.
+
+The emperor longed so greatly for Yang Gui Fe that he ceased to eat,
+and could no longer sleep. Then one of his eunuchs told him of a man
+named Yang Shi Wu, who was able to call up the spirits of the
+departed. The emperor sent for him and Yang Shi Wu appeared.
+
+That very evening he recited his magic incantations, and his soul left
+its body to go in search of Yang Gui Fe. First he went to the Nether
+World, where the shades of the departed dwell. Yet no matter how much
+he looked and asked he could find no trace of her. Then he ascended to
+the highest heaven, where sun, moon and stars make their rounds, and
+looked for her in empty space. Yet she was not to be found there,
+either. So he came back and told the emperor of his experience. The
+emperor was dissatisfied and said: "Yang Gui Fe's beauty was divine.
+How can it be possible that she had no soul!"
+
+The magician answered: "Between hill and valley and amid the silent
+ravines dwell the blessed. I will go back once more and search for her
+there."
+
+So he wandered about on the five holy hills, by the four great rivers
+and through the islands of the sea. He went everywhere, and finally
+came to fairyland.
+
+The fairy said: "Yang Gui Fe has become a blessed spirit and dwells in
+the great south palace!"
+
+So the magician went there and knocked on the door. A maiden came out
+and asked what he wanted, and he told her that the emperor had sent
+him to look for her mistress. She let him in. The way led through
+broad gardens filled with flowers of jade and trees of coral, giving
+forth the sweetest of odors. Finally they reached a high tower, and
+the maiden raised the curtain hanging before a door. The magician
+kneeled and looked up. And there he saw Yang Gui Fe sitting on a
+throne, adorned with an emerald headdress and furs of yellow swans'
+down. Her face glowed with rosy color, yet her forehead was wrinkled
+with care.
+
+She said: "Well do I know the emperor longs for me! But for me there
+is no path leading back to the world of men! Before my birth I was a
+blessed sky-fairy, and the emperor was a blessed spirit as well. Even
+then we loved each other dearly. Then, when the emperor was sent down
+to earth by the Lord of the Heavens, I, too, descended to earth and
+found him there among men. In twelve years' time we will meet again.
+Once, on the evening of the seventh day, when we stood looking up at
+the Weaving Maiden and the Herd Boy, we swore eternal love. The
+emperor had a ring, which he broke in two. One half he gave to me, the
+other he kept himself. Take this half of mine, bring it to the
+emperor, and tell him not to forget the words we said to each other in
+secret that evening. And tell him not to grieve too greatly because of
+me!"
+
+With that she gave him the ring, with difficulty suppressing her
+sobs. The magician brought back the ring with him. At sight of it the
+emperor's grief broke out anew.
+
+He said: "What we said to each other that evening no one else has ever
+learned! And now you bring me back her ring! By that sign I know that
+your words are true and that my beloved has really become a blessed
+spirit."
+
+Then he kept the ring and rewarded the magician lavishly.
+
+    Note: The emperor Ming Huang of the Tang dynasty ruled
+    from 713 to 756 A.D. The introduction to the tale is
+    historical. The "land of the four rivers" is Setchuan.
+
+
+
+
+LXIX
+
+THE MONK OF THE YANGTZE-KIANG
+
+
+Buddhism took its rise in southern India, on the island of Ceylon. It
+was there that the son of a Brahminic king lived, who had left his
+home in his youth, and had renounced all wishes and all sensation.
+With the greatest renunciation of self he did penance so that all
+living creatures might be saved. In the course of time he gained the
+hidden knowledge and was called Buddha.
+
+In the days of the Emperor Ming Di, of the dynasty of the Eastern
+Hans, a golden glow was seen in the West, a glow which flashed and
+shone without interruption.
+
+One night the emperor dreamed that he saw a golden saint, twenty feet
+in height, barefoot, his head shaven, and clothed in Indian garb
+enter his room, who said to him: "I am the saint from the West! My
+gospel must be spread in the East!"
+
+When the ruler awoke he wondered about this dream, and sent out
+messengers to the lands of the West in order to find out what it
+meant.
+
+Thus it was that the gospel of Buddha came to China, and continued to
+gain in influence up to the time of the Tang dynasty. At that time,
+from emperors and kings down to the peasants in the villages, the wise
+and the ignorant alike were filled with reverence for Buddha. But
+under the last two dynasties his gospel came to be more and more
+neglected. In these days the Buddhist monks run to the houses of the
+rich, read their sutras and pray for pay. And one hears nothing of the
+great saints of the days gone by.
+
+At the time of the Emperor Tai Dsung, of the Tang dynasty, it once
+happened that a great drought reigned in the land, so that the emperor
+and all his officials erected altars everywhere in order to plead for
+rain.
+
+Then the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea talked with the Dragon of the
+Milky Way and said: "To-day they are praying for rain on earth below.
+The Lord of the Heavens has granted the prayer of the King of Tang.
+To-morrow you must let three inches of rain fall!"
+
+"No, I must let only two inches of rain fall," said the old dragon.
+
+So the two dragons made a wager, and the one who lost promised as a
+punishment to turn into a mud salamander.
+
+The following day the Highest Lord suddenly issued an order saying
+that the Dragon of the Milky Way was to instruct the wind and cloud
+spirits to send down three inches of rain upon the earth. To
+contradict this command was out of the question.
+
+But the old dragon thought to himself: "It seems that the Dragon-King
+had a better idea of what was going to happen than I had, yet it is
+altogether too humiliating to have to turn into a mud salamander!" So
+he let only two inches of rain fall, and reported back to the heavenly
+court that the command had been carried out.
+
+Yet the Emperor Tai Dsung then offered a prayer of thanks to heaven.
+In it he said: "The precious fluid was bestowed upon us to the extent
+of two inches of depth. We beg submissively that more may be sent
+down, so that the parched crops may recover!"
+
+When the Lord of the Heavens read this prayer he was very angry and
+said: "The criminal Dragon of the Milky Way has dared diminish the
+rain which I had ordered. He cannot be suffered to continue his guilty
+life. So We Dschong, who is a general among men on earth, shall behead
+him, as an example for all living beings."
+
+In the evening the Emperor Tai Dsung had a dream. He saw a giant enter
+his room, who pleaded with hardly restrained tears: "Save me, O
+Emperor! Because of my own accord I diminished the rainfall, the Lord
+of the Heavens, in his anger, has commanded that We Dschong behead me
+to-morrow at noon. If you will only prevent We Dschong from falling
+asleep at that time, and pray that I may be saved, misfortune once
+more may pass me by!"
+
+The emperor promised, and the other bowed and left him.
+
+The following day the emperor sent for We Dschong. They drank tea
+together and played chess.
+
+Toward noon We Dschong suddenly grew tired and sleepy; but he did not
+dare take his leave. The emperor, however, since one of his pawns had
+been taken, fixed his gaze for a moment on the chess-board and
+pondered, and before he knew it We Dschong was already snoring with a
+noise like a distant thunder. The emperor was much frightened, and
+hastily called out to him; but he did not awake. Then he had two
+eunuchs shake him, but a long time passed before he could be aroused.
+
+"How did you come to fall asleep so suddenly!" asked the emperor.
+
+"I dreamed," replied We Dschong, "that the Highest God had commanded
+me to behead the old dragon. I have just hewn off his head, and my arm
+still aches from the exertion."
+
+And before he had even finished speaking a dragon's head, as large as
+a bushel-measure, suddenly fell down out of the air. The emperor was
+terribly frightened and rose.
+
+"I have sinned against the old dragon," said he. Then he retired to
+the inner chambers of his palace and was confused in mind. He remained
+lying on his couch, closed his eyes, said not a word, and breathed but
+faintly.
+
+Suddenly he saw two persons in purple robes who had a summons in their
+hands. They spoke to him as follows: "The old Dragon of the Milky Way
+has complained against the emperor in the Nether World. We beg that
+you will have the chariot harnessed!"
+
+Instinctively the emperor followed them, and in the courtyard there
+stood his chariot before the castle, ready and waiting. The emperor
+entered it, and off they went flying through the air. In a moment they
+had reached the city of the dead. When he entered he saw the Lord of
+the High Mountain sitting in the midst of the city, with the ten
+princes of the Nether World in rows at his right and left. They all
+rose, bowed to him and bade him be seated.
+
+Then the Lord of the High Mountain said: "The old Dragon of the Milky
+Way has really committed a deed which deserved punishment. Yet Your
+Majesty has promised to beg the Highest God to spare him, which prayer
+would probably have saved the old dragon's life. And that this matter
+was neglected over the chess-board might well be accounted a mistake.
+Now the old dragon complains to me without ceasing. When I think of
+how he has striven to gain sainthood for more than a thousand years,
+and must now fall back into the cycle of transformations, I am really
+depressed. It is for this reason I have called together the princes of
+the ten pits of the Nether World, to find a way out of the difficulty,
+and have invited Your Majesty to come here to discuss the matter. In
+heaven, on earth and in the Nether World only the gospel of Buddha has
+no limits. Hence, when you return to earth great sacrifices should be
+made to the three and thirty lords of the heavens. Three thousand six
+hundred holy priests of Buddha must read the sutras in order to
+deliver the old dragon so that he may rise again to the skies, and
+keep his original form. But the writings and readings of men will not
+be enough to ensure this. It will be necessary to go to the Western
+Heavens and thence bring words of truth."
+
+This the emperor agreed to, and the Lord of the Great Mountain and the
+ten princes of the Nether World rose and said as they bowed to him:
+"We beg that you will now return!"
+
+Suddenly Tai Dsung opened his eyes again, and there he was lying on
+his imperial couch. Then he made public the fact that he was at fault,
+and had the holiest among the priests of Buddha sent for to fetch the
+sutras from the Western Heavens. And it was Huan Dschuang, the Monk of
+the Yangtze-kiang, who in obedience to this order, appeared at court.
+
+The name of this Huan Dschuang had originally been Tschen. His father
+had passed the highest examinations during the reign of the preceding
+emperor, and had been intrusted with the office of district mandarin
+on the Yangtze-kiang. He set out with his wife for this new district,
+but when their ship reached the Yellow River it fell in with a band of
+robbers. Their captain slew the whole retinue, threw father Tschen
+into the river, took his wife and the document appointing him
+mandarin, went to the district capital under an assumed name and took
+charge of it. All the serving-men whom he took along were members of
+his robber-band. Tschen's wife, however, together with her little boy,
+he imprisoned in a tower room. And all the servants who attended her
+were in the confidence of the robbers.
+
+Now below the tower was a little pond, and in this pond rose a spring
+which flowed beneath the walls to the Yellow River. So one day
+Tschen's wife took a little basket of bamboo, pasted up the cracks and
+laid her little boy in the basket. Then she cut her finger, wrote down
+the day and hour of the boy's birth on a strip of silk paper with the
+blood, and added that the boy must come and rescue her when he had
+reached the age of twelve. She placed the strip of silk paper beside
+the boy in the basket, and at night, when no one was about, she put
+the basket in the pond. The current carried it away to the
+Yangtze-kiang, and once there it drifted on as far as the monastery on
+the Golden Hill, which is an island lying in the middle of the river.
+There a priest who had come to draw water found it. He fished it out
+and took it to the monastery.
+
+When the abbot saw what had been written in blood, he ordered his
+priests and novices to say nothing about it to any one. And he brought
+up the boy in the monastery.
+
+When the latter had reached the age of five, he was taught to read the
+holy books. The boy was more intelligent than any of his
+fellow-students, soon grasped the meaning of the sacred writings, and
+entered more and more deeply into their secrets. So he was allowed to
+take the vows, and when his head had been shaven was named: "The Monk
+of the Yangtze-kiang."
+
+By the time he was twelve he was as large and strong as a grown man.
+The abbot, who knew of the duty he still had to perform, had him
+called to a quiet room. There he drew forth the letter written in
+blood and gave it to him.
+
+When the monk had read it he flung himself down on the ground and wept
+bitterly. Thereupon he thanked the abbot for all that the latter had
+done for him. He set out for the city in which his mother dwelt, ran
+around the yamen of the mandarin, beat upon the wooden fish and cried:
+"Deliverance from all suffering! Deliverance from all suffering!"
+
+After the robber who had slain his father had slipped into the post he
+held by false pretences, he had taken care to strengthen his position
+by making powerful friends. He even allowed Tschen's wife, who had now
+been a prisoner for some ten years, a little more liberty.
+
+On that day official business had kept him abroad. The woman was
+sitting at home, and when she heard the wooden fish beaten so
+insistently before the door and heard the words of deliverance, the
+voice of her heart cried out in her. She sent out the serving-maid to
+call in the priest. He came in by the back door, and when she saw that
+he resembled his father in every feature, she could no longer restrain
+herself, but burst into tears. Then the monk of the Yangtze-kiang
+realized that this was his mother and he took the bloody writing out
+and gave it to her.
+
+She stroked it and said amid sobs: "My father is a high official, who
+has retired from affairs and dwells in the capital. But I have been
+unable to write to him, because this robber guarded me so closely. So
+I kept alive as well as I could, waiting for you to come. Now hurry to
+the capital for the sake of your father's memory, and if his honor is
+made clear then I can die in peace. But you must hasten so that no one
+finds out about it."
+
+The monk then went off quickly. First he went back to his cloister to
+bid farewell to his abbot; and then he set out for Sianfu, the
+capital.
+
+Yet by that time his grandfather had already died. But one of his
+uncles, who was known at court, was still living. He took soldiers and
+soon made an end of the robbers. But the monk's mother had died in the
+meantime.
+
+From that time on, the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang lived in a pagoda in
+Sianfu, and was known as Huan Dschuang. When the emperor issued the
+order calling the priests of Buddha to court, he was some twenty years
+of age. He came into the emperor's presence, and the latter honored
+him as a great teacher. Then he set out for India.
+
+He was absent for seventeen years. When he returned he brought three
+collections of books with him, and each collection comprised
+five-hundred and forty rolls of manuscript. With these he once more
+entered the presence of the emperor. The emperor was overjoyed, and
+with his own hand wrote a preface of the holy teachings, in which he
+recorded all that had happened. Then the great sacrifice was held to
+deliver the old Dragon of the Milky Way.
+
+    Note: The emperor Tai Dsung is Li Schi Min, the Prince
+    of Tang mentioned in No. 65. He was the most glorious
+    and splendid of all Chinese rulers. The "Dragon-King of
+    the Eastern Sea" has appeared frequently in these
+    fairy-tales. As regards the "Lord of the High Mountain,"
+    and the ten princes of the Nether World, comp. Nos. 38
+    and 50. The Highest Lord is Yu Huang, the Lord of Jade
+    or of Nephrite. Huan Dschuang was originally known as
+    Tschen. Regarding his father's fate subsequent to his
+    being drowned, and that of his sons in the spirit-world
+    see No. 24. The "bamboo basket" is a Moses motive which
+    occurs in other Chinese fairy-tales. "The Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang" is, literally, (in Chinese, Giang Liu Ho
+    Schang) "The monk washed ashore by the stream." "Wooden
+    fish": A hollow piece of wood in the form of a fish,
+    which is beaten by the Buddhists as sign of
+    watchfulness. Three collections of books--the Tripitaka.
+    As regards one of the legendary companions of Huan
+    Dschuang on his journey, see No. 74.
+
+
+
+
+LITERARY FAIRY TALES
+
+
+
+
+LXX
+
+THE HEARTLESS HUSBAND
+
+
+In olden times Hanchow was the capital of Southern China, and for that
+reason a great number of beggars had gathered there. These beggars
+were in the habit of electing a leader, who was officially entrusted
+with the supervision of all begging in the town. It was his duty to
+see that the beggars did not molest the townsfolk, and he received a
+tenth of their income from all his beggar subjects. When it snowed or
+rained, and the beggars could not go out to beg, he had to see to it
+that they had something to eat, and he also had to conduct their
+weddings and funerals. And the beggars obeyed him in all things.
+
+Well, it happened that there was a beggar king of this sort in Hanchow
+by the name of Gin, in whose family the office had been handed down
+from father to son for seven generations. What they had taken in by
+way of beggars' pence they had lent out on interest, and so the family
+had gradually become well-to-do, and finally even rich.
+
+The old beggar-king had lost his wife at the age of fifty. But he had
+an only child, a girl who was called "Little Golden Daughter." She had
+a face of rare beauty and was the jewel of his love. She had been
+versed in the lore of books from her youth up, and could write,
+improvise poems and compose essays. She was also experienced in
+needlework, a skilled dancer and singer, and could play the flute and
+zither. The old beggar-king above all else wanted her to have a
+scholar for a husband. Yet because he was a beggar-king the
+distinguished families avoided him, and with those who were of less
+standing than himself he did not wish to have anything to do. So it
+came about that Little Golden Daughter had reached the age of eighteen
+without being betrothed.
+
+Now at that time there dwelt in Hanchow, near the Bridge of Peace, a
+scholar by the name of Mosu. He was twenty years of age, and
+universally popular because of his beauty and talent. His parents were
+both dead, and he was so poor that he could hardly manage to keep
+alive. His house and lot had long since been mortgaged or sold, and he
+lived in an abandoned temple, and many a day passed at whose end he
+went hungry to bed.
+
+A neighbor took pity on him and said to him one day: "The beggar-king
+has a child named Little Golden Daughter, who is beautiful beyond all
+telling. And the beggar-king is rich and has money, but no son to
+inherit it. If you wish to marry into his family his whole fortune
+would in the end come to you. Is that not better than dying of hunger
+as a poor scholar?"
+
+At that time Mosu was in dire extremity. Hence, when he heard these
+words he was greatly pleased. He begged the neighbor to act as a
+go-between in the matter.
+
+So the latter visited the old beggar-king and talked with him, and the
+beggar-king talked over the matter with Little Golden Daughter, and
+since Mosu came from a good family and was, in addition, talented and
+learned, and had no objection to marrying into their family, they were
+both much pleased with the prospect. So they agreed to the proposal,
+and the two were married.
+
+So Mosu became a member of the beggar-king's family. He was happy in
+his wife's beauty, always had enough to eat and good clothes to wear.
+So he thought himself lucky beyond his deserts, and lived with his
+wife in peace and happiness.
+
+The beggar-king and his daughter, to whom their low estate was a thorn
+in the flesh, admonished Mosu to be sure to study hard. They hoped
+that he would make a name for himself and thus reflect glory on their
+family as well. They bought books for him, old and new, at the highest
+prices, and they always supplied him liberally with money so that he
+could move in aristocratic circles. They also paid his examination
+expenses. So his learning increased day by day, and the fame of it
+spread through the entire district. He passed one examination after
+another in rapid succession, and at the age of twenty-three was
+appointed mandarin of the district of Wu We. He returned from his
+audience with the emperor in ceremonial robes, high on horseback.
+
+Mosu had been born in Hanchow, so the whole town soon knew that he had
+passed his examination successfully, and the townsfolk crowded
+together on both sides of the street to look at him as he rode to his
+father-in-law's house. Old and young, women and children gathered to
+enjoy the show, and some idle loafer called out in a loud voice:
+
+"The old beggar's son-in-law has become a mandarin!"
+
+Mosu blushed with shame when he heard these words. Speechless and out
+of sorts he seated himself in his room. But the old beggar-king in the
+joy of his heart did not notice his ill humor. He had a great
+festival banquet prepared, to which he invited all his neighbors and
+good friends. But most of the invited guests were beggars and poor
+folk, and he insisted that Mosu eat with them. With much difficulty
+Mosu was induced to leave his room. Yet when he saw the guests
+gathered around the table, as ragged and dirty as a horde of hungry
+devils, he retired again with disdain. Little Golden Daughter, who
+realized how he felt, tried to cheer him up again in a hundred and one
+ways, but all in vain.
+
+A few days later Mosu, with his wife and servants, set out for the new
+district he was to govern. One goes from Hanchow to Wu We by water. So
+they entered a ship and sailed out to the Yangtze-kiang. At the end of
+the first day they reached a city where they anchored. The night was
+clear and the moonrays glittered on the water, and Mosu sat in the
+front part of the ship enjoying the moonlight. Suddenly he chanced to
+think of the old beggar-king. It was true that his wife was wise and
+good, but should heaven happen to bless them with children, these
+children would always be the beggar's nephews and nieces, and there
+was no way of preventing such a disgrace. And thus thinking a plan
+occurred to him. He called Little Golden Daughter out of the cabin to
+come and enjoy the moonlight, and she came out to him happily. Men
+servants and maid servants and all the sailors had long since gone to
+sleep. He looked about him on all sides, but there was no one to be
+seen. Little Golden Daughter was standing at the front of the ship,
+thinking no evil, when a hand suddenly thrust her into the water. Then
+Mosu pretended to be frightened, and began to call out: "My wife made
+a misstep and has fallen into the water!"
+
+And when they heard his words, the servants hurried up and wanted to
+fish her out.
+
+But Mosu said: "She has already been carried away by the current, so
+you need not trouble yourselves!" Then he gave orders to set sail
+again as soon as possible.
+
+Now who would have thought that owing to a fortunate chance, Sir Hu,
+the mandarin in charge of the transportation system of the province,
+was also about to take charge of his department, and had anchored in
+the same place. He was sitting with his wife at the open window of the
+ship's cabin, enjoying the moonlight and the cool breeze.
+
+Suddenly he heard some one crying on the shore, and it sounded to him
+like a girl's voice. He quickly sent people to assist her, and they
+brought her aboard. It was Little Golden Daughter.
+
+When she had fallen into the water, she had felt something beneath her
+feet which held her up so that she did not sink. And she had been
+carried along by the current to the river-bank, where she crept out of
+the water. And then she realized that her husband, now that he had
+become distinguished, had forgotten how poor he had been, and for all
+she had not been drowned, she felt very lonely and abandoned, and
+before she knew it her tears began to flow. So when Sir Hu asked her
+what was the matter, she told him the whole story. Sir Hu comforted
+her.
+
+"You must not shed another tear," said he. "If you care to become my
+adopted daughter, we will take care of you."
+
+Little Golden Daughter bowed her thanks. But Hu's wife ordered her
+maids to bring other clothes to take the place of the wet ones, and to
+prepare a bed for her. The servants were strictly bidden to call her
+"Miss," and to say nothing of what had occurred.
+
+So the journey continued and in a few days' time Sir Hu entered upon
+his official duties. Wu We, where Mosu was district mandarin, was
+subject to his rule, and the latter made his appearance in order to
+visit his official superior. When Sir Hu saw Mosu he thought to
+himself: "What a pity that so highly gifted a man should act in so
+heartless a manner!"
+
+When a few months had passed, Sir Hu said to his subordinates: "I have
+a daughter who is very pretty and good, and would like to find a
+son-in-law to marry into my family. Do you know of any one who might
+answer?"
+
+His subordinates all knew that Mosu was young and had lost his wife.
+So they unanimously suggested him.
+
+Sir Hu replied: "I have also thought of that gentleman, but he is
+young and has risen very rapidly. I am afraid he has loftier
+ambitions, and would not care to marry into my family and become my
+son-in-law."
+
+"He was originally poor," answered his people, "and he is your
+subordinate. Should you care to show him a kindness of this sort, he
+will be sure to accept it joyfully, and will not object to marrying
+into your family."
+
+"Well, if you all believe it can be done," said Sir Hu, "then pay him
+a visit and find out what he thinks about it. But you must not say
+that I have sent you."
+
+Mosu, who was just then reflecting how he might win Sir Hu's favor,
+took up the suggestion with pleasure, and urgently begged them to act
+as his go-between in the matter, promising them a rich reward when the
+connection was established.
+
+So they went back again and reported to Sir Hu.
+
+He said: "I am much pleased that the gentleman in question does not
+disdain this marriage. But my wife and I are extremely fond of this
+daughter of ours, and we can hardly resign ourselves to giving her up.
+Sir Mosu is young and aristocratic, and our little daughter has been
+spoiled. If he were to ill-treat her, or at some future time were to
+regret having married into our family, my wife and I would be
+inconsolable. For this reason everything must be clearly understood in
+advance. Only if he positively agrees to do these things would I be
+able to receive him into my family."
+
+Mosu was informed of all these conditions, and declared himself ready
+to accept them. Then he brought gold and pearls and colored silks to
+Sir Hu's daughter as wedding gifts, and a lucky day was chosen for the
+wedding. Sir Hu charged his wife to talk to Little Golden Daughter.
+
+"Your adopted father," said she, "feels sorry for you, because you are
+lonely, and therefore has picked out a young scholar for you to
+marry."
+
+But Little Golden Daughter replied: "It is true that I am of humble
+birth, yet I know what is fitting. It chances that I agreed to cast my
+lot with Mosu for better or for worse. And though he has shown me but
+little kindness, I will marry no other man so long as he lives. I
+cannot bring myself to form another union and break my troth."
+
+And thus speaking the tears poured from her eyes. When Sir Hu's wife
+saw that nothing would alter her resolve, she told her how matters
+really stood.
+
+"Your adopted father," said she, "is indignant at Mosu's
+heartlessness. And although he will see to it that you meet again, he
+has said nothing to Mosu which would lead him to believe that you are
+not our own daughter. Therefore Mosu was delighted to marry you. But
+when the wedding is celebrated this evening, you must do thus and so,
+in order that he may taste your just anger."
+
+When she had heard all this, Little Golden Daughter dried her tears,
+and thanked her adopted parents. Then she adorned herself for the
+wedding.
+
+The same day, late at evening, Mosu came to the house wearing golden
+flowers on his hat, and a red scarf across his breast, riding on a
+gaily trapped horse, and followed by a great retinue. All his friends
+and acquaintances came with him in order to be present at the festival
+celebration.
+
+In Sir Hu's house everything had been adorned with colored cloths and
+lanterns. Mosu dismounted from his horse at the entrance of the hall.
+Here Sir Hu had spread a festival banquet to which Mosu and his
+friends were led. And when the goblet had made the rounds three times,
+serving-maids came and invited Mosu to follow them to the inner rooms.
+The bride, veiled in a red veil, was led in by two maid-servants.
+Following the injunctions of the master of the ceremony, they
+worshiped heaven and earth together, and then the parents-in-law.
+Thereupon they went into another apartment. Here brightly colored
+candles were burning, and a wedding dinner had been prepared. Mosu
+felt as happy as though he had been raised to the seventh heaven.
+
+But when he wanted to leave the room, seven or eight maids with bamboo
+canes in their hands appeared at each side of the door, and began to
+beat him without mercy. They knocked his bridal hat from his head, and
+then the blows rained down upon his back and shoulders. When Mosu
+cried for help he heard a delicate voice say: "You need not kill that
+heartless bridegroom of mine completely! Ask him to come in and greet
+me!"
+
+Then the maids stopped beating him, and gathered about the bride, who
+removed her bridal veil.
+
+Mosu bowed with lowered head and said: "But what have I done?"
+
+Yet when he raised his eyes he saw that none other than his wife,
+Little Golden Daughter, was standing before him.
+
+He started with fright and cried: "A ghost, a ghost!" But all the
+servants broke out into loud laughter.
+
+At last Sir Hu and his wife came in, and the former said: "My dear
+son-in-law, you may rest assured that my adopted daughter, who came to
+me while I was on my way to this place, is no ghost."
+
+Then Mosu hastily fell on his knees and answered: "I have sinned and
+beg for mercy!" And he kowtowed without end.
+
+"With that I have nothing to do," remarked Sir Hu, "if our little
+daughter only gets along well with you, then all will be in order."
+
+But Little Golden Daughter said: "You heartless scoundrel! In the
+beginning you were poor and needy. We took you into our family, and
+let you study so that you might become somebody, and make a name for
+yourself. But no sooner had you become a mandarin and a man of
+standing, than your love turned into enmity, and you forgot your duty
+as a husband and pushed me into the river. Fortunately, I found my
+dear adopted parents thereby. They fished me out, and made me their
+own child, otherwise I would have found a grave in the bellies of the
+fishes. How can I honorably live again with such a man as you?"
+
+With these words she began to lament loudly, and she called him one
+hard-hearted scoundrel after another.
+
+Mosu lay before her, speechless with shame, and begged her to forgive
+him.
+
+Now when Sir Hu noticed that Little Golden Daughter had sufficiently
+relieved herself by her scolding, he helped Mosu up and said to him:
+"My dear son-in-law, if you repent of your misdeed, Little Golden
+Daughter will gradually cease to be angry. Of course you are an old
+married couple; yet as you have renewed your vows this evening in my
+house, kindly do me a favor and listen to what I have to say: You,
+Mosu, are weighed with a heavy burden of guilt, and for that reason
+you must not resent your wife's being somewhat indignant, but must
+have patience with her. I will call in my wife to make peace between
+you."
+
+With these words Sir Hu went out and sent in his wife who finally,
+after a great deal of difficulty, succeeded in reconciling the two, so
+that they agreed once more to take up life as husband and wife.
+
+And they esteemed and loved each other twice as much as they had
+before. Their life was all happiness and joy. And later, when Sir Hu
+and his wife died, they mourned for them as if in truth they had been
+their own parents.
+
+    Note: "To marry into": as a rule the wife enters the
+    home of her husband's parents. But when there is no male
+    heir, it is arranged that the son-in-law continues the
+    family of his wife's parents, and lives in their home.
+    The custom is still very prevalent in Japan, but it is
+    not considered very honorable in China to enter into a
+    strange family in this way. It is characteristic that
+    Mosu, as a punishment for disdaining to "marry into" a
+    family the first time, is obliged to "marry into" a
+    second time, the family of Sir Hu.
+
+    The costume here described is still the wedding-costume
+    of China. "Little Golden Daughter" said: "You heartless
+    scoundrel!"; despite her faithfulness, in accordance
+    with Chinese custom, she is obliged to show her anger
+    over his faithlessness; this is necessary before the
+    matter can be properly adjusted, so that she may
+    "preserve her face."
+
+
+
+
+LXXI
+
+GIAUNA THE BEAUTIFUL
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a descendant of Confucius. His father had a
+friend, and this friend held an official position in the South and
+offered the young man a place as secretary. But when the latter
+reached the town where he was to have been active, he found that his
+father's friend had already died. Then he was much embarrassed, seeing
+that he did not have the means to return home again. So he was glad to
+take refuge in the Monastery of Puto, where he copied holy books for
+the abbot.
+
+About a hundred paces west of the monastery stood a deserted house.
+One day there had been a great snowfall, and as young Kung
+accidentally passed by the door of the house, he noticed a well
+dressed and prepossessing youth standing there who bowed to him and
+begged him to approach. Now young Kung was a scholar, and could
+appreciate good manners. Finding that the youth and himself had much
+in common, he took a liking to him, and followed him into the house.
+It was immaculately clean; silk curtains hung before the doors, and on
+the walls were pictures of good old masters. On a table lay a book
+entitled: "Tales of the Coral Ring." Coral Ring was the name of a
+cavern.
+
+Once upon a time there lived a monk at Puto who was exceedingly
+learned. An aged man had led him into the cave in question, where he
+had seen a number of volumes on the book stands. The aged man had
+said: "These are the histories of the various dynasties." In a second
+room were to be found the histories of all the peoples on earth. A
+third was guarded by two dogs. The aged man explained: "In this room
+are kept the secret reports of the immortals, telling the arts by
+means of which they gained eternal life. The two dogs are two
+dragons." The monk turned the pages of the books, and found that they
+were all works of ancient times, such as he had never seen before. He
+would gladly have remained in the cave, but the old man said: "That
+would not do!" and a boy led him out again. The name of that cave,
+however, was the Coral Ring, and it was described in the volume which
+lay on the table.
+
+The youth questioned Kung regarding his name and family, and the
+latter told him his whole history. The youth pitied him greatly and
+advised him to open a school.
+
+Kung answered with a sigh: "I am quite unknown in the neighborhood,
+and have no one to recommend me!"
+
+Said the youth: "If you do not consider me altogether too unworthy and
+stupid, I should like to be your pupil myself."
+
+Young Kung was overjoyed. "I should not dare to attempt to teach you,"
+he replied, "but together we might dedicate ourselves to the study of
+science." He then asked why the house had been standing empty for so
+long.
+
+The youth answered: "The owner of the house has gone to the country.
+We come from Shensi, and have taken the house for a short time. We
+only moved in a few days ago."
+
+They chatted and joked together gaily, and the young man invited Kung
+to remain overnight, ordering a small boy to light a pan of charcoal.
+
+Then he stepped rapidly into the rear room and soon returned saying:
+"My father has come."
+
+As Kung rose an aged man with a long, white beard and eyebrows stepped
+into the room and said, greeting him: "You have already declared your
+willingness to instruct my son, and I am grateful for your kindness.
+But you must be strict with him and not treat him as a friend."
+
+Then he had garments of silk, a fur cap, and shoes and socks of fur
+brought in, and begged Kung to change his clothes. Wine and food were
+then served. The cushions and covers of the tables and chairs were
+made of stuffs unknown to Kung, and their shimmering radiance blinded
+the eye. The aged man retired after a few beakers of wine, and then
+the youth showed Kung his essays. They were all written in the style
+of the old masters and not in the new-fangled eight-section form.
+
+When he was asked about this, the youth said with a smile: "I am quite
+indifferent to winning success at the state examinations!" Then he
+turned to the small boy and said: "See whether the old gentleman has
+already fallen asleep. If he has, you may quietly bring in little
+Hiang-Nu."
+
+The boy went off, and the youth took a lute from an embroidered case.
+At once a serving-maid entered, dressed in red, and surpassingly
+beautiful. The youth bade her sing "The Lament of the Beloved," and
+her melting tones moved the heart. The third watch of the night had
+passed before they retired to sleep.
+
+On the following morning all rose early and study began. The youth was
+exceptionally gifted. Whatever he had seen but once was graven in his
+memory. Hence he made surprising progress in the course of a few
+months. The old custom was followed of writing an essay every five
+days, and celebrating its completion with a little banquet. And at
+each banquet Hiang-Nu was sent for.
+
+One evening Kung could not remove his glance from Hiang-Nu. The youth
+guessed his thoughts and said to him: "You are as yet unmarried. Early
+and late I keep thinking as to how I can provide you with a charming
+life companion. Hiang-Nu is the serving-maid of my father, so I cannot
+give her to you."
+
+Said Kung: "I am grateful to you for your friendly thought. But if the
+girl you have in mind is not just as beautiful as Hiang-Nu, then I
+would rather do without."
+
+The youth laughed: "You are indeed inexperienced if you think that
+Hiang-Nu is beautiful. Your wish is easily fulfilled."
+
+Thus half a year went by and the monotonous rainy season had just
+began. Then a swelling the size of a peach developed in young Kung's
+breast, which increased over night until it was as large as a tea-cup.
+He lay on his couch groaning with pain, and unable to eat or to sleep.
+The youth was busy day and night nursing him, and even the old
+gentleman asked how he was getting along.
+
+Then the youth said: "My little sister Giauna alone is able to cure
+this illness. Please send to grandmother, and have her brought here!"
+
+The old gentleman was willing, and he sent off his boy.
+
+The next day the boy came back with the news that Giauna would come,
+together with her aunt and her cousin A-Sung.
+
+Not long after the youth led his sister into the room. She was not
+more than thirteen or fourteen years of age, enchantingly beautiful,
+and slender as a willow-tree. When the sick man saw her he forgot all
+his pain and his spirits rose.
+
+The youth said to his sister Giauna: "This is my best friend, whom I
+love as a brother! I beg of you, little sister, to cure him of his
+illness!"
+
+The maiden blushed with confusion; then she stepped up to the
+sick-bed. While she was feeling his pulse, it seemed to him as though
+she brought the fragrance of orchards with her.
+
+Said the maiden with a smile: "No wonder that this illness has
+befallen him. His heart beats far too stormily. His illness is serious
+but not incurable. Now the blood which has flowed has already
+gathered, so we will have to cut to cure."
+
+With that she took her golden armlet from her arm and laid it on the
+aching place. She pressed it down very gently, and the swelling rose a
+full inch above the armlet so that it enclosed the entire swelling.
+Then she loosed a pen-knife with a blade as thin as paper from her
+silken girdle. With one hand she held the armlet, and with the other
+she took the knife and lightly passed it around the bottom of the
+ring. Black blood gushed forth and ran over mattress and bed. But
+young Kung was so enchanted by the presence of the beautiful Giauna
+that not only did he feel no pain, but his one fear was that the whole
+affair might end too soon, and that she would disappear from his
+sight. In a moment the diseased flesh had been cut away, and Giauna
+had fresh water brought and cleansed the wound. Then she took a small
+red pellet from her mouth, and laid it on the wound, and when she
+turned around in a circle, it seemed to Kung as though she drew out
+all the inflammation in steam and flames. Once more she turned in a
+circle, and he felt his wound itch and quiver, and when she turned for
+the third time, he was completely cured.
+
+The maiden took the pellet into her mouth again and said: "Now all is
+well!" Then she hastened into the inner room. Young Kung leaped up in
+order to thank her.
+
+True, he was now cured of his illness, but his thoughts continued to
+dwell on Giauna's pretty face. He neglected his books and sat lost in
+day-dreams.
+
+His friend had noticed it and said to him: "I have at last succeeded,
+this very day, in finding an attractive life companion for you."
+
+Kung asked who she might be.
+
+"The daughter of my aunt, A-Sung. She is seventeen years of age, and
+anything but homely."
+
+"I am sure she is not as beautiful as Giauna," thought Kung. Then he
+hummed the lines of a song to himself:
+
+    "Who once has seen the sea close by,
+      All rivers shallow streams declares;
+    Who o'er Wu's hill the clouds watched fly,
+      Says nothing with that view compares."
+
+The youth smiled. "My little sister Giauna is still very young," said
+he. "Besides, she is my father's only daughter, and he would not like
+to see her marry some one from afar. But my cousin A-Sung is not
+homely either. If you do not believe me, wait until they go walking in
+the garden, and then you may take a look at them without their knowing
+it."
+
+Kung posted himself at the open window on the look-out, and sure
+enough, he saw Giauna come along leading another girl by the hand, a
+girl so beautiful that there was none other like her. Giauna and she
+seemed to be sisters, only to be told apart by a slight difference in
+age.
+
+Then young Kung was exceedingly happy and begged his friend to act for
+him in arranging the marriage, which the latter promised to do. The
+next day he came to Kung, and told him amid congratulations that
+everything was arranged. A special court was put in order for the
+young pair, and the wedding was celebrated. Young Kung felt as though
+he had married a fairy, and the two became very fond of each other.
+
+One day Kung's friend came to him in a state of great excitement and
+said: "The owner of this house is coming back, and my father now
+wishes to return to Shensi. The time for us to part draws near, and I
+am very sad!"
+
+Kung wished to accompany them, but his friend advised him to return to
+his own home.
+
+Kung mentioned the difficulties in the way, but the youth replied:
+"That need not worry you, because I will accompany you."
+
+After a time the father came, together with A-Sung, and made Kung a
+present of a hundred ounces of gold. Then the youth took Kung and his
+wife by the hand, and told them to close their eyes. As soon as they
+did so off they went through the air like a storm-wind. All Kung could
+notice was that the gale roared about his ears.
+
+When some time had passed the youth cried: "Now we have arrived!" Kung
+opened his eyes and saw his old home, and then he knew that his friend
+was not of human kind.
+
+Gaily they knocked at the door of his home. His mother opened it and
+when she saw that he had brought along so charming a wife she was
+greatly pleased. Then Kung turned around to his friend, but the latter
+had already disappeared.
+
+A-Sung served her mother-in-law with great devotion, and her beauty
+and virtue was celebrated far and near. Soon after young Kung gained
+the doctorate, and was appointed inspector of prisons in Shensi. He
+took his wife along with him, but his mother remained at home, since
+Shensi was too far for her to travel. And heaven gave A-Sung and Kung
+a little son.
+
+But Kung became involved in a dispute with a traveling censor. The
+latter complained about Kung and he was dismissed from his post.
+
+So it happened that one day he was idling about before the city, when
+he saw a handsome youth riding a black mule. When he looked more
+closely he saw that it was his old friend. They fell into each others'
+arms, laughing and weeping, and the youth led him to a village. In the
+midst of a thick grove of trees which threw a deep shade, stood a
+house whose upper stories rose to the skies. One could see at a glance
+that people of distinction lived there. Kung now inquired after sister
+Giauna, and was told that she had married. He remained over night and
+then went off to fetch his wife.
+
+In the meantime Giauna arrived. She took A-Sung's little son in her
+arms and said: "Cousin, this is a little stranger in our family!"
+
+Kung greeted her, and again thanked her for the kindness she had shown
+him in curing his illness.
+
+She answered with a smile: "Since then you have become a distinguished
+man, and the wound has long since healed. Have you still not forgotten
+your pain?"
+
+Then Giauna's husband arrived, and every one became acquainted. And
+after that they parted.
+
+One day the youth came sadly to Kung and said: "We are threatened by a
+great misfortune to-day. I do not know whether you would be willing to
+save us!"
+
+Kung did not know what it might be; but he gladly promised his aid.
+Then the youth called up the entire family and they bowed down in the
+outer court.
+
+He began: "I will tell you the truth just as it is. We are foxes. This
+day we are threatened by the danger of thunder. If you care to save
+us, then there is a hope that we may manage to stay alive; if not,
+then take your child and go, so that you are not involved in our
+danger."
+
+But Kung vowed that he would share life and death with them.
+
+Then the youth begged him to stand in the door with a sword in his
+hand, and said: "Now when the thunder begins to roll you must stand
+there and never stir."
+
+Suddenly dark clouds rose in the sky, and the heavens grew gloomy as
+if night were closing down. Kung looked about him, but the buildings
+had all disappeared, and behind him he could only see a high barrow,
+in which was a large cave whose interior was lost in darkness. In the
+midst of his fright he was surprised by a thunderbolt. A heavy rain
+poured down in streams, and a storm wind arose which rooted up the
+tallest trees. Everything glimmered before his eyes and his ears were
+deafened. But he held his sword in his hand, and stood as firm as a
+rock. Suddenly in the midst of black smoke and flashes of lightning,
+he saw a monster with a pointed beak and long claws, which was
+carrying off a human body. When he looked more closely he recognized
+by the dress that it was Giauna. He leaped up at the monster and
+struck at him with his sword, and at once Giauna fell to the ground.
+A tremendous crash of thunder shook the earth, and Kung fell down
+dead.
+
+Then the tempest cleared away, and the blue sky appeared once more.
+
+Giauna had regained consciousness, and when she saw Kung lying dead
+beside her she said amid sobs: "He died for my sake! Why should I
+continue to live?"
+
+A-Sung also came out, and together they carried him into the cave.
+Giauna told A-Sung to hold his head while her brother opened his
+mouth. She herself took hold of his chin, and brought out her little
+red pellet. She pressed it against his lips with her own, and breathed
+into his lungs. Then the breath came back to his throat with a
+rattling noise, and in a short time he was himself once more.
+
+So there was the whole family reunited again, and none of its members
+had come to harm. They gradually recovered from their fright, and were
+quite happy: when suddenly a small boy brought the news that Giauna's
+husband and his whole family had been killed by the thunder. Giauna
+broke down, weeping, and the others tried to comfort her.
+
+Finally Kung said: "It is not well to dwell too long amid the graves
+of the dead. Will you not come home with me?"
+
+Thereupon they packed up their belongings and went with him. He
+assigned a deserted garden, which he carefully walled off, to his
+friend and his family as a dwelling-place. Only when Kung and A-Sung
+came to visit them was the bolt drawn. Then Giauna and her brother
+played chess, drank tea and chatted with them like members of the same
+family.
+
+But Kung's little son had a somewhat pointed face, which resembled a
+fox's, and when he went along the street, the people would turn
+around and say: "There goes the fox-child!"
+
+    Note: "Not in the new-fangled eight-section form": Ba Gu
+    Wen Dschang, i.e., essays in eight-section form,
+    divided according to strict rules, were the customary
+    theses in the governmental examinations in China up to
+    the time of the great educational reform. To-day there
+    is a general return to the style of the old masters, the
+    free form of composition. "The danger of thunder": Three
+    times the foxes must have escaped the mortal danger of
+    thunder.
+
+
+
+
+LXXII
+
+THE FROG PRINCESS
+
+
+There where the Yangtze-kiang has come about half-way on its course to
+the sea, the Frog King is worshiped with great devotion. He has a
+temple there and frogs by the thousand are to be found in the
+neighborhood, some of them of enormous size. Those who incur the wrath
+of the god are apt to have strange visitations in their homes. Frogs
+hop about on tables and beds, and in extreme cases they even creep up
+the smooth walls of the room without falling. There are various kinds
+of omens, but all indicate that some misfortune threatens the house in
+question. Then the people living in it become terrified, slaughter a
+cow and offer it as a sacrifice. Thus the god is mollified and nothing
+further happens.
+
+In that part of the country there once lived a youth named Sia
+Kung-Schong. He was handsome and intelligent. When he was some six or
+seven years of age, a serving-maid dressed in green entered his home.
+She said that she was a messenger from the Frog King, and declared
+that the Frog King wished to have his daughter marry young Sia. Old
+Sia was an honest man, not very bright, and since this did not suit
+him, he declined the offer on the plea that his son was still too
+young to marry. In spite of this, however, he did not dare look about
+for another mate for him.
+
+Then a few years passed and the boy gradually grew up. A marriage
+between him and a certain Mistress Giang was decided upon.
+
+But the Frog King sent word to Mistress Giang: "Young Sia is my
+son-in-law. How dare you undertake to lay claim to what does not
+belong to you!" Then Father Giang was frightened, and took back his
+promise.
+
+This made Old Sia very sad. He prepared a sacrifice and went to his
+temple to pray. He explained that he felt unworthy of becoming the
+relation of a god. When he had finished praying a multitude of
+enormous maggots made their appearance in the sacrificial meat and
+wine, and crawled around. He poured them out, begged forgiveness, and
+returned home filled with evil forebodings. He did not know what more
+he could do, and had to let things take their course.
+
+One day young Sia went out into the street. A messenger stepped up to
+him and told him, on the part of the Frog King that the latter
+urgently requested Sia to come to him. There was no help for it; he
+had to follow the messenger. He led him through a red gateway into
+some magnificent, high-ceilinged rooms. In the great hall sat an
+ancient man who might have been some eighty years of age. Sia cast
+himself down on the ground before him in homage. The old man bade him
+rise, and assigned him a place at the table. Soon a number of girls
+and women came crowding in to look at him. Then the old man turned to
+them and said: "Go to the room of the bride and tell her that the
+bridegroom has arrived!"
+
+Quickly a couple of maids ran away, and shortly after an old woman
+came from the inner apartments, leading a maiden by the hand, who
+might have been sixteen years of age, and was incomparably beautiful.
+The old man pointed to her and said: "This is my tenth little
+daughter. It seemed to me that you would make a good pair. But your
+father has scorned us because of our difference in race. Yet one's
+marriage is a matter that is of life-long importance. Our parents can
+determine it only in part. In the end it rests mainly with one's
+self."
+
+Sia looked steadily at the girl, and a fondness for her grew in his
+heart. He sat there in silence. The old man continued: "I knew very
+well that the young gentleman would agree. Go on ahead of us, and we
+will bring you your bride!"
+
+Sia said he would, and hurried to inform his father. His father did
+not know what to do in his excitement. He suggested an excuse and
+wanted to send Sia back to decline his bride with thanks. But this Sia
+was not willing to do. While they were arguing the matter, the bride's
+carriage was already at the door. It was surrounded by a crowd of
+greencoats, and the lady entered the house, and bowed politely to her
+parents-in-law. When the latter saw her they were both pleased, and
+the wedding was announced for that very evening.
+
+The new couple lived in peace and good understanding. And after they
+had been married their divine parents-in-law often came to their
+house. When they appeared dressed in red, it meant that some good
+fortune was to befall them; when they came dressed in white, it
+signified that they were sure to make some gain. Thus, in the course
+of time, the family became wealthy.
+
+But since they had become related to the gods the rooms, courtyards
+and all other places were always crowded with frogs. And no one
+ventured to harm them. Sia Kung-Schong alone was young and showed no
+consideration. When he was in good spirits he did not bother them, but
+when he got out of sorts he knew no mercy, and purposely stepped on
+them and killed them.
+
+In general his young wife was modest and obedient; yet she easily lost
+her temper. She could not approve her husband's conduct. But Sia would
+not do her the favor to give up his brutal habit. So she scolded him
+because of it and he grew angry.
+
+"Do you imagine," he told her, "that because your parents can visit
+human beings with misfortune, that a real man would be afraid of a
+frog?"
+
+His wife carefully avoided uttering the word "frog," hence his speech
+angered her and she said: "Since I have dwelt in your house your
+fields have yielded larger crops, and you have obtained the highest
+selling prices. And that is something after all. But now, when young
+and old, you are comfortably established, you wish to act like the
+fledgling owl, who picks out his own mother's eyes as soon as he is
+able to fly!"
+
+Sia then grew still more angry and answered: "These gifts have been
+unwelcome to me for a long time, for I consider them unclean. I could
+never consent to leave such property to sons and grandsons. It would
+be better if we parted at once!"
+
+So he bade his wife leave the house, and before his parents knew
+anything about it, she was gone. His parents scolded him and told him
+to go at once and bring her back. But he was filled with rage, and
+would not give in to them.
+
+That same night he and his mother fell sick. They felt weak and could
+not eat. The father, much worried, went to the temple to beg for
+pardon. And he prayed so earnestly that his wife and son recovered in
+three days' time. And the Frog Princess also returned, and they lived
+together happily and contented as before.
+
+But the young woman sat in the house all day long, occupied solely
+with her ornaments and her rouge, and did not concern herself with
+sewing and stitching. So Sia Kung-Schong's mother still had to look
+out for her son's clothes.
+
+One day his mother was angry and said: "My son has a wife, and yet I
+have to do all the work! In other homes the daughter-in-law serves her
+mother-in-law. But in our house the mother-in-law must serve the
+daughter-in-law."
+
+This the princess accidentally heard. In she came, much excited, and
+began: "Have I ever omitted, as is right and proper, to visit you
+morning and evening? My only fault is that I will not burden myself
+with all this toil for the sake of saving a trifling sum of money!"
+The mother answered not a word, but wept bitterly and in silence
+because of the insult offered her.
+
+Her son came along and noticed that his mother had been weeping. He
+insisted on knowing the reason, and found out what had happened.
+Angrily he reproached his wife. She raised objections and did not wish
+to admit that she had been in the wrong. Finally Sia said: "It is
+better to have no wife at all than one who gives her mother-in-law no
+pleasure. What can the old frog do to me after all, if I anger him,
+save call misfortunes upon me and take my life!" So he once more drove
+his wife out of the house.
+
+The princess left her home and went away. The following day fire broke
+out in the house, and spread to several other buildings. Tables,
+beds, everything was burned.
+
+Sia, in a rage because of the fire, went to the temple to complain:
+"To bring up a daughter in such a way that she does not please her
+parents-in-law shows that there is no discipline in a house. And now
+you even encourage her in her faults. It is said the gods are most
+just. Are there gods who teach men to fear their wives? Incidentally,
+the whole quarrel rests on me alone. My parents had nothing to do with
+it. If I was to be punished by the ax and cord, well and good. You
+could have carried out the punishment yourself. But this you did not
+do. So now I will burn your own house in order to satisfy my own sense
+of justice!"
+
+With these words he began piling up brush-wood before the temple,
+struck sparks and wanted to set it ablaze. The neighbors came
+streaming up, and pleaded with him. So he swallowed his rage and went
+home.
+
+When his parents heard of it, they grew pale with a great fear. But at
+night the god appeared to the people of a neighboring village, and
+ordered them to rebuild the house of his son-in-law. When day began to
+dawn they dragged up building-wood and the workmen all came in throngs
+to build for Sia. No matter what he said he could not prevent them.
+All day long hundreds of workmen were busy. And in the course of a few
+days all the rooms had been rebuilt, and all the utensils, curtains
+and furniture were there as before. And when the work had been
+completed the princess also returned. She climbed the stairs to the
+great room, and acknowledged her fault with many tender and loving
+words. Then she turned to Sia Kung-Schong, and smiled at him
+sideways. Instead of resentment joy now filled the whole house. And
+after that time the princess was especially peaceable. Two whole years
+passed without an angry word being said.
+
+But the princess had a great dislike for snakes. Once, by way of a
+joke, young Sia put a small snake into a parcel, which he gave her and
+told her to open. She turned pale and reproached him. Then
+Sia-Kung-Schong also took his jest seriously, and angry words passed.
+
+At last the princess said: "This time I will not wait for you to turn
+me out. Now we are finally done with one another!" And with that she
+walked out of the door.
+
+Father Sia grew very much alarmed, beat his son himself with his
+staff, and begged the god to be kind and forgive. Fortunately there
+were no evil consequences. All was quiet and not a sound was heard.
+
+Thus more than a year passed. Sia-Kung-Schong longed for the princess
+and took himself seriously to task. He would creep in secret to the
+temple of the god, and lament because he had lost the princess. But no
+voice answered him. And soon afterward he even heard that the god had
+betrothed his daughter to another man. Then he grew hopeless at heart,
+and thought of finding another wife for himself. Yet no matter how he
+searched he could find none who equalled the princess. This only
+increased his longing for her, and he went to the home of the Yuans,
+to a member of which family it was said she had been promised. There
+they had already painted the walls, and swept the courtyard, and all
+was in readiness to receive the bridal carriage. Sia was overcome with
+remorse and discontent. He no longer ate, and fell ill. His parents
+were quite stunned by the anxiety they felt on his account, and were
+incapable of helpful thought.
+
+Suddenly while he was lying there only half-conscious, he felt some
+one stroke him, and heard a voice say: "And how goes it with our real
+husband, who insisted on turning out his wife?"
+
+He opened his eyes and it was the princess.
+
+Full of joy he leaped up and said: "How is it you have come back to
+me?" The princess answered: "To tell the truth, according to your own
+habit of treating people badly, I should have followed my father's
+advice and taken another husband. And, as a matter of fact, the
+wedding gifts of the Yuan family have been lying in my home for a long
+time. But I thought and thought and could not bring myself to do so.
+The wedding was to have been this evening and my father thought it
+shameful to have the wedding gifts carried back. So I took the things
+myself and placed them before the Yuan's door. When I went out my
+father ran out beside me: 'You insane girl,' he said, 'so you will not
+listen to what I say! If you are ill-treated by Sia in the future I
+wash my hands of it. Even if they kill you you shall not come home to
+me again!'"
+
+Moved by her faithfulness the tears rolled from Sia's eyes. The
+servants, full of joy, hurried to the parents to acquaint them with
+the good news. And when they heard it they did not wait for the young
+people to come to them, but hastened themselves to their son's rooms,
+took the princess by the hand and wept. Young Sia, too, had become
+more settled by this time, and was no longer so mischievous. So he and
+his wife grew to love each other more sincerely day by day.
+
+Once the princess said to him: "Formerly, when you always treated me
+so badly, I feared that we would not keep company into our old age.
+So I never asked heaven to send us a child. But now that all has
+changed, and I will beg the gods for a son."
+
+And, sure enough, before long Sia's parents-in-law appeared in the
+house clad in red garments, and shortly after heaven sent the happy
+pair two sons instead of one.
+
+From that time on their intercourse with the Frog-King was never
+interrupted. When some one among the people had angered the god, he
+first tried to induce young Sia to speak for him, and sent his wife
+and daughter to the Frog Princess to implore her aid. And if the
+princess laughed, then all would be well.
+
+The Sia family has many descendants, whom the people call "the little
+frog men." Those who are near them do not venture to call them by this
+name, but those standing further off do so.
+
+    Note: "Little frog men," Wa Dsi, is the derogatory name
+    which the North Chinese give the Chinese of the South on
+    occasion.
+
+
+
+
+LXXIII
+
+ROSE OF EVENING
+
+
+On the fifth day of the fifth month the festival of the Dragon Junk is
+held along the Yangtze-kiang. A dragon is hollowed out of wood,
+painted with an armor of scales, and adorned with gold and bright
+colors. A carved red railing surrounds this ship, and its sails and
+flags are made of silks and brocade. The after part of the vessel is
+called the dragon's tail. It rises ten feet above the water, and a
+board which floats in the water is tied to it by means of a cloth.
+Upon this board sit boys who turn somersaults, stand on their heads,
+and perform all sorts of tricks. Yet, being so close to the water
+their danger is very great. It is the custom, therefore, when a boy is
+hired for this purpose, to give his parents money before he is
+trained. Then, if he falls into the water and is drowned, no one has
+him on their conscience. Farther South the custom differs in so much
+that instead of boys, beautiful girls are chosen for this purpose.
+
+In Dschen-Giang there once lived a widow named Dsiang, who had a son
+called Aduan. When he was no more than seven years of age he was
+extraordinarily skilful, and no other boy could equal him. And his
+reputation increasing as he grew, he earned more and more money. So it
+happened that he was still called upon at the Dragon Junk Festival
+when he was already sixteen.
+
+But one day he fell into the water below the Gold Island and was
+drowned. He was the only son of his mother, and she sorrowed over him,
+and that was the end of it.
+
+Yet Aduan did not know that he had been drowned. He met two men who
+took him along with them, and he saw a new world in the midst of the
+waters of the Yellow River. When he looked around, the waves of the
+river towered steeply about him like walls, and a palace was visible,
+in which sat a man wearing armor and a helmet. His two companions said
+to him: "That is the Prince of the Dragon's Cave!" and bade him kneel.
+
+The Prince of the Dragon's Cave seemed to be of a mild and kindly
+disposition and said: "We can make use of such a skilful lad. He may
+take part in the dance of the willow branches!"
+
+So he was brought to a spot surrounded by extensive buildings. He
+entered, and was greeted by a crowd of boys who were all about
+fourteen years of age.
+
+An old woman came in and they all called out: "This is Mother Hia!"
+And she sat down and had Aduan show his tricks. Then she taught him
+the dance of the flying thunders of Tsian-Tang River, and the music
+that calms the winds on the sea of Dung-Ting. When the cymbals and
+kettledrums reechoed through all the courts, they deafened the ear.
+Then, again, all the courts would fall silent. Mother Hia thought that
+Aduan would not be able to grasp everything the very first time; so
+she taught him with great patience. But Aduan had understood
+everything from the first, and that pleased old Mother Hia. "This
+boy," said she, "equals our own Rose of Evening!"
+
+The following day the Prince of the Dragon's Cave held a review of his
+dancers. When all the dancers had assembled, the dance of the Ogres
+was danced first. Those who performed it all wore devil-masks and
+garments of scales. They beat upon enormous cymbals, and their
+kettledrums were so large that four men could just about span them.
+Their sound was like the sound of a mighty thunder, and the noise was
+so great that nothing else could be heard. When the dance began,
+tremendous waves spouted up to the very skies, and then fell down
+again like star-glimmer which scatters in the air.
+
+The Prince of the Dragon Cave hastily bade the dance cease, and had
+the dancers of the nightingale round step forth. These were all lovely
+young girls of sixteen. They made a delicate music with flutes, so
+that the breeze blew and the roaring of the waves was stilled in a
+moment. The water gradually became as quiet as a crystal world,
+transparent to its lowest depths. When the nightingale dancers had
+finished, they withdrew and posted themselves in the western
+courtyard.
+
+Then came the turn of the swallow dancers. These were all little
+girls. One among them, who was about fifteen years of age, danced the
+dance of the giving of flowers with flying sleeves and waving locks.
+And as their garments fluttered, many-colored flowers dropped from
+their folds, and were caught up by the wind and whirled about the
+whole courtyard. When the dance had ended, this dancer also went off
+with the rest of the girls to the western courtyard. Aduan looked at
+her from out the corner of his eye, and fell deeply in love with her.
+He asked his comrades who she might be and they told him she was named
+"Rose of Evening."
+
+But the willow-spray dancers were now called out. The Prince of the
+Dragon Cave was especially desirous of testing Aduan. So Aduan danced
+alone, and he danced with joy or defiance according to the music. When
+he looked up and when he looked down his glances held the beat of the
+measure. The Dragon Prince, enchanted with his skill, presented him
+with a garment of five colors, and gave him a carbuncle set in golden
+threads of fish-beard for a hair-jewel. Aduan bowed his thanks for the
+gift, and then also hastened to the western courtyard. There all the
+dancers stood in rank and file. Aduan could only look at Rose of
+Evening from a distance, but still Rose of Evening returned his
+glances.
+
+After a time Aduan gradually slipped to the end of his file and Rose
+of Evening also drew near to him, so that they stood only a few feet
+away from each other. But the strict rules allowed no confusion in the
+ranks, so they could only gaze and let their souls go out to each
+other.
+
+Now the butterfly dance followed the others. This was danced by the
+boys and girls together, and the pairs were equal in size, age and the
+color of their garments. When all the dances had ended, the dancers
+marched out with the goose-step. The willow-spray dancers followed the
+swallow dancers, and Aduan hastened in advance of his company, while
+Rose of Evening lingered along after hers. She turned her head, and
+when she spied Aduan she purposely let a coral pin fall from her hair.
+Aduan hastily hid it in his sleeve.
+
+When he had returned, he was sick with longing, and could neither eat
+nor sleep. Mother Hia brought him all sorts of dainties, looked after
+him three or four times a day, and stroked his forehead with loving
+care. But his illness did not yield in the least. Mother Hia was
+unhappy, and yet helpless.
+
+"The birthday of the King of the Wu River is at hand," said she. "What
+is to be done?"
+
+In the twilight there came a boy, who sat down on the edge of Aduan's
+bed and chatted with him. He belonged to the butterfly dancers, said
+he, and asked casually: "Are you sick because of Rose of Evening?"
+Aduan, frightened, asked him how he came to guess it. The other boy
+said, with a smile: "Well, because Rose of Evening is in the same case
+as yourself."
+
+Disconcerted, Aduan sat up and begged the boy to advise him. "Are you
+able to walk?" asked the latter. "If I exert myself," said Aduan, "I
+think I could manage it."
+
+So the boy led him to the South. There he opened a gate and they
+turned the corner, to the West. Once more the doors of the gate flew
+open, and now Aduan saw a lotus field about twenty acres in size. The
+lotus flowers were all growing on level earth, and their leaves were
+as large as mats and their flowers like umbrellas. The fallen blossoms
+covered the ground beneath the stalks to the depth of a foot or more.
+The boy led Aduan in and said, "Now first of all sit down for a little
+while!" Then he went away.
+
+After a time a beautiful girl thrust aside the lotus flowers and came
+into the open. It was Rose of Evening. They looked at each other with
+happy timidity, and each told how each had longed for the other. And
+they also told each other of their former life. Then they weighted the
+lotus-leaves with stones so that they made a cozy retreat, in which
+they could be together, and promised to meet each other there every
+evening. And then they parted.
+
+Aduan came back and his illness left him. From that time on he met
+Rose of Evening every day in the lotus field.
+
+After a few days had passed they had to accompany the Prince of the
+Dragon Cave to the birthday festival of the King of the Wu River. The
+festival came to an end, and all the dancers returned home. Only, the
+King had kept back Rose of Evening and one of the nightingale dancers
+to teach the girls in his castle.
+
+Months passed and no news came from Rose of Evening, so that Aduan
+went about full of longing and despair. Now Mother Hia went every day
+to the castle of the god of the Wu River. So Aduan told her that Rose
+of Evening was his cousin, and entreated her to take him along with
+her so that he could at least see her a single time. So she took him
+along, and let him stay at the lodge-house of the river-god for a few
+days. But the indwellers of the castle were so strictly watched that
+he could not see Rose of Evening even a single time. Sadly Aduan went
+back again.
+
+Another month passed and Aduan, filled with gloomy thoughts, wished
+that death might be his portion.
+
+One day Mother Hia came to him full of pity, and began to sympathize
+with him. "What a shame," said she, "that Rose of Evening has cast
+herself into the river!"
+
+Aduan was extremely frightened, and his tears flowed resistlessly. He
+tore his beautiful garments, took his gold and his pearls, and went
+out with the sole idea of following his beloved in death. Yet the
+waters of the river stood up before him like walls, and no matter how
+often he ran against them, head down, they always flung him back.
+
+He did not dare return, since he feared he might be questioned about
+his festival garments, and severely punished because he had ruined
+them. So he stood there and knew not what to do, while the
+perspiration ran down to his ankles. Suddenly, at the foot of the
+water-wall he saw a tall tree. Like a monkey he climbed up to its very
+top, and then, with all his might, he shot into the waves.
+
+And then, without being wet, he found himself suddenly swimming on
+the surface of the river. Unexpectedly the world of men rose up once
+more before his dazzled eyes. He swam to the shore, and as he walked
+along the river-bank, his thoughts went back to his old mother. He
+took a ship and traveled home.
+
+When he reached the village, it seemed to him as though all the houses
+in it belonged to another world. The following morning he entered his
+mother's house, and as he did so, heard a girl's voice beneath the
+window saying: "Your son has come back again!" The voice sounded like
+the voice of Rose of Evening, and when she came to greet him at his
+mother's side, sure enough, it was Rose of Evening herself.
+
+And in that hour the joy of these two who were so fond of each other
+overcame all their sorrow. But in the mother's mind sorrow and doubt,
+terror and joy mingled in constant succession in a thousand different
+ways.
+
+When Rose of Evening had been in the palace of the river-king, and had
+come to realize that she would never see Aduan again, she determined
+to die, and flung herself into the waters of the stream. But she was
+carried to the surface, and the waves carried and cradled her till a
+ship came by and took her aboard. They asked whence she came. Now Rose
+of Evening had originally been a celebrated singing girl of Wu, who
+had fallen into the river and whose body had never been found. So she
+thought to herself that, after all, she could not return to her old
+life again. So she answered: "Madame Dsiang, in Dschen-Giang is my
+mother-in-law." Then the travelers took passage for her in a ship
+which brought her to the place she had mentioned. The widow Dsiang
+first said she must be mistaken, but the girl insisted that there was
+no mistake, and told Aduan's mother her whole story. Yet, though the
+latter was charmed by her surpassing loveliness, she feared that Rose
+of Evening was too young to live a widow's life. But the girl was
+respectful and industrious, and when she saw that poverty ruled in her
+new home, she took her pearls and sold them for a high price. Aduan's
+old mother was greatly pleased to see how seriously the girl took her
+duties.
+
+Now that Aduan had returned again Rose of Evening could not control
+her joy. And even Aduan's old mother cherished the hope that, after
+all, perhaps her son had not died. She secretly dug up her son's
+grave, yet all his bones were still lying in it. So she questioned
+Aduan. And then, for the first time, the latter realized that he was a
+departed spirit. Then he feared that Rose of Evening might regard him
+with disgust because he was no longer a human being. So he ordered his
+mother on no account to speak of it, and this his mother promised.
+Then she spread the report in the village that the body which had been
+found in the river had not been that of her son at all. Yet she could
+not rid herself of the fear that, since Aduan was a departed spirit,
+heaven might refuse to send him a child.
+
+In spite of her fear, however, she was able to hold a grandson in her
+arms in course of time. When she looked at him, he was no different
+from other children, and then her cup of joy was filled to
+overflowing.
+
+Rose of Evening gradually became aware of the fact that Aduan was not
+really a human being. "Why did you not tell me at once?" said she.
+"Departed spirits who wear the garments of the dragon castle, surround
+themselves with a soul-casing so heavy in texture that they can no
+longer be distinguished from the living. And if one can obtain the
+lime made of dragon-horn which is in the castle, then the bones may be
+glued together in such wise that flesh and blood will grow over them
+again. What a pity that we could not obtain the lime while we were
+there!"
+
+Aduan sold his pearl, for which a merchant from foreign parts gave him
+an enormous sum. Thus his family grew very wealthy. Once, on his
+mother's birthday, he danced with his wife and sang, in order to
+please her. The news reached the castle of the Dragon Prince and he
+thought to carry off Rose of Evening by force. But Aduan, alarmed,
+went to the Prince, and declared that both he and his wife were
+departed spirits. They examined him and since he cast no shadow, his
+word was taken, and he was not robbed of Rose of Evening.
+
+    Note: "Rose of Evening" is one of the most idyllic of
+    Chinese art fairy-tales. The idea that the departed
+    spirit throws no shadow has analogies in Norse and other
+    European fairy-tales.
+
+
+
+
+LXXIV
+
+THE APE SUN WU KUNG
+
+
+Far, far away to the East, in the midst of the Great Sea there is an
+island called the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. And on this mountain
+there is a high rock. Now this rock, from the very beginning of the
+world, had absorbed all the hidden seed power of heaven and earth and
+sun and moon, which endowed it with supernatural creative gifts. One
+day the rock burst, and out came an egg of stone. And out of this
+stone egg a stone ape was hatched by magic power. When he broke the
+shell he bowed to all sides. Then he gradually learned to walk and to
+leap, and two streams of golden radiance broke from his eyes which
+shot up to the highest of the castles of heaven, so that the Lord of
+the Heavens was frightened. So he sent out the two gods,
+Thousandmile-Eye and Fine-Ear, to find out what had happened. The two
+gods came back and reported: "The rays shine from the eyes of the
+stone ape who was hatched out of the egg which came from the magic
+rock. There is no reason for uneasiness."
+
+Little by little the ape grew up, ran and leaped about, drank from the
+springs in the valleys, ate the flowers and fruits, and time went by
+in unconstrained play.
+
+One day, during the summer, when he was seeking coolness, together
+with the other apes on the island, they went to the valley to bathe.
+There they saw a waterfall which plunged down a high cliff. Said the
+apes to each other: "Whoever can force his way through the waterfall,
+without suffering injury, shall be our king." The stone ape at once
+leaped into the air with joy and cried: "I will pass through!" Then he
+closed his eyes, bent down low and leaped through the roar and foam of
+the waters. When he opened his eyes once more he saw an iron bridge,
+which was shut off from the outer world by the waterfall as though by
+a curtain.
+
+At its entrance stood a tablet of stone on which were graven the
+words: "This is the heavenly cave behind the water-curtain on the
+Blessed Island of Flowers and Fruits." Filled with joy, the stone ape
+leaped out again through the waterfall and told the other apes what he
+had found. They received the news with great content, and begged the
+stone ape to take them there. So the tribe of apes leaped through the
+water on the iron bridge, and then crowded into the cave castle where
+they found a hearth with a profusion of pots, cups and platters. But
+all were made of stone. Then the apes paid homage to the stone ape as
+their king, and he was given the name of Handsome King of the Apes. He
+appointed long-tailed, ring-tailed and other monkeys to be his
+officials and counselors, servants and retainers, and they led a
+blissful life on the Mountain, sleeping by night in their cave castle,
+keeping away from birds and beasts, and their king enjoyed untroubled
+happiness. In this way some three hundred years went by.
+
+One day, when the King of the Apes sat with his subjects at a merry
+meal, he suddenly began to weep. Frightened, the apes asked him why he
+so suddenly grew sad amid all his bliss. Said the King: "It is true
+that we are not subject to the law and rule of man, that birds and
+beasts do not dare attack us, yet little by little we grow old and
+weak, and some day the hour will strike when Death, the Ancient, will
+drag us off! Then we are gone in a moment, and can no longer dwell
+upon earth!" When the apes heard these words, they hid their faces and
+sobbed. But an old ape, whose arms were connected in such a way that
+he could add the length of one to that of the other, stepped forth
+from the ranks. In a loud tone of voice he said: "That you have hit
+upon this thought, O King, shows the desire to search for truth has
+awakened you! Among all living creatures, there are but three kinds
+who are exempt from Death's power: the Buddhas, the blessed spirits
+and the gods. Whoever attains one of these three grades escapes the
+rod of re-birth, and lives as long as the Heavens themselves."
+
+The King of the Apes said: "Where do these three kinds of beings
+live?" And the old ape replied: "They live in caves and on holy
+mountains in the great world of mortals." The King was pleased when he
+heard this, and told his apes that he was going to seek out gods and
+sainted spirits in order to learn the road to immortality from them.
+The apes dragged up peaches and other fruits and sweet wine to
+celebrate the parting banquet, and all made merry together.
+
+On the following morning the Handsome King of the Apes rose very
+early, built him a raft of old pine trees and took a bamboo staff for
+a pole. Then he climbed on the raft, quite alone, and poled his way
+through the Great Sea. Wind and waves were favorable and he reached
+Asia. There he went ashore. On the strand he met a fisherman. He at
+once stepped up to him, knocked him down, tore off his clothes and put
+them on himself. Then he wandered around and visited all famous spots,
+went into the market-places, the densely populated cities, learned how
+to conduct himself properly, and how to speak and act like a well-bred
+human being. Yet his heart was set on learning the teaching of the
+Buddhas, the blessed spirits and the holy gods. But the people of the
+country in which he was were only concerned with honors and wealth.
+Not one of them seemed to care for life. Thus he went about until nine
+years had passed by unnoticed. Then he came to the strand of the
+Western Sea and it occurred to him: "No doubt there are gods and
+saints on the other side of the sea!" So he built another raft,
+floated it over the Western Sea and reached the land of the West.
+There he let his raft drift, and went ashore. After he had searched
+for many days, he suddenly saw a high mountain with deep, quiet
+valleys. As the Ape King went toward it, he heard a man singing in the
+woods, and the song sounded like one the blessed spirits might sing.
+So he hastily entered the wood to see who might be singing. There he
+met a wood-chopper at work. The Ape King bowed to him and said:
+"Venerable, divine master, I fall down and worship at your feet!" Said
+the wood-chopper: "I am only a workman; why do you call me divine
+master?" "Then, if you are no blessed god, how comes it you sing that
+divine song?" The wood-chopper laughed and said: "You are at home in
+music. The song I was singing was really taught me by a saint." "If
+you are acquainted with a saint," said the Ape King, "he surely cannot
+live far from here. I beg of you to show me the way to his dwelling."
+The wood-chopper replied: "It is not far from here. This mountain is
+known as the Mountain of the Heart. In it is a cave where dwells a
+saint who is called 'The Discerner.' The number of his disciples who
+have attained blessedness is countless. He still has some thirty to
+forty disciples gathered about him. You need only follow this path
+which leads to the South, and you cannot miss his dwelling." The Ape
+King thanked the wood-chopper and, sure enough, he came to the cave
+which the latter had described to him. The gate was locked and he did
+not venture to knock. So he leaped up into a pine tree, picked
+pine-cones and devoured the seed. Before long one of the saint's
+disciples came and opened the door and said: "What sort of a beast is
+it that is making such a noise?" The Ape King leaped down from his
+tree, bowed, and said: "I have come in search of truth. I did not
+venture to knock." Then the disciple had to laugh and said: "Our
+master was seated lost in meditation, when he told me to lead in the
+seeker after truth who stood without the gate, and here you really
+are. Well, you may come along with me!" The Ape King smoothed his
+clothes, put his hat on straight, and stepped in. A long passage led
+past magnificent buildings and quiet hidden huts to the place where
+the master was sitting upright on a seat of white marble. At his right
+and left stood his disciples, ready to serve him. The Ape King flung
+himself down on the ground and greeted the master humbly. In answer to
+his questions he told him how he had found his way to him. And when he
+was asked his name, he said: "I have no name. I am the ape who came
+out of the stone." So the master said: "Then I will give you a name. I
+name you Sun Wu Kung." The Ape King thanked him, full of joy, and
+thereafter he was called Sun Wu Kung. The master ordered his oldest
+disciple to instruct Sun Wu Kung in sweeping and cleaning, in going in
+and out, in good manners, how to labor in the field and how to water
+the gardens. In the course of time he learned to write, to burn
+incense and read the sutras. And in this way some six or seven years
+went by.
+
+One day the master ascended the seat from which he taught, and began
+to speak regarding the great truth. Sun Wu Kung understood the hidden
+meaning of his words, and commenced to jerk about and dance in his
+joy. The master reproved him: "Sun Wu Kung, you have still not laid
+aside your wild nature! What do you mean by carrying on in such an
+unfitting manner?" Sun Wu Kung bowed and answered: "I was listening
+attentively to you when the meaning of your words was disclosed to my
+heart, and without thinking I began to dance for joy. I was not giving
+way to my wild nature." Said the master: "If your spirit has really
+awakened, then I will announce the great truth to you. But there are
+three hundred and sixty ways by means of which one may reach this
+truth. Which way shall I teach you?" Said Sun Wu Kung: "Whichever you
+will, O Master!" Then the Master asked: "Shall I teach you the way of
+magic?" Said Sun Wu Kung: "What does magic teach one?" The Master
+replied: "It teaches one to raise up spirits, to question oracles, and
+to foretell fortune and misfortune." "Can one secure eternal life by
+means of it?" inquired Sun Wu Kung. "No," was the answer. "Then I will
+not learn it." "Shall I teach you the sciences?" "What are the
+sciences?" "They are the nine schools of the three faiths. You learn
+how to read the holy books, pronounce incantations, commune with the
+gods, and call the saints to you." "Can one gain eternal life by means
+of them?" "No." "Then I will not learn them." "The way of repose is a
+very good way." "What is the way of repose?" "It teaches how to live
+without nourishment, how to remain quiescent in silent purity, and sit
+lost in meditation." "Can one gain eternal life in this way?" "No."
+"Then I will not learn it." "The way of deeds is also a good way."
+"What does that teach?" "It teaches one to equalize the vital powers,
+to practise bodily exercise, to prepare the elixir of life and to hold
+one's breath." "Will it give one eternal life?" "Not so." "Then I will
+not learn it! I will not learn it!" Thereupon the Master pretended to
+be angry, leaped down from his stand, took his cane and scolded: "What
+an ape! This he will not learn, and that he will not learn! What are
+you waiting to learn, then?" With that he gave him three blows across
+the head, retired to his inner chamber, and closed the great door
+after him.
+
+The disciples were greatly excited, and overwhelmed Sun Wu Kung with
+reproaches. Yet the latter paid no attention to them, but smiled
+quietly to himself, for he had understood the riddle which the Master
+had given him to solve. And in his heart he thought: "His striking me
+over the head three times meant that I was to be ready at the third
+watch of the night. His withdrawing to his inner chamber and closing
+the great door after him, meant that I was to go in to him by the back
+door, and that he would make clear the great truth to me in secret."
+Accordingly he waited until evening, and made a pretense of lying down
+to sleep with the other disciples. But when the third watch of the
+night had come he rose softly and crept to the back door. Sure enough
+it stood ajar. He slipped in and stepped before the Master's bed. The
+Master was sleeping with his face turned toward the wall, and the ape
+did not venture to wake him, but knelt down in front of the bed. After
+a time the Master turned around and hummed a stanza to himself:
+
+    "A hard, hard grind,
+      Truth's lesson to expound.
+    One talks oneself deaf, dumb and blind,
+      Unless the right man's found."
+
+Then Sun Wu Kung replied: "I am waiting here reverentially!"
+
+The Master flung on his clothes, sat up in bed and said harshly:
+"Accursed ape! Why are you not asleep? What are you doing here?"
+
+Sun Wu Kung answered: "Yet you pointed out to me yesterday that I was
+to come to you at the third watch of the night, by the back door, in
+order to be instructed in the truth. Therefore I have ventured to
+come. If you will teach me in the fulness of your grace, I will be
+eternally grateful to you."
+
+Thought the Master to himself: "There is real intelligence in this
+ape's head, to have made him understand me so well." Then he replied:
+"Sun Wu Kung, it shall be granted you! I will speak freely with you.
+Come quite close to me, and then I will show you the way to eternal
+life."
+
+With that he murmured into his ear a divine, magical incantation to
+further the concentration of his vital powers, and explained the
+hidden knowledge word for word. Sun Wu Kung listened to him eagerly,
+and in a short time had learned it by heart. Then he thanked his
+teacher, went out again and lay down to sleep. From that time forward
+he practised the right mode of breathing, kept guard over his soul and
+spirit, and tamed the natural instincts of his heart. And while he did
+so three more years passed by. Then the task was completed.
+
+One day the Master said to him: "Three great dangers still threaten
+you. Every one who wishes to accomplish something out of the ordinary
+is exposed to them, for he is pursued by the envy of demons and
+spirits. And only those who can overcome these three great dangers
+live as long as the heavens."
+
+Then Sun Wu Kung was frightened and asked: "Is there any means of
+protection against these dangers?"
+
+Then the Master again murmured a secret incantation into his ear, by
+means of which he gained the power to transform himself seventy-two
+times.
+
+And when no more than a few days had passed Sun Wu Kung had learned
+the art.
+
+One day the Master was walking before the cave in the company of his
+disciples. He called Sun Wu Kung up to him and asked: "What progress
+have you made with your art? Can you fly already?"
+
+"Yes, indeed," said the ape.
+
+"Then let me see you do so."
+
+The ape leaped into the air to a distance of five or six feet from the
+ground. Clouds formed beneath his feet, and he was able to walk on
+them for several hundred yards. Then he was forced to drop down to
+earth again.
+
+The Master said with a smile: "I call that crawling around on the
+clouds, not floating on them, as do the gods and saints who fly over
+the whole world in a single day. I will teach you the magic
+incantation for turning somersaults on the clouds. If you turn one of
+those somersaults you advance eighteen thousand miles at a clip."
+
+Sun Wu Kung thanked him, full of joy, and from that time on he was
+able to move without limitation of space in any direction.
+
+One day Sun Wu Kung was sitting together with the other disciples
+under the pine-tree by the gate, discussing the secrets of their
+teachings. Finally they asked him to show them some of his
+transforming arts. Sun Wu Kung could not keep his secret to himself,
+and agreed to do so.
+
+With a smile he said: "Just set me a task! What do you wish me to
+change myself into?"
+
+They said: "Turn yourself into a pine-tree."
+
+So Sun Wu Kung murmured a magic incantation, turned around--and there
+stood a pine-tree before their very eyes. At this they all broke out
+into a horse-laugh. The Master heard the noise and came out of the
+gate, dragging his cane behind him.
+
+"Why are you making such a noise?" he called out to them harshly.
+
+Said they: "Sun Wu Kung has turned himself into a pine-tree, and this
+made us laugh."
+
+"Sun Wu Kung, come here!" said the Master. "Now just tell me what
+tricks you are up to? Why do you have to turn yourself into a
+pine-tree? All the work you have done means nothing more to you than a
+chance to make magic for your companions to wonder at. That shows
+that your heart is not yet under control."
+
+Humbly Sun Wu Kung begged his forgiveness.
+
+But the Master said: "I bear you no ill will, but you must go away."
+
+With tears in his eyes Sun Wu Kung asked him: "But where shall I go?"
+
+"You must go back again whence you came," said the Master. And when
+Sun Wu Kung sadly bade him farewell, he threatened him: "Your savage
+nature is sure to bring down evil upon you some time. You must tell no
+one that you are my pupil. If you so much as breathe a word about it,
+I will fetch your soul and lock it up in the nethermost hell, so that
+you cannot escape for a thousand eternities."
+
+Sun Wu Kung replied: "I will not say a word! I will not say a word!"
+
+Then he once more thanked him for all the kindness shown him, turned a
+somersault and climbed up to the clouds.
+
+Within the hour he had passed the seas, and saw the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits lying before him. Then he felt happy and at home
+again, let his cloud sink down to earth and cried: "Here I am back
+again, children!" And at once, from the valley, from behind the rocks,
+out of the grass and from amid the trees came his apes. They came
+running up by thousands, surrounded and greeted him, and inquired as
+to his adventures. Sun Wu Kung said: "I have now found the way to
+eternal life, and need fear Death the Ancient no longer." Then all the
+apes were overjoyed, and competed with each other in bringing flowers
+and fruits, peaches and wine, to welcome him. And again they honored
+Sun Wu Kung as the Handsome Ape King.
+
+Sun Wu Kung now gathered the apes about him and questioned them as to
+how they had fared during his absence.
+
+Said they: "It is well that you have come back again, great king! Not
+long ago a devil came here who wanted to take possession of our cave
+by force. We fought with him, but he dragged away many of your
+children and will probably soon return."
+
+Sun Wu Kung grew very angry and said: "What sort of a devil is this
+who dares be so impudent?"
+
+The apes answered: "He is the Devil-King of Chaos. He lives in the
+North, who knows how many miles away. We only saw him come and go amid
+clouds and mist."
+
+Sun Wu Kung said: "Wait, and I will see to him!" With that he turned a
+somersault and disappeared without a trace.
+
+In the furthest North rises a high mountain, upon whose slope is a
+cave above which is the inscription: "The Cave of the Kidneys." Before
+the door little devils were dancing. Sun Wu Kung called harshly to
+them: "Tell your Devil-King quickly that he had better give me my
+children back again!" The little devils were frightened, and delivered
+the message in the cave. Then the Devil-King reached for his sword and
+came out. But he was so large and broad that he could not even see Sun
+Wu Kung. He was clad from head to foot in black armor, and his face
+was as black as the bottom of a kettle. Sun Wu Kung shouted at him:
+"Accursed devil, where are your eyes, that you cannot see the
+venerable Sun?" Then the devil looked to the ground and saw a stone
+ape standing before him, bare-headed, dressed in red, with a yellow
+girdle and black boots. So the Devil-King laughed and said: "You are
+not even four feet high, less than thirty years of age, and
+weaponless, and yet you venture to make such a commotion." Said Sun Wu
+Kung: "I am not too small for you; and I can make myself large at
+will. You scorn me because I am without a weapon, but my two fists can
+thresh to the very skies." With that he stooped, clenched his fists
+and began to give the devil a beating. The devil was large and clumsy,
+but Sun Wu Kung leaped about nimbly. He struck him between the ribs
+and between the wind and his blows fell ever more fast and furious. In
+his despair the devil raised his great knife and aimed a blow at Sun
+Wu Kung's head. But the latter avoided the blow, and fell back on his
+magic powers of transformation. He pulled out a hair, put it in his
+mouth, chewed it, spat it out into the air and said: "Transform
+yourself!" And at once it turned into many hundreds of little apes who
+began to attack the devil. Sun Wu Kung, be it said, had eighty-four
+thousand hairs on his body, every single one of which he could
+transform. The little apes with their sharp eyes, leaped around with
+the greatest rapidity. They surrounded the Devil-King on all sides,
+tore at his clothes, and pulled at his legs, until he finally measured
+his length on the ground. Then Sun Wu Kung stepped up, tore his knife
+from his hand, and put an end to him. After that he entered the cave
+and released his captive children, the apes. The transformed hairs he
+drew to him again, and making a fire, he burned the evil cave to the
+ground. Then he gathered up those he had released, and flew back with
+them like a storm-wind to his cavern on the Mountain of Flowers and
+Fruits, joyfully greeted by all the apes.
+
+After Sun Wu Kung had obtained possession of the Devil-King's great
+knife, he exercised his apes every day. They had wooden swords and
+lances of bamboo, and played their martial music on reed pipes. He
+had them build a camp so that they would be prepared for all dangers.
+Suddenly the thought came to Sun Wu Kung: "If we go on this way,
+perhaps we may incite some human or animal king to fight with us, and
+then we would not be able to withstand him with our wooden swords and
+bamboo lances!" And to his apes he said: "What should be done?" Four
+baboons stepped forward and said: "In the capital city of the Aulai
+empire there are warriors without number. And there coppersmiths and
+steelsmiths are also to be found. How would it be if we were to buy
+steel and iron and have those smiths weld weapons for us?"
+
+A somersault and Sun Wu Kung was standing before the city moat. Said
+he to himself: "To first buy the weapons would take a great deal of
+time. I would rather make magic and take some." So he blew on the
+ground. Then a tremendous storm-wind arose which drove sand and stones
+before it, and caused all the soldiers in the city to run away in
+terror. Then Sun Wu Kung went to the armory, pulled out one of his
+hairs, turned it into thousands of little apes, cleared out the whole
+supply of weapons, and flew back home on a cloud.
+
+Then he gathered his people about him and counted them. In all they
+numbered seventy-seven thousand. They held the whole Mountain in
+terror, and all the magic beasts and spirit princes who dwelt on it.
+And these came forth from seventy-two caves and honored Sun Wu Kung as
+their head.
+
+One day the Ape King said: "Now you all have weapons; but this knife
+which I took from the Devil-King is too light, and no longer suits me.
+What should be done?"
+
+Then the four baboons stepped forward and said: "In view of your
+spirit powers, O king, you will find no weapon fit for your use on all
+the earth! Is it possible for you to walk through the water?"
+
+The Ape King answered: "All the elements are subject to me and there
+is no place where I cannot go."
+
+Then the baboons said: "The water at our cave here flows into the
+Great Sea, to the castle of the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. If
+your magic power makes it possible, you could go to the Dragon-King
+and let him give you a weapon."
+
+This suited the Ape King. He leaped on the iron bridge and murmured an
+incantation. Then he flung himself into the waves, which parted before
+him and ran on till he came to the palace of water-crystal. There he
+met a Triton who asked who he was. He mentioned his name and said: "I
+am the Dragon-King's nearest neighbor, and have come to visit him."
+The Triton took the message to the castle, and the Dragon-King of the
+Eastern Sea came out hastily to receive him. He bade him be seated and
+served him with tea.
+
+Sun Wu Kung said: "I have learned the hidden knowledge and gained the
+powers of immortality. I have drilled my apes in the art of warfare in
+order to protect our mountain; but I have no weapon I can use, and
+have therefore come to you to borrow one."
+
+The Dragon-King now had General Flounder bring him a great spear. But
+Sun Wu Kung was not satisfied with it. Then he ordered Field-Marshal
+Eel to fetch in a nine-tined fork, which weighed three thousand six
+hundred pounds. But Sun Wu Kung balanced it in his hand and said: "Too
+light! Too light! Too light!"
+
+Then the Dragon-King was frightened, and had the heaviest weapon in
+his armory brought in. It weighed seven thousand two hundred pounds.
+But this was still too light for Sun Wu Kung. The Dragon-King assured
+him that he had nothing heavier, but Sun Wu Kung would not give in and
+said: "Just look around!"
+
+Finally the Dragon-Queen and her daughter came out, and said to the
+Dragon-King: "This saint is an unpleasant customer with whom to deal.
+The great iron bar is still lying here in our sea; and not so long ago
+it shone with a red glow, which is probably a sign it is time for it
+to be taken away."
+
+Said the Dragon-King: "But that is the rod which the Great Yu used
+when he ordered the waters, and determined the depth of the seas and
+rivers. It cannot be taken away."
+
+The Dragon-Queen replied: "Just let him see it! What he then does with
+it is no concern of ours."
+
+So the Dragon-King led Sun Wu Kung to the measuring rod. The golden
+radiance that came from it could be seen some distance off. It was an
+enormous iron bar, with golden clamps on either side.
+
+Sun Wu Kung raised it with the exertion of all his strength, and then
+said: "It is too heavy, and ought to be somewhat shorter and thinner!"
+
+No sooner had he said this than the iron rod grew less. He tried it
+again, and then he noticed that it grew larger or smaller at command.
+It could be made to shrink to the size of a pin. Sun Wu Kung was
+overjoyed and beat about in the sea with the rod, which he had let
+grow large again, till the waves spurted mountain-high and the
+dragon-castle rocked on its foundations. The Dragon-King trembled with
+fright, and all his tortoises, fishes and crabs drew in their heads.
+
+Sun Wu Kung laughed, and said: "Many thanks for the handsome present!"
+Then he continued: "Now I have a weapon, it is true, but as yet I have
+no armor. Rather than hunt up two or three other households, I think
+you will be willing to provide me with a suit of mail."
+
+The Dragon-King told him that he had no armor to give him.
+
+Then the ape said: "I will not leave until you have obtained one for
+me." And once more he began to swing his rod.
+
+"Do not harm me!" said the terrified Dragon-King, "I will ask my
+brothers."
+
+And he had them beat the iron drum and strike the golden gong, and in
+a moment's time all the Dragon-King's brothers came from all the other
+seas. The Dragon-King talked to them in private and said: "This is a
+terrible fellow, and we must not rouse his anger! First he took the
+rod with the golden clamps from me, and now he also insists on having
+a suit of armor. The best thing to do would be to satisfy him at once,
+and complain of him to the Lord of the Heavens later."
+
+So the brothers brought a magic suit of golden mail, magic boots and a
+magic helmet.
+
+Then Sun Wu Kung thanked them and returned to his cave. Radiantly he
+greeted his children, who had come to meet him, and showed them the
+rod with the golden clamps. They all crowded up and wished to pick it
+up from the ground, if only a single time; but it was just as though a
+dragon-fly had attempted to overthrow a stone column, or an ant were
+trying to carry a great mountain. It would not move a hair's breadth.
+Then the apes opened their mouths and stuck out their tongues, and
+said: "Father, how is it possible for you to carry that heavy thing?"
+So he told them the secret of the rod and showed them its effects.
+Then he set his empire in order, and appointed the four baboons
+field-marshals; and the seven beast-spirits, the ox-spirit, the
+dragon-spirit, the bird-spirit, the lion-spirit and the rest also
+joined him.
+
+One day he took a nap after dinner. Before he did so he had let the
+bar shrink, and had stuck it in his ear. While he was sleeping he saw
+two men come along in his dream, who had a card on which was written
+"Sun Wu Kung." They would not allow him to resist, but fettered him
+and led his spirit away. And when they reached a great city the Ape
+King gradually came to himself. Over the city gate he saw a tablet of
+iron on which was engraved in large letters: "The Nether World."
+
+Then all was suddenly clear to him and he said: "Why, this must be the
+dwelling-place of Death! But I have long since escaped from his power,
+and how dare he have me dragged here!" The more he reflected the
+wilder he grew. He drew out the golden rod from his ear, swung it and
+let it grow large. Then he crushed the two constables to mush, burst
+his fetters, and rolled his bar before him into the city. The ten
+Princes of the Dead were frightened, bowed before him and asked: "Who
+are you?"
+
+Sun Wu Kung answered: "If you do not know me then why did you send for
+me and have me dragged to this place? I am the heaven-born saint Sun
+Wu Kung of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. And now, who are you?
+Tell me your names quickly or I will strike you!"
+
+The ten Princes of the Dead humbly gave him their names.
+
+Sun Wu Kung said: "I, the Venerable Sun, have gained the power of
+eternal life! You have nothing to say to me! Quick, let me have the
+Book of Life!"
+
+They did not dare defy him, and had the scribe bring in the Book. Sun
+Wu Kung opened it. Under the head of "Apes," No. 1350, he read: "Sun
+Wu Kung, the heaven-born stone ape. His years shall be three hundred
+and twenty-four. Then he shall die without illness."
+
+Sun Wu Kung took the brush from the table and struck out the whole ape
+family from the Book of Life, threw the Book down and said: "Now we
+are even! From this day on I will suffer no impertinences from you!"
+
+With that he cleared a way for himself out of the Nether World by
+means of his rod, and the ten Princes of the Dead did not venture to
+stay him, but only complained of him afterward to the Lord of the
+Heavens.
+
+When Sun Wu Kung had left the city he slipped and fell to the ground.
+This caused him to wake, and he noticed he had been dreaming. He
+called his four baboons to him and said: "Splendid, splendid! I was
+dragged to Death's castle and I caused considerable uproar there. I
+had them give me the Book of Life, and I struck out the mortal hour of
+all the apes!" And after that time the apes on the Mountain no longer
+died, because their names had been stricken out in the Nether World.
+
+But the Lord of the Heavens sat in his castle, and had all his
+servants assembled about him. And a saint stepped forward and
+presented the complaint of the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. And
+another stepped forward and presented the complaint of the ten Princes
+of the Dead. The Lord of the Heavens glanced through the two
+memorials. Both told of the wild, unmannerly conduct of Sun Wu Kung.
+So the Lord of the Heavens ordered a god to descend to earth and take
+him prisoner. The Evening Star came forward, however, and said: "This
+ape was born of the purest powers of heaven and earth and sun and
+moon. He has gained the hidden knowledge and has become an immortal.
+Recall, O Lord, your great love for all that which has life, and
+forgive him his sin! Issue an order that he be called up to the
+heavens, and be given a charge here, so that he may come to his
+senses. Then, if he again oversteps your commands, let him be punished
+without mercy." The Lord of the Heavens was agreeable, had the order
+issued, and told the Evening Star to take it to Sun Wu Kung. The
+Evening Star mounted a colored cloud and descended on the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits.
+
+He greeted Sun Wu Kung and said to him: "The Lord had heard of your
+actions and meant to punish you. I am the Evening Star of the Western
+Skies, and I spoke for you. Therefore he has commissioned me to take
+you to the skies, so that you may be given a charge there."
+
+Sun Wu Kung was overjoyed and answered: "I had just been thinking I
+ought to pay Heaven a visit some time, and sure enough, Old Star, here
+you have come to fetch me!"
+
+Then he had his four baboons come and said to them impressively: "See
+that you take good care of our Mountain! I am going up to the heavens
+to look around there a little!"
+
+Then he mounted a cloud together with the Evening Star and floated up.
+But he kept turning his somersaults, and advanced so quickly that the
+Evening Star on his cloud was left behind. Before he knew it he had
+reached the Southern Gate of Heaven and was about to step carelessly
+through. The gate-keeper did not wish to let him enter, but he did not
+let this stop him. In the midst of their dispute the Evening Star came
+up and explained matters, and then he was allowed to enter the
+heavenly gate. When he came to the castle of the Lord of the Heavens,
+he stood upright before it, without bowing his head.
+
+The Lord of the Heavens asked: "Then this hairy face with the pointed
+lips is Sun Wu Kung?"
+
+He replied: "Yes, I am the Venerable Sun!"
+
+All the servants of the Lord of the Heavens were shocked and said:
+"This wild ape does not even bow, and goes so far as to call himself
+the Venerable Sun. His crime deserves a thousand deaths!"
+
+But the Lord said: "He has come up from the earth below, and is not as
+yet used to our rules. We will forgive him."
+
+Then he gave orders that a charge be found for him. The marshal of the
+heavenly court reported: "There is no charge vacant anywhere, but an
+official is needed in the heavenly stables." Thereupon the Lord made
+him stablemaster of the heavenly steeds. Then the servants of the Lord
+of the Heavens told him he should give thanks for the grace bestowed
+on him. Sun Wu Kung called out aloud: "Thanks to command!" took
+possession of his certificate of appointment, and went to the stables
+in order to enter upon his new office.
+
+Sun Wu Kung attended to his duties with great zeal. The heavenly
+steeds grew sleek and fat, and the stables were filled with young
+foals. Before he knew it half a month had gone by. Then his heavenly
+friends prepared a banquet for him.
+
+While they were at table Sun Wu Kung asked accidentally:
+"Stablemaster? What sort of a title is that?"
+
+"Why, that is an official title," was the reply.
+
+"What rank has this office?"
+
+"It has no rank at all," was the answer.
+
+"Ah," said the ape, "is it so high that it outranks all other
+dignities?"
+
+"No, it is not high, it is not high at all," answered his friends.
+"It is not even set down in the official roster, but is quite a
+subordinate position. All you have to do is to attend to the steeds.
+If you see to it that they grow fat, you get a good mark; but if they
+grow thin or ill, or fall down, your punishment will be right at
+hand."
+
+Then the Ape King grew angry: "What, they treat me, the Venerable Sun,
+in such a shameful way!" and he started up. "On my Mountain I was a
+king, I was a father! What need was there for him to lure me into his
+heaven to feed horses? I'll do it no longer! I'll do it no longer!"
+
+Hola, and he had already overturned the table, drawn the rod with the
+golden clamps from his ear, let it grow large and beat a way out for
+himself to the Southern gate of Heaven. And no one dared stop him.
+
+Already he was back in his island Mountain and his people surrounded
+him and said: "You have been gone for more than ten years, great king!
+How is it you do not return to us until now?"
+
+The Ape King said: "I did not spend more than about ten days in
+Heaven. This Lord of the Heavens does not know how to treat his
+people. He made me his stablemaster, and I had to feed his horses. I
+am so ashamed that I am ready to die. But I did not put up with it,
+and now I am here once more!"
+
+His apes eagerly prepared a banquet to comfort him. While they sat at
+table two horned devil-kings came and brought him a yellow imperial
+robe as a present. Filled with joy he slipped into it, and appointed
+the two devil-kings leaders of the vanguard. They thanked him and
+began to flatter him: "With your power and wisdom, great king, why
+should you have to serve the Lord of the Heavens? To call you the
+Great Saint who is Heaven's Equal would be quite in order."
+
+The ape was pleased with this speech and said: "Good, good!" Then he
+ordered his four baboons to have a flag made quickly, on which was to
+be inscribed: "The Great Saint Who Is Heaven's Equal." And from that
+time on he had himself called by that title.
+
+When the Lord of the Heavens learned of the flight of the ape, he
+ordered Li Dsing, the pagoda-bearing god, and his third son, Notscha,
+to take the Ape King prisoner. They sallied forth at the head of a
+heavenly warrior host, laid out a camp before his cave, and sent a
+brave warrior to challenge him to single combat. But he was easily
+beaten by Sun Wu Kung and obliged to flee, and Sun Wu Kung even
+shouted after him, laughing: "What a bag of wind! And he calls himself
+a heavenly warrior! I'll not slay you. Run along quickly and send me a
+better man!"
+
+When Notscha saw this he himself hurried up to do battle.
+
+Said Sun Wu Kung to him: "To whom do you belong, little one? You must
+not play around here, for something might happen to you!"
+
+But Notscha cried out in a loud voice: "Accursed ape! I am Prince
+Notscha, and have been ordered to take you prisoner!" And with that he
+swung his sword in the direction of Sun Wu Kung.
+
+"Very well," said the latter, "I will stand here and never move."
+
+Then Notscha grew very angry, and turned into a three-headed god with
+six arms, in which he held six different weapons. Thus he rushed on to
+the attack.
+
+Sun Wu Kung laughed. "The little fellow knows the trick of it! But
+easy, wait a bit! I will change shape, too!"
+
+And he also turned himself into a figure with three heads and with six
+arms, and swung three gold-clamp rods. And thus they began to fight.
+Their blows rained down with such rapidity that it seemed as though
+thousands of weapons were flying through the air. After thirty rounds
+the combat had not yet been decided. Then Sun Wu Kung hit upon an
+idea. He secretly pulled out one of his hairs, turned it into his own
+shape, and let it continue the fight with Notscha. He himself,
+however, slipped behind Notscha, and gave him such a blow on the left
+arm with his rod that his knees gave way beneath him with pain, and he
+had to withdraw in defeat.
+
+So Notscha told his father Li Dsing: "This devil-ape is altogether too
+powerful! I cannot get the better of him!" There was nothing left to
+do but to return to the Heavens and admit their overthrow. The Lord of
+the Heavens bowed his head, and tried to think of some other hero whom
+he might send out.
+
+Then the Evening Star once more came forward and said: "This ape is so
+strong and so courageous, that probably not one of us here is a match
+for him. He revolted because the office of stablemaster appeared too
+lowly for him. The best thing would be to temper justice with mercy,
+let him have his way, and appoint him Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal. It will only be necessary to give him the empty title, without
+combining a charge with it, and then the matter would be settled." The
+Lord of the Heavens was satisfied with this suggestion, and once more
+sent the Evening Star to summon the new saint. When Sun Wu Kung heard
+that he had arrived, he said: "The old Evening Star is a good fellow!"
+and he had his army draw up in line to give him a festive reception.
+He himself donned his robes of ceremony and politely went out to meet
+him.
+
+Then the Evening Star told him what had taken place in the Heavens,
+and that he had his appointment as Great Saint Who Is Heaven's Equal
+with him.
+
+Thereupon the Great Saint laughed and said: "You also spoke in my
+behalf before, Old Star! And now you have again taken my part. Many
+thanks! Many thanks!"
+
+Then when they appeared together in the presence of the Lord of the
+Heavens the latter said: "The rank of Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal is very high. But now you must not cut any further capers."
+
+The Great Saint expressed his thanks, and the Lord of the Heavens
+ordered two skilled architects to build a castle for him East of the
+peach-garden of the Queen-Mother of the West. And he was led into it
+with all possible honors.
+
+Now the Saint was in his element. He had all that heart could wish
+for, and was untroubled by any work. He took his ease, walked about in
+the Heavens as he chose, and paid visits to the gods. The Three Pure
+Ones and the Four Rulers he treated with some little respect; but the
+planetary gods and the lords of the twenty-eight houses of the moon,
+and of the twelve zodiac signs, and the other stars he addressed
+familiarly with a "Hey, you!" Thus he idled day by day, without
+occupation among the clouds of the Heavens. On one occasion one of the
+wise said to the Lord of the Heavens: "The holy Sun is idle while day
+follows day. It is to be feared that some mischievous thoughts may
+occur to him, and it might be better to give him some charge."
+
+So the Lord of the Heavens summoned the Great Saint and said to him:
+"The life-giving peaches in the garden of the Queen-Mother will soon
+be ripe. I give you the charge of watching over them. Do your duty
+conscientiously!"
+
+This pleased the Saint and he expressed his thanks. Then he went to
+the garden, where the caretakers and gardeners received him on their
+knees.
+
+He asked them: "How many trees in all are there in the garden?"
+
+"Three thousand six hundred," replied the gardener. "There are
+twelve-hundred trees in the foremost row. They have red blossoms and
+bear small fruit, which ripens every three thousand years. Whoever
+eats it grows bright and healthy. The twelve hundred trees in the
+middle row have double blossoms and bear sweet fruit, which ripens
+every six thousand years. Whoever eats of it is able to float in the
+rose-dawn without aging. The twelve hundred trees in the last row bear
+red-striped fruit with small pits. They ripen every nine thousand
+years. Whoever eats their fruit lives eternally, as long as the
+Heavens themselves, and remains untouched for thousands of eons."
+
+The Saint heard all this with pleasure. He checked up the lists and
+from that time on appeared every day or so to see to things. The
+greater part of the peaches in the last row were already ripe. When he
+came to the garden, he would on each occasion send away the caretakers
+and gardeners under some pretext, leap up into the trees, and gorge
+himself to his heart's content with the peaches.
+
+At that time the Queen-Mother of the West was preparing the great
+peach banquet to which she was accustomed to invite all the gods of
+the Heavens. She sent out the fairies in their garments of seven
+colors with baskets, that they might pick the peaches. The caretaker
+said to them: "The garden has now been entrusted to the guardianship
+of the Great Saint Who is Heaven's Equal, so you will first have to
+announce yourselves to him." With that he led the seven fairies into
+the garden. There they looked everywhere for the Great Saint, but
+could not find him. So the fairies said: "We have our orders and must
+not be late. We will begin picking the peaches in the meantime!" So
+they picked several baskets full from the foremost row. In the second
+row the peaches were already scarcer. And in the last row there hung
+only a single half-ripe peach. They bent down the bough and picked it,
+and then allowed it to fly up again.
+
+Now it happened that the Great Saint, who had turned himself into a
+peach-worm, had just been taking his noon-day nap on this bough. When
+he was so rudely awakened, he appeared in his true form, seized his
+rod and was about to strike the fairies.
+
+But the fairies said: "We have been sent here by the Queen-Mother. Do
+not be angry, Great Saint!"
+
+Said the Great Saint: "And who are all those whom the Queen-Mother has
+invited?"
+
+They answered: "All the gods and saints in the Heavens, on the earth
+and under the earth."
+
+"Has she also invited me?" said the Saint.
+
+"Not that we know of," said the fairies.
+
+Then the Saint grew angry, murmured a magic incantation and said:
+"Stay! Stay! Stay!"
+
+With that the seven fairies were banned to the spot. The Saint then
+took a cloud and sailed away on it to the palace of the Queen-Mother.
+
+On the way he met the Bare-Foot God and asked him: "Where are you
+going?"
+
+"To the peach banquet," was the answer.
+
+Then the Saint lied to him, saying: "I have been commanded by the
+Lord of the Heavens to tell all the gods and saints that they are
+first to come to the Hall of Purity, in order to practise the rites,
+and then go together to the Queen-Mother."
+
+Then the Great Saint changed himself into the semblance of the
+Bare-Foot God and sailed to the palace of the Queen-Mother. There he
+let his cloud sink down and entered quite unconcerned. The meal was
+ready, yet none of the gods had as yet appeared. Suddenly the Great
+Saint caught the aroma of wine, and saw well-nigh a hundred barrels of
+the precious nectar standing in a room to one side. His mouth watered.
+He tore a few hairs out and turned them into sleep-worms. These worms
+crept into the nostrils of the cup-bearers so that they all fell
+asleep. Thereupon he enjoyed the delicious viands to the full, opened
+the barrels and drank until he was nearly stupefied. Then he said to
+himself: "This whole affair is beginning to make me feel creepy. I had
+better go home first of all and sleep a bit." And he stumbled out of
+the garden with uncertain steps. Sure enough, he missed his way, and
+came to the dwelling of Laotzse. There he regained consciousness. He
+arranged his clothing and went in. There was no one to be seen in the
+place, for at the moment Laotzse was at the God of Light's abode,
+talking to him, and with him were all his servants, listening. Since
+he found no one at home the Great Saint went as far as the inner
+chamber, where Laotzse was in the habit of brewing the elixir of life.
+Beside the stove stood five gourd containers full of the pills of life
+which had already been rolled. Said the Great Saint: "I had long since
+intended to prepare a couple of these pills. So it suits me very well
+to find them here." He poured out the contents of the gourds, and ate
+up all the pills of life. Since he had now had enough to eat and
+drink he thought to himself: "Bad, bad! The mischief I have done
+cannot well be repaired. If they catch me my life will be in danger. I
+think I had better go down to earth again and remain a king!" With
+that he made himself invisible, went out at the Western Gate of
+Heaven, and returned to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, where he
+told his people who received him the story of his adventures.
+
+When he spoke of the wine-nectar of the peach garden, his apes said:
+"Can't you go back once more and steal a few bottles of the wine, so
+that we too may taste of it and gain eternal life?"
+
+The Ape King was willing, turned a somersault, crept into the garden
+unobserved, and picked up four more barrels. Two of them he took under
+his arms and two he held in his hands. Then he disappeared with them
+without leaving a trace and brought them to his cave, where he enjoyed
+them together with his apes.
+
+In the meantime the seven fairies, whom the Great Saint had banned to
+the spot, had regained their freedom after a night and a day. They
+picked up their baskets and told the Queen-Mother what had happened to
+them. And the cup-bearers, too, came hurrying up and reported the
+destruction which some one unknown had caused among the eatables and
+drinkables. The Queen-Mother went to the Lord of the Heavens to
+complain. Shortly afterward Laotzse also came to him to tell about the
+theft of the pills of life. And the Bare-Foot God came along and
+reported that he had been deceived by the Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal; and from the Great Saint's palace the servants came running and
+said that the Saint had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Then
+the Lord of the Heavens was frightened, and said: "This whole mess is
+undoubtedly the work of that devilish ape!"
+
+Now the whole host of Heaven, together with all the star-gods, the
+time-gods and the mountain-gods was called out in order to catch the
+ape. Li Dsing once more was its commander-in-chief. He invested the
+entire Mountain, and spread out the sky-net and the earth-net, so that
+no one could escape. Then he sent his bravest heroes into battle.
+Courageously the ape withstood all attacks from early morn till
+sundown. But by that time his most faithful followers had been
+captured. That was too much for him. He pulled out a hair and turned
+it into thousands of Ape-Kings, who all hewed about them with
+golden-clamped iron rods. The heavenly host was vanquished, and the
+ape withdrew to his cave to rest.
+
+Now it happened that Guan Yin had also gone to the peach banquet in
+the garden, and had found out what Sun Wu Kung had done. When she went
+to visit the Lord of the Heavens, Li Dsing was just coming in, to
+report the great defeat which he had suffered on the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits. Then Guan Yin said to the Lord of the Heavens: "I
+can recommend a hero to you who will surely get the better of the ape.
+It is your grandson Yang Oerlang. He has conquered all the beast and
+bird spirits, and overthrown the elves in the grass and the brush. He
+knows what has to be done to get the better of such devils."
+
+So Yang Oerlang was brought in, and Li Dsing led him to his camp. Li
+Dsing asked Yang Oerlang how he would go about getting the better of
+the ape.
+
+Yang Oerlang laughed and said: "I think I will have to go him one
+better when it comes to changing shapes. It would be best for you to
+take away the sky-net so that our combat is not disturbed." Then he
+requested Li Dsing to post himself in the upper air with the magic
+spirit mirror in his hand, so that when the ape made himself
+invisible, he might be found again by means of the mirror. When all
+this had been arranged, Yang Oerlang went out in front of the cave
+with his spirits to give battle.
+
+The ape leaped out, and when he saw the powerful hero with the
+three-tined sword standing before him he asked: "And who may you be?"
+
+The other said: "I am Yang Oerlang, the grandson of the Lord of the
+Heavens!"
+
+Then the ape laughed and said: "Oh yes, I remember! His daughter ran
+away with a certain Sir Yang, to whom heaven gave a son. You must be
+that son!"
+
+Yang Oerlang grew furious, and advanced upon him with his spear. Then
+a hot battle began. For three hundred rounds they fought without
+decisive results. Then Yang Oerlang turned himself into a giant with a
+black face and red hair.
+
+"Not bad," said the ape, "but I can do that too!"
+
+So they continued to fight in that form. But the ape's baboons were
+much frightened. The beast and planet spirits of Yang Oerlang pressed
+the apes hard. They slew most of them and the others hid away. When
+the ape saw this his heart grew uneasy. He drew the magic
+giant-likeness in again, took his rod and fled. But Yang Oerlang
+followed hard on his heels. In his urgent need the ape thrust the rod,
+which he had turned into a needle, into his ear, turned into a
+sparrow, and flew up into the crest of a tree. Yang Oerlang who was
+following in his tracks, suddenly lost sight of him. But his keen eyes
+soon recognized that he had turned himself into a sparrow. So he flung
+away spear and crossbow, turned himself into a sparrow-hawk, and
+darted down on the sparrow. But the latter soared high into the air as
+a cormorant. Yang Oerlang shook his plumage, turned into a great
+sea-crane, and shot up into the clouds to seize the cormorant. The
+latter dropped, flew into a valley and dove beneath the waters of a
+brook in the guise of a fish. When Yang Oerlang reached the edge of
+the valley, and had lost his trail he said to himself: "This ape has
+surely turned himself into a fish or a crab! I will change my form as
+well in order to catch him." So he turned into a fish-hawk and floated
+above the surface of the water. When the ape in the water caught sight
+of the fish-hawk, he saw that he was Yang Oerlang. He swiftly swung
+around and fled, Yang Oerlang in pursuit. When the latter was no
+further away than the length of a beak, the ape turned, crept ashore
+as a water-snake and hid in the grass. Yang Oerlang, when he saw the
+water-snake creep from the water, turned into an eagle and spread his
+claws to seize the snake. But the water-snake sprang up and turned
+into the lowest of all birds, a speckled buzzard, and perched on the
+steep edge of a cliff. When Yang Oerlang saw that the ape had turned
+himself into so contemptible a creature as a buzzard, he would no
+longer play the game of changing form with him. He reappeared in his
+original form, took up his crossbow and shot at the bird. The buzzard
+slipped and fell down the side of the cliff. At its foot the ape
+turned himself into the chapel of a field-god. He opened his mouth for
+a gate, his teeth became the two wings of the door, his tongue the
+image of the god, and his eyes the windows. His tail was the only
+thing he did not know what to do with. So he let it stand up stiffly
+behind him in the shape of a flagpole. When Yang Oerlang reached the
+foot of the hill he saw the chapel, whose flagpole stood in the rear.
+Then he laughed and said: "That ape is really a devil of an ape! He
+wants to lure me into the chapel in order to bite me. But I will not
+go in. First I will break his windows for him, and then I will stamp
+down the wings of his door!" When the ape heard this he was much
+frightened. He made a bound like a tiger, and disappeared without a
+trace in the air. With a single somersault he reached Yang Oerlang's
+own temple. There he assumed Yang Oerlang's own form and stepped in.
+The spirits who were on guard were unable to recognize him. They
+received him on their knees. So the ape then seated himself on the
+god's throne, and had the prayers which had come in submitted to him.
+
+When Yang Oerlang no longer saw the ape, he rose in the air to Li
+Dsing and said: "I was vying with the ape in changing shape. Suddenly
+I could no longer find him. Take a look in the mirror!" Li Dsing took
+a look in the magic spirit mirror and then he laughed and said: "The
+ape has turned himself into your likeness, is sitting in your temple
+quite at home there, and making mischief." When Yang Oerlang heard
+this he took his three-tined spear, and hastened to his temple. The
+door-spirits were frightened and said: "But father came in only this
+very minute! How is it that another one comes now?" Yang Oerlang,
+without paying attention to them, entered the temple and aimed his
+spear at Sun Wu Kung. The latter resumed his own shape, laughed and
+said: "Young sir, you must not be angry! The god of this place is now
+Sun Wu Kung." Without uttering a word Yang Oerlang assailed him. Sun
+Wu Kung took up his rod and returned the blows. Thus they crowded out
+of the temple together, fighting, and wrapped in mists and clouds once
+more gained the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.
+
+In the meantime Guan Yin was sitting with Laotzse, the Lord of the
+Heavens and the Queen-Mother in the great hall of Heaven, waiting for
+news. When none came she said: "I will go with Laotzse to the
+Southern Gate of Heaven and see how matters stand." And when they saw
+that the struggle had still not come to an end she said to Laotzse:
+"How would it be if we helped Yang Oerlang a little? I will shut up
+Sun Wu Kung in my vase."
+
+But Laotzse said: "Your vase is made of porcelain. Sun Wu Kung could
+smash it with his iron rod. But I have a circlet of diamonds which can
+enclose all living creatures. That we can use!" So he flung his
+circlet through the air from the heavenly gate, and struck Sun Wu Kung
+on the head with it. Since he had his hands full fighting, the latter
+could not guard himself against it, and the blow on the forehead
+caused him to slip. Yet he rose again and tried to escape. But the
+heavenly hound of Yang Oerlang bit his leg until he fell to the
+ground. Then Yang Oerlang and his followers came up and tied him with
+thongs, and thrust a hook through his collar-bone so that he could no
+longer transform himself. And Laotzse took possession of his diamond
+circlet again, and returned with Guan Yin to the hall of Heaven. Sun
+Wu Kung was now brought in in triumph, and was condemned to be
+beheaded. He was then taken to the place of execution and bound to a
+post. But all efforts to kill him by means of ax and sword, thunder
+and lightning were vain. Nothing so much as hurt a hair on his head.
+
+Said Laotzse: "It is not surprising. This ape has eaten the peaches,
+has drunk the nectar and also swallowed the pills of life. Nothing can
+harm him. The best thing would be for me to take him along and thrust
+him into my stove in order to melt the elixir of life out of him
+again. Then he will fall into dust and ashes."
+
+So Sun Wu Kung's fetters were loosed, and Laotzse took him with him,
+thrust him into his oven, and ordered the boy to keep up a hot fire.
+
+But along the edge of the oven were graven the signs of the eight
+elemental forces. And when the ape was thrust into the oven he took
+refuge beneath the sign of the wind, so that the fire could not injure
+him; and the smoke only made his eyes smart. He remained in the oven
+seven times seven days. Then Laotzse had it opened to take a look. As
+soon as Sun Wu Kung saw the light shine in, he could no longer bear to
+be shut up, but leaped out and upset the magic oven. The guards and
+attendants he threw to the ground and Laotzse himself, who tried to
+seize him, received such a push that he stuck his legs up in the air
+like an onion turned upside down. Then Sun Wu Kung took his rod out of
+his ear, and without looking where he struck, hewed everything to
+bits, so that the star-gods closed their doors and the guardians of
+the Heavens ran away. He came to the castle of the Lord of the
+Heavens, and the guardian of the gate with his steel whip was only
+just in time to hold him back. Then the thirty-six thunder gods were
+set at him, and surrounded him, though they could not seize him.
+
+The Lord of the Heavens said: "Buddha will know what is to be done.
+Send for him quickly!"
+
+So Buddha came up out of the West with Ananada and Kashiapa, his
+disciples. When he saw the turmoil he said: "First of all, let weapons
+be laid aside and lead out the Saint. I wish to speak with him!" The
+gods withdrew. Sun Wu Kung snorted and said: "Who are you, who dare to
+speak to me?" Buddha smiled and replied: "I have come out of the
+blessed West, Shakiamuni Amitofu. I have heard of the revolt you have
+raised, and am come to tame you!"
+
+Said Sun Wu Kung: "I am the stone ape who has gained the hidden
+knowledge. I am master of seventy-two transformations, and will live
+as long as Heaven itself. What has the Lord of the Heavens
+accomplished that entitles him to remain eternally on his throne? Let
+him make way for me, and I will be satisfied!"
+
+Buddha replied with a smile: "You are a beast which has gained magic
+powers. How can you expect to rule here as Lord of the Heavens? Be it
+known to you that the Lord of the Heavens has toiled for eons in
+perfecting his virtues. How many years would you have to pass before
+you could attain the dignity he has gained? And then I must ask you
+whether there is anything else you can do, aside from playing your
+tricks of transformation?"
+
+Said Sun Wu Kung: "I can turn cloud somersaults. Each one carries me
+eighteen thousand miles ahead. Surely that is enough to entitle me to
+be the Lord of the Heavens?"
+
+Buddha answered with a smile: "Let us make a wager. If you can so much
+as leave my hand with one of your somersaults, then I will beg the
+Lord of the Heavens to make way for you. But if you are not able to
+leave my hand, then you must yield yourself to my fetters."
+
+Sun Wu Kung suppressed his laughter, for he thought: "This Buddha is a
+crazy fellow! His hand is not a foot long; how could I help but leap
+out of it?" So he opened his mouth wide and said: "Agreed!"
+
+Buddha then stretched out his right hand. It resembled a small
+lotus-leaf. Sun Wu Kung leaped up into it with one bound. Then he
+said: "Go!" And with that he turned one somersault after another, so
+that he flew along like a whirlwind. And while he was flying along he
+saw five tall, reddish columns towering to the skies. Then he thought:
+"That is the end of the world! Now I will turn back and become Lord of
+the Heavens. But first I will write down my name to prove that I was
+there." He pulled out a hair, turned it into a brush, and wrote with
+great letters on the middle column: "The Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal." Then he turned his somersaults again until he had reached the
+place whence he had come. He leaped down from the Buddha's hand
+laughing and cried: "Now hurry, and see to it that the Lord of the
+Heavens clears his heavenly castle for me! I have been at the end of
+the world and have left a sign there!"
+
+Buddha scolded: "Infamous ape! How dare you claim that you have left
+my hand? Take a look and see whether or not 'The Great Saint Who Is
+Heaven's Equal,' is written on my middle finger!"
+
+Sun Wu Kung was terribly frightened, for at the first glance he saw
+that this was the truth. Yet outwardly he pretended that he was not
+convinced, said he would take another look, and tried to make use of
+the opportunity to escape. But Buddha covered him with his hand,
+shoved him out of the gate of Heaven, and formed a mountain of water,
+fire, wood, earth and metal, which he softly set down on him to hold
+him fast. A magic incantation pasted on the mountain prevented his
+escape.
+
+Here he was obliged to lie for hundreds of years, until he finally
+reformed and was released, in order to help the Monk of the
+Yangtze-kiang fetch the holy writings from out of the West. He honored
+the Monk as his master, and thenceforward was known as the Wanderer.
+Guan Yin, who had released him, gave the Monk a golden circlet. Sun Wu
+Kung was induced to put it on, and it at once grew into his flesh so
+that he could not remove it. And Guan Yin gave the Monk a magic
+formula by means of which the ring could be tightened, should the ape
+grow disobedient. But from that time on he was always polite and
+well-mannered.
+
+    Note: This tale, like "The Pilgrim's Progress," is an
+    allegory, the ape symbolizing the human heart. Yet
+    despite its allegorical character, a number of
+    mythological and fairy-tale motives are incorporated in
+    it. The ape himself suggests Hanumant, the companion of
+    Rama. Yo Huang is the Lord of the Heavens. The stone ape
+    is the stone heart of natural man. The Buddhas, blessed
+    spirits and gods, represent the ideals of Buddhism,
+    Taoism and Confucianism. Sun Wu Kung: In Chinese apes
+    are called Hu Sun, but the word Hu having an unlucky
+    meaning, the Master chooses Sun as a family name, while
+    at the same time the letter-sign is freed from the
+    radical indicating an animal. Wu Kung--"the magic
+    awaking to nothingness" (Nirwana). The different ways:
+    magic, the way of raising spirits; the sciences: The
+    three faiths are: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism; to
+    these are added six "schools": the Yin-Yang School, the
+    Mo-Di School, Medicine, War, Law, Miscellaneous, so that
+    nine directions in all are represented. Quiescence is
+    the Taoism for non-activity, while Action is the Taoism
+    for care of the body, as inaugurated by We Be Yang. The
+    Devil-King of Chaos, i.e., sensuality, whose seat is
+    supposed to be in Kidneys. "Red garments," colors, here
+    all have an allegorical meaning. Death, i.e., Yama. The
+    Evening Star is the star of metal; Sun Wu Kung also
+    personifies a metal, hence the Evening Star appears as
+    his apologist. As regards Li Dsing and Notscha see No.
+    18. As regards the Queen Mother of the West, see No. 15.
+    As regards Yang Oerlang, see No. 17. Guan Yin is
+    generally worshipped throughout China as the Feminine
+    goddess. The motive of the magic flight is found
+    frequently in fairy-tales the world over. Guan Yin is
+    often represented holding a vase, Bau Ping. Laotzse's
+    circlet or ring is the Tao. The eight elemental powers,
+    i.e., Ba Gua. Buddha: while Sun Wu Kung is equipped to
+    struggle against all external powers, he is conquered by
+    Buddha, who does not combat him, but subdues him by his
+    omnipresence. The Monk of the Yangtze-kiang is Huan
+    Dschuang, see No. 69. The circlet or ring which can be
+    made tighter when the ape does not obey, reappears in
+    Hauff's fairy-tale of "The Young Englishman," as a
+    cravat.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Archaic spelling, e.g. rimes, phenix, is preserved as printed. Variable
+spelling has been made consistent where there was a prevalence of one
+form; otherwise it is preserved as printed, e.g. Kaiutschou &
+Kiautschou, Laotzse & Laotsze.
+
+Punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation, and capitalisation
+of proper nouns, has been made consistent. Typographic errors, e.g.
+omitted or transposed letters, have been repaired.
+
+The following amendments have been made:
+
+    Page 24--repeated 'the' deleted--"... "The Wolf and the
+    Seven Kids," ..."
+
+    Page 76--(I) added to end of title for consistency with
+    the table of contents--"THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)"
+
+    Page 82--omitted word Lan added--"Lan Tsai Ho, who is also
+    pictured as a woman, ..."
+
+    Page 82--(II) added to end of title for consistency with
+    the table of contents--"THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)"
+
+    Page 85--omitted word Yuan added--""We are Liu Tschen and
+    Yuan Dshau. Only a few days ago ...""
+
+    Page 289--superfluous 'the' deleted before 'Evening'--"Only,
+    the King had kept back Rose of Evening ..."
+
+Page 186--mentions the "Su Tsi Hia"--other similar references in the
+text are to the "Sin Tsi Hia" but, as the transcriber has been unable
+to confirm whether this is from the same source, it has been preserved
+as printed.
+
+Page 224--refers to a serving-maid holding a "red flabrum in her
+hand." Flabrum is a Latin word for breeze. This may be a typo for
+flagrum, a kind of scourge, but as it is impossible to be certain, it
+has been preserved as printed.
+
+Page 227--mentions a man who "descended to the upper story"--this
+should probably read "ascended to the upper story" but has been
+preserved as printed.
+
+Page 278--mentions a man "now, when young and old"--this may be an
+error for "young and bold" but has been preserved as printed.
+
+A number of the notes to the stories refer to other stories. On page
+17, there is a reference to No. 81. There is no story with this
+number, and, as the transcriber was unable to determine which story
+the author was referring to, it has been preserved as printed.
+
+The following amendments to references have also been made:
+
+    Page 17--67 amended to 68, and Fee amended to Fe--"...
+    (see No. 68, "Yang Gui Fe")."
+
+    Page 24--48 amended to 49--"... the same beast as "the
+    talking silver fox" in No. 49, ..."
+
+    Page 41--37 amended to 34--"... (comp. "Sky O'Dawn," No.
+    34); ..."
+
+    Page 52--73 amended to 74--"... occurs in the tale of Sun
+    Wu Kung (No. 74)."
+
+    Page 64--68 amended to 69--"As regards the Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang, comp. with No. 69."
+
+    Page 75--31 amended to 30--"... frequently used in the
+    preparation of the elixir of life (comp. No. 30)."
+
+    Page 83--63 amended to 51--"As regards the field-god, see
+    No. 51."
+
+    Page 137--62 amended to 63--"... the old river-god Ho Be
+    (Count of the Stream), also mentioned in No. 63, ..."
+
+    Page 142--75 amended to 74--"As regards the Dragon-King
+    of the Eastern Sea, see Nos. 18 and 74."
+
+    Page 142--45 amended to 46--"With regard to So Pi-Lo and
+    Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. 46."
+
+    Page 251--64 amended to 65--"... the Prince of Tang
+    mentioned in No. 65."
+
+    Page 251--49 amended to 50--"... and the ten princes of
+    the Nether World, comp. Nos. 38 and 50."
+
+    Page 251--73 amended to 74--"As regards one of the
+    legendary companions of Huan Dschuang on his journey,
+    see No. 74."
+
+    Page 329--68 amended to 69--"The Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang is Huan Dschuang, see No. 69."
+
+Illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in
+the middle of a paragraph. The frontispiece illustration and advertising
+material has been moved to follow the title page.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by Various
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+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by R. Wilhelm (Ed.) and Frederick H. Martens (Trans.).
+    </title>
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Chinese Fairy Book
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: R. Wilhelm
+
+Illustrator: George W. Hood
+
+Translator: Frederick H. Martens
+
+Release Date: September 8, 2009 [EBook #29939]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHINESE FAIRY BOOK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadboth" style="width: 395px;">
+<img src="images/cfb01.jpg" width="395" height="600"
+alt="Front cover of the book, featuring a Chinese dragon" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadboth" style="width: 781px;">
+<img src="images/cfb02.jpg" width="781" height="600"
+alt="Endpapers, showing a boy riding on a large tortoise" />
+</div>
+
+
+<table class="border" summary="Title page">
+<tr><td>
+<h1 class="padtop"><span class="smlfont">THE</span><br />
+CHINESE FAIRY<br />
+BOOK</h1>
+
+<p class="center smlpadt">EDITED BY<br />
+<span class="lrgfont">DR. R. WILHELM</span></p>
+
+<p class="center smlpadt padbase">TRANSLATED AFTER ORIGINAL SOURCES BY<br />
+<span class="lrgfont">FREDERICK H. MARTENS</span></p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadboth" style="width: 187px;">
+<img src="images/cfb03.png" width="187" height="235"
+alt="Publisher&#39;s device" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p class="center padtop"><span class="smlfont">WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY</span><br />
+GEORGE W. HOOD</p>
+
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase">NEW YORK<br />
+FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY<br />
+PUBLISHERS</p>
+</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase smlfont"><i>Copyright, 1921, by</i><br />
+<span class="smcap">Frederick A. Stokes Company</span><br />
+&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;<br />
+<i>All Rights Reserved</i></p>
+
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Other books in the series">
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdbrd">BOOKS IN THE &ldquo;FAIRY SERIES&rdquo;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdbrdb"><i>The English Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Welsh Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Irish Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Scottish Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Italian Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Hungarian Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Indian Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Jewish Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Swedish Fairy Book</i><br />
+<i>The Chinese Fairy Book</i></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 434px;">
+<a name="weaving_maiden" id="weaving_maiden"></a>
+<img src="images/cfb04.jpg" width="434" height="600"
+alt="The maiden walks on the bridge of crows" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;THE CROWS COME FLYING AND FORM A BRIDGE OVER
+WHICH THE WEAVING MAIDEN CROSSES THE
+SILVER RIVER.&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="subcapt">&mdash;<i>Page <a href="#Page_40">40</a></i></p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2>PREFACE</h2>
+
+
+<p>The fairy tales and legends of olden China have in
+common with the &ldquo;Thousand and One Nights&rdquo; an
+oriental glow and glitter of precious stones and gold
+and multicolored silks, an oriental wealth of fantastic
+and supernatural action. And yet they strike an exotic
+note distinct in itself. The seventy-three stories
+here presented after original sources, embracing
+&ldquo;Nursery Fairy Tales,&rdquo; &ldquo;Legends of the Gods,&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Tales of Saints and Magicians,&rdquo; &ldquo;Nature and Animal
+Tales,&rdquo; &ldquo;Ghost Stories,&rdquo; &ldquo;Historic Fairy Tales,&rdquo;
+and &ldquo;Literary Fairy Tales,&rdquo; probably represent the
+most comprehensive and varied collection of oriental
+fairy tales ever made available for American readers.
+There is no child who will not enjoy their novel color,
+their fantastic beauty, their infinite variety of subject.
+Yet, like the &ldquo;Arabian Nights,&rdquo; they will amply repay
+the attention of the older reader as well. Some are
+exquisitely poetic, such as &ldquo;The Flower-Elves,&rdquo; &ldquo;The
+Lady of the Moon&rdquo; or &ldquo;The Herd Boy and the Weaving
+Maiden&rdquo;; others like &ldquo;How Three Heroes Came
+By Their Deaths Because Of Two Peaches,&rdquo; carry us
+back dramatically and powerfully to the Chinese age
+of Chivalry. The summits of fantasy are scaled in the
+quasi-religious dramas of &ldquo;The Ape Sun Wu Kung&rdquo;
+and &ldquo;Notscha,&rdquo; or the weird sorceries unfolded in &ldquo;The
+Kindly Magician.&rdquo; Delightful ghost stories, with
+happy endings, such as &ldquo;A Night on the Battlefield&rdquo;
+and &ldquo;The Ghost Who Was Foiled,&rdquo; are paralleled
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span>
+with such idyllic love-tales as that of &ldquo;Rose of Evening,&rdquo;
+or such Lilliputian fancies as &ldquo;The King of the
+Ants&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Little Hunting Dog.&rdquo; It is quite
+safe to say that these Chinese fairy tales will give
+equal pleasure to the old as well as the young. They
+have been retold simply, with no changes in style or
+expression beyond such details of presentation which
+differences between oriental and occidental viewpoints
+at times compel. It is the writer&rsquo;s hope that others
+may take as much pleasure in reading them as he did
+in their translation.</p>
+
+<p class="sig smcap">Fredrick H. Martens.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of contents">
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt" colspan="3"><small>PAGE</small></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">&nbsp;</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Preface</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#Page_v">v</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">NURSERY FAIRY TALES</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt"><small>CHAPTER</small></td>
+    <td class="tdlsc" colspan="2">&nbsp;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">I</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Women&rsquo;s Words Part Flesh and Blood</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#I">1</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">II</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Three Rhymsters</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#II">4</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">III</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">How Greed for a Trifling Thing Led a Man to Lose a Great One</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#III">6</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">IV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Who Was the Sinner?</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#IV">9</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">V</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Magic Cask</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#V">10</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">VI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#VI">11</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">VII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Bird with Nine Heads</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#VII">13</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">VIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Cave of the Beasts</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#VIII">17</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">IX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Panther</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#IX">20</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">X</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Great Flood</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#X">24</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Fox and the Tiger</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XI">27</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Tiger&rsquo;s Decoy</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XII">28</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Fox and the Raven</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XIII">29</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Why Dog and Cat are Enemies</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XIV">30</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">LEGENDS OF THE GODS</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">How the Five Ancients Became Men</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XV">35</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XVI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XVI">37</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XVII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Yang Oerlang</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XVII">42</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span>XVIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Notscha</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XVIII">44</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XIX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Lady of the Moon</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XIX">53</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Morning and the Evening Star</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XX">55</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Girl with the Horse&rsquo;s Head or the Silkworm Goddess</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXI">56</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Queen of Heaven</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXII">58</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Fire-God</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXIII">61</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Three Ruling Gods</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXIV">62</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">A Legend of Confucius</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXV">64</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXVI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The God of War</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXVI">66</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXVII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Halos of the Saints</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXVII">71</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXVIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Laotsze</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXVIII">73</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXIX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Ancient Man</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXIX">75</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Eight Immortals (I)</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXX">76</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Eight Immortals (II)</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXI">82</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Two Scholars</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXII">84</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Miserly Farmer</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXIII">88</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Sky O&rsquo;Dawn</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXIV">90</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">King Mu of Dschou</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXV">95</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXVI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The King of Huai Nan</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXVI">99</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXVII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Old Dschang</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXVII">102</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXVIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Kindly Magician</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXVIII">107</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">NATURE AND ANIMAL TALES</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XXXIX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Flower-Elves</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XXXIX">119</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XL</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Spirit of the Wu-Lian Mountain</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XL">124</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span>XLI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The King of the Ants</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLI">125</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Little Hunting Dog</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLII">127</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Dragon After His Winter Sleep</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLIII">130</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Spirits of the Yellow River</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLIV">131</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Dragon-Princess</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLV">137</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLVI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Help in Need</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLVI">142</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLVII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Disowned Princess</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLVII">151</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLVIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Fox-Fire</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLVIII">161</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">GHOST STORIES</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">XLIX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Talking Silver Foxes</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#XLIX">165</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">L</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Constable</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#L">168</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Dangerous Reward</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LI">174</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Retribution</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LII">177</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Ghost Who Was Foiled</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LIII">180</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Punishment of Greed</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LIV">184</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Night on the Battlefield</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LV">186</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LVI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Kingdom of the Ogres</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LVI">189</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LVII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LVII">196</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LVIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Flying Ogre</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LVIII">199</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LIX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Black Arts</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LIX">201</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">HISTORIC LEGENDS</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Sorcerer of the White Lotus Lodge</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LX">209</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Three Evils</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXI">212</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">How Three Heroes Came By Their Deaths Because of Two Peaches</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXII">215</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">How the River God&rsquo;s Wedding Was Broken Off</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXIII">218</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt"><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span>LXIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Dschang Liang</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXIV">220</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Old Dragonbeard</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXV">223</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXVI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">How Molo Stole the Lovely Rose-Red</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXVI">231</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXVII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Golden Canister</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXVII">235</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXVIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Yang Gui Fe</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXVIII">240</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXIX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Monk of the Yangtze-Kiang</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXIX">243</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdc" colspan="3">LITERARY FAIRY TALES</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXX</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Heartless Husband</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXX">251</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXXI</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Giauna the Beautiful</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXXI">261</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXXII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Frog Princess</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXXII">271</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXXIII</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">Rose of Evening</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXXIII">280</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt">LXXIV</td>
+    <td class="tdlsc">The Ape Sun Wu Kung</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#LXXIV">288</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span></p>
+
+<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="List of illustrations">
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;The crows come flying and form a bridge over which the Weaving Maiden crosses the Silver River&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#weaving_maiden"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdrt" colspan="2"><small>FACING PAGE</small></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;Beside it stood a Cassia-tree&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#cassia_tree">54</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;&lsquo;And I crossed the water on the shoe&rsquo;&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#water_shoe">90</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;A fisherboy dived into the water and brought up a pearl from beneath the chin of a black dragon&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#pearl_diver">138</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;Tsian Tang brought out a platter of red amber on which lay a carbuncle&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#red_amber">156</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;Then he took his master and Rose-Red upon his back and flew with them over the steep walls&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdrb"><a href="#flying_master">234</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii"><!-- unnumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h1 class="padtop">THE CHINESE FAIRY BOOK</h1>
+
+
+<h2 class="padtop">NURSERY FAIRY TALES</h2>
+
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="I" id="I"></a>I<br />
+<br />
+WOMEN&rsquo;S WORDS PART FLESH AND BLOOD</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there were two brothers, who
+lived in the same house. And the big brother
+listened to his wife&rsquo;s words, and because of them fell
+out with the little one. Summer had begun, and the
+time for sowing the high-growing millet had come.
+The little brother had no grain, and asked the big one
+to loan him some, and the big one ordered his wife to
+give it to him. But she took the grain, put it in a large
+pot and cooked it until it was done. Then she gave it
+to the little fellow. He knew nothing about it, and went
+and sowed his field with it. Yet, since the grain had
+been cooked, it did not sprout. Only a single grain of
+seed had not been cooked; so only a single sprout shot
+up. The little brother was hard-working and industrious
+by nature, and hence he watered and hoed the
+sprout all day long. And the sprout grew mightily,
+like a tree, and an ear of millet sprang up out of it like
+a canopy, large enough to shade half an acre of
+ground. In the fall the ear was ripe. Then the little
+brother took his ax and chopped it down. But no
+sooner had the ear fallen to the ground, than an
+enormous Roc came rushing down, took the ear in his
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>
+beak and flew away. The little brother ran after him
+as far as the shore of the sea.</p>
+
+<p>Then the bird turned and spoke to him like a human
+being, as follows: &ldquo;You should not seek to harm me!
+What is this one ear worth to you? East of the sea
+is the isle of gold and silver. I will carry you across.
+There you may take whatever you want, and become
+very rich.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The little brother was satisfied, and climbed on the
+bird&rsquo;s back, and the latter told him to close his eyes.
+So he only heard the air whistling past his ears, as
+though he were driving through a strong wind, and
+beneath him the roar and surge of flood and waves.
+Suddenly the bird settled on a rock: &ldquo;Here we are!&rdquo;
+he said.</p>
+
+<p>Then the little brother opened his eyes and looked
+about him: and on all sides he saw nothing but the
+radiance and shimmer of all sorts of white and yellow
+objects. He took about a dozen of the little things
+and hid them in his breast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have you enough?&rdquo; asked the Roc.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, I have enough,&rdquo; he replied.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is well,&rdquo; answered the bird. &ldquo;Moderation
+protects one from harm.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he once more took him up, and carried him
+back again.</p>
+
+<p>When the little brother reached home, he bought
+himself a good piece of ground in the course of time,
+and became quite well to do.</p>
+
+<p>But his brother was jealous of him, and said to
+him, harshly: &ldquo;Where did you manage to steal the
+money?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the little one told him the whole truth of the
+matter. Then the big brother went home and took
+counsel with his wife.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Nothing easier,&rdquo; said his wife. &ldquo;I will just cook
+grain again and keep back one seedling so that it is
+not done. Then you shall sow it, and we will see what
+happens.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner said than done. And sure enough, a single
+sprout shot up, and sure enough, the sprout bore a
+single ear of millet, and when harvest time came
+around, the Roc again appeared and carried it off in
+his beak. The big brother was pleased, and ran after
+him, and the Roc said the same thing he had said before,
+and carried the big brother to the island. There
+the big brother saw the gold and silver heaped up
+everywhere. The largest pieces were like hills, the
+small ones were like bricks, and the real tiny ones were
+like grains of sand. They blinded his eyes. He only
+regretted that he knew of no way by which he could
+move mountains. So he bent down and picked up as
+many pieces as possible.</p>
+
+<p>The Roc said: &ldquo;Now you have enough. You will
+overtax your strength.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have patience but a little while longer,&rdquo; said the
+big brother. &ldquo;Do not be in such a hurry! I must get
+a few more pieces!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And thus time passed.</p>
+
+<p>The Roc again urged him to make haste: &ldquo;The sun
+will appear in a moment,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;and the sun is so
+hot it burns human beings up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wait just a little while longer,&rdquo; said the big
+brother. But that very moment a red disk broke
+through the clouds with tremendous power. The Roc
+flew into the sea, stretched out both his wings, and beat
+the water with them in order to escape the heat. But
+the big brother was shrivelled up by the sun.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>
+Note: This fairy-tale is traditionally narrated. The Roc is
+called <i>pong</i> in Chinese, and the treasures on the island are spoken
+of as &ldquo;all sorts of yellow and white objects&rdquo; because the little
+fellow does not know that they are gold and silver.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="II" id="II"></a>II<br />
+<br />
+THE THREE RHYMSTERS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE there were three daughters in a family. The
+oldest one married a physician, the second one
+married a magistrate; but the third, who was more than
+usually intelligent and a clever talker, married a
+farmer.</p>
+
+<p>Now it chanced, once upon a time, that their parents
+were celebrating a birthday. So the three daughters
+came, together with their husbands, to wish them long
+life and happiness. The parents-in-law prepared a
+meal for their three sons-in-law, and put the birthday
+wine on the table. But the oldest son-in-law, who knew
+that the third one had not attended school, wanted
+to embarrass him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is far too tiresome,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;just to sit here
+drinking: let us have a drinking game. Each one of
+us must invent a verse, one that rimes and makes
+sense, on the words: &lsquo;in the sky, on the earth, at the
+table, in the room,&rsquo; And whoever cannot do so, must
+empty three glasses as a punishment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All the company were satisfied. Only the third son-in-law
+felt embarrassed and insisted on leaving. But
+the guests would not let him go, and obliged him to
+keep his seat.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>
+Then the oldest son-in-law began: &ldquo;I will make a
+start with my verse. Here it is:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;In the sky the phenix proudly flies,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On the earth the lambkin tamely lies,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">At the table through an ancient book I wade,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">In the room I softly call the maid.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The second one continued: &ldquo;And I say:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;In the sky the turtle-dove flies round,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On the earth the ox paws up the ground,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">At the table one studies the deeds of yore,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">In the room the maid she sweeps the floor.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>But the third son-in-law stuttered, and found nothing
+to say. And when all of them insisted, he broke
+out in rough tones of voice:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;In the sky&mdash;flies a leaden bullet,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On the earth&mdash;stalks a tiger-beast,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On the table&mdash;lies a pair of scissors,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">In the room&mdash;I call the stable-boy.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The other two sons-in-law clapped their hands and
+began to laugh loudly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why the four lines do not rime at all,&rdquo; said they,
+&ldquo;and, besides they do not make sense. A leaden bullet
+is no bird, the stable-boy does his work outside, would
+you call him into the room? Nonsense, nonsense!
+Drink!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Yet before they had finished speaking, the third
+daughter raised the curtain of the women&rsquo;s room, and
+stepped out. She was angry, yet she could not suppress
+a smile.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How so do our lines not make sense?&rdquo; said she.
+&ldquo;Listen a moment, and I&rsquo;ll explain them to you: In
+the sky our leaden bullet will shoot your phenix and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>
+your turtle-dove. On the earth our tiger-beast will
+devour your sheep and your ox. On the table our pair
+of scissors will cut up all your old books. And finally,
+in the room&mdash;well, the stable-boy can marry your
+maid!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the oldest son-in-law said: &ldquo;Well scolded!
+Sister-in-law, you know how to talk! If you were a
+man you would have had your degree long ago. And,
+as a punishment, we will empty our three glasses.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This is also a fairy-tale traditionally handed down.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="III" id="III"></a>III<br />
+<br />
+HOW GREED FOR A TRIFLING THING LED A MAN TO
+LOSE A GREAT ONE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was an old woman, who
+had two sons. But her older son did not love
+his parents, and left his mother and brother. The
+younger one served her so faithfully, however, that all
+the people spoke of his filial affection.</p>
+
+<p>One day it happened that there was a theatrical performance
+given outside the village. The younger son
+started to carry his mother there on his back, so that
+she might look on. But there was a ravine before the
+village, and he slipped and fell down in the middle of
+it. And his mother was killed by the rolling stones,
+and her blood and flesh were sprinkled about everywhere.
+The son stroked his mother&rsquo;s corpse, and wept
+bitterly. He was about to kill himself when, suddenly,
+he saw a priest standing before him.</p>
+
+<p>The latter said: &ldquo;Have no fear, for I can bring
+your mother back to life again!&rdquo; And as he said so,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>
+he stooped, gathered up her flesh and bones, and laid
+them together as they should be. Then he breathed upon
+them, and at once the mother was alive again. This
+made the son very happy, and he thanked the priest on
+his knees. Yet on a sharp point of rock he still saw a
+bit of his mother&rsquo;s flesh hanging, a bit about an inch
+long.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That should not be left hanging there either,&rdquo; said
+he, and hid it in his breast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In truth, you love your mother as a son should,&rdquo;
+said the priest. Then he bade the son give him the bit
+of flesh, kneaded a manikin out of it, breathed upon
+it, and in a minute there it stood, a really fine-looking
+little boy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;His name is Small Profit,&rdquo; said he, turning to the
+son, &ldquo;and you may call him brother. You are poor
+and have not the wherewithal with which to nourish
+your mother. If you need something, Small Profit can
+get it for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The son thanked him once more, then took his mother
+on his back again, and his new little brother by the
+hand, and went home. And when he said to Small
+Profit: &ldquo;Bring meat and wine!&rdquo; then meat and wine
+were at hand at once, and steaming rice was already
+cooking in the pot. And when he said to Small Profit:
+&ldquo;Bring money and cloth!&rdquo; then his purse filled itself
+with money, and the chests were heaped up with cloth
+to the brim. Whatever he asked for that he received.
+Thus, in the course of time, they came to be very well
+off indeed.</p>
+
+<p>But his older brother envied him greatly. And
+when there was another theatrical performance in the
+village, he took his mother on his back&mdash;by force&mdash;and
+went to it. And when he reached the ravine, he slipped
+purposely, and let his mother fall into the depths,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>
+only intent to see that she really was shattered into
+fragments. And sure enough his mother had such a
+bad fall that her limbs and trunk were strewn around
+in all directions. He then climbed down, took his
+mother&rsquo;s head in his hands, and pretended to weep.</p>
+
+<p>And at once the priest was on hand again, and said:
+&ldquo;I can wake the dead to life again, and surround white
+bones with flesh and blood!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he did as he had done before, and the mother
+came to life again. But the older brother already had
+hidden one of her ribs on purpose. He now pulled it
+out and said to the priest: &ldquo;Here is a bone left.
+What shall I do with it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The priest took the bone, enclosed it in lime and
+earth, breathed upon it, as he had done the other time,
+and it became a little man, resembling Small Profit,
+but larger in stature.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;His name is Great Duty,&rdquo; he told his older brother,
+&ldquo;if you stick to him he will always lend you a hand.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The son took his mother back again, and Great Duty
+walked beside him.</p>
+
+<p>When he came to their courtyard door, he saw his
+younger brother coming out, holding Small Profit in his
+arms.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going?&rdquo; he said to him.</p>
+
+<p>His brother answered: &ldquo;Small Profit is a divine
+being, who does not wish to dwell for all time among
+men. He wants to fly back to the heavens, and so I
+am escorting him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Give Small Profit to me! Don&rsquo;t let him get away!&rdquo;
+cried the older brother.</p>
+
+<p>Yet, before he had ended his speech, Small Profit was
+rising in the air. The older brother then quickly let
+his mother drop on the ground, and stretched out his
+hand to catch Small Profit. But he did not succeed,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span>
+and now Great Duty, too, rose from the ground, took
+Small Profit&rsquo;s hand, and together they ascended to the
+clouds and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Then the older brother stamped on the ground, and
+said with a sigh: &ldquo;Alas, I have lost my Great Duty
+because I was too greedy for that Small Profit!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: In China&mdash;usually on festive days or because of some
+religious celebration&mdash;a provisional stage is erected before the village
+or temple, and a play given. Permanent theaters are to be
+found only in the large cities.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV<br />
+<br />
+WHO WAS THE SINNER?</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there were ten farmers, who
+were crossing a field together. They were
+surprised by a heavy thunder-storm, and took refuge
+in a half-ruined temple. But the thunder drew ever
+nearer, and so great was the tumult that the air trembled
+about them, while the lightning flew around the
+temple in a continuous circle. The farmers were
+greatly frightened, and thought that there must be a
+sinner among them, whom the lightning would strike.
+In order to find out who it might be, they agreed to
+hang their straw hats up before the door, and he whose
+hat was blown away was to yield himself up to his fate.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner were the hats outside, than one of them
+was blown away, and the rest thrust its unfortunate
+owner out of doors without pity. But as soon as
+he had left the temple the lightning ceased circling
+around, and struck it with a crash.</p>
+
+<p>The one whom the rest had thrust out, had been the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span>
+only righteous one among them, and for his sake the
+lightning had spared the temple. So the other nine
+had to pay for their hard-heartedness with their lives.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: A traditionally narrated fairy-tale.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="V" id="V"></a>V<br />
+<br />
+THE MAGIC CASK</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a man who dug up a
+big, earthenware cask in his field. So he took it
+home with him and told his wife to clean it out. But
+when his wife started brushing the inside of the cask,
+the cask suddenly began to fill itself with brushes. No
+matter how many were taken out, others kept on taking
+their place. So the man sold the brushes, and the
+family managed to live quite comfortably.</p>
+
+<p>Once a coin fell into the cask by mistake. At once
+the brushes disappeared and the cask began to fill
+itself with money. So now the family became rich; for
+they could take as much money out of the cask as ever
+they wished.</p>
+
+<p>Now the man had an old grandfather at home, who
+was weak and shaky. Since there was nothing else he
+could do, his grandson set him to work shoveling
+money out of the cask, and when the old grandfather
+grew weary and could not keep on, he would fall into
+a rage, and shout at him angrily, telling him he was lazy
+and did not want to work. One day, however, the old
+man&rsquo;s strength gave out, and he fell into the cask
+and died. At once the money disappeared, and the
+whole cask began to fill itself with dead grandfathers.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>
+Then the man had to pull them all out and have them
+buried, and for this purpose he had to use up again all
+the money he had received. And when he was through,
+the cask broke, and he was just as poor as before.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Magic Cask&rdquo; is a traditionally narrated tale. In
+Northern China wooden casks or barrels are unknown. Large
+vessels, open at the top, of earth or stone are used to hold water and
+other liquids.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI<br />
+<br />
+THE FAVORITE OF FORTUNE AND THE CHILD OF ILL LUCK</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a proud prince who
+had a daughter. But the daughter was a child
+of ill luck. When it came time for her to marry, she
+had all her suitors assemble before her father&rsquo;s palace.
+She was going to throw down a ball of red silk among
+them, and whoever caught it was to be her husband.
+Now there were many princes and counts gathered
+before the castle, and in their midst there was also a
+beggar. And the princess could see dragons crawling
+into his ears and crawling out again from his
+nostrils, for he was a child of luck. So she threw the
+ball to the beggar and he caught it.</p>
+
+<p>Her father asked angrily: &ldquo;Why did you throw
+the ball into the beggar&rsquo;s hands?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He is a favorite of Fortune,&rdquo; said the princess,
+&ldquo;I will marry him, and then, perhaps, I will share in
+his good luck.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But her father would not hear of it, and since she insisted,
+he drove her from the castle in his rage. So
+the princess had to go off with the beggar. She dwelt
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>
+with him in a little hut, and had to hunt for herbs and
+roots, and cook them herself, so that they might have
+something to eat; and often they both went hungry.</p>
+
+<p>One day her husband said to her: &ldquo;I will set out
+and seek my fortune. And when I have found it, I will
+come back again and fetch you.&rdquo; The princess was
+willing, and he went away, and was gone for eighteen
+years. Meanwhile the princess lived in want and
+affliction, for her father remained hard and merciless.
+If her mother had not secretly given her food and money,
+no doubt she would have starved to death during
+all that time.</p>
+
+<p>But the beggar found his fortune, and at length
+became emperor. He returned and stood before his
+wife. She however, no longer recognized him: She
+only knew that he was the powerful emperor.</p>
+
+<p>He asked her how she were getting along.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why do you ask me how I am getting along?&rdquo; she
+replied. &ldquo;I am too far beneath your notice.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And who may your husband be!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My husband was a beggar. He went away to seek
+his fortune. That was eighteen years ago, and he has
+not yet returned.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And what have you done during all those long
+years?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have been waiting for him to return.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you wish to marry some one else, seeing
+that he has been missing so long?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, I will remain his wife until I die.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the emperor saw how faithful his wife was, he
+told her who he was, had her clothed in magnificent
+garments, and took her with him to his imperial palace.
+And there they lived in splendor and happiness.</p>
+
+<p>After a few days the emperor said to his wife: &ldquo;We
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span>
+spend every day in festivities, as though every day
+were New Year.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And why should we not celebrate,&rdquo; answered his
+wife, &ldquo;since we have now become emperor and
+empress?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Yet his wife was a child of ill luck. When she had
+been empress no more than eighteen days, she fell
+sick and died. But her husband lived for many a long
+year.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck&rdquo; is a
+traditionally narrated fairy-tale. The dragon is the symbol of imperial
+rule, and the New Year&rsquo;s feasts, which old and young celebrate
+for weeks, is the greatest of Chinese festivals.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII<br />
+<br />
+THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">L</span>ONG, long ago, there once lived a king and a queen
+who had a daughter. One day, when the daughter
+went walking in the garden, a tremendous storm
+suddenly came up and carried her away with it. Now
+the storm had come from the bird with nine heads, who
+had robbed the princess, and brought her to his cave.
+The king did not know whither his daughter had disappeared,
+so he had proclaimed throughout the land:
+&ldquo;Whoever brings back the princess may have her for
+his bride!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now a youth had seen the bird as he was carrying the
+princess to his cave. This cave, though, was in the
+middle of a sheer wall of rock. One could not climb
+up to it from below, nor could one climb down to it
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>
+from above. And as the youth was walking around
+the rock, another youth came along and asked him
+what he was doing there. So the first youth told him
+that the bird with nine heads had carried off the king&rsquo;s
+daughter, and had brought her up to his cave. The
+other chap knew what he had to do. He called together
+his friends, and they lowered the youth to the
+cave in a basket. And when he went into the cave, he
+saw the king&rsquo;s daughter sitting there, and washing the
+wound of the bird with nine heads; for the hound of
+heaven had bitten off his tenth head, and his wound
+was still bleeding. The princess, however, motioned
+to the youth to hide, and he did so. When the king&rsquo;s
+daughter had washed his wound and bandaged it, the
+bird with nine heads felt so comfortable, that one
+after another, all his nine heads fell asleep. Then
+the youth stepped forth from his hiding-place, and cut
+off his nine heads with a sword. But the king&rsquo;s daughter
+said: &ldquo;It would be best if you were hauled up
+first, and I came after.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said the youth. &ldquo;I will wait below here, until
+you are in safety.&rdquo; At first the king&rsquo;s daughter was
+not willing; yet at last she allowed herself to be persuaded,
+and climbed into the basket. But before she
+did so, she took a long pin from her hair, broke it into
+two halves and gave him one and kept the other.
+She also divided her silken kerchief with him, and told
+him to take good care of both her gifts. But when the
+other man had drawn up the king&rsquo;s daughter, he took
+her along with him, and left the youth in the cave, in
+spite of all his calling and pleading.</p>
+
+<p>The youth now took a walk about the cave. There
+he saw a number of maidens, all of whom had been
+carried off by the bird with nine heads, and who had
+perished there of hunger. And on the wall hung a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>
+fish, nailed against it with four nails. When he
+touched the fish, the latter turned into a handsome
+youth, who thanked him for delivering him, and they
+agreed to regard each other as brothers. Soon the
+first youth grew very hungry. He stepped out in front
+of the cave to search for food, but only stones were lying
+there. Then, suddenly, he saw a great dragon, who
+was licking a stone. The youth imitated him, and before
+long his hunger had disappeared. He next asked
+the dragon how he could get away from the cave, and
+the dragon nodded his head in the direction of his tail,
+as much as to say he should seat himself upon it. So
+he climbed up, and in the twinkling of an eye he was
+down on the ground, and the dragon had disappeared.
+He then went on until he found a tortoise-shell full of
+beautiful pearls. But they were magic pearls, for if
+you flung them into the fire, the fire ceased to burn and
+if you flung them into the water, the water divided and
+you could walk through the midst of it. The youth
+took the pearls out of the tortoise-shell, and put them
+in his pocket. Not long after he reached the sea-shore.
+Here he flung a pearl into the sea, and at once the
+waters divided and he could see the sea-dragon. The
+sea-dragon cried: &ldquo;Who is disturbing me here in my
+own kingdom?&rdquo; The youth answered: &ldquo;I found
+pearls in a tortoise-shell, and have flung one into the
+sea, and now the waters have divided for me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If that is the case,&rdquo; said the dragon, &ldquo;then come
+into the sea with me and we will live there together.&rdquo;
+Then the youth recognized him for the same dragon
+whom he had seen in the cave. And with him was the
+youth with whom he had formed a bond of brotherhood:
+He was the dragon&rsquo;s son.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since you have saved my son and become his brother,
+I am your father,&rdquo; said the old dragon. And he
+entertained him hospitably with food and wine.</p>
+
+<p>One day his friend said to him: &ldquo;My father is sure
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>
+to want to reward you. But accept no money, nor any
+jewels from him, but only the little gourd flask over
+yonder. With it you can conjure up whatever you
+wish.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, sure enough, the old dragon asked him what he
+wanted by way of a reward, and the youth answered:
+&ldquo;I want no money, nor any jewels. All I want is the
+little gourd flask over yonder.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At first the dragon did not wish to give it up, but
+at last he did let him have it, after all. And then the
+youth left the dragon&rsquo;s castle.</p>
+
+<p>When he set his foot on dry land again he felt hungry.
+At once a table stood before him, covered with a fine
+and plenteous meal. He ate and drank. After he had
+gone on a while, he felt weary. And there stood an ass,
+waiting for him, on which he mounted. After he had
+ridden for a while, the ass&rsquo;s gait seemed too uneven,
+and along came a wagon, into which he climbed. But
+the wagon shook him up too, greatly, and he thought:
+&ldquo;If I only had a litter! That would suit me better.&rdquo;
+No more had he thought so, than the litter came along,
+and he seated himself in it. And the bearers carried
+him to the city in which dwelt the king, the queen
+and their daughter.</p>
+
+<p>When the other youth had brought back the king&rsquo;s
+daughter, it was decided to hold the wedding. But the
+king&rsquo;s daughter was not willing, and said: &ldquo;He is not
+the right man. My deliverer will come and bring with
+him half of the long pin for my hair, and half my silken
+kerchief as a token.&rdquo; But when the youth did not
+appear for so long a time, and the other one pressed
+the king, the king grew impatient and said: &ldquo;The
+wedding shall take place to-morrow!&rdquo; Then the king&rsquo;s
+daughter went sadly through the streets of the city,
+and searched and searched in the hope of finding her
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>
+deliverer. And this was on the very day that the litter
+arrived. The king&rsquo;s daughter saw the half of her
+silken handkerchief in the youth&rsquo;s hand, and filled
+with joy, she led him to her father. There he had to
+show his half of the long pin, which fitted the other
+exactly, and then the king was convinced that he was
+the right, true deliverer. The false bridegroom was
+now punished, the wedding celebrated, and they lived
+in peace and happiness till the end of their days.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Bird With Nine Heads&rdquo; is a traditionally narrated
+fairy-tale. The long hair needle is an example of the halved jewel
+used as a sign of recognition by lovers (see No. <a href="#LXVIII">68</a>, &ldquo;Yang Gui Fe&rdquo;).
+The &ldquo;Fish&rdquo; in the cave is the dragon&rsquo;s son, for like East
+Indian <i>Nagaradjas</i>, the Chinese dragons are often sea-gods. Gourd
+flasks often occur as magic talismans in Chinese fairy-tales, and
+spirits who serve their owners are often imprisoned in them. See
+No. 81.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII<br />
+<br />
+THE CAVE OF THE BEASTS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a family in which there
+were seven daughters. One day when the father
+went out to gather wood, he found seven wild duck
+eggs. He brought them home, but did not think of
+giving any to his children, intending to eat them himself,
+with his wife. In the evening the oldest daughter
+woke up, and asked her mother what she was cooking.
+The mother said: &ldquo;I am cooking wild duck eggs.
+I will give you one, but you must not let your sisters
+know.&rdquo; And so she gave her one. Then the second
+daughter woke up, and asked her mother what she was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>
+cooking. She said: &ldquo;Wild duck eggs. If you will
+not tell your sisters, I&rsquo;ll give you one.&rdquo; And so it
+went. At last the daughters had eaten all the eggs,
+and there were none left.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning the father was very angry with the
+children, and said: &ldquo;Who wants to go along to grandmother?&rdquo;
+But he intended to lead the children into
+the mountains, and let the wolves devour them there.
+The older daughters suspected this, and said: &ldquo;We
+are not going along!&rdquo; But the two younger ones said:
+&ldquo;We will go with you.&rdquo; And so they drove off with
+their father. After they had driven a good ways, they
+asked: &ldquo;Will we soon get to grandmother&rsquo;s house?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Right away,&rdquo; said their father. And when they had
+reached the mountains he told them: &ldquo;Wait here. I
+will drive into the village ahead of you, and tell grandmother
+that you are coming.&rdquo; And then he drove off
+with the donkey-cart. They waited and waited, but
+their father did not come. At last they decided that
+their father would not come back to fetch them, and
+that he had left them alone in the mountains. So they
+went further and further into the hills seeking a
+shelter for the night. Then they spied a great stone.
+This they selected for a pillow, and rolled it over to
+the place where they were going to lie down to sleep.
+And then they saw that the stone was the door to a
+cave. There was a light in the cave, and they went
+into it. The light they had seen came from the many
+precious stones and jewels of every sort in the cave,
+which belonged to a wolf and a fox. They had a number
+of jars of precious stones and pearls that shone by
+night. The girls said: &ldquo;What a lovely cave this is!
+We will lie right down and go to bed.&rdquo; For there
+stood two golden beds with gold-embroidered covers.
+So they lay down and fell asleep. During the night the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>
+wolf and fox came home. And the wolf said: &ldquo;I
+smell human flesh!&rdquo; But the fox replied: &ldquo;Oh, nonsense!
+There are no human beings who can enter our
+cave. We lock it up too well for that.&rdquo; The wolf said:
+&ldquo;Very well, then let us lie down in our beds and sleep.&rdquo;
+But the fox answered: &ldquo;Let us curl up in the kettles
+on the hearth. They still hold a little warmth from
+the fire.&rdquo; The one kettle was of gold and the other of
+silver, and they curled up in them.</p>
+
+<p>When the girls rose early in the morning, they saw
+the wolf and the fox lying there, and were much frightened.
+And they put the covers on the kettles and
+heaped a number of big stones on them, so that the wolf
+and the fox could not get out again. Then they made
+a fire. The wolf and the fox said: &ldquo;Oh, how nice
+and warm it is this morning! How does that happen?&rdquo;
+But at length it grew too hot for them. Then they
+noticed that the two girls had kindled a fire and they
+cried: &ldquo;Let us out! We will give you lots of precious
+stones, and lots of gold, and will do you no
+harm!&rdquo; But the girls would not listen to them, and
+kept on making a bigger fire. So that was the end of
+the wolf and the fox in the kettles.</p>
+
+<p>Then the girls lived happily for a number of days
+in the cave. But their father was seized with a longing
+for his daughters, and he went into the mountains
+to look for them. And he sat right down on the stone
+in front of the cave to rest, and tapped his pipe against
+it to empty the ashes. Then the girls within called
+out: &ldquo;Who is knocking at our door?&rdquo; And the father
+said: &ldquo;Are those not my daughters&rsquo; voices?&rdquo;
+While the daughters replied: &ldquo;Is that not our father&rsquo;s
+voice?&rdquo; Then they pushed aside the stone and
+saw that it was their father, and their father was glad to
+see them once more. He was much surprised to think
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>
+that they should have chanced on this cave full of
+precious stones, and they told him the whole story.
+Then their father fetched people to help him carry
+home the jewels. And when they got home, his wife
+wondered where he had obtained all these treasures.
+So the father and daughters told her everything, and
+they became a very wealthy family, and lived happily
+to the end of their days.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Cave of the Beasts&rdquo; is traditionally narrated.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX<br />
+<br />
+THE PANTHER</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a widow who had two
+daughters and a little son. And one day the
+mother said to her daughters: &ldquo;Take good care of
+the house, for I am going to see grandmother, together
+with your little brother!&rdquo; So the daughters promised
+her they would do so, and their mother went off. On
+her way a panther met her, and asked where she were
+going.</p>
+
+<p>She said: &ldquo;I am going with my child to see my
+mother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you not rest a bit?&rdquo; asked the panther.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;it is already late, and it is a long
+road to where my mother lives.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the panther did not cease urging her, and finally
+she gave in and sat down by the road side.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will comb your hair a bit,&rdquo; said the panther.
+And the woman allowed the panther to comb her hair.
+But as he passed his claws through her hair, he tore
+off a bit of her skin and devoured it.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Stop!&rdquo; cried the woman, &ldquo;the way you comb my
+hair hurts!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the panther tore off a much larger piece of skin.
+Now the woman wanted to call for help, but the panther
+seized and devoured her. Then he turned on her
+little son and killed him too, put on the woman&rsquo;s
+clothes, and laid the child&rsquo;s bones, which he had not
+yet devoured, in her basket. After that he went to the
+woman&rsquo;s home, where her two daughters were, and
+called in at the door: &ldquo;Open the door, daughters!
+Mother has come home!&rdquo; But they looked out through
+a crack and said: &ldquo;Our mother&rsquo;s eyes are not so large
+as yours!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the panther said: &ldquo;I have been to grandmother&rsquo;s
+house, and saw her hens laying eggs. That
+pleases me, and is the reason why my eyes have grown
+so large.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our mother had no spots in her face such as you
+have.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother had no spare bed, so I had to sleep
+on the peas, and they pressed themselves into my
+face.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our mother&rsquo;s feet are not so large as yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stupid things! That comes from walking such
+a distance. Come, open the door quickly!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the daughters said to each other: &ldquo;It must
+be our mother,&rdquo; and they opened the door. But when
+the panther came in, they saw it was not really their
+mother after all.</p>
+
+<p>At evening, when the daughters were already in
+bed, the panther was still gnawing the bones he had
+brought with him.</p>
+
+<p>Then the daughters asked: &ldquo;Mother, what are
+you eating?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m eating beets,&rdquo; was the answer.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>
+Then the daughters said: &ldquo;Oh, mother, give us
+some of your beets, too! We are so hungry!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; was the reply, &ldquo;I will not give you any. Now
+be quiet and go to sleep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the daughters kept on begging until the false
+mother gave them a little finger. And then they saw
+that it was their little brother&rsquo;s finger, and they said
+to each other: &ldquo;We must make haste to escape else
+he will eat us as well.&rdquo; And with that they ran
+out of the door, climbed up into a tree in the yard,
+and called down to the false mother: &ldquo;Come out! We
+can see our neighbor&rsquo;s son celebrating his wedding!&rdquo;
+But it was the middle of the night.</p>
+
+<p>Then the mother came out, and when she saw that
+they were sitting in the tree, she called out angrily:
+&ldquo;Why, I&rsquo;m not able to climb!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The daughters said: &ldquo;Get into a basket and throw us
+the rope and we will draw you up!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The mother did as they said. But when the basket
+was half-way up, they began to swing it back and forth,
+and bump it against the tree. Then the false mother
+had to turn into a panther again, lest she fall down.
+And the panther leaped out of the basket, and ran
+away.</p>
+
+<p>Gradually daylight came. The daughters climbed
+down, seated themselves on the doorstep, and cried
+for their mother. And a needle-vender came by and
+asked them why they were crying.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A panther has devoured our mother and our
+brother,&rdquo; said the girls. &ldquo;He has gone now, but he is
+sure to return and devour us as well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the needle-vender gave them a pair of needles,
+and said: &ldquo;Stick these needles in the cushion of the
+arm chair, with the points up.&rdquo; The girls thanked
+him and went on crying.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>
+Soon a scorpion-catcher came by; and he asked them
+why they were crying. &ldquo;A panther has devoured our
+mother and brother,&rdquo; said the girls. &ldquo;He has
+gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as
+well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man gave them a scorpion and said: &ldquo;Put it behind
+the hearth in the kitchen.&rdquo; The girls thanked
+him and went on crying.</p>
+
+<p>Then an egg-seller came by and asked them why they
+were crying. &ldquo;A panther has devoured our mother
+and our brother,&rdquo; said the girls. &ldquo;He has gone now,
+but he is sure to return and devour us as well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he gave them an egg and said: &ldquo;Lay it beneath
+the ashes in the hearth.&rdquo; The girls thanked him and
+went on crying.</p>
+
+<p>Then a dealer in turtles came by, and they told him
+their tale. He gave them a turtle and said: &ldquo;Put it
+in the water-barrel in the yard.&rdquo; And then a man
+came by who sold wooden clubs. He asked them why
+they were crying. And they told him the whole story.
+Then he gave them two wooden clubs and said:
+&ldquo;Hang them up over the door to the street.&rdquo; The girls
+thanked him and did as the men had told them.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the panther came home. He sat down
+in the armchair in the room. Then the needles in the
+cushion stuck into him. So he ran into the kitchen to
+light the fire and see what had jabbed him so; and then
+it was that the scorpion hooked his sting into his hand.
+And when at last the fire was burning, the egg burst
+and spurted into one of his eyes, which was blinded.
+So he ran out into the yard and dipped his hand into
+the water-barrel, in order to cool it; and then the turtle
+bit it off. And when in his pain he ran out through the
+door into the street, the wooden clubs fell on his head
+and that was the end of him.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>
+Note: &ldquo;The Panther&rdquo; in this tale is in reality the same beast as
+&ldquo;the talking silver fox&rdquo; in No. <a href="#XLIX">49</a>, and the fairy-tale is made up of
+motives to be found in &ldquo;Little Red Riding-Hood,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Wolf and the
+Seven Kids,&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Vagabonds.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="X" id="X"></a>X<br />
+<br />
+THE GREAT FLOOD</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a widow, who had a
+child. And the child was a kind-hearted boy of
+whom every one was fond. One day he said to his
+mother: &ldquo;All the other children have a grandmother,
+but I have none. And that makes me feel very sad!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will hunt up a grandmother for you,&rdquo; said
+his mother. Now it once happened that an old beggar-woman
+came to the house, who was very old and feeble.
+And when the child saw her, he said to her: &ldquo;You shall
+be my grandmother!&rdquo; And he went to his mother and
+said: &ldquo;There is a beggar-woman outside, whom I
+want for my grandmother!&rdquo; And his mother was
+willing and called her into the house; though the old
+woman was very dirty. So the boy said to his mother:
+&ldquo;Come, let us wash grandmother!&rdquo; And they washed
+the woman. But she had a great many burrs in her
+hair, so they picked them all out and put them in a jar,
+and they filled the whole jar. Then the grandmother
+said: &ldquo;Do not throw them away, but bury them in
+the garden. And you must not dig them up again
+before the great flood comes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When is the great flood coming?&rdquo; asked the boy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When the eyes of the two stone lions in front of
+the prison grow red, then the great flood will come,&rdquo;
+said the grandmother.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>
+So the boy went to look at the lions, but their eyes
+were not yet red. And the grandmother also said to
+him: &ldquo;Make a little wooden ship and keep it in a little
+box.&rdquo; And this the boy did. And he ran to the prison
+every day and looked at the lions, much to the astonishment
+of the people in the street.</p>
+
+<p>One day, as he passed the chicken-butcher&rsquo;s shop,
+the butcher asked him why he was always running to
+the lions. And the boy said: &ldquo;When the lions&rsquo; eyes
+grow red then the great flood will come.&rdquo; But the
+butcher laughed at him. And the following morning,
+quite early, he took some chicken-blood and rubbed it
+on the lions&rsquo; eyes. When the boy saw that the lions&rsquo;
+eyes were red he ran swiftly home, and told his mother
+and grandmother. And then his grandmother said:
+&ldquo;Dig up the jar quickly, and take the little ship out of
+its box.&rdquo; And when they dug up the jar, it was filled
+with the purest pearls and the little ship grew larger
+and larger, like a real ship. Then the grandmother
+said: &ldquo;Take the jar with you and get into the ship.
+And when the great flood comes, then you may save all
+the animals that are driven into it; but human beings,
+with their black heads, you are not to save.&rdquo; So they
+climbed into the ship, and the grandmother suddenly
+disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Now it began to rain, and the rain kept falling more
+and more heavily from the heavens. Finally there
+were no longer any single drops falling, but just one
+big sheet of water which flooded everything.</p>
+
+<p>Then a dog came drifting along, and they saved him
+in their ship. Soon after came a pair of mice, with
+their little ones, loudly squeaking in their fear. And
+these they also saved. The water was already rising
+to the roofs of the houses, and on one roof stood a cat,
+arching her back and mewing pitifully. They took the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>
+cat into the ship, too. Yet the flood increased and rose
+to the tops of the trees. And in one tree sat a raven,
+beating his wings and cawing loudly. And him, too,
+they took in. Finally a swarm of bees came flying
+their way. The little creatures were quite wet, and
+could hardly fly. So they took in the bees on their
+ship. At last a man with black hair floated by on the
+waves. The boy said: &ldquo;Mother, let us save him,
+too!&rdquo; But the mother did not want to do so. &ldquo;Did
+not grandmother tell us that we must save no black-headed
+human beings?&rdquo; But the boy answered:
+&ldquo;We will save the man in spite of that. I feel sorry
+for him, and cannot bear to see him drifting along in
+the water.&rdquo; So they also saved the man.</p>
+
+<p>Gradually the water subsided. Then they got out
+of their ship, and parted from the man and the beasts.
+And the ship grew small again and they put it away
+in its box.</p>
+
+<p>But the man was filled with a desire for the pearls.
+He went to the judge and entered a complaint against
+the boy and his mother, and they were both thrown
+into jail. Then the mice came, and dug a hole in the
+wall. And the dog came through the hole and brought
+them meat, and the cat brought them bread, so they
+did not have to hunger in their prison. But the raven
+flew off and returned with a letter for the judge.
+The letter had been written by a god, and it said: &ldquo;I
+wandered about in the world of men disguised as a
+beggar woman. And this boy and his mother took me
+in. The boy treated me like his own grandmother, and
+did not shrink from washing me when I was dirty. Because
+of this I saved them out of the great flood by
+means of which I destroyed the sinful city wherein they
+dwelt. Do you, O judge, free them, or misfortune
+shall be your portion!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span>
+So the judge had them brought before him, and
+asked what they had done, and how they had made their
+way through the flood. Then they told him everything,
+and what they said agreed with the god&rsquo;s letter. So
+the judge punished their accuser, and set them both at
+liberty.</p>
+
+<p>When the boy had grown up he came to a city of
+many people, and it was said that the princess intended
+to take a husband. But in order to find the
+right man, she had veiled herself, and seated herself
+in a litter, and she had had the litter, together with
+many others, carried into the market place. In every
+litter sat a veiled woman, and the princess was in their
+midst. And whoever hit upon the right litter, he was
+to get the princess for his bride. So the youth went
+there, too, and when he reached the market place, he
+saw the bees whom he had saved from the great flood,
+all swarming about a certain litter. Up he stepped
+to it, and sure enough, the princess was sitting in it.
+And then their wedding was celebrated, and they lived
+happily ever afterward.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Great Flood&rdquo; is traditionally narrated and a diluvian
+legend seems to underlie it. Compare with Grimm&rsquo;s fairy-tale
+(No. 73) &ldquo;The Queen of the Bees.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI<br />
+<br />
+THE FOX AND THE TIGER</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE a fox met a tiger. The latter bared his
+teeth, stretched out his claws, and was about to
+devour him. But the fox spoke and said: &ldquo;My dear
+sir, you must not think that you are the only king of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>
+beasts. Your courage does not compare with my own.
+Let us walk together, and do you keep behind me. And
+if men catch sight of me and do not fear me, then you
+may devour me.&rdquo; The tiger was willing, and so the
+fox led him along a broad highway. But the travelers,
+when they saw the tiger in the distance, were all frightened
+and ran away.</p>
+
+<p>Then the fox said: &ldquo;How about it? I went in advance,
+and the men saw me and had not as yet seen
+you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And thereupon the tiger drew in his tail and ran
+away himself.</p>
+
+<p>The tiger had remarked quite well that the men
+were afraid of the fox, but he had not noticed that the
+fox had borrowed the terror he inspired from him.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This universally known fable is traditionally narrated.
+Animal fables are very rare in China.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII<br />
+<br />
+THE TIGER&rsquo;S DECOY</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HAT the fox borrowed the terror he inspired from
+the tiger is more than a simile; but that the tiger
+has his decoy is something we read about in the story
+books, and grandfathers talk about a good deal, too.
+So there must be some truth in it. It is said that
+when a tiger devours a human being, the latter&rsquo;s spirit
+cannot free itself, and that the tiger then uses it
+for a decoy. When he goes out to seek his prey, the
+spirit of the man he has devoured must go before him,
+to hide him, so that people cannot see him. And
+the spirit is apt to change itself into a beautiful girl,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>
+or a lump of gold or a bolt of silk. All sorts of deceptions
+are used to lure folk into the mountain gorges.
+Then the tiger comes along and devours his victim, and
+the new spirit must serve as his decoy. The old
+spirit&rsquo;s time of service is over and it may go. And so
+it continues, turn by turn. Probably that is why they
+say of people who are forced to yield themselves up
+to cunning and powerful men, in order that others may
+be harmed: &ldquo;They are the tiger&rsquo;s decoys!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale is traditionally narrated.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XIII" id="XIII"></a>XIII<br />
+<br />
+THE FOX AND THE RAVEN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE fox knows how to flatter, and how to play
+many cunning tricks. Once upon a time he
+saw a raven, who alighted on a tree with a piece of
+meat in his beak. The fox seated himself beneath the
+tree, looked up at him, and began to praise him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your color,&rdquo; he began, &ldquo;is pure black. This
+proves to me that you possess all the wisdom of Laotzse,
+who knows how to shroud his learning in darkness.
+The manner in which you manage to feed your
+mother shows that your filial affection equals that
+which the Master Dsong had for his parents. Your
+voice is rough and strong. It proves that you have
+the courage with which King Hiang once drove his
+foes to flight by the mere sound of his voice. In truth,
+you are the king of birds!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The raven, hearing this, was filled with joy and said:
+&ldquo;I thank you! I thank you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>
+And before he knew it, the meat fell to earth from
+his opened beak.</p>
+
+<p>The fox caught it up, devoured it and then said,
+laughing: &ldquo;Make note of this, my dear sir: if some
+one praises you without occasion, he is sure to have
+a reason for doing so.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Traditionally narrated, it may be taken for granted that
+this is simply &AElig;sop&rsquo;s fable in Chinese dress. The manner of presentation
+is characteristically Chinese. For &ldquo;the wisdom of Laotzse&rdquo;
+compare, p. 30, &ldquo;The Ancient&rsquo;s Book of Wisdom and Life&rdquo;: &ldquo;Who
+sees his light, yet dwells in darkness.&rdquo; Master Dsong was King Dsi&rsquo;s
+most faithful pupil, renowned for his piety. The raven is known in
+China as &ldquo;the bird of filial love,&rdquo; for it is said that the young ravens
+bring forth the food they have eaten from their beaks again, in order
+to feed the old birds.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XIV" id="XIV"></a>XIV<br />
+<br />
+WHY DOG AND CAT ARE ENEMIES</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a man and his wife
+and they had a ring of gold. It was a lucky ring,
+and whoever owned it always had enough to live on.
+But this they did not know, and hence sold the ring for
+a small sum. But no sooner was the ring gone than
+they began to grow poorer and poorer, and at last did
+not know when they would get their next meal. They
+had a dog and a cat, and these had to go hungry as well.
+Then the two animals took counsel together as to how
+they might restore to their owners their former
+good fortune. At length the dog hit upon an
+idea.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They must have the ring back again,&rdquo; he said to the
+cat.</p>
+
+<p>The cat answered: &ldquo;The ring has been carefully
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>
+locked up in the chest, where no one can get at it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must catch a mouse,&rdquo; said the dog, &ldquo;and the
+mouse must gnaw a hole in the chest and fetch out the
+ring. And if she does not want to, say that you will
+bite her to death, and you will see that she will do it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This advice pleased the cat, and she caught a mouse.
+Then she wanted to go to the house in which stood the
+chest, and the dog came after. They came to a broad
+river. And since the cat could not swim, the dog took
+her on his back and swam across with her. Then the
+cat carried the mouse to the house in which the chest
+stood. The mouse gnawed a hole in the chest, and
+fetched out the ring. The cat put the ring in her mouth
+and went back to the river, where the dog was waiting
+for her, and swam across with her. Then they started
+out together for home, in order to bring the lucky ring
+to their master and mistress. But the dog could only
+run along the ground; when there was a house in the
+way he always had to go around it. The cat, however,
+quickly climbed over the roof, and so she reached home
+long before the dog, and brought the ring to her master.</p>
+
+<p>Then her master said to his wife: &ldquo;What a good
+creature the cat is! We will always give her enough
+to eat and care for her as though she were our own
+child!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But when the dog came home they beat him and
+scolded him, because he had not helped to bring home
+the ring again. And the cat sat by the fireplace,
+purred and said never a word. Then the dog grew
+angry at the cat, because she had robbed him of his
+reward, and when he saw her he chased her and tried to
+seize her.</p>
+
+<p>And ever since that day cat and dog are enemies.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;Why Dog and Cat are Enemies.&rdquo; This fairy-tale is given
+in the current popular version.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33"><!-- unnumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="padtop">LEGENDS OF THE GODS</h2>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="XV" id="XV"></a>XV<br />
+<br />
+HOW THE FIVE ANCIENTS BECAME MEN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">B</span>EFORE the earth was separated from the heavens,
+all there was was a great ball of watery
+vapor called chaos. And at that time the spirits of the
+five elemental powers took shape, and became the five
+Ancients. The first was called the Yellow Ancient, and
+he was the ruler of the earth. The second was called
+the Red Lord, and he was the ruler of the fire. The
+third was called the Dark Lord, and he was the ruler of
+the water. The fourth was known as the Wood Prince,
+and he was the ruler of the wood. The fifth was called
+the Mother of Metals, and ruled over them. These
+five Ancients set all their primal spirit into motion, so
+that water and earth sank down. The heavens floated
+upward, and the earth grew firm in the depths. Then
+they allowed the waters to gather into rivers and seas,
+and hills and plains made their appearance. So the
+heavens opened and the earth was divided. And there
+were sun, moon and all the stars, wind, clouds, rain, and
+dew. The Yellow Ancient set earth&rsquo;s purest power
+spinning in a circle, and added the effect of fire and
+water thereto. Then there came forth grasses and
+trees, birds and beasts, and the tribes of the serpents
+and insects, fishes and turtles. The Wood Prince and
+the Mother of Metals combined light and darkness, and
+thus created the human race as men and women. And
+thus the world gradually came to be.</p>
+
+<p>At that time there was one who was known as
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>
+the True Prince of the Jasper Castle. He had acquired
+the art of sorcery through the cultivation of
+magic. The five Ancients begged him to rule as the
+supreme god. He dwelt above the three and thirty
+heavens, and the Jasper Castle, of white jade with
+golden gates, was his. Before him stood the stewards
+of the eight-and-twenty houses of the moon, and the
+gods of the thunders and the Great Bear, and in addition
+a class of baneful gods whose influence was evil
+and deadly. They all aided the True Prince of the
+Jasper Castle to rule over the thousand tribes under
+the heavens, and to deal out life and death, fortune
+and misfortune. The Lord of the Jasper Castle is now
+known as the Great God, the White Jade Ruler.</p>
+
+<p>The five Ancients withdrew after they had done their
+work, and thereafter lived in quiet purity. The
+Red Lord dwells in the South as the god of fire. The
+Dark Lord dwells in the North, as the mighty master
+of the somber polar skies. He lived in a castle of
+liquid crystal. In later ages he sent Confucius down
+upon earth as a saint. Hence this saint is known as
+the Son of Crystal. The Wood Prince dwells in the
+East. He is honored as the Green Lord, and watches
+over the coming into being of all creatures. In him
+lives the power of spring and he is the god of love.
+The Mother of Metals dwells in the West, by the sea
+of Jasper, and is also known as the Queen-Mother of
+the West. She leads the rounds of the fairies, and
+watches over change and growth. The Yellow Ancient
+dwells in the middle. He is always going about in the
+world, in order to save and to help those in any distress.
+The first time he came to earth he was the Yellow Lord,
+who taught mankind all sorts of arts. In his later
+years he fathomed the meaning of the world on the
+Ethereal Mount, and flew up to the radiant sun.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>
+Under the rule of the Dschou dynasty he was born again
+as Li Oerl, and when he was born his hair and beard
+were white, for which reason he was called Laotsze,
+&ldquo;Old Child.&rdquo; He wrote the book of &ldquo;Meaning and
+Life&rdquo; and spread his teachings through the world.
+He is honored as the head of Taoism. At the beginning
+of the reign of the Han dynasty, he again appeared
+as the Old Man of the River, (Ho Schang
+Gung). He spread the teachings of Tao abroad mightily,
+so that from that time on Taoism flourished
+greatly. These doctrines are known to this day as the
+teachings of the Yellow Ancient. There is also a saying:
+&ldquo;First Laotsze was, then the heavens were.&rdquo;
+And that must mean that Laotsze was that very same
+Yellow Ancient of primal days.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;How the Five Ancients Became Men.&rdquo; This fairy-tale,
+the first of the legends of the gods, is given in the version current
+among the people. In it the five elemental spirits of earth, fire,
+water, wood and metal are brought into connection with a creation
+myth. &ldquo;Prince of the Jasper Castle&rdquo; or &ldquo;The White Jade Ruler,&rdquo;
+Yu Huang Di, is the popular Chinese synonym for &ldquo;the good lord.&rdquo;
+The phrase &ldquo;White Jade&rdquo; serves merely to express his dignity. All
+in all, there are 32 other Yu Huangs, among whom he is the highest.
+He may be compared to Indra, who dwells in a heaven that also
+comprises 33 halls. The astronomic relationship between the two
+is very evident.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XVI" id="XVI"></a>XVI<br />
+<br />
+THE HERD BOY AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE Herd Boy was the child of poor people.
+When he was twelve years old, he took service
+with a farmer to herd his cow. After a few years the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>
+cow had grown large and fat, and her hair shone like
+yellow gold. She must have been a cow of the gods.</p>
+
+<p>One day while he had her out at pasture in the mountains,
+she suddenly began to speak to the Herd Boy in
+a human voice, as follows: &ldquo;This is the Seventh Day.
+Now the White Jade Ruler has nine daughters, who
+bathe this day in the Sea of Heaven. The seventh
+daughter is beautiful and wise beyond all measure.
+She spins the cloud-silk for the King and Queen of
+Heaven, and presides over the weaving which maidens
+do on earth. It is for this reason she is called the
+Weaving Maiden. And if you go and take away her
+clothes while she bathes, you may become her husband
+and gain immortality.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But she is up in Heaven,&rdquo; said the Herd Boy, &ldquo;and
+how can I get there?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will carry you there,&rdquo; answered the yellow cow.</p>
+
+<p>So the Herd Boy climbed on the cow&rsquo;s back. In a
+moment clouds began to stream out of her hoofs, and
+she rose into the air. About his ears there was a
+whistling like the sound of the wind, and they flew along
+as swiftly as lightning. Suddenly the cow stopped.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now we are here,&rdquo; said she.</p>
+
+<p>Then round about him the Herd Boy saw forests of
+chrysophrase and trees of jade. The grass was of
+jasper and the flowers of coral. In the midst of all
+this splendor lay a great, four-square sea, covering
+some five-hundred acres. Its green waves rose and
+fell, and fishes with golden scales were swimming
+about in it. In addition there were countless magic
+birds who winged above it and sang. Even in the distance
+the Herd Boy could see the nine maidens in the
+water. They had all laid down their clothes on the
+shore.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Take the red clothes, quickly,&rdquo; said the cow, &ldquo;and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>
+hide away with them in the forest, and though she ask
+you for them never so sweetly do not give them back
+to her until she has promised to become your wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Herd Boy hastily got down from the cow&rsquo;s
+back, seized the red clothes and ran away. At the
+same moment the nine maidens noticed him and were
+much frightened.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;O youth, whence do you come, that you dare to take
+our clothes?&rdquo; they cried. &ldquo;Put them down again
+quickly!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Herd Boy did not let what they said trouble
+him; but crouched down behind one of the jade trees.
+Then eight of the maidens hastily came ashore and
+drew on their clothes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our seventh sister,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;whom Heaven
+has destined to be yours, has come to you. We will
+leave her alone with you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Weaving Maiden was still crouching in the
+water.</p>
+
+<p>But the Herd Boy stood before her and laughed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you will promise to be my wife,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;then
+I will give you your clothes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But this did not suit the Weaving Maiden.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am a daughter of the Ruler of the Gods,&rdquo; said
+she, &ldquo;and may not marry without his command. Give
+back my clothes to me quickly, or else my father will
+punish you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the yellow cow said: &ldquo;You have been destined
+for each other by fate, and I will be glad to arrange
+your marriage, and your father, the Ruler of the Gods,
+will make no objection. Of that I am sure.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Weaving Maiden replied: &ldquo;You are an unreasoning
+animal! How could you arrange our marriage?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The cow said: &ldquo;Do you see that old willow-tree
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>
+there on the shore? Just give it a trial and ask it.
+If the willow tree speaks, then Heaven wishes your
+union.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the Weaving Maiden asked the willow.</p>
+
+<p>The willow replied in a human voice:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;This is the Seventh day,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Herd Boy his court to the Weaver doth pay!&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>and the Weaving Maiden was satisfied with the verdict.
+The Herd Boy laid down her clothes, and went
+on ahead. The Weaving Maiden drew them on and
+followed him. And thus they became man and wife.</p>
+
+<p>But after seven days she took leave of him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Ruler of Heaven has ordered me to look after
+my weaving,&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;If I delay too long I fear
+that he will punish me. Yet, although we have to part
+now, we will meet again in spite of it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When she had said these words she really went away.
+The Herd Boy ran after her. But when he was quite
+near she took one of the long needles from her hair
+and drew a line with it right across the sky, and this
+line turned into the Silver River. And thus they now
+stand, separated by the River, and watch for one
+another.</p>
+
+<p>And since that time they meet once every year, on
+the eve of the Seventh Day. When that time comes,
+then all the crows in the world of men come flying and
+form a bridge over which the Weaving Maiden crosses
+the Silver River. And on that day you will not see a
+single crow in the trees, from morning to night, no
+doubt because of the reason I have mentioned. And
+besides, a fine rain often falls on the evening of the
+Seventh Day. Then the women and old grandmothers
+say to one another: &ldquo;Those are the tears which the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span>
+Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden shed at parting!&rdquo;
+And for this reason the Seventh Day is a rain festival.</p>
+
+<p>To the west of the Silver River is the constellation
+of the Weaving Maiden, consisting of three stars. And
+directly in front of it are three other stars in the form
+of a triangle. It is said that once the Herd Boy was
+angry because the Weaving Maiden had not wished to
+cross the Silver River, and had thrown his yoke at her,
+which fell down just in front of her feet. East of the
+Silver River is the Herd Boy&rsquo;s constellation, consisting
+of six stars. To one side of it are countless little
+stars which form a constellation pointed at both ends
+and somewhat broader in the middle. It is said that
+the Weaving Maiden in turn threw her spindle at the
+Herd Boy; but that she did not hit him, the spindle
+falling down to one side of him.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden&rdquo; is retold after
+an oral source. The Herd Boy is a constellation in Aquila, the
+Weaving Maiden one in Lyra. The Silver River which separates
+them is the Milky Way. The Seventh Day of the seventh month is
+the festival of their reunion. The Ruler of the Heavens has nine
+daughters in all, who dwell in the nine heavens. The oldest married
+Li Dsing (comp. &ldquo;Notscha,&rdquo; No. <a href="#XVIII">18</a>); the second is the mother of
+Yang Oerlang (comp. No. <a href="#XVII">17</a>); the third is the mother of the planet
+Jupiter (comp. &ldquo;Sky O&rsquo;Dawn,&rdquo; No. <a href="#XXXIV">34</a>); and the fourth dwelt with
+a pious and industrious scholar, by name of Dung Yung, whom she
+aided to win riches and honor. The seventh is the Spinner, and the
+ninth had to dwell on earth as a slave because of some transgression
+of which she had been guilty. Of the fifth, the sixth and the eighth
+daughters nothing further is known.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XVII" id="XVII"></a>XVII<br />
+<br />
+YANG OERLANG</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE second daughter of the Ruler of Heaven once
+came down upon the earth and secretly became
+the wife of a mortal man named Yang. And when she
+returned to Heaven she was blessed with a son. But
+the Ruler of Heaven was very angry at this desecration
+of the heavenly halls. He banished her to earth
+and covered her with the Wu-I hills. Her son, however,
+Oerlang by name, the nephew of the Ruler of
+Heaven, was extraordinarily gifted by nature. By the
+time he was full grown he had learned the magic art of
+being able to control eight times nine transformations.
+He could make himself invisible, or could assume the
+shape of birds and beasts, grasses, flowers, snakes and
+fishes, as he chose. He also knew how to empty out
+seas and remove mountains from one place to another.
+So he went to the Wu-I hills and rescued his mother,
+whom he took on his back and carried away. They
+stopped to rest on a flat ledge of rock.</p>
+
+<p>Then the mother said: &ldquo;I am very thirsty!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Oerlang climbed down into the valley in order to
+fetch her water, and some time passed before he returned.
+When he did his mother was no longer there.
+He searched eagerly, but on the rock lay only her skin
+and bones, and a few blood-stains. Now you must
+know that at that time there were still ten suns in the
+heavens, glowing and burning like fire. The Daughter
+of Heaven, it is true, was divine by nature; yet because
+she had incurred the anger of her father and had been
+banished to earth, her magic powers had failed her.
+Then, too, she had been imprisoned so long beneath
+the hills in the dark that, coming out suddenly into the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>
+sunlight, she had been devoured by its blinding radiance.</p>
+
+<p>When Oerlang thought of his mother&rsquo;s sad end, his
+heart ached. He took two mountains on his shoulders,
+pursued the suns and crushed them to death between
+the mountains. And whenever he had crushed another
+sun-disk, he picked up a fresh mountain. In this way
+he had already slain nine of the ten suns, and there
+was but one left. And as Oerlang pursued him relentlessly,
+he hid himself in his distress beneath the leaves
+of the portulacca plant. But there was a rainworm
+close by who betrayed his hiding-place, and kept repeating:
+&ldquo;There he is! There he is!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Oerlang was about to seize him, when a messenger
+from the Ruler of the Heaven suddenly descended
+from the skies with a command: &ldquo;Sky, air and earth
+need the sunshine. You must allow this one sun to
+live, so that all created beings may live. Yet, because
+you rescued your mother, and showed yourself to be a
+good son, you shall be a god, and be my bodyguard in
+the Highest Heaven, and shall rule over good and evil
+in the mortal world, and have power over devils and
+demons.&rdquo; When Oerlang received this command he
+ascended to Heaven.</p>
+
+<p>Then the sun-disk came out again from beneath the
+portulacca leaves, and out of gratitude, since the plant
+had saved him, he bestowed upon it the gift of a free-blooming
+nature, and ordained that it never need fear
+the sunshine. To this very day one may see on the
+lower side of the portulacca leaves quite delicate little
+white pearls. They are the sunshine that remained
+hanging to the leaves when the sun hid under them.
+But the sun pursues the rainworm, when he ventures
+forth out of the ground, and dries him up as a punishment
+for his treachery.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>
+Since that time Yang Oerlang has been honored as
+a god. He has oblique, sharply marked eyebrows,
+and holds a double-bladed, three-pointed sword in his
+hand. Two servants stand beside him, with a falcon
+and a hound; for Yang Oerlang is a great hunter. The
+falcon is the falcon of the gods, and the hound is the
+hound of the gods. When brute creatures gain possession
+of magic powers or demons oppress men, he
+subdues them by means of the falcon and hound.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Yang Oerlang is a huntsman, as is indicated by his falcon
+and hound. His Hound of the Heavens, literally &ldquo;the divine, biting
+hound&rdquo; recalls the hound of Indra. The myth that there were originally
+ten suns in the skies, of whom nine were shot down by an archer,
+is also placed in the period of the ruler Yau. In that story the
+archer is named Hou I, or I (comp. No. <a href="#XIX">19</a>). Here, instead of the
+shooting down of the suns with arrows, we have the Titan motive
+of destruction with the mountains.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XVIII" id="XVIII"></a>XVIII<br />
+<br />
+NOTSCHA</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE oldest daughter of the Ruler of Heaven had
+married the great general Li Dsing. Her sons
+were named Gintscha, Mutscha and Notscha. But when
+Notscha was given her, she dreamed at night that a
+Taoist priest came into her chamber and said:
+&ldquo;Swiftly receive the Heavenly Son!&rdquo; And straightway
+a radiant pearl glowed within her. And she was
+so frightened at her dream that she awoke. And when
+Notscha came into the world, it seemed as though a ball
+of flesh were turning in circles like a wheel, and the
+whole room was filled with strange fragrances and a
+crimson light.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>
+Li Dsing was much frightened, and thought it was an
+apparition. He clove the circling ball with his sword,
+and out of it leaped a small boy whose whole body
+glowed with a crimson radiance. But his face was
+delicately shaped and white as snow. About his right
+arm he wore a golden armlet and around his thighs
+was wound a length of crimson silk, whose glittering
+shine dazzled the eyes. When Li Dsing saw the child
+he took pity on him and did not slay him, while his
+wife began to love the boy dearly.</p>
+
+<p>When three days had passed, all his friends came to
+wish him joy. They were just sitting at the festival
+meal when a Taoist priest entered and said: &ldquo;I am the
+Great One. This boy is the bright Pearl of the Beginning
+of Things, bestowed upon you as your son.
+Yet the boy is wild and unruly, and will kill many men.
+Therefore I will take him as my pupil to gentle his
+savage ways.&rdquo; Li Dsing bowed his thanks and the
+Great One disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>When Notscha was seven years old he once ran away
+from home. He came to the river of nine bends, whose
+green waters flowed along between two rows of weeping-willows.
+The day was hot, and Notscha entered
+the water to cool himself. He unbound his crimson
+silk cloth and whisked it about in the water to wash
+it. But while Notscha sat there and whisked about
+his scarf in the water, it shook the castle of the Dragon-King
+of the Eastern Sea to its very foundations. So
+the Dragon-King sent out a Triton, terrible to look
+upon, who was to find out what was the matter. When
+the Triton saw the boy he began to scold. But the
+latter merely looked up and said: &ldquo;What a strange-looking
+beast you are, and you can actually talk!&rdquo; Then
+the Triton grew enraged, leaped up and struck at Notscha
+with his ax. But the latter avoided the blow,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>
+and threw his golden armlet at him. The armlet struck
+the Triton on the head and he sank down dead.</p>
+
+<p>Notscha laughed and said: &ldquo;And there he has gone
+and made my armlet bloody!&rdquo; And he once more
+sat down on a stone, in order to wash his armlet.
+Then the crystal castle of the dragon began to tremble
+as though it were about to fall apart. And a watchman
+also came and reported that the Triton had been
+slain by a boy. So the Dragon-King sent out his son
+to capture the boy. And the son seated himself on the
+water-cleaving beast, and came up with a thunder of
+great waves of water. Notscha straightened up and
+said: &ldquo;That is a big wave!&rdquo; Suddenly he saw a
+creature rise out of the waves, on whose back sat an
+armed man who cried in a loud voice: &ldquo;Who has
+slain my Triton?&rdquo; Notscha answered: &ldquo;The Triton
+wanted to slay me so I killed him. What difference
+does it make?&rdquo; Then the dragon assailed him with
+his halberd. But Notscha said: &ldquo;Tell me who you
+are before we fight.&rdquo; &ldquo;I am the son of the Dragon-King,&rdquo;
+was the reply. &ldquo;And I am Notscha, the son
+of General Li Dsing. You must not rouse my anger
+with your violence, or I will skin you, together with
+that old mud-fish, your father!&rdquo; Then the dragon
+grew wild with rage, and came storming along furiously.
+But Notscha cast his crimson cloth into the
+air, so that it flashed like a ball of fire, and cast the
+dragon-youth from his breast. Then Notscha took his
+golden armlet and struck him on the forehead with it,
+so that he had to reveal himself in his true form as a
+golden dragon, and fall down dead.</p>
+
+<p>Notscha laughed and said: &ldquo;I have heard tell that
+dragon-sinews make good cords. I will draw one out
+and bring it to my father, and he can tie his armor
+together with it.&rdquo; And with that he drew out the
+dragon&rsquo;s back sinew and took it home.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>
+In the meantime the Dragon-King, full of fury, had
+hastened to Notscha&rsquo;s father Li Dsing and demanded
+that Notscha be delivered up to him. But Li Dsing
+replied: &ldquo;You must be mistaken, for my boy is only
+seven years old and incapable of committing such misdeeds.&rdquo;
+While they were still quarreling Notscha
+came running up and cried: &ldquo;Father, I&rsquo;m bringing
+along a dragon&rsquo;s sinew for you, so that you may bind
+up your armor with it!&rdquo; Now the dragon broke out into
+tears and furious scolding. He threatened to report
+Li Dsing to the Ruler of the Heaven, and took himself
+off, snorting with rage.</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing grew very much excited, told his wife
+what had happened, and both began to weep. Notscha,
+however, came to them and said: &ldquo;Why do you
+weep? I will just go to my master, the Great One, and
+he will know what is to be done.&rdquo; And no sooner had
+he said the words than he had disappeared. He came
+into his master&rsquo;s presence and told him the whole tale.
+The latter said: &ldquo;You must get ahead of the dragon,
+and prevent him from accusing you in Heaven!&rdquo;
+Then he did some magic, and Notscha found himself
+set down by the gate of Heaven, where he waited for
+the dragon. It was still early in the morning; the gate
+of Heaven had not yet been opened, nor was the watchman
+at his post. But the dragon was already climbing
+up. Notscha, whom his master&rsquo;s magic had rendered
+invisible, threw the dragon to the ground with his armlet,
+and began to pitch into him. The dragon scolded
+and screamed. &ldquo;There the old worm flounders
+about,&rdquo; said Notscha, &ldquo;and does not care how hard he
+is beaten! I will scratch off some of his scales.&rdquo; And
+with these words he began to tear open the dragon&rsquo;s
+festal garments, and rip off some of the scales beneath
+his left arm, so that the red blood dripped out. Then
+the dragon could no longer stand the pain and begged
+for mercy. But first he had to promise Notscha that
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>
+he would not complain of him, before the latter would
+let him go. And then the dragon had to turn himself
+into a little green snake, which Notscha put into his
+sleeve and took back home with him. But no sooner
+had he drawn the little snake from his sleeve than it
+assumed human shape. The dragon then swore that
+he would punish Li Dsing in a terrible manner, and
+disappeared in a flash of lightning.</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing was now angry with his son in earnest.
+Therefore Notscha&rsquo;s mother sent him to the rear of the
+house to keep out of his father&rsquo;s sight. Notscha disappeared
+and went to his master, in order to ask him
+what he should do when the dragon returned. His
+master advised him and Notscha went back home.
+And all the Dragon Kings of the four seas were assembled,
+and had bound his parents, with cries and tumult,
+in order to punish them. Notscha ran up and cried
+with a loud voice: &ldquo;I will take the punishment for
+whatever I have done! My parents are blameless!
+What is the punishment you wish to lay upon me?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Life for life!&rdquo; said the dragon. &ldquo;Very well then, I
+will destroy myself!&rdquo; And so he did and the dragons
+went off satisfied; while Notscha&rsquo;s mother buried him
+with many tears.</p>
+
+<p>But the spiritual part of Notscha, his soul, fluttered
+about in the air, and was driven by the wind to the
+cave of the Great One. He took it in and said to it:
+&ldquo;You must appear to your mother! Forty miles distant
+from your home rises a green mountain cliff. On
+this cliff she must build a shrine for you. And after
+you have enjoyed the incense of human adoration for
+three years, you shall once more have a human body.&rdquo;
+Notscha appeared to his mother in a dream, and gave
+her the whole message, and she awoke in tears. But
+Li Dsing grew angry when she told him about it. &ldquo;It
+serves the accursed boy right that he is dead! It is
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>
+because you are always thinking of him that he appears
+to you in dreams. You must pay no attention to him.&rdquo;
+The woman said no more, but thenceforward he appeared
+to her daily, as soon as she closed her eyes, and
+grew more and more urgent in his demand. Finally all
+that was left for her to do was to erect a temple for Notscha
+without Li Dsing&rsquo;s knowledge.</p>
+
+<p>And Notscha performed great miracles in his temple.
+All prayers made in it were granted. And from far
+away people streamed to it to burn incense in his honor.</p>
+
+<p>Thus half a year passed. Then Li Dsing, on the
+occasion of a great military drill, once came by the
+cliff in question, and saw the people crowding thickly
+about the hill like a swarm of ants. Li Dsing inquired
+what there were to see upon the hill. &ldquo;It is a new god,
+who performs so many miracles that people come from
+far and near to honor him.&rdquo; &ldquo;What sort of a god is
+he?&rdquo; asked Li Dsing. They did not dare conceal from
+him who the god was. Then Li Dsing grew angry.
+He spurred his horse up the hill and, sure enough,
+over the door of the temple was written: &ldquo;Notscha&rsquo;s
+Shrine.&rdquo; And within it was the likeness of Notscha,
+just as he had appeared while living. Li Dsing said:
+&ldquo;While you were alive you brought misfortune to your
+parents. Now that you are dead you deceive the
+people. It is disgusting!&rdquo; With these words he drew
+forth his whip, beat Notscha&rsquo;s idolatrous likeness to
+pieces with it, had the temple burned down, and the
+worshipers mildly reproved. Then he returned home.</p>
+
+<p>Now Notscha had been absent in the spirit upon that
+day. When he returned he found his temple destroyed;
+and the spirit of the hill gave him the details.
+Notscha hurried to his master and related with tears
+what had befallen him. The latter was roused and
+said: &ldquo;It is Li Dsing&rsquo;s fault. After you had given
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>
+back your body to your parents, you were no further
+concern of his. Why should he withdraw from you
+the enjoyment of the incense?&rdquo; Then the Great One
+made a body of lotus-plants, gave it the gift of life,
+and enclosed the soul of Notscha within it. This done
+he called out in a loud voice: &ldquo;Arise!&rdquo; A drawing
+of breath was heard, and Notscha leaped up once more
+in the shape of a small boy. He flung himself down before
+his master and thanked him. The latter bestowed
+upon him the magic of the fiery lance, and Notscha
+thenceforward had two whirling wheels beneath his
+feet: The wheel of the wind and the wheel of fire.
+With these he could rise up and down in the air. The
+master also gave him a bag of panther-skin in which
+to keep his armlet and his silken cloth.</p>
+
+<p>Now Notscha had determined to punish Li Dsing.
+Taking advantage of a moment when he was not
+watched, he went away, thundering along on his rolling
+wheels to Li Dsing&rsquo;s dwelling. The latter was unable to
+withstand him and fled. He was almost exhausted
+when his second son, Mutscha, the disciple of the holy
+Pu Hain, came to his aid from the Cave of the White
+Crane. A violent quarrel took place between the
+brothers; they began to fight, and Mutscha was overcome;
+while Notscha once more rushed in pursuit of Li
+Dsing. At the height of his extremity, however, the
+holy Wen Dschu of the Hill of the Five Dragons, the
+master of Gintscha, Li Dsing&rsquo;s oldest son, stepped forth
+and hid Li Dsing in his cave. Notscha, in a rage, insisted
+that he be delivered up to him; but Wen Dschu
+said: &ldquo;Elsewhere you may indulge your wild nature
+to your heart&rsquo;s content, but not in this place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And when Notscha in the excess of his rage turned his
+fiery lance upon him, Wen Dschu stepped back a pace,
+shook the seven-petaled lotus from his sleeve, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>
+threw it into the air. A whirlwind arose, clouds and
+mists obscured the sight, and sand and earth were
+flung up from the ground. Then the whirlwind collapsed
+with a great crash. Notscha fainted, and when
+he regained consciousness found himself bound to a
+golden column with three thongs of gold, so that he
+could no longer move. Wen Dschu now called Gintscha
+to him and ordered him to give his unruly brother
+a good thrashing. And this he did, while Notscha,
+obliged to stand it, stood grinding his teeth. In his
+extremity he saw the Great One floating by, and called
+out to him: &ldquo;Save me, O Master!&rdquo; But the latter did
+not notice him; instead he entered the cave and thanked
+Wen Dschu for the severe lesson which he had given
+Notscha. Finally they called Notscha in to them and
+ordered him to be reconciled to his father. Then
+they dismissed them both and seated themselves to
+play chess. But no sooner was Notscha free than he
+again fell into a rage, and renewed his pursuit of his
+father. He had again overtaken Li Dsing when still
+another saint came forward to defend the latter. This
+time it was the old Buddha of the Radiance of the
+Light. When Notscha attempted to battle with him he
+raised his arm, and a pagoda shaped itself out of red,
+whirling clouds and closed around Notscha. Then
+Radiance of Light placed both his hands on the pagoda
+and a fire arose within it which burned Notscha so that
+he cried loudly for mercy. Then he had to promise to
+beg his father&rsquo;s forgiveness and always to obey him in
+the future. Not till he had promised all this did the
+Buddha let him out of the pagoda again. And he gave
+the pagoda to Li Dsing; and taught him a magic saying
+which would give him the mastery over Notscha. It is
+for this reason that Li Dsing is called the Pagoda-bearing
+King of Heaven.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>
+Later on Li Dsing and his three sons, Gintscha, Mutscha
+and Notscha, aided King Wu of the Dschou
+dynasty to destroy the tyrant Dschou-Sin.</p>
+
+<p>None could withstand their might. Only once did a
+sorcerer succeed in wounding Notscha in the left arm.
+Any other would have died of the wound. But the Great
+One carried him into his cave, healed his wound and
+gave him three goblets of the wine of the gods to drink,
+and three fire-dates to eat. When Notscha had eaten
+and drunk he suddenly heard a crash at his left side and
+another arm grew out from it. He could not speak and
+his eyes stood out from their sockets with horror. But
+it went on as it had begun: six more arms grew out of
+his body and two more heads, so that finally he had
+three heads and eight arms. He called out to his Master:
+&ldquo;What does all this mean?&rdquo; But the latter only
+laughed and said: &ldquo;All is as it should be. Thus
+equipped you will really be strong!&rdquo; Then he taught
+him a magic incantation by means of which he could
+make his arms and heads visible or invisible as he
+chose. When the tyrant Dschou-Sin had been destroyed,
+Li Dsing and his three sons, while still on
+earth, were taken up into heaven and seated among
+the gods.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Li Dsing, the Pagoda-bearing King of Heaven, may be
+traced back to Indra, the Hindoo god of thunder and lightning. The
+Pagoda might be an erroneous variant of the thunderbolt Vadjra.
+In such case Notscha would be a personification of the thunder. The
+Great One (Tai I), is the condition of things before their separation
+into the active and passive principles. There is a whole genealogy
+of mythical saints and holy men who took part in the battles between
+King Wu of Dschou and the tyrant Dschou-Sin. These saints are,
+for the most part, Buddhist-Brahminic figures which have been reshaped.
+The Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea also occurs in the
+tale of Sun Wu Kung (No. <a href="#LXXIV">74</a>). &ldquo;Dragon sinew&rdquo; means the spinal
+cord, the distinction between nerves and sinews not being carefully
+observed. &ldquo;Three spirits and seven souls&rdquo;: man has three spirits,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>
+usually above his head, and seven animal souls. &ldquo;Notscha had been
+absent in the spirit upon that day&rdquo;: the idol is only the seat of the
+godhead, which the latter leaves or inhabits as he chooses. Therefore
+the godhead must be summoned when prayers are offered, by means
+of bells and incense. When the god is not present, his idol is merely
+a block of wood or stone. Pu Hain, the Buddha of the Lion, is the
+Indian Samantabharda, one of the four great Boddhisatvas of the
+Tantra School. Wen Dschu, the Buddha on the Golden-haired
+Mountain Lion, (Hou), is the Indian Mandjusri. The old Buddha
+of the Radiance of the Light, Jan Dong Go Fu, is the Indian Dipamkara.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XIX" id="XIX"></a>XIX<br />
+<br />
+THE LADY OF THE MOON</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the days of the Emperor Yau lived a prince by
+the name of Hou I, who was a mighty hero and a
+good archer. Once ten suns rose together in the sky,
+and shone so brightly and burned so fiercely that the
+people on earth could not endure them. So the Emperor
+ordered Hou I to shoot at them. And Hou I shot
+nine of them down from the sky. Besides his bow, Hou
+I also had a horse which ran so swiftly that even the
+wind could not catch up with it. He mounted it to go a-hunting,
+and the horse ran away and could not be
+stopped. So Hou I came to Kunlun Mountain and met
+the Queen-Mother of the Jasper Sea. And she gave
+him the herb of immortality. He took it home with
+him and hid it in his room. But his wife who was
+named Tschang O, once ate some of it on the sly when
+he was not at home, and she immediately floated up to
+the clouds. When she reached the moon, she ran into
+the castle there, and has lived there ever since as the
+Lady of the Moon.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>
+On a night in mid-autumn, an emperor of the Tang
+dynasty once sat at wine with two sorcerers. And one
+of them took his bamboo staff and cast it into the air,
+where it turned into a heavenly bridge, on which the
+three climbed up to the moon together. There they
+saw a great castle on which was inscribed: &ldquo;The
+Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold.&rdquo; Beside it stood a
+cassia tree which blossomed and gave forth a fragrance
+filling all the air. And in the tree sat a man
+who was chopping off the smaller boughs with an ax.
+One of the sorcerers said: &ldquo;That is the man in the
+moon. The cassia tree grows so luxuriantly that in
+the course of time it would overshadow all the moon&rsquo;s
+radiance. Therefore it has to be cut down once in
+every thousand years.&rdquo; Then they entered the
+spreading halls. The silver stories of the castle
+towered one above the other, and its walls and columns
+were all formed of liquid crystal. In the walls were
+cages and ponds, where fishes and birds moved as
+though alive. The whole moon-world seemed made of
+glass. While they were still looking about them on all
+sides the Lady of the Moon stepped up to them, clad in
+a white mantle and a rainbow-colored gown. She
+smiled and said to the emperor: &ldquo;You are a prince of
+the mundane world of dust. Great is your fortune,
+since you have been able to find your way here!&rdquo; And
+she called for her attendants, who came flying up on
+white birds, and sang and danced beneath the cassia
+tree. A pure clear music floated through the air. Beside
+the tree stood a mortar made of white marble, in
+which a jasper rabbit ground up herbs. That was the
+dark half of the moon. When the dance had ended,
+the emperor returned to earth again with the sorcerers.
+And he had the songs which he had heard on
+the moon written down and sung to the accompaniment
+of flutes of jasper in his pear-tree garden.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>
+Note: This fairy-tale is traditional. The archer Hou I (or Count
+I, the Archer-Prince, comp. Dschuang Dsi), is placed by legend in
+different epochs. He also occurs in connection with the myths
+regarding the moon, for one tale recounts how he saved the moon
+during an eclipse by means of his arrows. The Queen-Mother is
+Si Wang Mu (comp. with No. <a href="#XV">15</a>). The Tang dynasty reigned 618-906
+<small>A.D.</small> &ldquo;The Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold&rdquo;: The goddess
+of the ice also has her habitation in the moon. The hare in the
+moon is a favorite figure. He grinds the grains of maturity or the
+herbs that make the elixir of life. The rain-toad Tschan, who has
+three legs, is also placed on the moon. According to one version
+of the story, Tschang O took the shape of this toad.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 432px;">
+<a name="cassia_tree" id="cassia_tree"></a>
+<img src="images/cfb05.jpg" width="432" height="600"
+alt="Three men meet under a cassia-tree" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;BESIDE IT STOOD A CASSIA-TREE.&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="subcapt">&mdash;<i>Page <a href="#Page_54">54</a></i></p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XX" id="XX"></a>XX<br />
+<br />
+THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there were two stars, sons of the
+Golden King of the Heavens. The one was
+named Tschen and the other Shen. One day they quarreled,
+and Tschen struck Shen a terrible blow. Thereupon
+both stars made a vow that they would never
+again look upon each other. So Tschen only appears
+in the evening, and Shen only appears in the morning,
+and not until Tschen has disappeared is Shen again to
+be seen. And that is why people say: &ldquo;When two
+brothers do not live peaceably with one another they
+are like Tschen and Shen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Tschen and Shen are Hesperus and Lucifer, the morning
+and evening stars. The tale is told in its traditional form.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXI" id="XXI"></a>XXI<br />
+<br />
+THE GIRL WITH THE HORSE&rsquo;S HEAD<br />
+OR<br />
+THE SILKWORM GODDESS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the dim ages of the past there once was an old
+man who went on a journey. No one remained at
+home save his only daughter and a white stallion. The
+daughter fed the horse day by day, but she was lonely
+and yearned for her father.</p>
+
+<p>So it happened that one day she said in jest to the
+horse: &ldquo;If you will bring back my father to me then I
+will marry you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had the horse heard her say this, than he
+broke loose and ran away. He ran until he came to the
+place where her father was. When her father saw the
+horse, he was pleasantly surprised, caught him and
+seated himself on his back. And the horse turned back
+the way he had come, neighing without a pause.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What can be the matter with the horse?&rdquo; thought
+the father. &ldquo;Something must have surely gone wrong
+at home!&rdquo; So he dropped the reins and rode back.
+And he fed the horse liberally because he had been so
+intelligent; but the horse ate nothing, and when he saw
+the girl, he struck out at her with his hoofs and tried to
+bite her. This surprised the father; he questioned his
+daughter, and she told him the truth, just as it had
+occurred.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must not say a word about it to any one,&rdquo;
+spoke her father, &ldquo;or else people will talk about us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he took down his crossbow, shot the horse, and
+hung up his skin in the yard to dry. Then he went on
+his travels again.</p>
+
+<p>One day his daughter went out walking with the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>
+daughter of a neighbor. When they entered the yard,
+she pushed the horse-hide with her foot and said:
+&ldquo;What an unreasonable animal you were&mdash;wanting to
+marry a human being! What happened to you served
+you right!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But before she had finished her speech, the horse-hide
+moved, rose up, wrapped itself about the girl and
+ran off.</p>
+
+<p>Horrified, her companion ran home to her father and
+told him what had happened. The neighbors looked for
+the girl everywhere, but she could not be found.</p>
+
+<p>At last, some days afterward, they saw the girl hanging
+from the branches of a tree, still wrapped in the
+horse-hide; and gradually she turned into a silkworm
+and wove a cocoon. And the threads which she spun
+were strong and thick. Her girl friend then took down
+the cocoon and let her slip out of it; and then she spun
+the silk and sold it at a large profit.</p>
+
+<p>But the girl&rsquo;s relatives longed for her greatly. So
+one day the girl appeared riding in the clouds on her
+horse, followed by a great company and said: &ldquo;In
+heaven I have been assigned to the task of watching
+over the growing of silkworms. You must yearn for me
+no longer!&rdquo; And thereupon they built temples to her
+in her native land, and every year, at the silkworm season,
+sacrifices are offered to her and her protection is
+implored. And the Silkworm Goddess is also known
+as the girl with the Horse&rsquo;s Head.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale is placed in the times of the Emperor Hau, and
+the legend seems to have originated in Setchuan. The stallion
+is the sign of the zodiac which rules the springtime, the season when
+the silkworms are cultivated. Hence she is called the Goddess with
+the Horse&rsquo;s Head. The legend itself tells a different tale. In addition
+to this goddess, the spouse of Schen Nung, the &ldquo;Divine Husbandman,&rdquo;
+is also worshiped as the goddess of silkworm culture. The
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>
+Goddess with the Horse&rsquo;s Head is more of a totemic representation
+of the silkworm as such; while the wife of Schen Nung is regarded
+as the protecting goddess of silk culture, and is supposed to have
+been the first to teach women its details. The spouse of the Yellow
+Lord is mentioned in the same connection. The popular belief distinguishes
+three goddesses who protect the silkworm culture in turn.
+The second is the best of the three, and when it is her year the silk
+turns out well.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXII" id="XXII"></a>XXII<br />
+<br />
+THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE Queen of Heaven, who is also known as the
+Holy Mother, was in mortal life a maiden of
+Fukien, named Lin. She was pure, reverential and
+pious in her ways and died at the age of seventeen.
+She shows her power on the seas and for this reason
+the seamen worship her. When they are unexpectedly
+attacked by wind and waves, they call on her and she
+is always ready to hear their pleas.</p>
+
+<p>There are many seamen in Fukien, and every year
+people are lost at sea. And because of this, most likely,
+the Queen of Heaven took pity on the distress of her
+people during her lifetime on earth. And since her
+thoughts are uninterruptedly turned toward aiding the
+drowning in their distress, she now appears frequently
+on the seas.</p>
+
+<p>In every ship that sails a picture of the Queen of
+Heaven hangs in the cabin, and three paper talismans
+are also kept on shipboard. On the first she is painted
+with crown and scepter, on the second as a maiden in
+ordinary dress, and on the third she is pictured with
+flowing hair, barefoot, standing with a sword in her
+hand. When the ship is in danger the first talisman
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>
+is burnt, and help comes. But if this is of no avail,
+then the second and finally the third picture is burned.
+And if no help comes then there is nothing more to be
+done.</p>
+
+<p>When seamen lose their course among wind and
+waves and darkling clouds, they pray devoutly to the
+Queen of Heaven. Then a red lantern appears on the
+face of the waters. And if they follow the lantern
+they will win safe out of all danger. The Queen of
+Heaven may often be seen standing in the skies,
+dividing the wind with her sword. When she does
+this the wind departs for the North and South, and the
+waves grow smooth.</p>
+
+<p>A wooden wand is always kept before her holy picture
+in the cabin. It often happens that the fish-dragons
+play in the seas. They are two giant fish who spout up
+water against one another till the sun in the sky is
+obscured, and the seas are shrouded in profound darkness.
+And often, in the distance, one may see a bright
+opening in the darkness. If the ship holds a course
+straight for this opening it will win through, and is
+suddenly floating in calm waters again. Looking back,
+one may see the two fishes still spouting water, and
+the ship will have passed directly beneath their jaws.
+But a storm is always near when the fish dragons
+swim; therefore it is well to burn paper or wool so
+that the dragons do not draw the ship down into the
+depths. Or the Master of the Wand may burn incense
+before the wand in the cabin. Then he must take the
+wand and swing it over the water three times, in a
+circle. If he does so the dragons will draw in their
+tails and disappear.</p>
+
+<p>When the ashes in the censer fly up into the air without
+any cause, and are scattered about, it is a sign that
+great danger is threatening.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span>
+Nearly two-hundred years ago an army was fitted
+out to subdue the island of Formosa. The captain&rsquo;s
+banner had been dedicated with the blood of a white
+horse. Suddenly the Queen of Heaven appeared at
+the tip of the banner-staff. In another moment she
+had disappeared, but the invasion was successful.</p>
+
+<p>On another occasion, in the days of Kien Lung, the
+minister Dschou Ling was ordered to install a new
+king in the Liu-Kiu Islands. When the fleet was sailing
+by south of Korea, a storm arose, and his ship was
+driven toward the Black Whirlpool. The water had
+the color of ink, sun and moon lost their radiance, and
+the word was passed about that the ship had been
+caught in the Black Whirlpool, from which no living
+man had ever returned. The seaman and travelers
+awaited their end with lamentations. Suddenly an untold
+number of lights, like red lanterns, appeared on
+the surface of the water. Then the seamen were overjoyed
+and prayed in the cabins. &ldquo;Our lives are
+saved!&rdquo; they cried, &ldquo;the Holy Mother has come to our
+aid!&rdquo; And truly, a beautiful maiden with golden earrings
+appeared. She waved her hand in the air and
+the winds became still and the waves grew even. And
+it seemed as though the ship were being drawn along
+by a mighty hand. It moved plashing through the
+waves, and suddenly it was beyond the limits of the
+Black Whirlpool.</p>
+
+<p>Dschou Ling on his return told of this happening,
+and begged that temples be erected in honor of the
+Queen of Heaven, and that she be included in the list
+of the gods. And the emperor granted his prayer.</p>
+
+<p>Since then temples of the Queen of Heaven are to be
+found in all sea-port towns, and her birthday is
+celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month with
+spectacles and sacrifices.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>
+Note: &ldquo;The Queen of Heaven,&rdquo; whose name is Tian Hou, or
+more exactly, Tian Fe Niang Niang, is a Taoist goddess of seamen,
+generally worshiped in all coast towns. Her story is principally
+made up of local legends of Fukien province, and a variation of
+the Indian Maritschi (who as Dschunti with the eight arms, is the
+object of quite a special cult). Tian Hou, since the establishment
+of the Manchu dynasty, is one of the officially recognized godheads.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXIII" id="XXIII"></a>XXIII<br />
+<br />
+THE FIRE-GOD</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">L</span>ONG before the time of Fu Hi, Dschu Yung, the
+Magic Welder, was the ruler of men. He discovered
+the use of fire, and succeeding generations learned
+from him to cook their food. Hence his descendants
+were intrusted with the preservation of fire, while he
+himself was made the Fire-God. He is a personification
+of the Red Lord, who showed himself at the beginning
+of the world as one of the Five Ancients. The
+Fire-God is worshiped as the Lord of the Holy Southern
+Mountain. In the skies the Fiery Star, the southern
+quarter of the heavens and the Red Bird belong to
+his domain. When there is danger of fire the Fiery
+Star glows with a peculiar radiance. When countless
+numbers of fire-crows fly into a house, a fire is sure
+to break out in it.</p>
+
+<p>In the land of the four rivers there dwelt a man who
+was very rich. One day he got into his wagon and set
+out on a long journey. And he met a girl, dressed in
+red, who begged him to take her with him. He allowed
+her to get into the wagon, and drove along for half-a-day
+without even looking in her direction. Then the
+girl got out again and said in farewell: &ldquo;You are
+truly a good and honest man, and for that reason I
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span>
+must tell you the truth. I am the Fire-God. To-morrow
+a fire will break out in your house. Hurry
+home at once to arrange your affairs and save what
+you can!&rdquo; Frightened, the man faced his horses about
+and drove home as fast as he could. All that he possessed
+in the way of treasures, clothes and jewels, he
+removed from the house. And, when he was about to
+lie down to sleep, a fire broke out on the hearth which
+could not be quenched until the whole building had
+collapsed in dust and ashes. Yet, thanks to the Fire-God,
+the man had saved all his movable belongings.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Fire-God&rdquo; (comp. with No. <a href="#XV">15</a>). The Holy Southern
+Mountain is Sung-Schan in Huan. The Fiery Star is Mars.
+The constellations of the southern quarter of the heavens are grouped
+by the Chinese as under the name of the &ldquo;Red Bird.&rdquo; The &ldquo;land of the
+four rivers&rdquo; is Setchuan, in the western part of present-day China.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXIV" id="XXIV"></a>XXIV<br />
+<br />
+THE THREE RULING GODS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE are three lords: in heaven, and on the
+earth and in the waters, and they are known as
+the Three Ruling Gods. They are all brothers, and
+are descended from the father of the Monk of the
+Yangtze-kiang. When the latter was sailing on the
+river he was cast into the water by a robber. But he
+did not drown, for a Triton came his way who took
+him along with him to the dragon-castle. And when
+the Dragon-King saw him he realized at once that
+there was something extraordinary about the Monk,
+and he married him to his daughter.</p>
+
+<p>From their early youth his three sons showed a
+preference for the hidden wisdom. And together
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span>
+they went to an island in the sea. There they seated
+themselves and began to meditate. They heard nothing,
+they saw nothing, they spoke not a word and they
+did not move. The birds came and nested in their
+hair; the spiders came and wove webs across their
+faces; worms and insects came and crawled in and out
+of their noses and ears. But they paid no attention to
+any of them.</p>
+
+<p>After they had meditated thus for a number of
+years, they obtained the hidden wisdom and became
+gods. And the Lord made them the Three Ruling Gods.
+The heavens make things, the earth completes things,
+and the waters create things. The Three Ruling Gods
+sent out the current of their primal power to aid in
+ordering all to this end. Therefore they are also known
+as the primal gods, and temples are erected to them all
+over the earth.</p>
+
+<p>If you go into a temple you will find the Three Ruling
+Gods all seated on one pedestal. They wear
+women&rsquo;s hats upon their heads, and hold scepters in
+their hands, like kings. But he who sits on the last
+place, to the right, has glaring eyes and wears a look of
+rage. If you ask why this is you are told: &ldquo;These
+three were brothers and the Lord made them the Ruling
+Gods. So they talked about the order in which they
+were to sit. And the youngest said: &lsquo;To-morrow
+morning, before sunrise, we will meet here. Whoever
+gets here first shall have the seat of honor in the
+middle; the second one to arrive shall have the second
+place, and the third the third.&rsquo; The two older brothers
+were satisfied. The next morning, very early, the
+youngest came first, seated himself in the middle place,
+and became the god of the waters. The middle brother
+came next, sat down on the left, and became the god of
+the heavens. Last of all came the oldest brother.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>
+When he saw that his brothers were already sitting in
+their places, he was disgusted and yet he could not say
+a word. His face grew red with rage, his eyeballs
+stood forth from their sockets like bullets, and his
+veins swelled like bladders. And he seated himself on
+the right and became god of the earth.&rdquo; The artisans
+who make the images of the gods noticed this, so they
+always represent him thus.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Three Ruling Gods&rdquo; is set down as told by the
+people. It is undoubtedly a version of the Indian Trimurti. The
+meaning of the terrible appearance of the third godhead, evidently
+no longer understood by the people, points to Siva, and has given
+rise to the fairy-tale here told. As regards the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang,
+comp. with No. <a href="#LXIX">69</a>.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXV" id="XXV"></a>XXV<br />
+<br />
+A LEGEND OF CONFUCIUS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>HEN Confucius came to the earth, the Kilin,
+that strange beast which is the prince of all
+four-footed animals, and only appears when there is a
+great man on earth, sought the child and spat out a jade
+whereon was written: &ldquo;Son of the Watercrystal
+you are destined to become an uncrowned king!&rdquo; And
+Confucius grew up, studied diligently, learned wisdom
+and came to be a saint. He did much good on earth,
+and ever since his death has been reverenced as the
+greatest of teachers and masters. He had foreknowledge
+of many things. And even after he had
+died he gave evidence of this.</p>
+
+<p>Once, when the wicked Emperor Tsin Schi Huang
+had conquered all the other kingdoms, and was traveling
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>
+through the entire empire, he came to the homeland
+of Confucius. And he found his grave. And,
+finding his grave, he wished to have it opened and see
+what was in it. All his officials advised him not to do
+so, but he would not listen to them. So a passage was
+dug into the grave, and in its main chamber they
+found a coffin, whose wood appeared to be quite fresh.
+When struck it sounded like metal. To the left of the
+coffin was a door, which led into an inner chamber.
+In this chamber stood a bed, and a table with books
+and clothing, all as though meant for the use of a living
+person. Tsin Schi Huang seated himself on the bed
+and looked down. And there on the floor stood two
+shoes of red silk, whose tips were adorned with a woven
+pattern of clouds. A bamboo staff leaned against the
+wall. The Emperor, in jest, put on the shoes, took
+the staff and left the grave. But as he did so a tablet
+suddenly appeared before his eyes on which stood the
+following lines:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">O&rsquo;er kingdoms six Tsin Schi Huang his army led,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To ope my grave and find my humble bed;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">He steals my shoes and takes my staff away<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To reach Schakiu&mdash;and his last earthly day!<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Tsin Schi Huang was much alarmed, and had the grave
+closed again. But when he reached Schakiu he fell
+ill of a hasty fever of which he died.</p>
+
+<div class="note"><p>Note: The Kilin is an okapi-like legendary beast of the most
+perfected kindness, prince of all the four-footed animals. The
+&ldquo;Watercrystal&rdquo; is the dark Lord of the North, whose element is
+water and wisdom, for which last reason Confucius is termed his
+son. Tsin Schi Huang (<small>B.C.</small> 200) is the burner of books and
+reorganizer of China famed in history. Schakiu (Sandhill) was
+a city in the western part of the China of that day.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXVI" id="XXVI"></a>XXVI<br />
+<br />
+THE GOD OF WAR</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE God of War, Guan Di, was really named Guan
+Yu. At the time when the rebellion of the Yellow
+Turbans was raging throughout the empire, he, together
+with two others whom he met by the wayside,
+and who were inspired with the same love of country
+which possessed him, made a pact of friendship. One
+of the two was Liu Be, afterward emperor, the other
+was named Dschang Fe. The three met in a peach-orchard
+and swore to be brothers one to the other, although
+they were of different families. They sacrificed
+a white steed and vowed to be true to each other
+to the death.</p>
+
+<p>Guan Yu was faithful, honest, upright and brave
+beyond all measure. He loved to read Confucius&rsquo;s
+&ldquo;Annals of Lu,&rdquo; which tell of the rise and fall of empires.
+He aided his friend Liu Be to subdue the
+Yellow Turbans and to conquer the land of the four
+rivers. The horse he rode was known as the Red Hare,
+and could run a thousand miles in a day. Guan Yu
+had a knife shaped like a half-moon which was called
+the Green Dragon. His eyebrows were beautiful like
+those of the silk-butterflies, and his eyes were long-slitted
+like the eyes of the Phenix. His face was
+scarlet-red in color, and his beard so long that it hung
+down over his stomach. Once, when he appeared before
+the emperor, the latter called him Duke Fairbeard,
+and presented him with a silken pocket in which
+to place his beard. He wore a garment of green brocade.
+Whenever he went into battle he showed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span>
+invincible bravery. Whether he were opposed by a
+thousand armies or by ten thousand horsemen&mdash;he attacked
+them as though they were merely air.</p>
+
+<p>Once the evil Tsau Tsau had incited the enemies of
+his master, the Emperor, to take the city by treachery.
+When Guan Yu heard of it he hastened up with an army
+to relieve the town. But he fell into an ambush,
+and, together with his son, was brought a captive to
+the capital of the enemy&rsquo;s land. The prince of that
+country would have been glad to have had him go over
+to his side; but Guan Yu swore that he would not yield
+to death himself. Thereupon father and son were
+slain. When he was dead, his horse Red Hare ceased
+to eat and died. A faithful captain of his, by name
+of Dschou Dsang, who was black-visaged and wore a
+great knife, had just invested a fortress when the news
+of the sad end of the duke reached him. And he, as
+well as other faithful followers would not survive their
+master, and perished.</p>
+
+<p>At the time a monk, who was an old compatriot and
+acquaintance of Duke Guan was living in the Hills of
+the Jade Fountains. He used to walk at night in the
+moonlight.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he heard a loud voice cry down out of the
+air: &ldquo;I want my head back again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The monk looked up and saw Duke Guan, sword in
+hand, seated on his horse, just as he appeared while
+living. And at his right and left hand, shadowy
+figures in the clouds, stood his son Guan Ping and his
+captain, Dschou Dsang.</p>
+
+<p>The monk folded his hands and said: &ldquo;While you
+lived you were upright and faithful, and in death you
+have become a wise god; and yet you do not understand
+fate! If you insist on having your head back
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span>
+again, to whom shall the many thousands of your
+enemies who lost their lives through you appeal, in
+order to have life restored to them?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When he heard this the Duke Guan bowed and disappeared.
+Since that time he has been without interruption
+spiritually active. Whenever a new dynasty
+is founded, his holy form may be seen. For this
+reason temples and sacrifices have been instituted for
+him, and he has been made one of the gods of the
+empire. Like Confucius, he received the great sacrifice
+of oxen, sheep and pigs. His rank increases
+with the passing of centuries. First he was worshiped
+as Prince Guan, later as King Guan, and
+then as the great god who conquers the demons. The
+last dynasty, finally, worships him as the great, divine
+Helper of the Heavens. He is also called the God of
+War, and is a strong deliverer in all need, when men
+are plagued by devils and foxes. Together with Confucius,
+the Master of Peace, he is often worshiped as
+the Master of War.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The Chinese God of War is a historical personality from
+the epoch of the three empires, which later joined the Han dynasty,
+about 250 <small>A.D.</small> Liu Be founded the &ldquo;Little Han dynasty&rdquo; in
+Setchuan, with the aid of Guan Yu and Dschang Fe. Guan Yu or
+Guan Di, i.e., &ldquo;God Yuan,&rdquo; has become one of the most popular
+figures in Chinese legend in the course of time, God of War and
+deliverer in one and the same person. The talk of the monk with
+the God Guan Di in the clouds is based on the Buddhist law of
+Karma. Because Guan Di&mdash;even though his motives might be good&mdash;had
+slain other men, he must endure like treatment at their hands,
+even while he is a god.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69"><!-- unnumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="padtop">TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS</h2>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="XXVII" id="XXVII"></a>XXVII<br />
+<br />
+THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE true gods all have halos around their heads.
+When the lesser gods and demons see these halos,
+they hide and dare not move. The Master of the
+Heavens on the Dragon-Tiger Mountain meets the
+gods at all times. One day the God of War came down
+to the mountain while the mandarin of the neighboring
+district was visiting the Master of the Heavens. The
+latter advised the mandarin to withdraw and hide
+himself in an inner chamber. Then he went out to
+receive the God of War. But the mandarin peeped
+through a slit in the door, and he saw the red face and
+green garment of the God of War as he stood there,
+terrible and awe-inspiring. Suddenly a red halo
+flashed up above his head, whose beams penetrated
+into the inner chamber so that the mandarin grew
+blind in one eye. After a time the God of War went
+away again, and the Master of the Heavens accompanied
+him. Suddenly Guan Di said, with alarm:
+&ldquo;Confucius is coming! The halo he wears illumines
+the whole world. I cannot endure its radiance even a
+thousand miles away, so I must hurry and get out of
+the way!&rdquo; And with that he stepped into a cloud
+and disappeared. The Master of the Heavens then
+told the mandarin what had happened, and added:
+&ldquo;Fortunately you did not see the God of War face to
+face! Whoever does not possess the greatest virtue
+and the greatest wisdom, would be melted by the red
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>
+glow of his halo.&rdquo; So saying he gave him a pill of the
+elixir of life to eat, and his blind eye gradually regained
+its sight.</p>
+
+<p>It is also said that scholars wear a red halo around
+their heads which devils, foxes and ghosts fear when
+they see it.</p>
+
+<p>There was once a scholar who had a fox for a friend.
+The fox came to see him at night, and went walking
+with him in the villages. They could enter the houses,
+and see all that was going on, without people being any
+the wiser. But when at a distance the fox saw a red
+halo hanging above a house he would not enter it. The
+scholar asked him why not.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Those are all celebrated scholars,&rdquo; answered the
+fox. &ldquo;The greater the halo, the more extensive is
+their knowledge. I dread them and do not dare enter
+their houses.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the man said: &ldquo;But I am a scholar, too!
+Have I no halo which makes you fear me, instead of
+going walking with me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There is only a black mist about your head,&rdquo;
+answered the fox. &ldquo;I have never yet seen it surrounded
+by a halo.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The scholar was mortified and began to scold him;
+but the fox disappeared with a horse-laugh.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale is told as traditionally handed down. The
+Master of the Heavens, Tian Schi, who dwells on the Lung Hu Schan,
+is the so-called Taoist pope.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXVIII" id="XXVIII"></a>XXVIII<br />
+<br />
+LAOTSZE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">L</span>AOTSZE is really older than heaven and earth put
+together. He is the Yellow Lord or Ancient,
+who created this world together with the other four.
+At various times he has appeared on earth, under various
+names. His most celebrated incarnation, however,
+is that of Laotsze, &ldquo;The Old Child,&rdquo; which name
+he was given because he made his appearance on earth
+with white hair.</p>
+
+<p>He acquired all sorts of magic powers by means of
+which he extended his life-span. Once he hired a servant
+to do his bidding. He agreed to give him a
+hundred pieces of copper daily; yet he did not pay him,
+and finally he owed him seven million, two hundred
+thousand pieces of copper. Then he mounted a black
+steer and rode to the West. He wanted to take his
+servant along. But when they reached the Han-Gu
+pass, the servant refused to go further, and insisted
+on being paid. Yet Laotsze gave him nothing.</p>
+
+<p>When they came to the house of the guardian of the
+pass, red clouds appeared in the sky. The guardian
+understood this sign and knew that a holy man was
+drawing near. So he went out to meet him and took
+him into his house. He questioned him with regard to
+hidden knowledge, but Laotsze only stuck out his tongue
+at him and would not say a word. Nevertheless, the
+guardian of the pass treated him with the greatest
+respect in his home. Laotsze&rsquo;s servant told the
+servant of the guardian that his master owed him a
+great deal of money, and begged the latter to put in a
+good word for him. When the guardian&rsquo;s servant
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>
+heard how large a sum it was, he was tempted to win
+so wealthy a man for a son-in-law, and he married him
+to his daughter. Finally the guardian heard of the
+matter and came to Laotsze together with the servant.
+Then Laotsze said to his servant: &ldquo;You rascally
+servant. You really should have been dead long ago.
+I hired you, and since I was poor and could give you no
+money, I gave you a life-giving talisman to eat. That
+is how you still happen to be alive. I said to you: &lsquo;If
+you will follow me into the West, the land of Blessed
+Repose, I will pay you your wages in yellow gold. But
+you did not wish to do this.&rsquo;&rdquo; And with that he
+patted his servant&rsquo;s neck. Thereupon the latter
+opened his mouth, and spat out the life-giving talisman.
+The magic signs written on it with cinnabar, quite fresh
+and well-preserved, might still be seen. But the servant
+suddenly collapsed and turned into a heap of dry
+bones. Then the guardian of the pass cast himself to
+earth and pleaded for him. He promised to pay the
+servant for Laotsze and begged the latter to restore
+him to life. So Laotsze placed the talisman among the
+bones and at once the servant came to life again. The
+guardian of the pass paid him his wages and dismissed
+him. Then he adored Laotsze as his master, and the
+latter taught him the art of eternal life, and left him
+his teachings, in five thousand words, which the guardian
+wrote down. The book which thus came into being
+is the Tao Teh King, &ldquo;The Book of the Way and Life.&rdquo;
+Laotsze then disappeared from the eyes of men. The
+guardian of the pass however, followed his teachings,
+and was given a place among the immortals.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The Taoists like to assert that Laotsze&rsquo;s journey to the
+West was undertaken before the birth of Buddha, who, according
+to many, is only a reincarnation of Laotsze. The guardian of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span>
+Han-Gu pass is mentioned by the name of Guan Yin Hi, in the Lia
+Dsi and the Dschuang Dsi.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXIX" id="XXIX"></a>XXIX<br />
+<br />
+THE ANCIENT MAN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a man named Huang
+An. He must have been well over eighty and
+yet he looked like a youth. He lived on cinnabar and
+wore no clothing. Even in winter he went about
+without garments. He sat on a tortoise three feet
+long. Once he was asked: &ldquo;About how old might this
+tortoise be?&rdquo; He answered: &ldquo;When Fu Hi first invented
+fish-nets and eel-pots he caught this tortoise
+and gave it to me. And since then I have worn its
+shield quite flat sitting on it. The creature dreads the
+radiance of the sun and moon, so it only sticks its head
+out of its shell once in two thousand years. Since I
+have had the beast, it has already stuck its head out
+five times.&rdquo; With these words he took his tortoise on
+his back and went off. And the legend arose that this
+man was ten thousand years old.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Cinnabar is frequently used in the preparation of the
+elixir of life (comp. No. <a href="#XXX">30</a>). Fu Hi is &ldquo;the life-breeding breath.&rdquo;
+Tortoises live to a great age.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXX" id="XXX"></a>XXX<br />
+<br />
+THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE is a legend which declares that Eight Immortals
+dwell in the heavens. The first is
+named Dschung Li Kuan. He lived in the time of the
+Han dynasty, and discovered the wonderful magic of
+golden cinnabar, the philosopher&rsquo;s stone. He could
+melt quicksilver and burn lead and turn them into
+yellow gold and white silver. And he could fly through
+the air in his human form. He is the chief of the
+Eight Immortals.</p>
+
+<p>The second is named Dschang Go. In primal times
+he gained hidden knowledge. It is said that he was
+really a white bat, who turned into a man. In the
+first days of the Tang dynasty an ancient with a white
+beard and a bamboo drum on his back, was seen riding
+backward on a black ass in the town of Tschang An.
+He beat the drum and sang, and called himself old
+Dschang Go. Another legend says that he always had
+a white mule with him which could cover a thousand
+miles in a single day. When he had reached his destination
+he would fold up the animal and put it in his
+trunk. When he needed it again, he would sprinkle
+water on it with his mouth, and the beast would regain
+its first shape.</p>
+
+<p>The third is named Lu Yuan or Lu Dung Bin (The
+Mountain Guest). His real name was Li, and he belonged
+to the ruling Tang dynasty. But when the
+Empress Wu seized the throne and destroyed the Li
+family to almost the last man, he fled with his wife into
+the heart of the mountains. They changed their names
+to Lu, and, since they lived in hiding in the caverns in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span>
+the rocks, he called himself the Mountain Guest or the
+Guest of the Rocks. He lived on air and ate no bread.
+Yet he was fond of flowers. And in the course of time
+he acquired the hidden wisdom.</p>
+
+<p>In Lo Yang, the capital city, the peonies bloomed
+with special luxuriance. And there dwelt a flower
+fairy, who changed herself into a lovely maiden with
+whom Guest of the Rocks, when he came to Lo Yang,
+was wont to converse. Suddenly along came the
+Yellow Dragon, who had taken the form of a handsome
+youth. He mocked the flower fairy. Guest of
+the Rocks grew furious and cast his flying sword at
+him, cutting off his head. From that time onward he
+fell back again into the world of mundane pleasure and
+death. He sank down into the dust of the diurnal, and
+was no longer able to wing his way to the upper regions.
+Later he met Dschung Li Kuan, who delivered him,
+and then he was taken up in the ranks of the
+Immortals.</p>
+
+<p>Willowelf was his disciple. This was an old willow-tree
+which had drawn into itself the most ethereal
+powers of the sunrays and the moonbeams, and had
+thus been able to assume the shape of a human being.
+His face is blue and he has red hair. Guest of the
+Rocks received him as a disciple. Emperors and kings
+of future times honor Guest of the Rocks as the ancestor
+and master of the pure sun. The people call
+him Grandfather Lu. He is very wise and powerful.
+And therefore the people still stream into Grandfather
+Lu&rsquo;s temples to obtain oracles and pray for good luck.
+If you want to know whether you will be successful or
+not in an undertaking, go to the temple, light incense
+and bow your head to earth. On the altar is a
+bamboo goblet, in which are some dozens of little lottery
+sticks. You must shake them while kneeling, until
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>
+one of the sticks flies out. On the lottery-stick is inscribed
+a number. This number must then be looked
+up in the Book of Oracles, where it is accompanied by a
+four-line stanza. It is said that fortune and misfortune,
+strange to think, occur to one just as foretold by
+the oracle.</p>
+
+<p>The fourth Immortal is Tsau Guo Gui (Tsau the
+Uncle of the State). He was the younger brother of
+the Empress Tsau, who for a time ruled the land. For
+this reason he was called the Uncle of the State. From
+his earliest youth he had been a lover of the hidden
+wisdom. Riches and honors were no more to him than
+dust. It was Dschung Li Kuan who aided him to become
+immortal.</p>
+
+<p>The fifth is called Lan Tsai Ho. Nothing is known
+of his true name, his time nor his family. He was often
+seen in the market-place, clad in a torn blue robe and
+wearing only a single shoe, beating a block of wood
+and singing the nothingness of life.</p>
+
+<p>The sixth Immortal is known as Li Tia Guai (Li
+with the iron crutch). He lost his parents in early
+youth and was brought up in his older brother&rsquo;s home.
+His sister-in-law treated him badly and never gave him
+enough to eat. Because of this he fled into the hills,
+and there learned the hidden wisdom.</p>
+
+<p>Once he returned in order to see his brother, and said
+to his sister-in-law: &ldquo;Give me something to eat!&rdquo; She
+answered: &ldquo;There is no kindling wood on hand!&rdquo;
+He replied: &ldquo;You need only to prepare the rice. I
+can use my leg for kindling wood, only you must not
+say that the fire might injure me, and if you do not no
+harm will be done.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His sister-in-law wished to see his art, so she poured
+the rice into the pot. Li stretched one of his legs out
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>
+under it and lit it. The flames leaped high and the leg
+burned like coal.</p>
+
+<p>When the rice was nearly boiled his sister-in-law
+said: &ldquo;Won&rsquo;t your leg be injured?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Li replied angrily: &ldquo;Did I not warn you not
+to say anything! Then no harm would have been done.
+Now one of my legs is lamed.&rdquo; With these words he
+took an iron poker and fashioned it into a crutch for
+himself. Then he hung a bottle-gourd on his back, and
+went into the hills to gather medicinal herbs. And
+that is why he is known as Li with the Iron Crutch.</p>
+
+<p>It is also told of him that he often was in the habit
+of ascending into the heavens in the spirit to visit his
+master Laotsze. Before he left he would order a
+disciple to watch his body and soul within it, so that
+the latter did not escape. Should seven days have
+gone by without his spirit returning, then he would
+allow his soul to leave the empty tenement. Unfortunately,
+after six days had passed, the disciple
+was called to the death-bed of his mother, and when
+the master&rsquo;s spirit returned on the evening of the
+seventh day, the life had gone out of its body. Since
+there was no place for his spirit in his own body, in
+his despair he seized upon the first handy body from
+which the vital essence had not yet dispersed. It was
+the body of a neighbor, a lame cripple, who had just
+died, so that from that time on the master appeared in
+his form.</p>
+
+<p>The seventh Immortal is called Hang Siang Dsi.
+He was the nephew of the famous Confucian scholar
+Han Yu, of the Tang dynasty. From his earliest
+youth he cultivated the arts of the deathless gods, left
+his home and became a Taoist. Grandfather Lu
+awakened him and raised him to the heavenly world.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span>
+Once he saved his uncle&rsquo;s life. The latter had been
+driven from court, because he had objected when the
+emperor sent for a bone of Buddha with great pomp.
+When he reached the Blue Pass in his flight, a deep
+snowfall had made the road impassable. His horse
+had floundered in a snow-drift, and he himself was
+well-nigh frozen. Then Hang Siang Dsi suddenly appeared,
+helped him and his horse out of the drift, and
+brought them safely to the nearest inn along the Blue
+Pass. Han Yu sang a verse, in which the lines
+occurred:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Tsin Ling Hill &rsquo;mid clouds doth lie,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">And home is far, beyond my sight!<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Round the Blue Pass snow towers high,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">And who will lead the horse aright?<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Suddenly it occurred to him that several years before,
+Hang Siang Dsi had come to his house to congratulate
+him on his birthday. Before he had left, he had written
+these words on a slip of paper, and his uncle had read
+them, without grasping their meaning. And now he
+was unconsciously singing the very lines of that song
+that his nephew had written. So he said to Hang
+Siang Dsi, with a sigh: &ldquo;You must be one of the Immortals,
+since you were able thus to foretell the
+future!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And thrice Hang Siang Dsi sought to deliver his
+wife from the bonds of earth. For when he left his
+home to seek the hidden wisdom, she sat all day long
+yearning for his presence. Hang Siang Dsi wished to
+release her into immortality, but he feared she was not
+capable of translation. So he appeared to her in
+various forms, in order to try her, once as a beggar,
+another time as a wandering monk. But his wife did
+not grasp her opportunities. At last he took the shape
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>
+of a lame Taoist, who sat on a mat, beat a block of wood
+and read sutras before the house.</p>
+
+<p>His wife said: &ldquo;My husband is not at home. I can
+give you nothing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Taoist answered: &ldquo;I do not want your gold
+and silver, I want you. Sit down beside me on the mat,
+and we will fly up into the air and you shall find your
+husband again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hereupon the woman grew angry and struck at him
+with a cudgel.</p>
+
+<p>Then Hang Siang Dsi changed himself into his true
+form, stepped on a shining cloud and was carried aloft.
+His wife looked after him and wept loudly; but he had
+disappeared and was not seen again.</p>
+
+<p>The eighth Immortal is a girl and was called Ho Sian
+Gu. She was a peasant&rsquo;s daughter, and though her
+step-mother treated her harshly she remained respectful
+and industrious. She loved to give alms, though
+her step-mother tried to prevent her. Yet she was
+never angry, even when her step-mother beat her.
+She had sworn not to marry, and at last her step-mother
+did not know what to do with her. One day,
+while she was cooking rice, Grandfather Du came and
+delivered her. She was still holding the rice-spoon in
+her hand as she ascended into the air. In the heavens
+she was appointed to sweep up the fallen flowers at
+the Southern Gate of Heaven.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The legends of the Eight Immortals, regarded as one
+group, do not go back further than the Manchu dynasty, though
+individual ones among them were known before. Some of the
+Immortals, like Han Siang Dsi, are historic personages, others
+purely mythical. In the present day they play an important part
+in art and in the art-crafts. Their emblems also occur frequently:
+Dschung Li Kuan is represented with a fan. Dschang Go has a
+bamboo drum with two drum-sticks (and his donkey). Lu Dung
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>
+Bin has a sword and a flower-basket on his back. Tsau Guo Gui
+has two small boards, (Yin Yang Ban), which he can throw into
+the air. Li Tia Guai has the bottle-gourd, out of which emerges a
+bat, the emblem of good fortune. Lan Tsai Ho, who is also pictured as
+a woman, has a flute. Han Siang Dsi has a flower-basket and a
+dibble. Ho Sian Gu has a spoon, usually formed in the shape of
+a lotus-flower.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXXI" id="XXXI"></a>XXXI<br />
+<br />
+THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a poor man, who at
+last had no roof to shelter him and not a bite to
+eat. So, weary and worn, he lay down beside a little
+temple of the field-god that stood by the roadside and
+fell asleep. And he dreamed that the old, white-bearded
+field-god came out of his little shrine and
+said to him: &ldquo;I know of a means to help you! To-morrow
+the Eight Immortals will pass along this road.
+Cast yourself down before them and plead to them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the man awoke he seated himself beneath the
+great tree beside the field-god&rsquo;s little temple, and waited
+all day long for his dream to come true. At last, when
+the sun had nearly sunk, eight figures came down the
+road, which the beggar clearly recognized as those of
+the Eight Immortals. Seven of them were hurrying
+as fast as they could, but one among them, who had a
+lame leg, limped along after the rest. Before him&mdash;it
+was Li Tia Guai&mdash;the man cast himself to earth. But
+the lame Immortal did not want to bother with him, and
+told him to go away. Yet the poor man would not give
+over pleading with him, begging that he might go with
+them and be one of the Immortals, too. That would be
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>
+impossible, said the cripple. Yet, as the poor man did
+not cease his prayers and would not leave him, he at
+last said: &ldquo;Very well, then, take hold of my coat!&rdquo;
+This the man did and off they went in flying haste over
+paths and fields, on and on, and even further on. Suddenly
+they stood together high up on the tower of Pong-lai-schan,
+the ghost mountain by the Eastern Sea.
+And, lo, there stood the rest of the Immortals as well!
+But they were very discontented with the companion
+whom Li Tia Guai had brought along. Yet since the
+poor man pleaded so earnestly, they too allowed themselves
+to be moved, and said to him: &ldquo;Very well! We
+will now leap down into the sea. If you follow us you
+may also become an Immortal!&rdquo; And one after another
+the seven leaped down into the sea. But when it
+came to the man&rsquo;s turn he was frightened, and would
+not dare the leap. Then the cripple said to him: &ldquo;If
+you are afraid, then you cannot become an Immortal!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But what shall I do now?&rdquo; wailed the man, &ldquo;I am
+far from my home and have no money!&rdquo; The cripple
+broke off a fragment of the battlement of the tower,
+and thrust it into the man&rsquo;s hand; then he also leaped
+from the tower and disappeared into the sea like his
+seven companions.</p>
+
+<p>When the man examined the stone in his hand more
+closely, he saw that it was the purest silver. It
+provided him with traveling money during the many
+weeks it took him to reach his home. But by that time
+the silver was completely used up, and he found himself
+just as poor as he had been before.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Little field-god temples, Tu Di Miau, are miniature stone
+chapels which stand before every village. As regards the field-god,
+see No. <a href="#LI">51</a>.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXXII" id="XXXII"></a>XXXII<br />
+<br />
+THE TWO SCHOLARS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there were two scholars. One
+was named Liu Tschen and the other Yuan
+Dschau. Both were young and handsome. One spring
+day they went together into the hills of Tian Tai to
+gather curative herbs. There they came to a little
+valley where peach-trees blossomed luxuriantly on
+either side. In the middle of the valley was a cave,
+where two maidens stood under the blossoming trees,
+one of them clad in red garments, the other in green.
+And they were beautiful beyond all telling. They
+beckoned to the scholars with their hands.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And have you come?&rdquo; they asked. &ldquo;We have been
+waiting for you overlong!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they led them into the cave and served them
+with tea and wine.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have been destined for the lord Liu,&rdquo; said
+the maiden in the red gown; &ldquo;and my sister is for the
+lord Yuan!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And so they were married. Every day the two
+scholars gazed at the flowers or played chess so that
+they forgot the mundane world completely. They only
+noticed that at times the peach-blossoms on the trees
+before the cave opened, and at others that they fell
+from the boughs. And, at times, unexpectedly, they
+felt cold or warm, and had to change the clothing they
+were wearing. And they marveled within themselves
+that it should be so.</p>
+
+<p>Then, one day, they were suddenly overcome by
+homesickness. Both maidens were already aware of it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When our lords have once been seized with
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>
+homesickness, then we may hold them no longer,&rdquo; said they.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day they prepared a farewell
+banquet, gave the scholars magic wine to take along
+with them and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will see one another again. Now go your way!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the scholars bade them farewell with tears.</p>
+
+<p>When they reached home the gates and doors had
+long since vanished, and the people of the village were
+all strangers to them. They crowded about the
+scholars and asked who they might be.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We are Liu Tschen and Yuan Dschau. Only a few
+days ago we went into the hills to pick herbs!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that a servant came hastening up and looked
+at them. At last he fell at Liu Tschen&rsquo;s feet with
+great joy and cried: &ldquo;Yes, you are really my master!
+Since you went away, and we had no news of any kind
+regarding you some seventy years or more have
+passed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon he drew the scholar Liu through a high
+gateway, ornamented with bosses and a ring in a
+lion&rsquo;s mouth, as is the custom in the dwellings of those
+of high estate.</p>
+
+<p>And when he entered the hall, an old lady with white
+hair and bent back, leaning on a cane, came forward
+and asked: &ldquo;What man is this?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our master has returned again,&rdquo; replied the servant.
+And then, turning to Liu he added: &ldquo;That
+is the mistress. She is nearly a hundred years old,
+but fortunately is still strong and in good health.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Tears of joy and sadness filled the old lady&rsquo;s eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since you went away among the immortals, I had
+thought that we should never see each other again in
+this life,&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;What great good fortune that
+you should have returned after all!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And before she had ended the whole family, men
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>
+and women, came streaming up and welcomed him in
+a great throng outside the hall.</p>
+
+<p>And his wife pointed out this one and that and said:
+&ldquo;That is so and so, and this is so and so!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At the time the scholar had disappeared there had
+been only a tiny boy in his home, but a few years old.
+And he was now an old man of eighty. He had served
+the empire in a high office, and had already retired to
+enjoy his old age in the ancestral gardens. There
+were three grand-children, all celebrated ministers;
+there were more than ten great-grand-children, of whom
+five had already passed their examinations for the
+doctorate; there were some twenty great-great-grand-children,
+of whom the oldest had just returned home
+after having passed his induction examinations for the
+magistracy with honor. And the little ones, who were
+carried in their parents&rsquo; arms, were not to be counted.
+The grand-children, who were away, busy with their
+duties, all asked for leave and returned home when
+they heard that their ancestor had returned. And the
+girl grand-children, who had married into other families,
+also came. This filled Liu with joy, and he had a
+family banquet prepared in the hall, and all his descendants,
+with their wives and husbands sat about
+him in a circle. He himself and his wife, a white-haired,
+wrinkled old lady, sat in their midst at the upper
+end. The scholar himself still looked like a youth
+of twenty years, so that all the young people in the
+circle looked around and laughed.</p>
+
+<p>Then the scholar said: &ldquo;I have a means of driving
+away old age!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he drew out his magic wine and gave his wife
+some of it to drink. And when she had taken three
+glasses, her white hair gradually turned black again,
+her wrinkles disappeared, and she sat beside her
+husband, a handsome young woman. Then his son and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>
+the older grand-children came up and all asked for a
+drink of the wine. And whichever of them drank only
+so much as a drop of it was turned from an old man
+into a youth. The tale was bruited abroad and came
+to the emperor&rsquo;s ears. The emperor wanted to call Liu
+to his court, but he declined with many thanks. Yet he
+sent the emperor some of his magic wine as a gift.
+This pleased the emperor greatly, and he gave Liu a
+tablet of honor, with the inscription:</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;The Common Home of Five Generations&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Besides this he sent him three signs which he had written
+with his own imperial brush signifying:</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;Joy in longevity&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As to the other of the two scholars, Yuan Dschau, he
+was not so fortunate. When he came home he found
+that his wife and child had long since died, and his
+grand-children and great-grand-children were mostly
+useless people. So he did not remain long, but returned
+to the hills. Yet Liu Tschen remained for
+some years with his family, then taking his wife with
+him, went again to the Tai Hills and was seen no more.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale is placed in the reign of the Emperor Ming Di
+(<small>A.D.</small> 58-75). Its motive is that of the legend of the Seven Sleepers,
+and is often found in Chinese fairy tales.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXXIII" id="XXXIII"></a>XXXIII<br />
+<br />
+THE MISERLY FARMER</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a farmer who had
+carted pears to market. Since they were very
+sweet and fragrant, he hoped to get a good price for
+them. A bonze with a torn cap and tattered robe
+stepped up to his cart and asked for one. The farmer
+repulsed him, but the bonze did not go. Then the
+farmer grew angry and began to call him names. The
+bonze said: &ldquo;You have pears by the hundred in your
+cart. I only ask for one. Surely that does you no
+great injury. Why suddenly grow so angry about
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The bystanders told the farmer that he ought to
+give the bonze one of the smaller pears and let him go.
+But the farmer would not and did not. An artisan
+saw the whole affair from his shop, and since the
+noise annoyed him, he took some money, bought a pear
+and gave it to the bonze.</p>
+
+<p>The bonze thanked him and said: &ldquo;One like myself,
+who has given up the world, must not be miserly.
+I have beautiful pears myself, and I invite you all to
+eat them with me.&rdquo; Then some one asked: &ldquo;If you
+have pears then why do you not eat your own?&rdquo; He
+answered: &ldquo;I first must have a seed to plant.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with that he began to eat the pear with gusto.
+When he had finished, he held the pit in his hand,
+took his pick-ax from his shoulder; and dug a hole
+a couple of inches deep. Into this he thrust the pit, and
+covered it with earth. Then he asked the folk in the
+market place for water, with which to water it. A
+pair of curiosity seekers brought him hot water from
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span>
+the hostelry in the street, and with it the bonze
+watered the pit. Thousands of eyes were turned on
+the spot. And the pit could already be seen to sprout.
+The sprout grew and in a moment it had turned into a
+tree. Branches and leaves burgeoned out from it. It
+began to blossom and soon the fruit had ripened:
+large, fragrant pears, which hung in thick clusters
+from the boughs. The bonze climbed into the tree and
+handed down the pears to the bystanders. In a moment
+all the pears had been eaten up. Then the bonze
+took his pick-ax and cut down the tree. Crash, crash!
+so it went for a while, and the tree was felled. Then
+he took the tree on his shoulder and walked away at an
+easy gait.</p>
+
+<p>When the bonze had begun to make his magic, the
+farmer, too, had mingled with the crowd. With neck
+outstretched and staring eyes he had stood there
+and had entirely forgotten the business he hoped to do
+with his pears. When the bonze had gone off he
+turned around to look after his cart. His pears had
+all disappeared. Then he realized that the pears the
+bonze had divided had been his own. He looked more
+closely, and the axle of his cart had disappeared. It
+was plainly evident that it had been chopped off quite
+recently. The farmer fell into a rage and hastened
+after the bonze as fast as ever he could. And when he
+turned the corner, there lay the missing piece from the
+axle by the city wall. And then he realized that the
+pear-tree which the bonze had chopped down must
+have been his axle. The bonze, however, was nowhere
+to be found. And the whole crowd in the market
+burst out into loud laughter.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The axle in China is really a handle, for the little Chinese
+carts are one-wheel push-carts with two handles or shafts.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXXIV" id="XXXIV"></a>XXXIV<br />
+<br />
+SKY O&rsquo;DAWN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a man who took a
+child to a woman in a certain village, and told
+her to take care of him. Then he disappeared. And
+because the dawn was just breaking in the sky when
+the woman took the child into her home, she called
+him Sky O&rsquo;Dawn. When the child was three years
+old, he would often look up to the heavens and talk
+with the stars. One day he ran away and many
+months passed before he came home again. The
+woman gave him a whipping. But he ran away again,
+and did not return for a year. His foster-mother was
+frightened, and asked: &ldquo;Where have you been all
+year long?&rdquo; The boy answered: &ldquo;I only made a
+quick trip to the Purple Sea. There the water stained
+my clothes red. So I went to the spring at which the
+sun turns in, and washed them. I went away in the
+morning and I came back at noon. Why do you speak
+about my having been gone a year?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the woman asked: &ldquo;And where did you pass
+on your way?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The boy answered: &ldquo;When I had washed my
+clothes, I rested for a while in the City of the Dead and
+fell asleep. And the King-Father of the East gave me
+red chestnuts and rosy dawn-juice to eat, and my hunger
+was stilled. Then I went to the dark skies and
+drank the yellow dew, and my thirst was quenched.
+And I met a black tiger and wanted to ride home on
+his back. But I whipped him too hard, and he bit me
+in the leg. And so I came back to tell you about it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 434px;">
+<a name="water_shoe" id="water_shoe"></a>
+<img src="images/cfb06.jpg" width="434" height="600"
+alt="The boy paddles the shoe down the river" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;&lsquo;AND I CROSSED THE WATER ON THE SHOE.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="subcapt">&mdash;<i>Page <a href="#Page_91">91</a></i></p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Once more the boy ran away from home, thousands
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>
+of miles, until he came to the swamp where dwelt the
+Primal Mist. There he met an old man with yellow
+eyebrows and asked him how old he might be. The
+old man said: &ldquo;I have given up the habit of eating,
+and live on air. The pupils of my eyes have gradually
+acquired a green glow, which enables me to see all hidden
+things. Whenever a thousand years have passed I
+turn around my bones and wash the marrow. And
+every two thousand years I scrape my skin to get rid
+of the hair. I have already washed my bones thrice
+and scraped my skin five times.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Afterward Sky O&rsquo;Dawn served the Emperor Wu
+of the Han dynasty. The Emperor, who was fond of
+the magic arts, was much attached to him. One day he
+said to him: &ldquo;I wish that the empress might not grow
+old. Can you prevent it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sky O&rsquo;Dawn answered: &ldquo;I know of only one means
+to keep from growing old.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Emperor asked what herbs one had to eat. Sky
+O&rsquo;Dawn replied: &ldquo;In the North-East grow the mushrooms
+of life. There is a three-legged crow in the
+sun who always wants to get down and eat them. But
+the Sun-God holds his eyes shut and does not let him
+get away. If human beings eat them they become
+immortal, when animals eat them they grow stupefied.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And how do you know this?&rdquo; asked the Emperor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When I was a boy I once fell into a deep well, from
+which I could not get out for many decades. And down
+there was an immortal who led me to this herb. But
+one has to pass through a red river whose water is
+so light that not even a feather can swim on it. Everything
+that touches its surface sinks to the depths. But
+the man pulled off one of his shoes and gave it to me.
+And I crossed the water on the shoe, picked the herb
+and ate it. Those who dwell in that place weave mats
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>
+of pearls and precious stones. They led me to a spot
+before which hung a curtain of delicate, colored skin.
+And they gave me a pillow carved of black jade, on
+which were graven sun and moon, clouds and thunder.
+They covered me with a dainty coverlet spun of the
+hair of a hundred gnats. A cover of that kind is very
+cool and refreshing in summer. I felt of it with my
+hands, and it seemed to be formed of water; but when I
+looked at it more closely, it was pure light.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Once the Emperor called together all his magicians
+in order to talk with them about the fields of the blessed
+spirits. Sky O&rsquo;Dawn was there, too, and said:
+&ldquo;Once I was wandering about the North Pole and I
+came to the Fire-Mirror Mountain. There neither
+sun nor moon shines. But there is a dragon who holds
+a fiery mirror in his jaws in order to light up the darkness.
+On the mountain is a park, and in the park is
+a lake. By the lake grows the glimmer-stalk grass,
+which shines like a lamp of gold. If you pluck it and
+use it for a candle, you can see all things visible, and
+the shapes of the spirits as well. It even illuminates
+the interior of a human being.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Once Sky O&rsquo;Dawn went to the East, into the country
+of the fortunate clouds. And he brought back with
+him from that land a steed of the gods, nine feet high.
+The Emperor asked him how he had come to find it.</p>
+
+<p>So he told him: &ldquo;The Queen-Mother of the West
+had him harnessed to her wagon when she went to
+visit the King-Father of the East. The steed was
+staked out in the field of the mushrooms of life. But
+he trampled down several hundred of them. This made
+the King-Father angry, and he drove the steed away
+to the heavenly river. There I found him and rode
+him home. I rode three times around the sun, because
+I had fallen asleep on the steed&rsquo;s back. And then,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>
+before I knew it, I was here. This steed can catch up
+with the sun&rsquo;s shadow. When I found him he was
+quite thin and as sad as an aged donkey. So I mowed
+the grass of the country of the fortunate clouds, which
+grows once every two-thousand years on the Mountain
+of the Nine Springs and fed it to the horse; and that
+made him lively again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Emperor asked what sort of a place the country
+of the fortunate clouds might be. Sky O&rsquo;Dawn
+answered: &ldquo;There is a great swamp there. The people
+prophesy fortune and misfortune by the air and the
+clouds. If good fortune is to befall a house, clouds
+of five colors form in the rooms, which alight on the
+grass and trees and turn into a colored dew. This dew
+tastes as sweet as cider.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Emperor asked whether he could obtain any of
+this dew. Sky O&rsquo;Dawn replied: &ldquo;My steed could
+take me to the place where it falls four times in the
+course of a single day!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And sure enough he came back by evening, and
+brought along dew of every color in a crystal flask.
+The Emperor drank it and his hair grew black again.
+He gave it to his highest officials to drink, and the old
+grew young again and the sick became well.</p>
+
+<p>Once, when a comet appeared in the heavens, Sky
+O&rsquo;Dawn gave the Emperor the astrologer&rsquo;s wand.
+The Emperor pointed it at the comet and the comet
+was quenched.</p>
+
+<p>Sky O&rsquo;Dawn was an excellent whistler. And whenever
+he whistled in full tones, long drawn out, the
+motes in the sunbeams danced to his music.</p>
+
+<p>Once he said to a friend: &ldquo;There is not a soul on
+earth who knows who I am with the exception of the
+astrologer!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Sky O&rsquo;Dawn had died, the Emperor called
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span>
+the astrologer to him and asked: &ldquo;Did you know
+Sky O&rsquo;Dawn?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He replied: &ldquo;No!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Emperor said: &ldquo;What do you know?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The astrologer answered: &ldquo;I know how to gaze on
+the stars.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Are all the stars in their places?&rdquo; asked the
+Emperor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, but for eighteen years I have not seen the Star
+of the Great Year. Now it is visible once more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Emperor looked up towards the skies and
+sighed: &ldquo;For eighteen years Sky O&rsquo;Dawn kept me
+company, and I did not know that he was the Star of
+the Great Year!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The mother of Sky O&rsquo;Dawn, (Dung Fang So) who makes
+so mysterious an appearance on earth, according to one tradition,
+is the third daughter of the Lord of the Heavens. (Comp. Note to
+No. <a href="#XVI">16</a>). Dung Fang So is an incarnation of the Wood Star or Star
+of the Great Year (Jupiter). The King-Father of the East, one of
+the Five Ancients, is the representative of wood (comp. No. <a href="#XV">15</a>).
+Red chestnuts, like fire-dates, are fruits of the gods, and bestow
+immortality. Sky O&rsquo;Dawn was an excellent whistler. Whistling
+is a famous means of magic among the Taoists. The Emperor Wu
+of the Han dynasty, was a prince who is reputed to have devoted
+much attention to the magic arts. He reigned from 140 to 86 <small>B.C.</small>
+The three-legged crow in the sun is the counterpart of the three-legged
+ram-toad in the moon. The Red River recalls the Weak
+River by the Castle of the Queen-Mother of the West.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XXXV" id="XXXV"></a>XXXV<br />
+<br />
+KING MU OF DSCHOU</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the days of King Mu of Dschou a magician came
+out of the uttermost West, who could walk
+through water and fire, and pass through metal and
+stone. He could make mountains and rivers change
+place, shift about cities and castles, rise into emptiness
+without falling, strike against solid matter without
+finding it an obstruction; and he knew a thousand transformations
+in all their inexhaustible variety. And he
+could not only change the shape of things but he could
+change men&rsquo;s thoughts. The King honored him like a
+god, and served him as he would a master. He resigned
+his own apartments that the magician might be lodged
+in them, had beasts of sacrifice brought to offer him,
+and selected sweet singers to give him pleasure. But
+the rooms in the King&rsquo;s palace were too humble&mdash;the
+magician could not dwell in them; and the King&rsquo;s singers
+were not musical enough to be allowed to be near
+him. So King Mu had a new palace built for him.
+The work of bricklayers and carpenters, of painters
+and stainers left nothing to be desired with regard to
+skill. The King&rsquo;s treasury was empty when the tower
+had reached its full height. It was a thousand fathoms
+high, and rose above the top of the mountain before the
+capital. The King selected maidens, the loveliest and
+most dainty, gave them fragrant essences, had their
+eyebrows curved in lines of beauty, and adorned their
+hair and ears with jewels. He garbed them in fine
+cloth, and with white silks fluttering about them, and
+had their faces painted white and their eyebrows
+stained black. He had them put on armlets of precious
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>
+stones and mix sweet-smelling herbs. They filled the
+palace and sang the songs of the ancient kings in order
+to please the magician. Every month the most costly
+garments were brought him, and every morning the
+most delicate food. The magician allowed them to do
+so, and since he had no choice, made the best of it.</p>
+
+<p>Not long afterward the magician invited the King to
+go traveling with him. The King grasped the magician&rsquo;s
+sleeve, and thus they flew up through the air to
+the middle of the skies. When they stopped they found
+they had reached the palace of the magician. It was
+built of gold and silver, and adorned with pearls and
+precious stones. It towered high over the clouds and
+rain; and none could say whereon it rested. To the eye
+it had the appearance of heaped-up clouds. All that it
+offered the senses was different from the things of the
+world of men. It seemed to the King as though he were
+bodily present in the midst of the purple depths of the
+city of the air, of the divine harmony of the spheres,
+where the Great God dwells. The King looked down,
+and his castles and pleasure-houses appeared to him
+like hills of earth and heaps of straw. And there the
+King remained for some decades and thought no more
+of his kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>Then the magician again invited the King to go traveling
+with him once more. And in the place to which
+they came there was to be seen neither sun nor moon
+above, nor rivers or sea below. The King&rsquo;s dazzled
+eyes could not see the radiant shapes which showed
+themselves; the King&rsquo;s dulled ears could not hear the
+sounds which played about them. It seemed as though
+his body were dissolving in confusion; his thoughts
+began to stray, and consciousness threatened to leave
+him. So he begged the magician to return. The magician
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>
+put his spell upon him, and it seemed to the King
+as though he were falling into empty space.</p>
+
+<p>When he regained consciousness, he was sitting at the
+same place where he had been sitting when the magician
+had asked him to travel with him for the first
+time. The servants waiting on him were the same,
+and when he looked down, his goblet was not yet
+empty, and his food had not yet grown cold.</p>
+
+<p>The King asked what had happened. And the servants
+answered, &ldquo;The King sat for a space in silence.&rdquo;
+Whereupon the King was quite bereft of reason,
+and it was three months before he regained his right
+mind. Then he questioned the magician. The magician
+said: &ldquo;I was traveling with you in the spirit, O
+King! What need was there for the body to go along?
+And the place in which we stayed at that time was
+no less real than your own castle and your own
+gardens. But you are used only to permanent conditions,
+therefore visions which dissolve so suddenly
+appear strange to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King was content with the explanation. He
+gave no further thought to the business of government
+and took no more interest in his servants, but resolved
+to travel afar. So he had the eight famous steeds
+harnessed, and accompanied by a few faithful retainers,
+drove a thousand miles away. There he came
+to the country of the great hunters. The great hunters
+brought the King the blood of the white brant to drink,
+and washed his feet in the milk of mares and cows.
+When the King and his followers had quenched their
+thirst, they drove on and camped for the night on the
+slope of the Kunlun Mountain, south of the Red River.
+The next day they climbed to the peak of Kunlun Mountain
+and gazed at the castle of the Lord of the Yellow
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span>
+Earth. Then they traveled on to the Queen-Mother
+of the West. Before they got there they had to pass
+the Weak River. This is a river whose waters will
+bear neither floats nor ships. All that attempts to
+float over it sinks into its depths. When the King
+reached the shore, fish and turtles, crabs and salamanders
+came swimming up and formed a bridge,
+so that he could drive across with the wagon.</p>
+
+<p>It is said of the Queen-Mother of the West that she
+goes about with hair unkempt, with a bird&rsquo;s beak and
+tiger&rsquo;s teeth, and that she is skilled in playing the flute.
+Yet this is not her true figure, but that of a spirit who
+serves her, and rules over the Western sky. The
+Queen-Mother entertained King Mu in her castle by
+the Springs of Jade. And she gave him rock-marrow
+to drink and fed him with the fruit of the jade-trees.
+Then she sang him a song and taught him a magic
+formula by means of which one could obtain long life.
+The Queen-Mother of the West gathers the immortals
+around her, and gives them to eat of the peaches of
+long life; and then they come to her with wagons with
+purple canopies, drawn by flying dragons. Ordinary
+mortals sink in the Weak River when they try to cross.
+But she was kindly disposed to King Mu.</p>
+
+<p>When he took leave of her, he also went on to the
+spot where the sun turns in after running three thousand
+miles a day. Then he returned again to his
+kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>When King Mu was a hundred years old, the Queen-Mother
+of the West drew near his palace and led him
+away with her into the clouds.</p>
+
+<p>And from that day on he was seen no more.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: King Mu of Dschou reigned from 1001 to 946 <small>B.C.</small>
+With his name are associated the stories of the marvelous travels
+into the land of the far West, and especially to the Queen-Mother
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span>
+(who is identified by some with Juno). The peaches of immortality
+suggest the apples of the Hesperides. (Comp. with the story of
+&ldquo;The Ape Sun Wu Kung.&rdquo;)</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXXVI" id="XXXVI"></a>XXXVI<br />
+<br />
+THE KING OF HUAI NAN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE King of Huai Nan was a learned man of the
+Han dynasty. Since he was of the blood royal
+the emperor had given him a kingdom in fee. He cultivated
+the society of scholars, could interpret signs
+and foretell the future. Together with his scholars
+he had compiled the book which bears his name.</p>
+
+<p>One day eight aged men came to see him. They all
+had white beards and white hair. The gate-keeper
+announced them to the King. The King wished to try
+them, so he sent back the gate-keeper to put difficulties
+in the way of their entrance. The latter said to them:
+&ldquo;Our King is striving to learn the art of immortal
+life. You gentlemen are old and feeble. How can
+you be of aid to him? It is unnecessary for you to pay
+him a visit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The eight old men smiled and said: &ldquo;Oh, and are
+we too old to suit you? Well, then we will make ourselves
+young!&rdquo; And before they had finished speaking
+they had turned themselves into boys of fourteen
+and fifteen, with hair-knots as black as silk and faces
+like peach-blossoms. The gate-keeper was frightened,
+and at once informed the King of what had happened.
+When the King heard it, he did not even take time to
+slip into his shoes, but hurried out barefoot to receive
+them. He led them into his palace, had rugs of brocade
+spread for them, and beds of ivory set up, fragrant
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span>
+herbs burned and tables of gold and precious stones
+set in front of them. Then he bowed before them as
+pupils do before a teacher, and told them how glad he
+was that they had come.</p>
+
+<p>The eight boys changed into old men again and said:
+&ldquo;Do you wish to go to school to us, O King? Each one
+of us is master of a particular art. One of us can call
+up wind and rain, cause clouds and mists to gather,
+rivers to flow and mountains to heave themselves up,
+if he wills it so. The second can cause high mountains
+to split asunder and check great streams in their
+course. He can tame tigers and panthers and soothe
+serpents and dragons. Spirits and gods do his bidding.
+The third can send out doubles, transform himself
+into other shapes, make himself invisible, cause
+whole armies to disappear, and turn day into night.
+The fourth can walk through the air and clouds, can
+stroll on the surface of the waves, pass through walls
+and rocks and cover a thousand miles in a single
+breath. The fifth can enter fire without burning, and
+water without drowning. The winter frost cannot
+chill him, nor the summer heat burn him. The sixth
+can create and transform living creatures if he feel inclined.
+He can form birds and beasts, grasses and
+trees. He can transplace houses and castles. The
+seventh can bake lime so that it turns to gold, and cook
+lead so that it turns to silver; he can mingle water and
+stone so that the bubbles effervesce and turn into
+pearls. The eighth can ride on dragons and cranes to
+the eight poles of the world, converse with the immortals,
+and stand in the presence of the Great Pure
+One.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King kept them beside him from morning to
+night, entertained them and had them show him what
+they could do. And, true enough, they could do everything
+just as they had said. And now the King began
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span>
+to distil the elixir of life with their aid. He had finished,
+but not yet imbibed it when a misfortune overtook
+his family. His son had been playing with a
+courtier and the latter had heedlessly wounded him.
+Fearing that the prince might punish him, he joined
+other discontented persons and excited a revolt. And
+the emperor, when he heard of it, sent one of his
+captains to judge between the King and the rebels.</p>
+
+<p>The eight aged men spoke: &ldquo;It is now time to go.
+This misfortune has been sent you from heaven, O
+King! Had it not befallen you, you would not have
+been able to resolve to leave the splendors and glories
+of this world!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They led him on to a mountain. There they offered
+sacrifices to heaven, and buried gold in the earth.
+Then they ascended into the skies in bright daylight.
+The footprints of the eight aged men and of the king
+were imprinted in the rock of the mountain, and may be
+seen there to this very day. Before they had left the
+castle, however, they had set what was left of the elixir
+of life out in the courtyard. Hens and hounds picked
+and licked it up, and all flew up into the skies. In Huai
+Nan to this very day the crowing of cocks and the
+barking of hounds may be heard up in the skies,
+and it is said that these are the creatures who followed
+the King at the time.</p>
+
+<p>One of the King&rsquo;s servants, however, followed him
+to an island in the sea, whence he sent him back. He
+told that the King himself had not yet ascended to the
+skies, but had only become immortal and was wandering
+about the world. When the emperor heard of the
+matter he regretted greatly that he had sent soldiers
+into the King&rsquo;s land and thus driven him out. He
+called in magicians to aid him, in hope of meeting the
+eight old men himself. Yet, for all that he spent great
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span>
+sums, he was not successful. The magicians only
+cheated him.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The King of Huai Nan was named Liu An. He belonged
+to the Han dynasty. He dabbled largely in magic, and
+drew to his court many magicians whose labors are collected in the
+philosophical work which bears his name. Liu An lived at the time
+of the Emperor Wu (see No. <a href="#XXXIV">34</a>). The latter having no heirs,
+Liu An entered into a conspiracy which, however, was discovered.
+As a consequence he killed himself, 122 <small>B.C.</small> Our fairy-tale
+presents these events in their legendary transformation.</p></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXXVII" id="XXXVII"></a>XXXVII<br />
+<br />
+OLD DSCHANG</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a man who went
+by the name of Old Dschang. He lived in the
+country, near Yangdschou, as a gardener. His neighbor,
+named Sir We, held an official position in Yangdschou.
+Sir We had decided that it was time for his
+daughter to marry, so he sent for a match-maker and
+commissioned her to find a suitable husband. Old
+Dschang heard this, and was pleased. He prepared
+food and drink, entertained the match-maker, and told
+her to recommend him as a husband. But the old
+match-maker went off scolding.</p>
+
+<p>The next day he invited her to dinner again and gave
+her money. Then the old match-maker said: &ldquo;You
+do not know what you wish! Why should a gentleman&rsquo;s
+beautiful daughter condescend to marry a poor
+old gardener like yourself? Even though you had
+money to burn, your white hair would not match her
+black locks. Such a marriage is out of the question!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Old Dschang did not cease to entreat her:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Make an attempt, just one attempt, to mention me!
+If they will not listen to you, then I must resign myself
+to my fate!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old match-maker had taken his money, so she
+could not well refuse, and though she feared being
+scolded, she mentioned him to Sir We. He grew angry
+and wanted to throw her out of the house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I knew you would not thank me,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;but
+the old man urged it so that I could not refuse to
+mention his intention.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Tell the old man that if this very day he brings me
+two white jade-stones, and four hundred ounces of
+yellow gold, then I will give him my daughter&rsquo;s hand
+in marriage.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But he only wished to mock the old man&rsquo;s folly, for
+he knew that the latter could not give him anything of
+the kind. The match-maker went to Old Dschang and
+delivered the message. And he made no objection;
+but at once brought the exact quantity of gold and
+jewels to Sir We&rsquo;s house. The latter was very much
+frightened and when his wife heard of it, she began
+to weep and wail loudly. But the girl encouraged her
+mother: &ldquo;My father has given his word now and cannot
+break it. I will know how to bear my fate.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Sir We&rsquo;s daughter was married to Old Dschang.
+But even after the wedding the latter did not give up
+his work as a gardener. He spaded the field and sold
+vegetables as usual, and his wife had to fetch water
+and build the kitchen fire herself. But she did her
+work without false shame and, though her relatives
+reproached her, she continued to do so.</p>
+
+<p>Once an aristocratic relative visited Sir We and said:
+&ldquo;If you had really been poor, were there not enough
+young gentlemen in the neighborhood for your
+daughter? Why did you have to marry her to such
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>
+a wrinkled old gardener? Now that you have thrown
+her away, so to speak, it would be better if both of them
+left this part of the country.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Sir We prepared a banquet and invited his
+daughter and Old Dschang to visit him. When they
+had had sufficient to eat and drink he allowed them to
+get an inkling of what was in his mind.</p>
+
+<p>Said Old Dschang: &ldquo;I have only remained here
+because I thought you would long for your daughter.
+But since you are tired of us, I will be glad to go. I
+have a little country house back in the hills, and we
+will set out for it early to-morrow morning.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The following morning, at break of dawn, Old
+Dschang came with his wife to say farewell. Sir We
+said: &ldquo;Should we long to see you at some later time,
+my son can make inquiries.&rdquo; Old Dschang placed his
+wife on a donkey and gave her a straw hat to wear.
+He himself took his staff and walked after.</p>
+
+<p>A few years passed without any news from either
+of them. Then Sir We and his wife felt quite a longing
+to see their daughter and sent their son to make inquiries.
+When the latter got back in the hills he met
+a plow-boy who was plowing with two yellow steers.
+He asked him: &ldquo;Where is Old Dschang&rsquo;s country
+house?&rdquo; The plow-boy left the plow in the harrow,
+bowed and answered: &ldquo;You have been a long
+time coming, sir! The village is not far from here:
+I will show you the way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They crossed a hill. At the foot of the hill flowed
+a brook, and when they had crossed the brook they
+had to climb another hill. Gradually the landscape
+changed. From the top of the hill could be seen a
+valley, level in the middle, surrounded by abrupt crags
+and shaded by green trees, among which houses and
+towers peeped forth. This was the country house of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span>
+Old Dschang. Before the village flowed a deep brook
+full of clear, blue water. They passed over a stone
+bridge and reached the gate. Here flowers and trees
+grew in luxurious profusion, and peacocks and cranes
+flew about. From the distance could be heard the
+sound of flutes and of stringed instruments. Crystal-clear
+tones rose to the clouds. A messenger in a purple
+robe received the guest at the gate and led him into a
+hall of surpassing splendor. Strange fragrances
+filled the air, and there was a ringing of little bells of
+pearl. Two maid-servants came forth to greet him,
+followed by two rows of beautiful girls in a long processional.
+After them a man in a flowing turban, clad
+in scarlet silk, with red slippers, came floating along.
+The guest saluted him. He was serious and dignified,
+and at the same time seemed youthfully fresh. At first
+We&rsquo;s son did not recognize him, but when he looked
+more closely, why it was Old Dschang! The latter said
+with a smile: &ldquo;I am pleased that the long road to travel
+has not prevented your coming. Your sister is just
+combing her hair. She will welcome you in a moment.&rdquo;
+Then he had him sit down and drink tea.</p>
+
+<p>After a short time a maid-servant came and led him
+to the inner rooms, to his sister. The beams of her
+room were of sandalwood, the doors of tortoise-shell
+and the windows inlaid with blue jade; her curtains
+were formed of strings of pearls and the steps leading
+into the room of green nephrite. His sister was magnificently
+gowned, and far more beautiful than before.
+She asked him carelessly how he was getting along,
+and what her parents were doing; but was not very
+cordial. After a splendid meal she had an apartment
+prepared for him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My sister wishes to make an excursion to the
+Mountain of the Fairies,&rdquo; said Old Dschang to him.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>
+&ldquo;We will be back about sunset, and you can rest
+until we return.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then many-colored clouds rose in the courtyard,
+and dulcet music sounded on the air. Old Dschang
+mounted a dragon, while his wife and sister rode on
+phenixes and their attendants on cranes. So they
+rose into the air and disappeared in an easterly direction.
+They did not return until after sunset.</p>
+
+<p>Old Dschang and his wife then said to him: &ldquo;This
+is an abode of the blessed. You cannot remain here
+overlong. To-morrow we will escort you back.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the following day, when taking leave, Old Dschang
+gave him eighty ounces of gold and an old straw hat.
+&ldquo;Should you need money,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you can go to
+Yangdschou and inquire in the northern suburb for
+old Wang&rsquo;s drug-shop. There you can collect ten
+million pieces of copper. This hat is the order for
+them.&rdquo; Then he ordered his plow-boy to take him
+home again.</p>
+
+<p>Quite a few of the folks at home, to whom he described
+his adventures, thought that Old Dschang
+must be a holy man, while others regarded the whole
+thing a magic vision.</p>
+
+<p>After five or six years Sir We&rsquo;s money came to an
+end. So his son took the straw hat to Yangdschou and
+there asked for old Wang. The latter just happened
+to be standing in his drug-shop, mixing herbs. When
+the son explained his errand he said: &ldquo;The money is
+ready. But is your hat genuine?&rdquo; And he took the
+hat and examined it. A young girl came from an inner
+room and said: &ldquo;I wove the hat for Old Dschang
+myself. There must be a red thread in it.&rdquo; And
+sure enough, there was. Then old Wang gave young
+We the ten million pieces of copper, and the latter now
+believed that Old Dschang was really a saint. So he
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>
+once more went over the hills to look for him. He
+asked the forest-keepers, but they could tell him naught.
+Sadly he retraced his steps and decided to inquire of
+old Wang, but he had also disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>When several years had passed he once more came
+to Yangdschou, and was walking in the meadow before
+the city gate. There he met Old Dschang&rsquo;s plow-boy.
+The latter cried out: &ldquo;How are you? How are
+you?&rdquo; and drew out ten pounds of gold, which he gave
+to him, saying: &ldquo;My mistress told me to give you
+this. My master is this very moment drinking tea
+with old Wang in the inn.&rdquo; Young We followed the
+plow-boy, intending to greet his brother-in-law.
+But when he reached the inn there was no one in sight.
+And when he turned around the plow-boy had disappeared
+as well. And since that time no one ever
+heard from Old Dschang again.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The match-maker, according to Chinese custom&mdash;and the
+custom of other oriental peoples&mdash;is an absolutely necessary mediator
+between the two families. There are old women who make
+their living at this profession.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XXXVIII" id="XXXVIII"></a>XXXVIII<br />
+<br />
+THE KINDLY MAGICIAN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a man named Du Dsi
+Tschun. In his youth he was a spendthrift and
+paid no heed to his property. He was given to drink
+and idling. When he had run through all his money,
+his relatives cast him out. One winter day he was
+walking barefoot about the city, with an empty
+stomach and torn clothes. Evening came on and still
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span>
+he had not found any food. Without end or aim he
+wandered about the market place. He was hungry,
+and the cold seemed well nigh unendurable. So he
+turned his eyes upward and began to lament aloud.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly an ancient man stood before him, leaning
+on a staff, who said: &ldquo;What do you lack since you
+complain so?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am dying of hunger,&rdquo; replied Du Dsi Tschun,
+&ldquo;and not a soul will take pity on me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ancient man said: &ldquo;How much money would
+you need in order to live in all comfort?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If I had fifty thousand pieces of copper it would
+answer my purpose,&rdquo; replied Du Dsi Tschun.</p>
+
+<p>The ancient said: &ldquo;That would not answer.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, a million!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is still too little!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, three million!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ancient man said: &ldquo;That is well spoken!&rdquo;
+He fetched a thousand pieces of copper out of his sleeve
+and said: &ldquo;That is for this evening. Expect me to-morrow
+by noon, at the Persian Bazaar!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At the time set Du Dsi Tschun went there, and, sure
+enough, there was the ancient, who gave him three
+million pieces of copper. Then he disappeared, without
+giving his name.</p>
+
+<p>When Du Dsi Tschun held the money in his hand,
+his love for prodigality once more awoke. He rode
+pampered steeds, clothed himself in the finest furs,
+went back to his wine, and led such an extravagant life
+that the money gradually came to an end. Instead of
+wearing brocade he had to wear cotton, and instead
+of riding horseback he went to the dogs. Finally he
+was again running about barefoot and in rags as before,
+and did not know how to satisfy his hunger. Once
+more he stood in the market-place and sighed. But
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span>
+the ancient was already there, took him by the hand
+and said: &ldquo;Are you back already to where you were?
+That is strange! However, I will aid you once more!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Du Dsi Tschun was ashamed and did not want
+to accept his help. Yet the ancient insisted, and led
+him along to the Persian Bazaar. This time he gave
+him ten million pieces of copper, and Du Dsi Tschun
+thanked him with shame in his heart.</p>
+
+<p>With money in hand, he tried to give time to adding
+to it, and saving in order to gain great wealth. But,
+as is always the case, it is hard to overcome ingrown
+faults. Gradually he began to fling his money away
+again, and gave free rein to all his desires. And once
+more his purse grew empty. In a couple of years he
+was as poor as ever he had been.</p>
+
+<p>Then he met the ancient the third time, but was
+so ashamed of himself that he hid his face when he
+passed him.</p>
+
+<p>The ancient seized his arm and said: &ldquo;Where are
+you going? I will help you once more. I will give
+you thirty million. But if then you do not improve
+you are past all aid!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Full of gratitude, Du Dsi Tschun bowed before him
+and said: &ldquo;In the days of my poverty my wealthy
+relatives did not seek me out. You alone have thrice
+aided me. The money you give me to-day shall not be
+squandered, that I swear; but I will devote it to good
+works in order to repay your great kindness. And
+when I have done this I will follow you, if needs be
+through fire and through water.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ancient replied: &ldquo;That is right! When you
+have ordered these things ask for me in the temple of
+Laotsze beneath the two mulberry trees!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Du Dsi Tschun took the money and went to Yangdschou.
+There he bought a hundred acres of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>
+best land, and built a lofty house with many hundreds
+of rooms on the highway. And there he allowed widows
+and orphans to live. Then he bought a burial-place
+for his ancestors, and supported his needy relations.
+Countless people were indebted to him for
+their livelihood.</p>
+
+<p>When all was finished, he went to inquire after the
+ancient in the temple of Laotsze. The ancient was
+sitting in the shade of the mulberry trees blowing the
+flute. He took Du Dsi Tschun along with him to the
+cloudy peaks of the holy mountains of the West.
+When they had gone some forty miles into the mountains,
+he saw a dwelling, fair and clean. It was surrounded
+by many-colored clouds, and peacocks and
+cranes were flying about it. Within the house was a
+herb-oven nine feet high. The fire burned with a purple
+flame, and its glow leaped along the walls. Nine
+fairies stood at the oven, and a green dragon and a
+white tiger crouched beside it. Evening came. The
+ancient was no longer clad like an ordinary man; but
+wore a yellow cap and wide, flowing garments. He
+took three pellets of the White Stone, put them into a
+flagon of wine, and gave them to Du Dsi Tschun to
+drink. He spread out a tiger-skin against the western
+wall of the inner chamber, and bade Du Dsi Tschun sit
+down on it, with his face turned toward the East.
+Then he said to him: &ldquo;Now beware of speaking a
+single word&mdash;no matter what happens to you, whether
+you encounter powerful gods or terrible demons,
+wild beasts or ogres, or all the tortures of the nether
+world, or even if you see your own relatives suffer&mdash;for
+all these things are only deceitful images! They
+cannot harm you. Think only of what I have said, and
+let your soul be at rest!&rdquo; And when he had said this
+the ancient disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Then Du Dsi Tschun saw only a large stone jug
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>
+full of clear water standing before him. Fairies,
+dragon and tiger had all vanished. Suddenly he heard
+a tremendous crash, which made heaven and earth
+tremble. A man towering more than ten feet in height
+appeared. He called himself the great captain, and
+he and his horse were covered with golden armor.
+He was surrounded by more than a hundred soldiers,
+who drew their bows and swung their swords, and
+halted in the courtyard.</p>
+
+<p>The giant called out harshly: &ldquo;Who are you? Get
+out of my way!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Du Dsi Tschun did not move. And he returned
+no answer to his questions.</p>
+
+<p>Then the giant flew into a passion and cried with a
+thundering voice: &ldquo;Chop off his head!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Du Dsi Tschun remained unmoved, so the giant
+went off raging.</p>
+
+<p>Then a furious tiger and a poisonous serpent came
+up roaring and hissing. They made as though to bite
+him and leaped over him. But Du Dsi Tschun remained
+unperturbed in spirit, and after a time they
+dissolved and vanished.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly a great rain began to fall in streams. It
+thundered and lightninged incessantly, so that his
+ears rang and his eyes were blinded. It seemed as
+though the house would fall. The water rose to a flood
+in a few moments&rsquo; time, and streamed up to the place
+where he was sitting. But Du Dsi Tschun remained
+motionless and paid no attention to it. And after a
+time the water receded.</p>
+
+<p>Then came a great demon with the head of an ox.
+He set up a kettle in the middle of the courtyard, in
+which bubbled boiling oil. He caught Du Dsi Tschun
+by the neck with an iron fork and said: &ldquo;If you will
+tell me who you are I will let you go!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Du Dsi Tschun shut his eyes and kept silent. Then
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>
+the demon picked him up with the fork and flung him
+into the kettle. He withstood the pain, and the boiling
+oil did not harm him. Finally the demon dragged
+him out again, and drew him down the steps of the
+house before a man with red hair and a blue face, who
+looked like the prince of the nether world. The latter
+cried: &ldquo;Drag in his wife!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After a time Du Dsi Tschun&rsquo;s wife was brought
+on in chains. Her hair was torn and she wept bitterly.</p>
+
+<p>The demon pointed to Du Dsi Tschun and said:
+&ldquo;If you will speak your name we will let her go!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But he answered not a word.</p>
+
+<p>Then the prince of evil had the woman tormented
+in all sorts of ways. And she pleaded with Du Dsi
+Tschun: &ldquo;I have been your wife now for ten years.
+Will you not speak one little word to save me? I can
+endure no more!&rdquo; And the tears ran in streams from
+her eyes. She screamed and scolded. Yet he spoke
+not a word.</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon the prince of evil shouted: &ldquo;Chop her
+into bits!&rdquo; And there, before his eyes, it seemed as
+though she were really being chopped to pieces. But
+Du Dsi Tschun did not move.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The scoundrel&rsquo;s measure is full!&rdquo; cried the prince
+of evil. &ldquo;He shall dwell no longer among the living!
+Off with his head!&rdquo; And so they killed him, and it
+seemed to him that his soul fled his body. The ox-headed
+demon dragged him down into the nether regions,
+where he tasted all the tortures in turn. But
+Du Dsi Tschun remembered the words of the ancient.
+And the tortures, too, seemed bearable. So he did not
+scream and said not a word.</p>
+
+<p>Now he was once more dragged before the prince
+of evil. The latter said: &ldquo;As punishment for his
+obstinacy this man shall come to earth again in the
+shape of a woman!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span>
+The demon dragged him to the wheel of life and
+he returned to earth in the shape of a girl. He was
+often ill, had to take medicine continually, and was
+pricked and burned with hot needles. Yet he never
+uttered a sound. Gradually he grew into a beautiful
+maiden. But since he never spoke, he was known as the
+dumb maid. A scholar finally took him for his bride,
+and they lived in peace and good fellowship. And a
+son came to them who, in the course of two years was
+already beyond measure wise and intelligent. One
+day the father was carrying the son on his arm. He
+spoke jestingly to his wife and said: &ldquo;When I look
+at you it seems to me that you are not really dumb.
+Won&rsquo;t you say one little word to me? How delightful
+it would be if you were to become my speaking rose!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The woman remained silent. No matter how he
+might coax and try to make her smile, she would return
+no answer.</p>
+
+<p>Then his features changed: &ldquo;If you will not speak
+to me, it is a sign that you scorn me; and in that case
+your son is nothing to me, either!&rdquo; And with that he
+seized the boy and flung him against the wall.</p>
+
+<p>But since Du Dsi Tschun loved this little boy so
+dearly, he forgot the ancient&rsquo;s warning, and cried out:
+&ldquo;Oh, oh!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And before the cry had died away Du Dsi Tschun
+awoke as though from a dream and found himself
+seated in his former place. The ancient was there as
+well. It must have been about the fifth hour of the
+night. Purple flames rose wildly from the oven, and
+flared up to the sky. The whole house caught fire and
+burned like a torch.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have deceived me!&rdquo; cried the ancient. Then
+he seized him by the hair and thrust him into the jug
+of water. And in a minute the fire went out. The
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>
+ancient spoke: &ldquo;You overcame joy and rage, grief
+and fear, hate and desire, it is true; but love you had
+not driven from your soul. Had you not cried out
+when the child was flung against the wall, then my
+elixir would have taken shape and you would have attained
+immortality. But in the last moment you failed
+me. Now it is too late. Now I can begin brewing
+my elixir of life once more from the beginning and
+you will remain a mere mortal man!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Du Dsi Tschun saw that the oven had burst, and
+that instead of the philosopher&rsquo;s stone it held only a
+lump of iron. The ancient man cast aside his garments
+and chopped it up with a magic knife. Du Dsi Tschun
+took leave of him and returned to Yangdschou, where
+he lived in great affluence. In his old age he regretted
+that he had not completed his task. He once more
+went to the mountain to look for the ancient. But
+the ancient had vanished without leaving a trace.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The &ldquo;pieces of copper&rdquo; are the ancient Chinese copper
+coins, with a hole in the middle, usually hung on strings to the
+number of 500 or 1000. Money had a greater purchasing value in
+ancient China, however, than in the China of to-day. The &ldquo;Persian
+Bazaar&rdquo;: During the reign of the Tang dynasty China maintained
+an active intercourse with the West, traces of which are at present
+being investigated in Central Asia. At that time Persian bazaars
+were no novelty in the city of Si-An-Fu, then the capital. &ldquo;Herb-oven&rdquo;:
+a tripod kettle used for brewing the elixir of life, with which
+the fairies, dragon and tiger (both the last-mentioned star-incarnations)
+are connected. In order to prepare the elixir the master must
+have absolute endurance. It is for this reason that he had placed Du
+Dsi Tschun in his debt by means of kindness. The yellow cap
+which the master wears is connected with the teachings of the Yellow
+Ancient (comp. w. No. <a href="#XV">15</a>). The &ldquo;prince of the nether world,&rdquo; Yan
+Wang, or Yan Lo Wang, is the Indian god Yama. There are in all
+ten princes of the nether world, of whom the fifth is the highest and
+most feared. &ldquo;Obstinacy,&rdquo; literally; his real offense is reticence, or
+the keeping secret of a thing. This quality belongs to the Yin, the
+dark or feminine principle, and determines Du Dsi Tschun&rsquo;s
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span>
+reappearance on earth as a woman. &ldquo;Purple flames rose wildly from
+the oven&rdquo;: Though Du Dsi Tschun had overcome his other emotions,
+so that fear and terror did not affect him, love, and love in its highest
+form, mother-love, still remained in him. This love created the flames
+which threatened to destroy the building. The highest point in
+Taoism&mdash;as in Buddhism&mdash;is, however, the absolute negation of
+all feeling.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117"><!-- unnumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="padtop">NATURE AND ANIMAL TALES</h2>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="XXXIX" id="XXXIX"></a>XXXIX<br />
+<br />
+THE FLOWER-ELVES</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a scholar who lived
+retired from the world in order to gain hidden
+wisdom. He lived alone and in a secret place. And
+all about the little house in which he dwelt he had
+planted every kind of flower, and bamboos and other
+trees. There it lay, quite concealed in its thick grove
+of flowers. With him he had only a boy servant, who
+dwelt in a separate hut, and who carried out his orders.
+He was not allowed to appear before his master unless
+summoned. The scholar loved his flowers as he did
+himself. Never did he set his foot beyond the boundaries
+of his garden.</p>
+
+<p>It chanced that once there came a lovely spring evening.
+Flowers and trees stood in full bloom, a fresh
+breeze was blowing, the moon shone clearly. And the
+scholar sat over his goblet and was grateful for the
+gift of life.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he saw a maiden in dark garments come
+tripping up in the moonlight. She made a deep courtesy,
+greeted him and said: &ldquo;I am your neighbor.
+We are a company of young maids who are on our way
+to visit the eighteen aunts. We should like to rest in
+this court for awhile, and therefore ask your permission
+to do so.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The scholar saw that this was something quite out
+of the common, and gladly gave his consent. The
+maiden thanked him and went away.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span>
+In a short time she brought back a whole crowd of
+maids carrying flowers and willow branches. All
+greeted the scholar. They were charming, with delicate
+features, and slender, graceful figures. When
+they moved their sleeves, a delightful fragrance was exhaled.
+There is no fragrance known to the human
+world which could be compared with it.</p>
+
+<p>The scholar invited them to sit down for a time in his
+room. Then he asked them: &ldquo;Whom have I really
+the honor of entertaining? Have you come from the
+castle of the Lady in the Moon, or the Jade Spring of
+the Queen-Mother of the West?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How could we claim such high descent?&rdquo; said a
+maiden in a green gown, with a smile. &ldquo;My name is
+Salix.&rdquo; Then she presented another, clad in white,
+and said: &ldquo;This is Mistress Prunophora&rdquo;; then one
+in rose, &ldquo;and this is Persica&rdquo;; and finally one in a
+dark-red gown, &ldquo;and this is Punica. We are all
+sisters and we want to visit the eighteen zephyr-aunts
+to-day. The moon shines so beautifully this evening
+and it is so charming here in the garden. We are most
+grateful to you for taking pity on us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; said the scholar.</p>
+
+<p>Then the sober-clad servant suddenly announced:
+&ldquo;The zephyr-aunts have already arrived!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At once the girls rose and went to the door to meet
+them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We were just about to visit you, aunts,&rdquo; they said,
+smiling. &ldquo;This gentleman here had just invited us to
+sit for a moment. What a pleasant coincidence that
+you aunts have come here, too. This is such a lovely
+night that we must drink a goblet of nectar in honor of
+you aunts!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereon they ordered the servant to bring what was
+needed.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>
+&ldquo;May one sit down here?&rdquo; asked the aunts.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The master of the house is most kind,&rdquo; replied the
+maids, &ldquo;and the spot is quiet and hidden.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And then they presented the aunts to the scholar.
+He spoke a few kindly words to the eighteen aunts.
+They had a somewhat irresponsible and airy manner.
+Their words fairly gushed out, and in their neighborhood
+one felt a frosty chill.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the servant had already brought in table
+and chairs. The eighteen aunts sat at the upper end of
+the board, the maids followed, and the scholar sat down
+with them at the lowest place. Soon the entire table
+was covered with the most delicious foods and most
+magnificent fruits, and the goblets were filled with a
+fragrant nectar. They were delights such as the world
+of men does not know! The moon shone brightly and
+the flowers exhaled intoxicating odors. After they
+had partaken of food and drink the maids rose, danced
+and sung. Sweetly the sound of their singing echoed
+through the falling gloam, and their dance was like that
+of butterflies fluttering about the flowers. The scholar
+was so overpowered with delight that he no longer
+knew whether he were in heaven or on earth.</p>
+
+<p>When the dance had ended, the girls sat down again
+at the table, and drank the health of the aunts in flowing
+nectar. The scholar, too, was remembered with a
+toast, to which he replied with well-turned phrases.</p>
+
+<p>But the eighteen aunts were somewhat irresponsible
+in their ways. One of them, raising her goblet, by
+accident poured some nectar on Punica&rsquo;s dress.
+Punica, who was young and fiery, and very neat, stood
+up angrily when she saw the spot on her red dress.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are really very careless,&rdquo; said she, in her
+anger. &ldquo;My other sisters may be afraid of you, but I
+am not!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span>
+Then the aunts grew angry as well and said: &ldquo;How
+dare this young chit insult us in such a manner!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with that they gathered up their garments and
+rose.</p>
+
+<p>All the maids then crowded about them and said:
+&ldquo;Punica is so young and inexperienced! You must
+not bear her any ill-will! To-morrow she shall go to
+you switch in hand, and receive her punishment!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the eighteen aunts would not listen to them and
+went off. Thereupon the maids also said farewell,
+scattered among the flower-beds and disappeared.
+The scholar sat for a long time lost in dreamy yearning.</p>
+
+<p>On the following evening the maids all came back
+again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We all live in your garden,&rdquo; they told him. &ldquo;Every
+year we are tormented by naughty winds, and therefore
+we have always asked the eighteen aunts to protect us.
+But yesterday Punica insulted them, and now we fear
+they will help us no more. But we know that you
+have always been well disposed toward us, for which we
+are heartily grateful. And now we have a great favor
+to ask, that every New Year&rsquo;s day you make a small
+scarlet flag, paint the sun, moon and five planets on it,
+and set it up in the eastern part of the garden. Then
+we sisters will be left in peace and will be protected
+from all evil. But since New Year&rsquo;s day has passed
+for this year, we beg that you will set up the flag on
+the twenty-first of this month. For the East Wind is
+coming and the flag will protect us against him!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The scholar readily promised to do as they wished,
+and the maids all said with a single voice: &ldquo;We thank
+you for your great kindness and will repay it!&rdquo; Then
+they departed and a sweet fragrance filled the entire
+garden.</p>
+
+<p>The scholar, however, made a red flag as described,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span>
+and when early in the morning of the day in question
+the East Wind really did begin to blow, he quickly set it
+up in the garden.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly a wild storm broke out, one that caused
+the forests to bend, and broke the trees. The flowers
+in the garden alone did not move.</p>
+
+<p>Then the scholar noticed that Salix was the willow;
+Prunophora the plum; Persica the peach, and the
+saucy Punica the Pomegranate, whose powerful blossoms
+the wind cannot tear. The eighteen zephyr-aunts,
+however, were the spirits of the winds.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the flower-elves all came and brought
+the scholar radiant flowers as a gift of thanks.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have saved us,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;and we have nothing
+else we can give you. If you eat these flowers you
+will live long and avoid old age. And if you, in turn,
+will protect us every year, then we sisters, too, will
+live long.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The scholar did as they told him and ate the flowers.
+And his figure changed and he grew young again like
+a youth of twenty. And in the course of time he attained
+the hidden wisdom and was placed among the
+Immortals.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note. Salix: the names of the &ldquo;Flower Elves&rdquo; are given in the
+Chinese as family names, whose sound suggests the flower-names
+without exactly using them. In the translation the play on words is
+indicated by the Latin names. &ldquo;Zephyr-aunts&rdquo;: In Chinese the
+name given the aunt is &ldquo;Fong,&rdquo; which in another stylization means
+&ldquo;wind.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XL" id="XL"></a>XL<br />
+<br />
+THE SPIRIT OF THE WU-LIAN MOUNTAIN</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>O the west of the gulf of Kiautschou is the Wu-Lian
+Mountain, where there are many spirits.
+Once upon a time a scholar who lived there was sitting
+up late at night, reading. And, as he stepped out before
+the house, a storm rose up suddenly, and a monster
+stretched out his claws and seized him by the hair.
+And he lifted him up in the air and carried him away.
+They passed by the tower which looks out to sea, a
+Buddhist temple in the hills. And in the distance, in
+the clouds, the scholar saw the figure of a god in golden
+armor. The figure looked exactly like the image of
+Weto which was in the tower. In its right hand it held
+an iron mace, while its left pointed toward the monster,
+and it looked at it with anger. Then the monster let
+the scholar fall, right on top of the tower, and disappeared.
+No doubt the saint in the tower had come to
+the scholar&rsquo;s aid, because his whole family worshiped
+Buddha dutifully.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun rose the priest came and saw the
+scholar on his tower. He piled up hay and straw on
+the ground; so that he could jump down without hurting
+himself. Then he took the scholar home, yet there
+where the monster had seized his hair, the hair remained
+stiff and unyielding. It did not improve until
+half a year had gone by.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This legend comes from Dschungschong, west of the gulf
+of Kiautschou. &ldquo;The tower which looks out to sea,&rdquo; a celebrated
+tower which gives a view of the ocean. At present the people give
+this name to the Tsingtau Signal Station. Weto (Sanscrit, Veda), a
+legendary Boddhisatva, leader of the hosts of the four kings of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>
+heaven. His picture, with drawn sword, may be found at the
+entrance of every Buddhist temple. In China, he is often represented
+with a mace (symbolizing a thunderbolt) instead of a sword.
+When this is the case he has probably been confused with Vaisramana.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLI" id="XLI"></a>XLI<br />
+<br />
+THE KING OF THE ANTS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a scholar, who wandered
+away from his home and went to Emmet
+village. There stood a house which was said to be
+haunted. Yet it was beautifully situated and surrounded
+by a lovely garden. So the scholar hired it.
+One evening he was sitting over his books, when
+several hundred knights suddenly came galloping into
+the room. They were quite tiny, and their horses were
+about the size of flies. They had hunting falcons and
+dogs about as large as gnats and fleas.</p>
+
+<p>They came to his bed in the corner of the room, and
+there they held a great hunt, with bows and arrows:
+one could see it all quite plainly. They caught a
+tremendous quantity of birds and game, and all this
+game was no larger than little grains of rice.</p>
+
+<p>When the hunt was over, in came a long procession
+with banners and standards. They wore swords at
+their side and bore spears in their hands, and came to
+a halt in the north-west corner of the room. They
+were followed by several hundred serving-men. These
+brought with them curtains and covers, tents and tent-poles,
+pots and kettles, cups and plates, tables and
+chairs. And after them some hundreds of other
+servants carried in all sorts of fine dishes, the best that
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span>
+land and water had to offer. And several hundred
+more ran to and fro without stopping, in order to
+guard the roads and carry messages.</p>
+
+<p>The scholar gradually accustomed himself to the
+sight. Although the men were so very small he could
+distinguish everything quite clearly.</p>
+
+<p>Before long, a bright colored banner appeared.
+Behind it rode a personage wearing a scarlet hat and
+garments of purple. He was surrounded by an escort
+of several thousands. Before him went runners with
+whips and rods to clear the way.</p>
+
+<p>Then a man wearing an iron helmet and with a golden
+ax in his hand cried out in a loud voice: &ldquo;His Highness
+is graciously pleased to look at the fish in the Purple
+Lake!&rdquo; Whereupon the one who wore the scarlet
+hat got down from his horse, and, followed by a retinue
+of several hundred men, approached the saucer
+which the scholar used for his writing-ink. Tents were
+put up on the edge of the saucer and a banquet was
+prepared. A great number of guests sat down to the
+table. Musicians and dancers stood ready. There
+was a bright confusion of mingled garments of purple
+and scarlet, crimson and green. Pipes and flutes,
+fiddles and cymbals sounded, and the dancers moved in
+the dance. The music was very faint, and yet its
+melodies could be clearly distinguished. All that was
+said, too, the table-talk and orders, questions and calls,
+could be quite distinctly heard.</p>
+
+<p>After three courses, he who wore the scarlet hat
+said: &ldquo;Quick! Make ready the nets and lines for
+fishing!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And at once nets were thrown out into the saucer
+which held the water in which the scholar dipped his
+brush. And they caught hundreds of thousands of
+fishes. The one with the scarlet hat contented himself
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span>
+with casting a line in the shallow waters of the saucer,
+and caught a baker&rsquo;s dozen of red carp.</p>
+
+<p>Then he ordered the head cook to cook the fish, and
+the most varied dishes were prepared with them. The
+odor of roasting fat and spices filled the whole room.</p>
+
+<p>And then the wearer of the scarlet hat in his arrogance,
+decided to amuse himself at the scholar&rsquo;s expense.
+So he pointed to him and said: &ldquo;I know
+nothing at all about the writings and customs of the
+saints and wise men, and still I am a king who is
+highly honored! Yonder scholar spends his whole
+life toiling over his books and yet he remains poor and
+gets nowhere. If he could make up his mind to serve
+me faithfully as one of my officials, I might allow him
+to partake of our meal.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This angered the scholar, and he took his book and
+struck at them. And they all scattered, wriggling and
+crawling out of the door. He followed them and dug
+up the earth in the place where they had disappeared.
+And there he found an ants&rsquo; nest as large as a barrel,
+in which countless green ants were wriggling around.
+So he built a large fire and smoked them out.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This charming tale is taken from the Tang Dai Tsung Schu.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLII" id="XLII"></a>XLII<br />
+<br />
+THE LITTLE HUNTING DOG</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time, in the city of Shansi, there
+lived a scholar who found the company of others
+too noisy for him. So he made his home in a Buddhist
+temple. Yet he suffered because there were always so
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span>
+many gnats and fleas in his room that he could not
+sleep at night.</p>
+
+<p>Once he was resting on his bed after dinner, when
+suddenly two little knights with plumes in their helmets
+rode into the room. They might have been two
+inches high, and rode horses about the size of grasshoppers.
+On their gauntleted hands they held hunting
+falcons as large as flies. They rode about the room
+with great rapidity. The scholar had no more than set
+eyes on them when a third entered, clad like the others,
+but carrying a bow and arrows and leading a little
+hunting dog the size of an ant with him. After him
+came a great throng of footmen and horsemen, several
+hundred in all. And they had hunting falcons and
+hunting dogs by the hundred, too. Then the fleas and
+gnats began to rise in the air; but were all slain by the
+falcons. And the hunting dogs climbed on the bed,
+and sniffed along the walls trailing the fleas, and ate
+them up. They followed the trace of whatever hid in
+the cracks, and nosed it out, so that in a short space of
+time they had killed nearly all the vermin.</p>
+
+<p>The scholar pretended to be asleep and watched
+them. And the falcons settled down on him, and the
+dogs crawled along his body. Shortly after came a
+man clad in yellow, wearing a king&rsquo;s crown, who
+climbed on an empty couch and seated himself there.
+And at once all the horsemen rode up, descended from
+their horses and brought him all the birds and game.
+They then gathered beside him in a great throng, and
+conversed with him in a strange tongue.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after the king got into a small chariot and
+his bodyguards saddled their horses with the greatest
+rapidity. Then they galloped out with great cries of
+homage, till it looked as though some one were scattering
+beans and a heavy cloud of dust rose behind them.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>
+They had nearly all of them disappeared, while the
+scholar&rsquo;s eyes were still fixed on them full of terror
+and astonishment, and he could not imagine whence
+they had come. He slipped on his shoes and looked;
+but they had vanished without a trace. Then he returned
+and looked all about his room; but there was
+nothing to be seen. Only, on a brick against the wall,
+they had forgotten a little hunting dog. The scholar
+quickly caught it and found it quite tame. He put it
+in his paint-box and examined it closely. It had a very
+smooth, fine coat, and wore a little collar around its
+neck. He tried to feed it a few bread-crumbs, but the
+little dog only sniffed at them and let them lie. Then
+it leaped into the bed and hunted up some nits and
+gnats in the folds of the linen, which it devoured.
+Then it returned and lay down. When the night had
+passed the scholar feared it might have run away;
+but there it lay, curled up as before. Whenever the
+scholar went to bed, the dog climbed into it and bit to
+death any vermin it could find. Not a fly or gnat
+dared alight while it was around. The scholar loved
+it like a jewel of price.</p>
+
+<p>But once he took a nap in the daytime, and the little
+dog crawled into bed beside him. The scholar woke
+and turned around, supporting himself on his side. As
+he did so he felt something, and feared it might be his
+little dog. He quickly rose and looked, but it was
+already dead&mdash;pressed flat, as though cut out of
+paper!</p>
+
+<p>But at any rate none of the vermin had survived it.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale is taken from the Liau Dschai (&ldquo;Strange
+Stories&rdquo;) of P&rsquo;u Sung Lang (b. 1622). It is a parallel of the
+preceding one and shows how the same material returns in a different
+working-out.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="XLIII" id="XLIII"></a>XLIII<br />
+<br />
+THE DRAGON AFTER HIS WINTER SLEEP</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE there was a scholar who was reading in the
+upper story of his house. It was a rainy,
+cloudy day and the weather was gloomy. Suddenly he
+saw a little thing which shone like a fire-fly. It crawled
+upon the table, and wherever it went it left traces of
+burns, curved like the tracks of a rainworm. Gradually
+it wound itself about the scholar&rsquo;s book and the book,
+too, grew black. Then it occurred to him that it might
+be a dragon. So he carried it out of doors on the book.
+There he stood for quite some time; but it sat uncurled,
+without moving in the least.</p>
+
+<p>Then the scholar said: &ldquo;It shall not be said of me
+that I was lacking in respect.&rdquo; With these words he
+carried back the book and once more laid it on the
+table. Then he put on his robes of ceremony, made a
+deep bow and escorted the dragon out on it again.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had he left the door, than he noticed that
+the dragon raised his head and stretched himself.
+Then he flew up from the book with a hissing sound,
+like a radiant streak. Once more he turned around
+toward the scholar, and his head had already grown to
+the size of a barrel, while his body must have been a full
+fathom in length. He gave one more snaky twist, and
+then there was a terrible crash of thunder and the
+dragon went sailing through the air.</p>
+
+<p>The scholar then returned and looked to see which
+way the little creature had come. And he could follow
+his tracks hither and thither, to his chest of books.</p>
+
+<div class="note"><p>Note: This tale is also from the &ldquo;Strange Stories.&rdquo; The dragon,
+head of all scaled creatures and insects, hibernates during the winter
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span>
+according to the Chinese belief. At the time he is quite small. When
+the first spring storm comes he flies up to the clouds on the lightning.
+Here the dragon&rsquo;s nature as an atmospheric apparition is expressed.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLIV" id="XLIV"></a>XLIV<br />
+<br />
+THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW RIVER</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE spirits of the Yellow River are called Dai
+Wang&mdash;Great King. For many hundreds of
+years past the river inspectors had continued to report
+that all sorts of monsters show themselves in the waves
+of the stream, at times in the shape of dragons, at
+others in that of cattle and horses, and whenever such
+a creature makes an appearance a great flood follows.
+Hence temples are built along the river banks. The
+higher spirits of the river are honored as kings,
+the lower ones as captains, and hardly a day goes by
+without their being honored with sacrifices or theatrical
+performances. Whenever, after a dam has been
+broken, the leak is closed again, the emperor sends
+officials with sacrifices and ten great bars of Tibetan
+incense. This incense is burned in a great sacrificial
+censer in the temple court, and the river inspectors
+and their subordinates all go to the temple to thank the
+gods for their aid. These river gods, it is said, are
+good and faithful servants of former rulers, who died
+in consequence of their toil in keeping the dams unbroken.
+After they died their spirits became river-kings;
+in their physical bodies, however, they appear
+as lizards, snakes and frogs.</p>
+
+<p>The mightiest of all the river-kings is the Golden
+Dragon-King. He frequently appears in the shape of
+a small golden snake with a square head, low forehead
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span>
+and four red dots over his eyes. He can make himself
+large or small at will, and cause the waters to rise
+and fall. He appears and vanishes unexpectedly, and
+lives in the mouths of the Yellow River and the Imperial
+Canal. But in addition to the Golden Dragon-King
+there are dozens of river-kings and captains,
+each of whom has his own place. The sailors of the
+Yellow River all have exact lists in which the lives and
+deeds of the river-spirits are described in detail.</p>
+
+<p>The river-spirits love to see theatrical performances.
+Opposite every temple is a stage. In the hall
+stands the little spirit-tablet of the river-king, and on
+the altar in front of it a small bowl of golden lacquer
+filled with clean sand. When a little snake appears in
+it, the river-king has arrived. Then the priests strike
+the gong and beat the drum and read from the holy
+books. The official is at once informed and he sends
+for a company of actors. Before they begin to perform
+the actors go up to the temple, kneel, and beg the king
+to let them know which play they are to give. And
+the river-god picks one out and points to it with his
+head; or else he writes signs in the sand with his tail.
+The actors then at once begin to perform the desired
+play.</p>
+
+<p>The river-god cares naught for the fortunes or misfortunes
+of human beings. He appears suddenly and
+disappears in the same way, as best suits him.</p>
+
+<p>Between the outer and the inner dam of the Yellow
+River are a number of settlements. Now it often happens
+that the yellow water moves to the very edge of
+the inner walls. Rising perpendicularly, like a wall,
+it gradually advances. When people see it coming
+they hastily burn incense, bow in prayer before the
+waters, and promise the river-god a theatrical performance.
+Then the water retires and the word goes
+round: &ldquo;The river-god has asked for a play again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span>
+In a village in that section there once dwelt a wealthy
+man. He built a stone wall, twenty feet high, around
+the village, to keep away the water. He did not believe
+in the spirits of the river, but trusted in his strong
+wall and was quite unconcerned.</p>
+
+<p>One evening the yellow water suddenly rose and
+towered in a straight line before the village. The
+rich man had them shoot cannon at it. Then the water
+grew stormy, and surrounded the wall to such a height
+that it reached the openings in the battlements. The
+water foamed and hissed, and seemed about to pour
+over the wall. Then every one in the village was very
+much frightened. They dragged up the rich man
+and he had to kneel and beg for pardon. They promised
+the river-god a theatrical performance, but in
+vain; but when they promised to build him a temple in
+the middle of the village and give regular performances,
+the water sank more and more and gradually
+returned to its bed. And the village fields suffered
+no damage, for the earth, fertilized by the yellow
+slime, yielded a double crop.</p>
+
+<p>Once a scholar was crossing the fields with a friend
+in order to visit a relative. On their way they passed
+a temple of the river-god where a new play was just
+being performed. The friend asked the scholar to go
+in with him and look on. When they entered the temple
+court they saw two great snakes upon the front
+pillars, who had wound themselves about the columns,
+and were thrusting out their heads as though watching
+the performance. In the hall of the temple stood the
+altar with the bowl of sand. In it lay a small snake
+with a golden body, a green head and red dots above
+his eyes. His neck was thrust up and his glittering
+little eyes never left the stage. The friend bowed and
+the scholar followed his example.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>
+Softly he said to his friend: &ldquo;What are the three
+river-gods called?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The one in the temple,&rdquo; was the reply, &ldquo;is the
+Golden Dragon-King. The two on the columns are
+two captains. They do not dare to sit in the temple
+together with the king.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This surprised the scholar, and in his heart he
+thought: &ldquo;Such a tiny snake! How can it possess
+a god&rsquo;s power? It would have to show me its
+might before I would worship it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He had not yet expressed these secret thoughts
+before the little snake suddenly stretched forth his head
+from the bowl, above the altar. Before the altar
+burned two enormous candles. They weighed more
+than ten pounds and were as thick as small trees.
+Their flame burned like the flare of a torch. The
+snake now thrust his head into the middle of the candle-flame.
+The flame must have been at least an inch
+broad, and was burning red. Suddenly its radiance
+turned blue, and was split into two tongues. The
+candle was so enormous and its fire so hot that even
+copper and iron would have melted in it; but it did
+not harm the snake.</p>
+
+<p>Then the snake crawled into the censer. The censer
+was made of iron, and was so large one could not
+clasp it with both arms. Its cover showed a dragon
+design in open-work. The snake crawled in and out
+of the holes in this cover, and wound his way through
+all of them, so that he looked like an embroidery in
+threads of gold. Finally all the openings of the cover,
+large and small, were filled by the snake. In order to
+do so, he must have made himself several dozen feet
+long. Then he stretched out his head at the top of the
+censer and once more watched the play.</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon the scholar was frightened, he bowed
+twice, and prayed: &ldquo;Great King, you have taken
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>
+this trouble on my account! I honor you from my
+heart!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had he spoken these words than, in a
+moment, the little snake was back in his bowl, and just
+as small as he had been before.</p>
+
+<p>In Dsiningdschou they were celebrating the river
+god&rsquo;s birthday in his temple. They were giving him
+a theatrical performance for a birthday present. The
+spectators crowded around as thick as a wall, when
+who should pass but a simple peasant from the country,
+who said in a loud voice: &ldquo;Why, that is nothing but
+a tiny worm! It is a great piece of folly to honor it
+like a king!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before ever he had finished speaking the snake flew
+out of the temple. He grew and grew, and wound himself
+three times around the stage. He became as thick
+around as a small pail, and his head seemed like that of
+a dragon. His eyes sparkled like golden lamps, and he
+spat out red flame with his tongue. When he coiled
+and uncoiled the whole stage trembled and it seemed
+as though it would break down. The actors stopped
+their music and fell down on the stage in prayer. The
+whole multitude was seized with terror and bowed to
+the ground. Then some of the old men came along,
+cast the peasant on the ground, and gave him a good
+thrashing. So he had to cast himself on his knees before
+the snake and worship him. Then all heard a
+noise as though a great many firecrackers were being
+shot off. This lasted for some time, and then the
+snake disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>East of Shantung lies the city of Dongschou.
+There rises an observation-tower with a great temple.
+At its feet lies the water-city, with a sea-gate at the
+North, through which the flood-tide rises up to the city.
+A camp of the boundary guard is established at this
+gate.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>
+Once upon a time there was an officer who had been
+transferred to this camp as captain. He had formerly
+belonged to the land forces, and had not yet been long
+at his new post. He gave some friends of his a banquet,
+and before the pavilion in which they feasted
+lay a great stone shaped somewhat like a table. Suddenly
+a little snake was seen crawling on this stone.
+It was spotted with green, and had red dots on its
+square head. The soldiers were about to kill the little
+creature, when the captain went out to look into the
+matter. When he had looked he laughed and said:
+&ldquo;You must not harm him! He is the river-king of
+Dsiningdschou. When I was stationed in Dsiningdschou
+he sometimes visited me, and then I always gave
+sacrifices and performances in his honor. Now he has
+come here expressly in order to wish his old friend luck,
+and to see him once more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was a band in camp; the bandsmen could
+dance and play like a real theatrical troupe. The
+captain quickly had them begin a performance, had
+another banquet with wine and delicate foods prepared,
+and invited the river-god to sit down to the table.</p>
+
+<p>Gradually evening came and yet the river-god made
+no move to go.</p>
+
+<p>So the captain stepped up to him with a bow and said:
+&ldquo;Here we are far removed from the Yellow River,
+and these people have never yet heard your name
+spoken. Your visit has been a great honor for me.
+But the women and fools who have crowded together
+chattering outside, are afraid of hearing about you.
+Now you have visited your old friend, and I am sure
+you wish to get back home again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he had a litter brought up; cymbals
+were beaten and fire-works set off, and finally a
+salute of nine guns was fired to escort him on his way.
+Then the little snake crawled into the litter, and the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>
+captain followed after. In this order they reached the
+port, and just when it was about time to say farewell,
+the snake was already swimming in the water. He had
+grown much larger, nodded to the captain with his
+head, and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Then there were doubts and questionings: &ldquo;But
+the river-god lives a thousand miles away from here,
+how does he get to this place?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the captain: &ldquo;He is so powerful that he can
+get to any place, and besides, from where he dwells a
+waterway leads to the sea. To come down that way
+and swim to sea is something he can do in a moment&rsquo;s
+time!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;The Spirits of the Yellow River.&rdquo; The place of the old
+river-god Ho Be (Count of the Stream), also mentioned in No. <a href="#LXIII">63</a>,
+has to-day been taken by the Dai Wang in the popular belief. These
+spirits are thought to have placed many hindrances in the way of the
+erection of the railroad bridge across the Yellow River. The &ldquo;spirit-tablet&rdquo;:
+images of the gods were first introduced in China by the
+Buddhists. The old custom, which Confucianism and ancestor-worship
+still follow, holds that the seat of the gods is a small wooden
+tablet on which the name of the god to be honored is written.
+Theatrical performances as religious services are as general in China
+as they were in ancient Greece. Dsiningdschou is a district capital
+on the Imperial Canal, near the Yellow River.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLV" id="XLV"></a>XLV<br />
+<br />
+THE DRAGON-PRINCESS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the Sea of Dungting there is a hill, and in that
+hill there is a hole, and this hole is so deep that it
+has no bottom.</p>
+
+<p>Once a fisherman was passing there who slipped
+and fell into the hole. He came to a country full of
+winding ways which led over hill and dale for several
+miles. Finally he reached a dragon-castle lying in a
+great plain. There grew a green slime which reached
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>
+to his knees. He went to the gate of the castle. It
+was guarded by a dragon who spouted water which
+dispersed in a fine mist. Within the gate lay a small
+hornless dragon who raised his head, showed his claws,
+and would not let him in.</p>
+
+<p>The fisherman spent several days in the cave, satisfying
+his hunger with the green slime, which he found
+edible and which tasted like rice-mush. At last he
+found a way out again. He told the district mandarin
+what had happened to him, and the latter reported the
+matter to the emperor. The emperor sent for a wise
+man and questioned him concerning it.</p>
+
+<p>The wise man said: &ldquo;There are four paths in this
+cave. One path leads to the south-west shore of the
+Sea of Dungting, the second path leads to a valley in
+the land of the four rivers, the third path ends in a
+cave on the mountain of Lo-Fu and the fourth in an
+island of the Eastern Sea. In this cave dwells the
+seventh daughter of the Dragon-King of the Eastern
+Sea, who guards his pearls and his treasure. It happened
+once in the ancient days, that a fisherboy dived
+into the water and brought up a pearl from beneath the
+chin of a black dragon. The dragon was asleep, which
+was the reason the fisherboy brought the pearl to the
+surface without being harmed. The treasure which
+the daughter of the Dragon-King has in charge is
+made up of thousands and millions of such jewels.
+Several thousands of small dragons watch over them
+in her service. Dragons have the peculiarity of fighting
+shy of wax. But they are fond of beautiful jade-stones,
+and of kung-tsing, the hollowgreen wood, and
+like to eat swallows. If one were to send a messenger
+with a letter, it would be possible to obtain precious
+pearls.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 432px;">
+<a name="pearl_diver" id="pearl_diver"></a>
+<img src="images/cfb07.jpg" width="432" height="600"
+alt="The boy diving down through the water" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;A FISHERBOY DIVED INTO THE WATER AND BROUGHT
+UP A PEARL FROM BENEATH THE CHIN OF
+A BLACK DRAGON.&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="subcapt">&mdash;<i>Page <a href="#Page_138">138</a></i></p>
+</div>
+
+<p>The emperor was greatly pleased, and announced
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>
+a large reward for the man who was competent to go
+to the dragon-castle as his messenger.</p>
+
+<p>The first man to come forward was named So Pi-Lo.
+But the wise man said: &ldquo;A great-great-great-great-grandfather
+of yours once slew more than a
+hundred of the dragons of the Eastern Sea, and was
+finally himself slain by the dragons. The dragons
+are the enemies of your family and you cannot go.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then came a man from Canton, Lo-Dsi-Tschun, with
+his two brothers, who said that his ancestors had been
+related to the Dragon-King. Hence they were well
+liked by the dragons and well known to them. They
+begged to be entrusted with the message.</p>
+
+<p>The wise man asked: &ldquo;And have you still in your
+possession the stone which compels the dragons to do
+your will?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said they, &ldquo;we have brought it along with
+us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The wise man had them show him the stone; then he
+spoke: &ldquo;This stone is only obeyed by the dragons
+who make clouds and send down the rain. It will not
+do for the dragons who guard the pearls of the sea-king.&rdquo;
+Then he questioned them further: &ldquo;Have
+you the dragon-brain vapor?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When they admitted that they had not, the wise man
+said: &ldquo;How then will you compel the dragons to yield
+their treasure?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the emperor said: &ldquo;What shall we do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The wise man replied: &ldquo;On the Western Ocean
+sail foreign merchants who deal in dragon-brain vapor.
+Some one must go to them and seek it from them. I
+also know a holy man who is an adept in the art of
+taming dragons, and who has prepared ten pounds of
+the dragon-stone. Some one should be sent for that as
+well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span>
+The emperor sent out his messengers. They met
+one of the holy man&rsquo;s disciples and obtained two fragments
+of dragon-stone from him.</p>
+
+<p>Said the wise man: &ldquo;That is what we want!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Several more months went by, and at last a pill of
+dragon-brain vapor had also been secured. The emperor
+felt much pleased and had his jewelers carve two
+little boxes of the finest jade. These were polished
+with the ashes of the Wutung-tree. And he had an
+essence prepared of the very best hollowgreen wood,
+pasted with sea-fish lime, and hardened in the fire.
+Of this two vases were made. Then the bodies and
+the clothing of the messengers were rubbed with tree-wax,
+and they were given five hundred roasted swallows
+to take along with them.</p>
+
+<p>They went into the cave. When they reached the
+dragon-castle, the little dragon who guarded the gate
+smelled the tree-wax, so he crouched down and did them
+no harm. They gave him a hundred roasted swallows
+as a bribe to announce them to the daughter of the
+Dragon-King. They were admitted to her presence
+and offered her the jade caskets, the vases and the
+four hundred roasted swallows as gifts. The dragon&rsquo;s
+daughter received them graciously, and they unfolded
+the emperor&rsquo;s letter.</p>
+
+<p>In the castle there was a dragon who was over a
+thousand years old. He could turn himself into a
+human being, and could interpret the language of
+human beings. Through him the dragon&rsquo;s daughter
+learned that the emperor was sending her the gifts,
+and she returned them with a gift of three great
+pearls, seven smaller pearls and a whole bushel of ordinary
+pearls. The messengers took leave, rode off
+with their pearls on a dragon&rsquo;s back, and in a moment
+they had reached the banks of the Yangtze-kiang.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span>
+They made their way to Nanking, the imperial capital,
+and there handed over their treasure of gems.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor was much pleased and showed them to
+the wise man. He said: &ldquo;Of the three great pearls
+one is a divine wishing-pearl of the third class, and
+two are black dragon-pearls of medium quality. Of
+the seven smaller pearls two are serpent-pearls, and
+five are mussel-pearls. The remaining pearls are in
+part sea-crane pearls, in part snail and oyster-pearls.
+They do not approach the great pearls in value, and yet
+few will be found to equal them on earth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The emperor also showed them to all his servants.
+They, however, thought the wise man&rsquo;s words all talk,
+and did not believe what he said.</p>
+
+<p>Then the wise man said: &ldquo;The radiance of wishing-pearls
+of the first class is visible for forty miles, that
+of the second class for twenty miles, and that of the
+third for ten miles. As far as their radiance carries,
+neither wind nor rain, thunder nor lightning, water,
+fire nor weapons may reach. The pearls of the black
+dragon are nine-colored and glow by night. Within
+the circle of their light the poison of serpents and
+worms is powerless. The serpent-pearls are seven-colored,
+the mussel-pearls five-colored. Both shine by
+night. Those most free from spots are the best. They
+grow within the mussel, and increase and decrease in
+size as the moon waxes and wanes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Some one asked how the serpent and sea-crane
+pearls could be told apart, and the wise man answered:
+&ldquo;The animals themselves recognize them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the emperor selected a serpent-pearl and a
+sea-crane pearl, put them together with a whole bushel
+of ordinary pearls, and poured the lot out in the courtyard.
+Then a large yellow serpent and a black crane
+were fetched and placed among the pearls. At once the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span>
+crane took up a sea-crane pearl in his bill and began to
+dance and sing and flutter around. But the serpent
+snatched at the serpent-pearl, and wound himself about
+it in many coils. And when the people saw this they
+acknowledged the truth of the wise man&rsquo;s words. As
+regards the radiance of the larger and smaller
+pearls it turned out, too, just as the wise man had said.</p>
+
+<p>In the dragon-castle the messengers had enjoyed
+dainty fare, which tasted like flowers, herbs, ointment
+and sugar. They had brought a remnant of it with
+them to the capital; yet exposed to the air it had become
+as hard as stone. The emperor commanded that these
+fragments be preserved in the treasury. Then he bestowed
+high rank and titles on the three brothers, and
+made each one of them a present of a thousand rolls of
+fine silk stuff. He also had investigated why it was
+that the fisherman, when he chanced upon the cave, had
+not been destroyed by the dragons. And it turned out
+that his fishing clothes had been soaked in oil and
+tree-wax. The dragons had dreaded the odor.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: As regards the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, see Nos.
+<a href="#XVIII">18</a> and <a href="#LXXIV">74</a>. The pearl under the dragon&rsquo;s chin comes from Dschuang
+Dsi. With regard to So Pi-Lo and Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. <a href="#XLVI">46</a>.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLVI" id="XLVI"></a>XLVI<br />
+<br />
+HELP IN NEED</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>OME twenty miles east of Gingdschou lies the Lake
+of the Maidens. It is several miles square and
+surrounded on all sides by thick green thickets and tall
+forests. Its waters are clear and dark-blue. Often
+all kinds of wondrous creatures show themselves in the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span>
+lake. The people of the vicinity have erected a temple
+there for the Dragon Princess. And in times of
+drought all make pilgrimage there to offer up prayers.</p>
+
+<p>West of Gingdschou, two hundred miles away, is
+another lake, whose god is named Tschauna, and who
+performs many miracles. During the time of the Tang
+dynasty there lived in Gingdschou a mandarin by name
+of Dschou Bau. While he was in office it chanced that
+in the fifth month clouds suddenly arose in the sky,
+piling themselves up like mountains, among which
+wriggled dragons and serpents; they rolled up and
+down between the two seas. Tempest and rain, thunder
+and lightning arose so that houses fell to pieces, trees
+were torn up by the roots, and much damage was done
+the crops. Dschou Bau took the blame upon himself,
+and prayed to the heavens that his people might be
+pardoned.</p>
+
+<p>On the fifth day of the sixth month he sat in his hall
+of audience and gave judgment; and suddenly he felt
+quite weary and sleepy. He took off his hat and laid
+down on the cushions. No sooner had he closed his
+eyes than he saw a warrior in helmet and armor, with a
+halberd in his hand, standing on the steps leading to
+the hall, who announced: &ldquo;A lady is waiting outside
+who wishes to enter!&rdquo; Dschou Bau asked him: &ldquo;Who
+are you?&rdquo; The answer was: &ldquo;I am your door-keeper.
+In the invisible world I already have been performing
+this duty for many years.&rdquo; Meanwhile two figures clad
+in green came up the steps, knelt before him and said:
+&ldquo;Our mistress has come to visit you!&rdquo; Dschou Bau
+rose. He beheld lovely clouds, from which fell a fine
+rain, and strange fragrances enchanted him. Suddenly
+he saw a lady clad in a simple gown, but of surpassing
+beauty, float down from on high, with a retinue
+of many female servants. These were all neat and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span>
+clean in appearance, and waited upon the lady as
+though she were a princess. When the latter entered
+the hall she raised her arms in greeting. Dschou Bau
+came forward to meet her and invited her to be seated.
+From all sides bright-colored clouds came floating in,
+and the courtyard was filled with a purple ether.
+Dschou Bau had wine and food brought and entertained
+them all in the most splendid way. But the
+goddess sat staring straight before her with wrinkled
+brows, and seemed to feel very sad. Then she rose
+and said with a blush: &ldquo;I have been living in this
+neighborhood for many years. A wrong which has
+been done me, permits me to pass the bounds of what
+is fitting, and encourages me to ask a favor of you.
+Yet I do not know whether you wish to save me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;May I hear what it is all about,&rdquo; answered Dschou
+Bau. &ldquo;If I can help you, I will be glad to place myself
+at your disposal.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The goddess said: &ldquo;For hundreds of years my family
+has been living in the depth of the Eastern Sea.
+But we were unfortunate in that our treasures excited
+the jealousy of men. The ancestor of Pi-Lo nearly
+destroyed our entire clan by fire. My ancestors had to
+fly and hide themselves. And not long ago, our enemy
+Pi-Lo himself wanted to deliver an imperial letter in
+the cave of the Sea of Dungting. Under the pretext
+of begging for pearls and treasures, he wished to enter
+the dragon-castle and destroy our family. Fortunately
+a wise man saw through his treacherous purpose, and
+Lo-Dsi-Tschun and his brothers were sent in his stead.
+Yet my people did not feel safe from future attacks.
+For this reason they withdrew to the distant West.
+My father has done much good to mankind and hence
+is highly honored there. I am his ninth daughter.
+When I was sixteen I was wedded to the youngest son
+of the Rock-Dragon. But my good husband had a fiery
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span>
+temper, which often caused him to offend against the
+laws of courtesy, and in less than a year&rsquo;s time the
+punishment of heaven was his portion. I was left
+alone and returned to the home of my parents. My
+father wished me to marry again; but I had promised
+to remain true to the memory of my husband, and made
+a vow not to comply with my father&rsquo;s wish. My parents
+grew angry, and I was obliged to retire to this
+place in view of their anger. That was three years
+ago. Who could imagine that the contemptible
+dragon Tschauna, who was seeking a wife for his
+youngest brother, would try to force the wedding-gift
+upon me? I refused to accept it; but Tschauna
+knew how to gain his point with my father, and was
+determined to carry out his intention. My father, regardless
+of my wishes, promised me to him. And
+then the dragon Tschauna appeared with his youngest
+brother and wanted to carry me off by sheer force of
+arms. I encountered him with fifty faithful followers,
+and we fought on the meadow before the city. We
+were defeated, and I am more than ever afraid that
+Tschauna will attempt to drag me off. So I have
+plucked up courage to beg you to lend me your mercenaries
+so that I may beat off my foes and remain as
+I am. If you will help me I will be grateful to you till
+the end of my days.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dschou Bau answered: &ldquo;You come from a noble
+family. Have you no kinsfolk who will hasten to help
+you in your need, that you are compelled to turn to
+a mortal man?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is true that my kinsfolk are far-famed and numerous.
+If I were to send out letters and they came to my
+aid, they would rub out that scaly scoundrel Tschauna
+as one might rub garlic. But my deceased husband
+offended the high heavens and he has not yet been
+pardoned. And my parents&rsquo; will, too, is opposed to
+mine, so that I dare not call upon my kinsfolk for help.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span>
+You will understand my need.&rdquo; Then Dschou Bau
+promised to help her, and the princess thanked him
+and departed.</p>
+
+<p>When he awoke, he sighed long thinking over his
+strange experience. And the following day he sent
+off fifteen hundred soldiers to stand guard by the Lake
+of the Maidens.</p>
+
+<p>On the seventh day of the sixth month Dschou
+Bau rose early. Darkness still lay before the windows,
+yet it seemed to him as though he could glimpse a man
+before the curtain. He asked who it might be. The
+man said: &ldquo;I am the princess&rsquo;s adviser. Yesterday
+you were kind enough to send soldiers to aid us in our
+distress. But they were all living men, and such cannot
+fight against invisible spirits. You will have to send
+us soldiers of yours who have died, if you wish to aid
+us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dschou Bau reflected for a time, and then it occurred
+to him that of course such must be the case. So he had
+his field-secretary examine the roster to see how many
+of his soldiers had fallen in battle. And the latter
+counted up to some two thousand foot-soldiers and five-hundred
+horsemen. Dschou Bau appointed his deceased
+officer Mong Yuan as their leader, and wrote his
+commands on a paper which he burned, in order thus
+to place them at the princess&rsquo;s disposal. The living
+soldiers he recalled. When they were being reviewed
+in the courtyard after their return, a soldier suddenly
+fell unconscious. It was not until early the following
+morning that he came to his senses again. He was
+questioned and replied: &ldquo;I saw a man clad in red
+who approached me and said: &lsquo;Our princess is grateful
+for the aid your master has so kindly given her.
+Yet she still has a request to make and has asked me
+to call you.&rsquo; I followed him to the temple. The princess
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span>
+bade me come forward and said to me: &lsquo;I thank
+your master from my heart for sending me the ghost
+soldiers, but Mong Yuan, their leader is incapable.
+Yesterday the robbers came with three thousand men,
+and Mong Yuan was beaten by them. When you return
+and again see your master, say that I earnestly beg
+him to send me a good general. Perhaps that will save
+me in my need.&rsquo; Then she had me led back again
+and I regained consciousness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Dschou Bau had heard these words, which
+seemed to fit strangely well with what he had dreamed,
+he thought he would try to see if this were really the
+case. Therefore he chose his victorious general
+Dschong Tschong-Fu to take the place of Mong Yuan.
+That evening he burned incense, offered wine and
+handed over to the princess this captain&rsquo;s soul.</p>
+
+<p>On the twenty-sixth of the month news came from
+the general&rsquo;s camp that he had suddenly died at midnight
+on the thirteenth. Dschou Bau was frightened,
+and sent a man to bring him a report. The latter informed
+him that the general&rsquo;s heart had hardly ceased
+to beat, and that, in spite of the hot summer weather,
+his body was free from any trace of decay. So the
+order was given not to bury him.</p>
+
+<p>Then one night an icy, spectral wind arose, which
+whirled up sand and stones, broke trees and tore down
+houses. The standing corn in the fields was blown
+down. The storm lasted all day. Finally, the crash
+of a terrific thunderbolt was heard, and then the skies
+cleared and the clouds scattered. That very hour the
+dead general began to breathe painfully on his couch,
+and when his attendants came to him, he had returned
+to life again.</p>
+
+<p>They questioned him and he told them: &ldquo;First I
+saw a man in a purple gown riding a black horse, who
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span>
+came up with a great retinue. He dismounted before
+the door. In his hand he held a decree of appointment
+which he gave me, saying: &lsquo;Our princess begs you
+most respectfully to become her general. I hope that
+you will not refuse.&rsquo; Then he brought forth gifts
+and heaped them up before the steps. Jade-stones, brocades,
+and silken garments, saddles, horses, helmets
+and suits of mail&mdash;he heaped them all up in the courtyard.
+I wished to decline, but this he would not allow,
+and urged me to enter his chariot with him. We drove
+a hundred miles and met a train of three-hundred
+armored horsemen who had ridden out to escort me.
+They led me to a great city, and before the city a tent
+had been erected in which played a band of musicians.
+A high official welcomed me. When I entered the city
+the onlookers were crowded together like walls. Servants
+ran to and fro bearing orders. We passed
+through more than a dozen gates before we reached
+the princess. There I was requested to dismount and
+change my clothes in order to enter the presence of
+the princess, for she wished to receive me as her guest.
+But I thought this too great an honor and greeted her
+below, on the steps. She, however, invited me to seat
+myself near her in the hall. She sat upright in all her
+incomparable beauty, surrounded by female attendants
+adorned with the richest jewels. These plucked lute-strings
+and played flutes. A throng of servitors stood
+about in golden girdles with purple tassels, ready to
+carry out her commands. Countless crowds were assembled
+before the palace. Five or six visitors sat
+in a circle about the princess, and a general led me to
+my place. The princess said to me: &lsquo;I have begged
+you to come here in order to entrust the command of
+my army to you. If you will break the power of my
+foe I will reward you richly.&rsquo; I promised to obey her.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>
+Then wine was brought in, and the banquet was served
+to the sound of music. While we were at table a messenger
+entered: &lsquo;The robber Tschauna has invaded
+our land with ten thousand footmen and horsemen,
+and is approaching our city by various roads. His
+way is marked by columns of fire and smoke!&rsquo; The
+guests all grew pale with terror when they heard the
+news. And the princess said: &lsquo;This is the foe because
+of whom I have sought your aid. Save me in
+my hour of need!&rsquo; Then she gave me two chargers,
+a suit of golden armor, and the insignia of a commander-in-chief,
+and bowed to me. I thanked her and went,
+called together the captains, had the army mustered
+and rode out before the city. At several decisive points
+I placed troops in ambush. The enemy was already
+approaching in great force, careless and unconcerned,
+intoxicated by his former victories. I sent out my most
+untrustworthy soldiers in advance, who allowed themselves
+to be beaten in order to lure him on. Light-armed
+men then went out against him, and retreated
+in skirmish order. And thus he fell into my ambush.
+Drums and kettledrums sounded together, the ring
+closed around them on all sides and the robber army
+suffered a grievous defeat. The dead lay about like
+hemp-stalks, but little Tschauna succeeded in breaking
+through the circle. I sent out the light horsemen
+after him, and they seized him before the tent of the
+enemy&rsquo;s commanding general. Hastily I sent word
+to the princess, and she reviewed the prisoners before
+the palace. All the people, high and low, streamed
+together, to acclaim her. Little Tschauna was about
+to be executed in the market place when a messenger
+came spurring up with a command from the
+princess&rsquo;s father to pardon him. The princess did
+not dare to disobey. So he was dismissed to his home
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>
+after he had sworn to give up all thought of realizing
+his traitorous plans. I was loaded with benefits as a
+reward for my victory. I was invested with an estate
+with three thousand peasants, and was given a
+palace, horses and wagons, all sorts of jewels, men-servants
+and women-servants, gardens and forests,
+banners and suits of mail. And my subordinate
+officers, too, were duly rewarded. On the following
+day a banquet was held, and the princess herself
+filled a goblet, sent it to me by one of her attendants,
+and said: &lsquo;Widowed early in life, I opposed the
+wishes of my stern father and fled to this spot. Here
+the infamous Tschauna harassed me and well-nigh put
+me to shame. Had not your master&rsquo;s great kindness
+and your own courage come to my assistance, hard
+would have been my lot!&rsquo; Then she began to thank
+me and her tears of emotion flowed like a stream. I
+bowed and begged her to grant me leave of absence, so
+that I might look after my family. I was given a
+month&rsquo;s leave and the following day she dismissed me
+with a splendid retinue. Before the city a pavilion
+had been erected in which I drank the stirrup-cup.
+Then I rode away and when I arrived before our own
+gate a thunder-peal crashed and I awoke.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon the general wrote an account of what
+had happened to Dschou Bau, in which he conveyed
+the princess&rsquo;s thanks. Then he paid no further heed
+to worldly matters, but set his house in order and
+turned it over to his wife and son. When a month
+had passed, he died without any sign of illness.</p>
+
+<p>That same day one of his officers was out walking.
+Suddenly he saw a heavy cloud of dust rising along
+the highway, while flags and banners darkened the sun.
+A thousand knights were escorting a man who sat his
+horse proudly and like a hero. And when the officer
+looked at his face, it was the general Dschong Tschong-Fu.
+Hastily he stepped to the edge of the road, in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span>
+order to allow the cavalcade to pass, and watched it
+ride by. The horsemen took the way to the Lake of
+the Maidens, where they disappeared.</p>
+
+<div class="note"><p>Note: The expression: &ldquo;Dschou Bau took the blame upon himself&rdquo;
+is explained by the fact that the territorial mandarin is responsible
+for his district, just as the emperor is for the whole empire. Since
+extraordinary natural phenomena are the punishment of heaven,
+their occurrence supposed the guilt of man. This train of thought
+is in accord with the idea, as in this case, that differences occurring
+among the spirits of the air lead to misfortune, since where virtue is
+in the ascendant in the mortal world, the spirits are prevented from
+giving way to such demonstrations. &ldquo;Drums and kettledrums
+sounded together&rdquo;: the kettledrums sounded the attack, and the
+drums the retreat. The simultaneous sounding of both signals was
+intended to throw the enemy&rsquo;s army into disorder.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLVII" id="XLVII"></a>XLVII<br />
+<br />
+THE DISOWNED PRINCESS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>T the time that the Tang dynasty was reigning
+there lived a man named Liu I, who had failed
+to pass his examinations for the doctorate. So he
+traveled home again. He had gone six or seven miles
+when a bird flew up in a field, and his horse shied and
+ran ten miles before he could stop him. There he saw
+a woman who was herding sheep on a hillside. He
+looked at her and she was lovely to look upon, yet her
+face bore traces of hidden grief. Astonished, he asked
+her what was the matter.</p>
+
+<p>The woman began to sob and said: &ldquo;Fortune has
+forsaken me, and I am in need and ashamed. Since
+you are kind enough to ask I will tell you all. I am the
+youngest daughter of the Dragon-King of the Sea of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span>
+Dungting, and was married to the second son of the
+Dragon-King of Ging Dschou. Yet my husband ill-treated
+and disowned me. I complained to my step-parents,
+but they loved their son blindly and did
+nothing. And when I grew insistent they both became
+angry, and I was sent out here to herd sheep.&rdquo;
+When she had done, the woman burst into tears and
+lost all control of herself. Then she continued: &ldquo;The
+Sea of Dungting is far from here; yet I know that
+you will have to pass it on your homeward journey.
+I should like to give you a letter to my father, but I
+do not know whether you would take it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I answered: &ldquo;Your words have moved my
+heart. Would that I had wings and could fly away with
+you. I will be glad to deliver the letter to your father.
+Yet the Sea of Dungting is long and broad, and how am
+I to find him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;On the southern shore of the Sea stands an orange-tree,&rdquo;
+answered the woman, &ldquo;which people call the tree
+of sacrifice. When you get there you must loosen
+your girdle and strike the tree with it three times in
+succession. Then some one will appear whom you
+must follow. When you see my father, tell him in
+what need you found me, and that I long greatly for
+his help.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she fetched out a letter from her breast and
+gave it to Liu I. She bowed to him, looked toward the
+east and sighed, and, unexpectedly, the sudden tears
+rolled from the eyes of Liu I as well. He took the letter
+and thrust it in his bag.</p>
+
+<p>Then he asked her: &ldquo;I cannot understand why you
+have to herd sheep. Do the gods slaughter cattle like
+men?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;These are not ordinary sheep,&rdquo; answered the
+woman; &ldquo;these are rain-sheep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But what are rain-sheep?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span>
+&ldquo;They are the thunder-rams,&rdquo; replied the woman.</p>
+
+<p>And when he looked more closely he noticed that these
+sheep walked around in proud, savage fashion, quite
+different from ordinary sheep.</p>
+
+<p>Liu I added: &ldquo;But if I deliver the letter for you,
+and you succeed in getting back to the Sea of Dungting
+in safety, then you must not use me like a stranger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The woman answered: &ldquo;How could I use you as a
+stranger? You shall be my dearest friend.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with these words they parted.</p>
+
+<p>In course of a month Liu I reached the Sea of
+Dungting, asked for the orange-tree and, sure enough,
+found it. He loosened his girdle, and struck the tree
+with it three times. At once a warrior emerged from
+the waves of the sea, and asked: &ldquo;Whence come you,
+honored guest?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I said: &ldquo;I have come on an important mission
+and want to see the King.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The warrior made a gesture in the direction of the
+water, and the waves turned into a solid street along
+which he led Liu I. The dragon-castle rose before
+them with its thousand gates, and magic flowers and
+rare grasses bloomed in luxurious profusion. The
+warrior bade him wait at the side of a great hall.</p>
+
+<p>Liu I asked: &ldquo;What is this place called?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is the Hall of the Spirits,&rdquo; was the reply.</p>
+
+<p>Liu I looked about him: all the jewels known to earth
+were there in abundance. The columns were of white
+quartz, inlaid with green jade; the seats were made of
+coral, the curtains of mountain crystal as clear as water,
+the windows of burnished glass, adorned with rich
+lattice-work. The beams of the ceiling, ornamented
+with amber, rose in wide arches. An exotic fragrance
+filled the hall, whose outlines were lost in darkness.</p>
+
+<p>Liu I had waited for the king a long time. To all
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span>
+his questions the warrior replied: &ldquo;Our master is
+pleased at this moment to talk with the priest of the
+sun up on the coral-tower about the sacred book of the
+fire. He will, no doubt, soon be through.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I went on to ask: &ldquo;Why is he interested in the
+sacred book of the fire?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The reply was: &ldquo;Our master is a dragon. The
+dragons are powerful through the power of water.
+They can cover hill and dale with a single wave. The
+priest is a human being. Human beings are powerful
+through fire. They can burn the greatest palaces by
+means of a torch. Fire and water fight each other,
+being different in their nature. For that reason our
+master is now talking with the priest, in order to find
+a way in which fire and water may complete each
+other.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before they had quite finished there appeared a man
+in a purple robe, bearing a scepter of jade in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior said: &ldquo;This is my master!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I bowed before him.</p>
+
+<p>The king asked: &ldquo;Are you not a living human being?
+What has brought you here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I gave his name and explained: &ldquo;I have been
+to the capital and there failed to pass my examination.
+When I was passing by the Ging Dschou River, I
+saw your daughter, whom you love, herding sheep in
+the wilderness. The winds tousled her hair, and the
+rain drenched her. I could not bear to see her trouble
+and spoke to her. She complained that her husband
+had cast her out and wept bitterly. Then she gave me
+a letter for you. And that is why I have come to visit
+you, O King!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he fetched out his letter and handed
+it to the king. When the latter had read it, he hid his
+face in his sleeve and said with a sigh: &ldquo;It is my own
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span>
+fault. I picked out a worthless husband for her. Instead
+of securing her happiness I have brought her
+to shame in a distant land. You are a stranger and
+yet you have been willing to help her in her distress,
+for which I am very grateful to you.&rdquo; Then he once
+more began to sob, and all those about him shed tears.
+Thereupon the monarch gave the letter to a servant
+who took it into the interior of the palace; and soon
+the sound of loud lamentations rose from the inner
+rooms.</p>
+
+<p>The king was alarmed and turned to an official:
+&ldquo;Go and tell them within not to weep so loudly! I
+am afraid that Tsian Tang may hear them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who is Tsian Tang?&rdquo; asked Liu I.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He is my beloved brother,&rdquo; answered the king.
+&ldquo;Formerly he was the ruler of the Tsian-Tang River,
+but now he has been deposed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I asked: &ldquo;Why should the matter be kept from
+him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He is so wild and uncontrollable,&rdquo; was the reply,
+&ldquo;that I fear he would cause great damage. The deluge
+which covered the earth for nine long years in the
+time of the Emperor Yau was the work of his anger.
+Because he fell out with one of the kings of heaven,
+he caused a great deluge that rose and covered the tops
+of five high mountains. Then the king of heaven grew
+angry with him, and gave him to me to guard. I had
+to chain him to a column in my palace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before he had finished speaking a tremendous turmoil
+arose, which split the skies and made the earth
+tremble, so that the whole palace began to rock, and
+smoke and clouds rose hissing and puffing. A red
+dragon, a thousand feet long, with flashing eyes, blood-red
+tongue, scarlet scales and a fiery beard came surging
+up. He was dragging along through the air
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span>
+the column to which he had been bound, together with
+its chain. Thunders and lightnings roared and darted
+around his body; sleet and snow, rain and hail-stones
+whirled about him in confusion. There was a crash
+of thunder, and he flew up to the skies and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Liu I fell to earth in terror. The king helped him
+up with his own hand and said: &ldquo;Do not be afraid!
+That is my brother, who is hastening to Ging Dschou
+in his rage. We will soon have good news!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he had food and drink brought in for his guest.
+When the goblet had thrice made the rounds, a gentle
+breeze began to murmur and a fine rain fell. A youth
+clad in a purple gown and wearing a lofty hat entered.
+A sword hung at his side. His appearance was manly
+and heroic. Behind him walked a girl radiantly beautiful,
+wearing a robe of misty fragrance. And when
+Liu I looked at her, lo, it was the dragon-princess
+whom he had met on his way! A throng of maidens in
+rosy garments received her, laughing and giggling,
+and led her into the interior of the palace. The king,
+however, presented Liu I to the youth and said:
+&ldquo;This is Tsian Tang, my brother!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Tsian Tang thanked him for having brought the
+message. Then he turned to his brother and said:
+&ldquo;I have fought against the accursed dragons and have
+utterly defeated them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How many did you slay?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Six hundred thousand.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Were any fields damaged?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The fields were damaged for eight hundred miles
+around.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And where is the heartless husband?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I ate him alive!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 432px;">
+<a name="red_amber" id="red_amber"></a>
+<img src="images/cfb08.jpg" width="432" height="600"
+alt="Tsian Tang holds out the platter" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;TSIAN TANG BROUGHT OUT A PLATTER OF RED AMBER
+ON WHICH LAY A CARBUNCLE.&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="subcapt">&mdash;<i>Page <a href="#Page_157">157</a></i></p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then the king was alarmed and said: &ldquo;What the
+fickle boy did was not to be endured, it is true. But
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span>
+still you were a little too rough with him; in future
+you must not do anything of the sort again.&rdquo; And
+Tsian Tang promised not to.</p>
+
+<p>That evening Liu I was feasted at the castle. Music
+and dancing lent charm to the banquet. A thousand
+warriors with banners and spears in their hands stood
+at attention. Trombones and trumpets resounded, and
+drums and kettledrums thundered and rattled as the
+warriors danced a war-dance. The music expressed
+how Tsian Tang had broken through the ranks of the
+enemy, and the hair of the guest who listened to it rose
+on his head in terror. Then, again, there was heard
+the music of strings, flutes and little golden bells.
+A thousand maidens in crimson and green silk danced
+around. The return of the princess was also told in
+tones. The music sounded like a song of sadness and
+plaining, and all who heard it were moved to tears.
+The King of the Sea of Dungting was filled with joy.
+He raised his goblet and drank to the health of his
+guest, and all sorrow departed from them. Both rulers
+thanked Liu I in verses, and Liu I answered them in
+a rimed toast. The crowd of courtiers in the palace-hall
+applauded. Then the King of the Sea of Dungting
+drew forth a blue cloud-casket in which was the horn
+of a rhinoceros, which divides the water. Tsian Tang
+brought out a platter of red amber on which lay a
+carbuncle. These they presented to their guest, and
+the other inmates of the palace also heaped up embroideries,
+brocades and pearls by his side. Surrounded
+by shimmer and light Liu I sat there, smiling, and
+bowed his thanks to all sides. When the banquet was
+ended he slept in the Palace of Frozen Radiance.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day another banquet was held.
+Tsian Tang, who was not quite himself, sat carelessly
+on his seat and said: &ldquo;The Princess of the Dungting
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>
+Sea is handsome and delicately fashioned. She has
+had the misfortune to be disowned by her husband, and
+to-day her marriage is annulled. I should like to find
+another husband for her. If you were agreeable it
+would be to your advantage. But if you were not
+willing to marry her, you may go your way, and should
+we ever meet again we will not know each other.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Liu I was angered by the careless way in which Tsian
+Tang spoke to him. The blood rose to his head and he
+replied: &ldquo;I served as a messenger, because I felt
+sorry for the princess, but not in order to gain an advantage
+for myself. To kill a husband and carry off a
+wife is something an honest man does not do. And
+since I am only an ordinary man, I prefer to die rather
+than do as you say.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Tsian Tang rose, apologized and said: &ldquo;My words
+were over-hasty. I hope you will not take them ill!&rdquo;
+And the King of the Dungting Sea also spoke kindly to
+him, and censured Tsian Tang because of his rude
+speech. So there was no more said about marriage.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day Liu I took his leave, and the
+Queen of the Dungting Sea gave a farewell banquet in
+his honor.</p>
+
+<p>With tears the queen said to Liu I: &ldquo;My daughter
+owes you a great debt of gratitude, and we have not had
+an opportunity to make it up to you. Now you are going
+away and we see you go with heavy hearts!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she ordered the princess to thank Liu I.</p>
+
+<p>The princess stood there, blushing, bowed to him and
+said: &ldquo;We will probably never see each other again!&rdquo;
+Then tears choked her voice.</p>
+
+<p>It is true that Liu I had resisted the stormy urging
+of her uncle, but when he saw the princess standing before
+him in all the charm of her loveliness, he felt sad
+at heart; yet he controlled himself and went his way.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span>
+The treasures which he took with him were incalculable.
+The king and his brother themselves escorted
+him as far as the river.</p>
+
+<p>When, on his return home, he sold no more than a
+hundredth part of what he had received, his fortune
+already ran into the millions, and he was wealthier
+than all his neighbors. He decided to take a wife, and
+heard of a widow who lived in the North with her
+daughter. Her father had become a Taoist in his later
+years and had vanished in the clouds without ever returning.
+The mother lived in poverty with the daughter;
+yet since the girl was beautiful beyond measure
+she was seeking a distinguished husband for her.</p>
+
+<p>Liu I was content to take her, and the day of the
+wedding was set. And when he saw his bride unveiled
+on the evening of her wedding day, she looked just like
+the dragon-princess. He asked her about it, but she
+merely smiled and said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>After a time heaven sent them a son. Then she told
+her husband: &ldquo;To-day I will confess to you that I
+am truly the Princess of Dungting Sea. When you had
+rejected my uncle&rsquo;s proposal and gone away, I fell ill
+of longing, and was near death. My parents wanted to
+send for you, but they feared you might take exception
+to my family. And so it was that I married you disguised
+as a human maiden. I had not ventured to tell
+you until now, but since heaven has sent us a son, I
+hope that you will love his mother as well.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Liu I awoke as though from a deep sleep, and
+from that time on both were very fond of each other.</p>
+
+<p>One day his wife said: &ldquo;If you wish to stay with me
+eternally, then we cannot continue to dwell in the world
+of men. We dragons live ten thousand years, and you
+shall share our longevity. Come back with me to the
+Sea of Dungting!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span>
+Ten years passed and no one knew where Liu I, who
+had disappeared, might be. Then, by accident, a relative
+went sailing across the Sea of Dungting. Suddenly
+a blue mountain rose up out of the water.</p>
+
+<p>The seamen cried in alarm: &ldquo;There is no mountain
+on this spot! It must be a water-demon!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>While they were still pointing to it and talking, the
+mountain drew near the ship, and a gaily-colored boat
+slid from its summit into the water. A man sat in
+the middle, and fairies stood at either side of him.
+The man was Liu I. He beckoned to his cousin, and
+the latter drew up his garments and stepped into the
+boat with him. But when he had entered the boat it
+turned into a mountain. On the mountain stood a
+splendid castle, and in the castle stood Liu I, surrounded
+with radiance, and with the music of stringed
+instruments floating about him.</p>
+
+<p>They greeted each other, and Liu I said to his cousin:
+&ldquo;We have been parted no more than a moment, and
+your hair is already gray!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His cousin answered: &ldquo;You are a god and blessed:
+I have only a mortal body. Thus fate has decreed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Liu I gave him fifty pills and said: &ldquo;Each
+pill will extend your life for the space of a year. When
+you have lived the tale of these years, come to me and
+dwell no longer in the earthly world of dust, where
+there is nothing but toil and trouble.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he took him back across the sea and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>His cousin, however, retired from the world, and
+fifty years later, and when he had taken all the pills,
+he disappeared and was never seen again.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The outcast princess is represented as &ldquo;herding sheep.&rdquo; In
+Chinese the word sheep is often used as an image for clouds. (Sheep
+and goats are designated by the same word in Chinese.) Tsian
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span>
+Tang is the name of a place used for the name of the god of that
+place. The deluge is the flood which the great Yu regulated as minister
+of the Emperor Yau. It is here represented in an exaggerated
+sense, as a deluge.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="XLVIII" id="XLVIII"></a>XLVIII<br />
+<br />
+FOX-FIRE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a strong young
+farmer who came home late one evening from
+market. His way led him past the gardens of a
+wealthy gentleman, in which stood a number of tall
+buildings. Suddenly he saw something shining floating
+in the air inside the gardens, something which
+glowed like a ball of crystal. He was astonished, and
+climbed the wall around the gardens, but there was not
+a human being in sight; all he saw was, at a distance,
+something which appeared to be a dog, looking up at
+the moon. And whenever it blew its breath out a ball
+of fire came out of its mouth, and rose to the moon.
+And whenever it drew its breath in the ball sank down
+again, and it caught it in its jaws. And so it went on
+without a stop. Then the farmer realized that it was a
+fox, who was preparing the elixir of life. He hid
+in the grass and waited until the ball of fire came down
+again, at about the height of his own head. Then he
+stepped hastily from his hiding-place, took it away and
+at once swallowed it. And he could feel it glow as it
+passed down his throat into his stomach. When the
+fox saw what had happened he grew angry. He looked
+furiously at the farmer, but feared his strength. For
+this reason he did not dare attack him, but went
+angrily on his way.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span>
+From that time on the farmer-boy could make himself
+invisible, was able to see ghosts and devils, and had
+intercourse with the spirit-world. In cases of sickness,
+when people lay unconscious, he could call back
+their souls, and if some one had committed a sin he
+could plead for them. He earned much money owing
+to these gifts.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached his fiftieth year, he withdrew from
+all things and would no longer exercise his arts. One
+summer evening he was sitting in his courtyard, enjoying
+the cool air. While there he drank a number of
+goblets of wine, and by midnight had fallen fast
+asleep. Suddenly he awoke, feeling ill. It seemed as
+though some one were patting him on the back, and before
+he knew it, the ball of fire had leaped out from his
+throat. At once a hand reached for it and a voice
+said: &ldquo;For thirty long years you kept my treasure
+from me, and from a poor farmer-lad you have grown
+to be a wealthy man. Now you have enough, and I
+would like to have my fire-ball back again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the man knew what had happened, but the fox
+was gone.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The thought underlying the story is the belief that the fox
+prepares the elixir of life out of his own breath, which he allows to
+rise to the moon. If a thief can rob him of the elixir he gains
+supernatural powers.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163"><!-- unnumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="padtop">GHOST STORIES</h2>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="XLIX" id="XLIX"></a>XLIX<br />
+<br />
+THE TALKING SILVER FOXES</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE silver foxes resemble other foxes, but are yellow,
+fire-red or white in color. They know how to
+influence human beings, too. There is a kind of silver
+fox which can learn to speak like a man in a year&rsquo;s time.
+These foxes are called &ldquo;Talking Foxes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>South-west of the bay of Kaiutschou there is a
+mountain by the edge of the sea, shaped like a tower,
+and hence known as Tower Mountain. On the mountain
+there is an old temple with the image of a goddess,
+who is known as the Old Mother of Tower Mountain.
+When children fall ill in the surrounding villages,
+the magicians often give orders that paper figures of
+them be burned at her altar, or little lime images of
+them be placed around it. And for this reason the
+altar and its surroundings are covered with hundreds
+of figures of children made in lime. Paper flowers,
+shoes and clothing are also brought to the Old Mother,
+and lie in a confusion of colors. The pilgrimage festivals
+take place on the third day of the third month,
+and the ninth day of the ninth month, and then there
+are theatrical performances, and the holy writings
+are read. And there is also an annual fair. The girls
+and women of the neighborhood burn incense and pray
+to the goddess. Parents who have no children go there
+and pick out one of the little children made of lime,
+and tie a red thread around its neck, or even secretly
+break off a small bit of its body, dissolve it in water
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span>
+and drink it. Then they pray quietly that a child may
+be sent them.</p>
+
+<p>Behind the temple is a great cave where, in former
+times, some talking foxes used to live. They would
+even come out and seat themselves on the point of a
+steep rock by the wayside. When a wanderer came
+by they would begin to talk to him in this fashion:
+&ldquo;Wait a bit, neighbor; first smoke a pipe!&rdquo; The
+traveler would look around in astonishment, to see
+where the voice came from, and would become very
+much frightened. If he did not happen to be exceptionally
+brave, he would begin to perspire with terror,
+and run away. Then the fox would laugh: &ldquo;Hi hi!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Once a farmer was plowing on the side of the
+mountain. When he looked up he saw a man with a
+straw hat, wearing a mantle of woven grass and carrying
+a pick across his shoulder coming along the way.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Neighbor Wang,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;first smoke a pipeful
+and take a little rest! Then I will help you plow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he called out &ldquo;Hu!&rdquo; the way farmers do when
+they talk to their cattle.</p>
+
+<p>The farmer looked at him more closely and saw then
+that he was a talking fox. He waited for a favorable
+opportunity, and when it came gave him a lusty blow
+with his ox-whip. He struck home, for the fox
+screamed, leaped into the air and ran away. His straw
+hat, his mantle of woven grass and the rest he left lying
+on the ground. Then the farmer saw that the straw
+hat was just woven out of potato-leaves; he had cut it
+in two with his whip. The mantle was made of oak-leaves,
+tied together with little blades of grass. And
+the pick was only the stem of a kau-ling plant, to
+which a bit of brick had been fastened.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after, a woman in a neighboring village
+became possessed. A picture of the head priest of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>
+Taoists was hung up in her room, but the evil spirit
+did not depart. Since there were none who could
+exorcise devils in the neighborhood, and the trouble
+she gave was unendurable, the woman&rsquo;s relatives decided
+to send to the temple of the God of War and
+beg for aid.</p>
+
+<p>But when the fox heard of it he said: &ldquo;I am not
+afraid of your Taoist high-priest nor of your God of
+War; the only person I fear is your neighbor Wang in
+the Eastern village, who once struck me cruelly with
+his whip.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This suited the people to a T. They sent to the
+Eastern village, and found out who Wang was. And
+Wang took his ox-whip and entered the house of the
+possessed woman.</p>
+
+<p>Then he said in a deep voice: &ldquo;Where are you?
+Where are you? I have been on your trail for a long
+time. And now, at last, I have caught you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that he snapped his whip.</p>
+
+<p>The fox hissed and spat and flew out of the window.</p>
+
+<p>They had been telling stories about the talking fox
+of Tower Mountain for more than a hundred years
+when one fine day, a skilful archer came to that part
+of the country who saw a creature like a fox, with a
+fiery-red pelt, whose back was striped with gray. It
+was lying under a tree. The archer aimed and shot
+off its hind foot.</p>
+
+<p>At once it said in a human voice: &ldquo;I brought myself
+into this danger because of my love for sleep;
+but none may escape their fate! If you capture me
+you will get at the most no more than five thousand
+pieces of copper for my pelt. Why not let me go instead?
+I will reward you richly, so that all your
+poverty will come to an end.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the archer would not listen to him. He killed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span>
+him, skinned him and sold his pelt; and, sure enough,
+he received five thousand pieces of copper for it.</p>
+
+<p>From that time on the fox-spirit ceased to show itself.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The silver fox is known in Chinese as &ldquo;Pi,&rdquo; the same word
+also being used for &ldquo;panthers,&rdquo; since this legendary beast partakes of
+the nature of both animals. &ldquo;The Old Mother&rdquo; is really the mother-goddess
+of the Taischan. But in other localities she is chiefly
+honored as a child-giving goddess. &ldquo;A picture of the head priest of
+the Taoists&rdquo;: Talismans painted by the head priest of the Taoists
+or the Taoist pope, the so-called &ldquo;Master of the Heavens,&rdquo; (Tian
+Schi) have special virtues against all kinds of sorcery and enchantment.
+The war god Guan Di also is appealed to as a savior in all
+sorts of emergencies.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="L" id="L"></a>L<br />
+<br />
+THE CONSTABLE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N a city in the neighborhood of Kaiutschou there
+once lived a constable by the name of Dung. One
+day when he returned from a hunt after thieves the
+twilight had already begun to fall. So before he
+waded through the stream that flowed through the city
+he sat down on the bank, lit a pipe and took off his
+shoes. When he looked up, he suddenly saw a man in
+a red hat dressed as a constable crouching beside him.</p>
+
+<p>Astonished, he inquired: &ldquo;Who are you? Your
+clothes indicate that you are a member of our profession,
+but I have never yet seen you among the men
+of our local force. Tell me, pray, whence you come?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The other answered: &ldquo;I am weary, having come a
+long journey, and would like to enjoy a pipeful of
+tobacco in your company. I am sure you will not object
+to that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span>
+Dung handed him a pipe and tobacco.</p>
+
+<p>But the other constable said: &ldquo;I do not need them.
+Just you keep on smoking. It is enough for me to enjoy
+the odor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they chatted awhile together, and together waded
+through the stream. And gradually they became quite
+confidential and the stranger said: &ldquo;I will be quite
+frank with you. I am the head constable of the Nether
+World, and am subject to the Lord of the Great Mountain.
+You yourself are a constable of reputation here
+in the upper world. And, because of my skill, I have
+standing in the world below. Since we are so well
+suited to each other, I should like to enter into a bond
+of brotherhood with you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dung was agreeable and asked: &ldquo;But what really
+brings you here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the other: &ldquo;In your district there lives a
+certain Wang, who was formerly superintendent of
+the granaries, and at that time caused the death of an
+officer. This man has now accused him in the Nether
+World. The King of the Nether World cannot come
+to a decision in the case, and therefore has asked the
+Lord of the Great Mountain to settle it. The Lord of
+the Great Mountain has ordered that Wang&rsquo;s property
+and life be shortened. First his property is to be sequestered
+here in the upper world, and then his soul
+is to be dragged to the nether one. I have been sent out
+by the Judge of the Dead to fetch him. Yet the established
+custom is, when some one is sent for, that the
+constable has first to report to the god of the city. The
+god of the city then issues a summons, and sends one
+of his own spirit constables to seize the soul and deliver
+it over to me. Only then may I take it away with
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dung asked him further particulars; but the other
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span>
+merely said: &ldquo;Later on you will see it all for yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When they reached the city Dung invited his colleague
+to stay at his home, and entertained him with wine and
+food. But the other only talked and touched neither
+the goblet nor the chop-sticks.</p>
+
+<p>Said Dung: &ldquo;In my haste I could not find any
+better meal for you. I am afraid it is not good
+enough.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But his guest replied: &ldquo;Oh no, I am already surfeited
+and satisfied! We spirits feed only on odors;
+in which respect we differ from men.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was late at night before he set out to visit the
+temple of the city god.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner did morning dawn than he reappeared to
+take farewell and said: &ldquo;Now all is in order: I am
+off! In two years&rsquo; time you will go to Taianfu, the
+city near the Great Mountain, and there we will meet
+again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dung began to feel ill at ease. A few days later, in
+fact, came the news that Wang had died. The district
+mandarin journeyed to the dead man&rsquo;s natal village
+in order to express his sympathy. Among his followers
+was Dung. The inn-keeper there was a tenant
+of Wang&rsquo;s.</p>
+
+<p>Dung asked him: &ldquo;Did anything out of the ordinary
+happen when Sir Wang died?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It was all very strange,&rdquo; answered the inn-keeper,
+&ldquo;and my mother who had been very busy in his house,
+came home and fell into a violent fever. She was unconscious
+for a day and a night, and could hardly
+breathe. She came to on the very day when the
+news of Sir Wang&rsquo;s death was made public, and said:
+&lsquo;I have been to the Nether World and I met him there.
+He had chains about his neck and several devils were
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span>
+dragging him along. I asked him what he had done,
+but he said: &ldquo;I have no time to tell you now. When
+you return ask my wife and she will tell you all!&rdquo;&rsquo;
+And yesterday my mother went there and asked her.
+And Wang&rsquo;s wife told her with tears: &lsquo;My master
+was an official, but for a long time he did not make any
+head-way. He was superintendent of the granaries in
+Nanking, and in the same city was a high officer, with
+whom my master became very intimate. He always
+came to visit at our house and he and my master would
+talk and drink together. One day my master said to
+him: &ldquo;We administrative mandarins have a large
+salary and a good income besides. You are an officer,
+and have even reached the second step in rank, yet
+your salary is so small that you cannot possibly make
+it do. Have you any other income aside from it?&rdquo;
+The officer replied: &ldquo;We are such good friends that I
+know I can speak openly to you. We officers are
+compelled to find some additional sources of revenue
+in order that our pockets may not be altogether empty.
+When we pay our men we make a small percentage of
+gains on the exchange; and we also carry more soldiers
+on our rosters than there actually are present. If we
+had to live on our salaries we would die of hunger!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;When my husband heard him say this he could
+not rid himself of the idea that by disclosing these
+criminal proceedings the State would be indebted to
+him, and that it would surely aid his plans for advancement.
+On the other hand, he reflected that it
+would not be right to abuse his friend&rsquo;s confidence.
+With these ideas in his mind he retired to his inner
+rooms. In the courtyard stood a round pavilion.
+Lost in heavy thought, he crossed his hands behind his
+back, and for a long time walked round and round the
+pavilion. Finally he said with a sigh: &ldquo;Charity
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span>
+begins at home; I will sacrifice my friend!&rdquo; Then he
+drew up his report, in which the officer was indicted.
+An imperial order was issued, the matter was investigated,
+and the officer was condemned to death. My
+husband, however, was at once increased in rank, and
+from that time on advanced rapidly. And with the
+exception of myself no one ever knew anything of the
+matter.&rsquo; When my mother told them of her encounter
+with Wang in the Nether World, the whole family
+burst into loud weeping. Four tents full of Buddhist
+and Taoist priests were sent for, who fasted and
+read masses for thirty-five days in order that Wang
+might be delivered. Whole mountains of paper
+money, silk and straw figures were burned, and the
+ceremonies have not as yet come to an end.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Dung heard this he was very much frightened.</p>
+
+<p>Two years later he received an order to journey to
+Taianfu in order to arrest some robbers there.
+He thought to himself: &ldquo;My friend, the spirit, must be
+very powerful indeed, to have known about this trip so
+far in advance. I must inquire for him. Perhaps I
+will see him again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When he reached Taianfu he sought out an inn.</p>
+
+<p>The inn-keeper received him with the words: &ldquo;Are
+you Master Dung, and have you come from the bay of
+Kaiutschou?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am the man,&rdquo; answered Dung, alarmed, &ldquo;how do
+you happen to know me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The inn-keeper replied: &ldquo;The constable of the temple
+of the Great Mountain appeared to me last night
+and said: &lsquo;To-morrow a man by the name of Dung
+who is a good friend of mine is coming from the bay of
+Kaiutschou!&rsquo; And then he described your appearance
+and your clothes to me exactly, and told me to make
+careful note of them, and when you came to treat you
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span>
+with the greatest consideration, and to take no pay
+from you, since he would repay me lavishly. So when
+I saw you coming everything was exactly as my
+dreams had foretold, and I knew you at once. I have
+already prepared a quiet room for you, and beg that
+you will condescend to make yourself at ease.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Joyfully Dung followed him, and the inn-keeper
+waited on him with the greatest consideration, and saw
+that he had great plenty to eat and to drink.</p>
+
+<p>At midnight the spirit arrived. Without having
+opened the door, he stood by Dung&rsquo;s bedside, gave him
+his hand, and asked how things had gone with him
+since he had last seen him.</p>
+
+<p>Dung answered all his questions and thanked him
+into the bargain for appearing to the inn-keeper in a
+dream.</p>
+
+<p>He continued to live for some days at the inn. During
+the day he went walking on the Great Mountain
+and at night his friend came to visit him and talked
+with him, and at the same time asked him what had
+happened to Sir Wang.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;His sentence has already been spoken,&rdquo; answered
+the other. &ldquo;This man pretended to be conscientious,
+and traitorously brought about the death of his friend.
+Of all sins there is no greater sin than this. As a punishment
+he will be sent forth again into the world as an
+animal.&rdquo; Then he added: &ldquo;When you reach home
+you must take constant care of your health. Fate has
+allowed you seventy-eight years of mortal life. When
+your time is up I will come to fetch you myself. Then
+I will see that you obtain a place as constable in the
+Nether World, where we can always be together.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When he had said this, he disappeared.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span>
+Note: &ldquo;The Constable&rdquo; is a tale of modern origin. The Lord of
+the Great Mountain (Taischan) is even greater than Yan Wang, the
+God of Death. His Temple of the Easterly Holy Mountain (Dung
+Yuo Miau), is to be found in every district capital. These temples
+play an important part in the care of the dead before interment.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LI" id="LI"></a>LI<br />
+<br />
+THE DANGEROUS REWARD</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time a man named Hu-Wu-Bau,
+who lived near the Great Mountain, went walking
+there one day. And there, under a tree, he met a
+messenger in a red robe who called out to him: &ldquo;The
+Lord of the Great Mountain would like to see you!&rdquo;
+The man was much frightened, but dared offer no objection.
+The messenger bade him shut his eyes, and
+when he was allowed to open them again after a short
+time, he found himself standing before a lofty palace.
+He entered it to see the god. The latter had a meal
+prepared for him and said: &ldquo;I only sent for you to-day
+because I had heard you intended traveling
+to the West. And in that case I should like to give you
+a letter to take to my daughter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where is your daughter?&rdquo; asked the man.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She is married to the river-god,&rdquo; was the reply.
+&ldquo;All you need to do is to take along the letter lying
+there. When you reach the middle of the Yellow River,
+beat against the side of the ship and call out: &lsquo;Greencoat!&rsquo;
+Then some one will appear and take the letter
+from you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with these words he handed Hu-Wu-Bau the
+letter, and he was taken back again to the upper
+world.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span>
+When he came to the Yellow River on his journey, he
+did what the Lord of the Great Mountain had told him,
+and cried: &ldquo;Greencoat!&rdquo; And sure enough, a girl in
+green garments rose from the water, took him by the
+hand and told him to close his eyes. Then she led him
+into the palace of the river-god and he delivered the
+letter. The river-god entertained him splendidly, and
+thanked him as best he knew how. At parting he said:
+&ldquo;I am grateful that you have made this long journey
+to see me. I have nothing to give you, however, save
+this pair of green silk shoes. While you are wearing
+them you can keep on walking as long as you like and
+never grow weary. And they will give you the second
+sight, so that you will be able to see the spirits and
+gods.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man thanked him for the gift and returned to
+his ship. He continued on his journey to the West,
+and after a year had passed, came back again. When
+he reached the Great Mountain, he thought it would be
+fit and proper to report to the god. So he once more
+knocked against the tree and gave his name. In a moment
+the red-clad messenger appeared and led him to
+the Lord of the Mountain. So he reported that he had
+delivered the letter to the river-god, and how all things
+were there, and the Lord of the Mountain thanked him.
+During the meal which the god had prepared for him,
+he withdrew for a few moments to a quiet spot. Suddenly
+he saw his deceased father, bound and loaded
+with chains, who together with several hundred other
+criminals, was doing menial labor.</p>
+
+<p>Moved to tears, he asked: &ldquo;O my father, why are
+you here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His father replied: &ldquo;During my life on earth I happened
+to tread on bread, hence I was condemned to
+hard labor at this spot. I have passed two years in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span>
+this manner, yet their bitterness has been unspeakable.
+Since you are acquainted with the Lord of the Mountain,
+you might plead for me, and beg him to excuse
+me from this task and make me the field-god in our
+village.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His son promised to do so, and went back and pleaded
+with the Lord of the Mountain as he had agreed.
+The latter seemed inclined to listen to his prayer, yet
+said warningly: &ldquo;The quick and the dead tread different
+paths. It is not well for the dead and the living
+to abide near one another permanently.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man returned home. Yet, in about a year&rsquo;s
+time nearly all his children had died. In the terror of
+his heart he turned to the Lord of the Great Mountain.
+He beat on the tree; the red-coat came and led him into
+the palace. There he told of his misfortune and
+begged the god to protect him. The Lord of the Mountain
+smiled: &ldquo;Did I not tell you in the start that the
+quick and the dead tread different paths, and that it is
+not well if they abide near each other permanently?
+Now you see what has happened!&rdquo; Yet he sent his
+messenger to fetch the man&rsquo;s father. The father
+came and the god spake to him as follows: &ldquo;I forgave
+you your offense and sent you back to your home as a
+field-god. It was your duty to bring happiness to your
+family. Instead, nearly all of your grand-children
+have died off. Why is this?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the father said: &ldquo;I had been away from home
+so long that I was overjoyed to return. Besides I had
+meat and drink in overflowing measure. So I thought
+of my little grand-children and called them to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Lord of the Great Mountain appointed another
+field-god for that village, and also gave the
+father another place. And from that time no further
+misfortune happened to the family of Hu-Wu-Bau.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span>
+Note: The Lord of the Great Mountain was originally Huang
+Fe-Hu, a faithful servant of the tyrant Dschou-Sin. Because of an
+insult offered him, he joined King Wu, and when the latter overcame
+the tyrant, was made Lord of the Mountain, and overlord of the ten
+princes of the nether world.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LII" id="LII"></a>LII<br />
+<br />
+RETRIBUTION</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a boy named Ma,
+whose father taught him himself, at home. The
+window of the upper story looked out on the rear upon
+a terrace belonging to old Wang, who had a garden
+of chrysanthemums there. One day Ma rose early, and
+stood leaning against the window, watching the day
+dawn. And out came old Wang from his terrace and
+watered his chrysanthemums. When he had just finished
+and was going in again, along came a water-carrier,
+bearing two pails on his shoulders, who seemed to
+want to help him. But the old man grew annoyed and
+motioned him off. Yet the water-carrier insisted on
+mounting the terrace. So they pulled each other about
+on the terrace-edge. It had been raining, the terrace
+was slippery, its border high and narrow, and when the
+old man thrust back the water-carrier with his hand,
+the latter lost his balance, slipped and tumbled down
+the slope. Then the old man hastened down to pick
+him up; but the two pails had fallen on his chest and
+he lay there with feet outstretched. The old man was
+extremely frightened. Without uttering a sound, he
+took hold of the water-carrier&rsquo;s feet, and dragged him
+through the back door to the bank of the stream which
+flowed by the garden. Then he fetched the pails and
+set them down beside the corpse. After that he went
+home, locked the door and went to bed again.</p>
+
+<p>Little Ma, in spite of his youth, thought it would be
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span>
+better to say nothing about an affair of this kind, in
+which a human life was involved. He shut the window
+and withdrew. The sun rose higher, and soon he heard
+a clamor without: &ldquo;A dead man is lying on the river-bank!&rdquo;
+The constable gave notice, and in the afternoon
+the judge came up to the beating of gongs, and
+the inspector of the dead knelt down and uncovered
+the corpse; yet the body showed no wound. So it was
+said: &ldquo;He slipped and fell to his death!&rdquo; The judge
+questioned the neighbors, but the neighbors all insisted
+that they knew nothing of the matter. Thereupon the
+judge had the body placed in a coffin, sealed it with his
+seal, and ordered that the relatives of the deceased be
+found. And then he went his way.</p>
+
+<p>Nine years passed by, and young Ma had reached the
+age of twenty-one and become a baccalaureate. His
+father had died, and the family was poor. So it
+came about that in the same room in which he had formerly
+studied his lessons, he now gathered a few pupils
+about him, to instruct them.</p>
+
+<p>The time for examinations drew near. Ma had
+risen early, in order to work. He opened the window
+and there, in the distant alley, he saw a man with two
+pails gradually drawing nearer. When he looked
+more closely, it was the water-carrier. Greatly frightened,
+he thought that he had returned to repay old
+Wang. Yet he passed the old man&rsquo;s door without
+entering it. Then he went a few steps further to the
+house of the Lis; and there went in. The Lis were
+wealthy people, and since they were near neighbors
+the Mas and they were on a visiting footing. The
+matter seemed very questionable to Ma, and he got up
+and followed the water-carrier.</p>
+
+<p>At the door of Li&rsquo;s house he met an old servant who
+was just coming out and who said: &ldquo;Heaven is
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span>
+about to send a child to our mistress! I must go buy
+incense to burn to the gods in order to show our
+gratitude!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ma asked: &ldquo;Did not a man with two pails of water
+on his shoulder just go in?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The servant said there had not, but before he had finished
+speaking a maid came from the house and said:
+&ldquo;You need not go to buy incense, for I have found
+some. And, through the favor of heaven, the child
+has already come to us.&rdquo; Then Ma began to realize
+that the water-carrier had returned to be born again
+into the life of earth, and not to exact retribution.
+He wondered, though, for what merit of his the former
+water-carrier happened to be re-born into so wealthy
+a family. So he kept the matter in mind, and from
+time to time inquired as to the child&rsquo;s well-being.</p>
+
+<p>Seven more years went by, and the boy gradually
+grew up. He did not show much taste for learning,
+but he loved to keep birds. Old Wang was still strong
+and healthy. And though he was by this time more
+than eighty years old, his love for his chrysanthemums
+had only increased with age.</p>
+
+<p>One day Ma once more rose early, and stood leaning
+against his window. And he saw old Wang come out
+upon his terrace and begin to water his chrysanthemums.
+Little Li sat in the upper story of his house
+flying his pigeons. Suddenly some of the pigeons flew
+down on the railing of the flower-garden. The boy was
+afraid they might fly off and called them, but the pigeons
+did not move. The boy did not know what to do:
+he picked up stones and threw them at the birds. By
+mistake one of them struck old Wang. The old man
+started, slipped, and fell down over the terrace. Time
+passed and he did not rise. He lay there with his feet
+outstretched. The boy was very much frightened.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>
+Without uttering a sound he softly closed his window
+and went away. The sun gradually rose higher, and
+the old man&rsquo;s sons and grandsons all came out to look
+for him. They found him and said: &ldquo;He slipped and
+fell to his death!&rdquo; And they buried him as was the
+custom.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This little tale, from the &ldquo;Sin Tsi Hia,&rdquo; is a literary masterpiece
+because of the exactness with which the punishment follows
+upon the act, long after the latter has been forgiven, and all chance
+of mishap seemed to have passed.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LIII" id="LIII"></a>LIII<br />
+<br />
+THE GHOST WHO WAS FOILED</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE are ghosts of many kinds, but the ghosts
+of those who have hung themselves are the
+worst. Such ghosts are always coaxing other living
+people to hang themselves from the beams of the roof.
+If they succeed in persuading some one to hang himself,
+then the road to the Nether World is open to
+them, and they can once more enter into the wheel of
+transformation. The following story of such a ghost
+is told by persons worthy of belief.</p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived a man in Tsing Tschoufu
+who had passed his military examination, and had
+been ordered to Tsinanfu to report for duty. It was
+at the season of rains. So it happened that evening
+came on before he could reach the town-inn where he
+had expected to pass the night. Just as the sun was
+setting he reached a small village and asked for a
+night&rsquo;s lodging. But there were only poor families in
+the village who had no room for him in their huts. So
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span>
+they directed him to an old temple which stood outside
+the village, and said he could spend the night there.</p>
+
+<p>The images of the gods in the temple were all decayed,
+so that one could not distinguish one from the
+other. Thick spider-webs covered the entrance, and
+the dust lay inches high everywhere. So the soldier
+went out into the open, where he found an old flight of
+steps. He spread out his knapsack on a stone step,
+tied his horse to an old tree, took his flask from his
+pocket and drank&mdash;for it had been a hot day. There
+had been a heavy rain, but it had just cleared again.
+The new moon was on the decline. The soldier closed
+his eyes and tried to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he heard a rustling sound in the temple,
+and a cool wind passed over his face and made him
+shudder. And he saw a woman come out of the temple,
+dressed in an old dirty red gown, and with a face
+as white as a chalk wall. She stole past quietly as
+though she were afraid of being seen. The soldier
+knew no fear. So he pretended to be asleep and did
+not move, but watched her with half-shut eyes.
+And he saw her draw a rope from her sleeve and disappear.
+Then he knew that she was the ghost of one
+who had hung herself. He got up softly and followed
+her, and, sure enough, she went into the village.</p>
+
+<p>When she came to a certain house she slipped into
+the court through a crack in the door. The soldier
+leaped over the wall after her. It was a house with
+three rooms. In the rear room a lamp was burning
+dimly. The soldier looked through the window into
+the room, and there was a young woman of about
+twenty sitting on the bed, sighing deeply, and her
+kerchief was wet through with tears. Beside her lay a
+little child, asleep. The woman looked up toward the
+beam of the ceiling. One moment she would weep and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span>
+the next she would stroke the child. When the soldier
+looked more closely, there was the ghost sitting up on
+the beam. She had passed the rope around her neck
+and was hanging herself in dumb show. And whenever
+she beckoned with her hand the woman looked up
+toward her. This went on for some time.</p>
+
+<p>Finally the woman said: &ldquo;You say it would be best
+for me to die. Very well, then, I will die; but I cannot
+part from my child!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And once more she burst into tears. But the ghost
+merely laughed and coaxed her again.</p>
+
+<p>So the woman said determinedly: &ldquo;It is enough. I
+will die!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words she opened her chest of clothes,
+put on new garments, and painted her face before the
+mirror. Then she drew up a bench and climbed up on
+it. She undid her girdle and knotted it to the beam.
+She had already stretched forth her neck and was
+about to leap from the bench, when the child suddenly
+awoke and began to cry. The woman climbed down
+again and soothed and quieted her child, and while she
+was petting it she wept, so that the tears fell from her
+eyes like a string of pearls. The ghost frowned and
+hissed, for it feared to lose its prey. In a short time
+the child had fallen asleep again, and the woman once
+more began to look aloft. Then she rose, again
+climbed on the bench, and was about to lay the noose
+about her neck when the soldier began to call out
+loudly and drum on the window-pane. Then he broke
+it and climbed into the room. The woman fell to the
+ground and the ghost disappeared. The soldier recalled
+the woman to consciousness, and then he saw
+something hanging down from the beam, like a cord
+without an end. Knowing that it belonged to the
+ghost of the hanged woman he took and kept it.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span>
+Then he said to the woman: &ldquo;Take good care of
+your child! You have but one life to lose in this
+world!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with that he went out.</p>
+
+<p>Then it occurred to him that his horse and his baggage
+were still in the temple. And he went there to
+get them. When he came out of the village there was
+the ghost, waiting for him in the road.</p>
+
+<p>The ghost bowed and said: &ldquo;I have been looking for
+a substitute for many years, and to-day, when it seemed
+as though I should really get one, you came along and
+spoiled my chances. So there is nothing more for me
+to do. Yet there is something which I left behind me
+in my hurry. You surely must have found it, and I
+will ask you to return it to me. If I only have this one
+thing, my not having found a substitute will not worry
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the soldier showed her the rope and said with
+a laugh: &ldquo;Is this the thing you mean? Why, if I
+were to give it back to you then some one is sure
+to hang themselves. And that I could not allow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he wound the rope around his arm,
+drove her off and said: &ldquo;Now be off with you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But then the ghost grew angry. Her face turned
+greenish-black, her hair fell in wild disorder down her
+neck, her eyes grew bloodshot, and her tongue hung
+far out of her mouth. She stretched forth both hands
+and tried to seize the soldier, but he struck out at her
+with his clenched fist. By mistake he hit himself in
+the nose and it began to bleed. Then he sprinkled a
+few drops of blood in her direction and, since the ghosts
+cannot endure human blood, she ceased her attack,
+moved off a few paces and began to abuse him. This
+she did for some time, until the cock in the village began
+to crow. Then the ghost disappeared.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span>
+In the meantime the farmer-folk of the village had
+come to thank the soldier. It seems that after he had
+left the woman her husband had come home, and asked
+his wife what had happened. And then for the first
+time he had learned what had occurred. So they all
+set out together along the road in order to look for the
+soldier outside the village. When they found him he
+was still beating the air with his fists and talking
+wildly. So they called out to him and he told them
+what had taken place. The rope could still be seen on
+his bare arm; yet it had grown fast to it, and surrounded
+it in the shape of a red ring of flesh.</p>
+
+<p>The day was just dawning, so the soldier swung himself
+into his saddle and rode away.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale has been handed down traditionally, and is given
+as told among the people.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LIV" id="LIV"></a>LIV<br />
+<br />
+THE PUNISHMENT OF GREED</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there lived a man south of the
+Yangtze-kiang. He had taken a position as a
+teacher in Sutschoufu, on the border of Shantung.
+But when he got there he found that the schoolhouse
+had not yet been completed. Yet a two-story building
+in the neighborhood had been rented, in which the
+teacher was to live and hold school in the meantime.
+This house stood outside the village, not far from the
+river bank. A broad plain, overgrown with tangled
+brush, stretched out from it on every side. The
+teacher was pleased with the view.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>
+Well, one evening he was standing in the door of his
+house watching the sun go down. The smoke that
+rose from the village chimneys gradually merged with
+the twilight shadows. All the noises of the day had
+died away. Suddenly, off in the distance, along the
+river bank, he beheld a fiery gleam. He hurried away
+at once in order to see what it might be. And there,
+on the bank, he found a wooden coffin, from which
+came the radiance he had noticed. Thought the
+teacher to himself: &ldquo;The jewels with which they
+adorn the dead on their journey shine by night. Perhaps
+there are gems in the coffin!&rdquo; And greed awoke
+in his heart, and he forgot that a coffin is a resting-place
+of the dead and should be respected. He took
+up a large stone, broke the cover of the coffin, and
+bent over to look more closely. And there in the coffin
+lay a youth. His face was as white as paper, he
+wore a mourning turban on his head, his body was
+wrapped in hempen garments, and he wore straw sandals
+on his feet. The teacher was greatly frightened
+and turned to go away. But the corpse had already
+raised itself to a sitting posture. Then the teacher&rsquo;s
+fear got the better of him, and he began to run. And
+the corpse climbed out of its coffin and ran after him.
+Fortunately the house was not far away. The teacher
+ran as fast as he could, flew up the steps and locked the
+door after him. Gradually he caught his breath again.
+Outside there was not a sound to be heard. So he
+thought that perhaps the corpse had not followed him
+all the way. He opened the window and peered down.
+The corpse was leaning against the wall of the house.
+Suddenly it saw that the window had been opened, and
+with one leap it bounded up and in through it. Overcome
+by terror, the teacher fell down the stairs of the
+house, and rolled unconscious to the bottom of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span>
+flight. And when he did so the corpse fell down on the
+floor of the room above.</p>
+
+<p>At the time the school children had all long since
+gone home. And the owner of the house lived in another
+dwelling, so that no one knew anything about
+what had happened. On the following morning the
+children came to school as usual. They found the door
+locked, and when they called no one answered. Then
+they broke down the door and found their teacher lying
+unconscious on the ground. They sprinkled him
+with ginger, but it took a long time before he woke
+from his coma. When they asked he told them all
+that had occurred. Then they all went upstairs and
+took away the corpse. It was taken outside the village
+limits and burned, and the bones which remained
+were once more laid in the coffin. But the teacher
+said, with a sigh: &ldquo;Because of a moment&rsquo;s greed, I
+nearly lost my life!&rdquo; He resigned his position,
+returned home and never, through all the days of his
+life, did he speak of gain again.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The corpse wears a mourning turban and is dressed in
+mourning. According to local tradition, young people who die
+before their parents, are laid in their coffins clad in mourning, so
+that even in death they may do their duty and be able to mourn
+their parents when the latter shall have died. The tale is taken
+from the Su Tsi Hia.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LV" id="LV"></a>LV<br />
+<br />
+THE NIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELD</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a merchant, who was
+wandering toward Shantung with his wares,
+along the road from the South. At about the second
+watch of the night, a heavy storm blew up from the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span>
+North. And he chanced to see an inn at one side of
+the road, whose lights were just being lit. He went in
+to get something to drink and order lodgings for the
+night, but the folk at the inn raised objections. Yet
+an old man among them took pity on his unhappy
+situation and said: &ldquo;We have just prepared a meal
+for warriors who have come a long distance, and we
+have no wine left to serve you. But there is a little
+side room here which is still free, and there you may
+stay overnight.&rdquo; With these words he led him into it.
+But the merchant could not sleep because of his hunger
+and thirst. Outside he could hear the noise of men
+and horses. And since all these proceedings did not
+seem quite natural to him, he got up and looked
+through a crack in the door. And he saw that the
+whole inn was filled with soldiers, who were sitting on
+the ground, eating and drinking, and talking about
+campaigns of which he had never heard. After a
+time they began calling to each other: &ldquo;The general
+is coming!&rdquo; And far off in the distance could be
+heard the cries of his bodyguard. All the soldiers
+hurried out to receive him. Then the merchant saw a
+procession with many paper lanterns, and riding in
+their midst a man of martial appearance with a long
+beard. He dismounted, entered the inn, and took his
+place at the head of the board. The soldiers mounted
+guard at the door, awaiting his commands, and the
+inn-keeper served food and drink, to which the general
+did full justice.</p>
+
+<p>When he had finished his officers entered, and he
+said to them: &ldquo;You have now been underway for
+some time. Go back to your men. I shall rest a little
+myself. It will be time enough to beat the assembly
+when the order to advance is given.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The officers received his commands and withdrew.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span>
+Then the general called out: &ldquo;Send Asti in!&rdquo; and
+a young officer entered from the left side of the house.
+The people of the inn locked the gates and withdrew
+for the night, while Asti conducted the long-haired general
+to a door at the left, through a crack of which
+shone the light of a lamp. The merchant stole from
+his room and looked through the crack in the door.
+Within the room was a bed of bamboo, without covers
+or pillows. The lamp stood on the ground. The long-bearded
+general took hold of his head. It came off
+and he placed it on the bed. Then Asti took hold of
+his arms. These also came off and were carefully
+placed beside the head. Then the old general threw
+himself down on the bed crosswise, and Asti took hold
+of his body, which came apart below the thighs, and
+the two legs fell to the ground. Then the lamp went
+out. Overcome by terror the merchant hurried back
+to his room as fast as he could, holding his sleeves
+before his eyes, and laid down on his bed, where he
+tossed about sleepless all night.</p>
+
+<p>At last he heard a cock crow in the distance. He
+was shivering. He took his sleeves from his face and
+saw that dawn was stealing along the sky. And when
+he looked about him, there he was lying in the middle
+of a thick clump of brush. Round about him was a
+wilderness, not a house, not even a grave was to be
+seen anywhere. In spite of being chilled, he ran about
+three miles till he came to the nearest inn. The inn-keeper
+opened the door and asked him with astonishment
+where he came from at that early hour. So the
+merchant told him his experiences and inquired as to
+the sort of place at which he had spent the night. The
+inn-keeper shook his head: &ldquo;The whole neighborhood
+is covered with old battlefields,&rdquo; was his reply,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>
+&ldquo;and all sorts of supernatural things take place on
+them after dark.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale is taken from the Sin Tsi Hia.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LVI" id="LVI"></a>LVI<br />
+<br />
+THE KINGDOM OF THE OGRES</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the land of Annam there once dwelt a man named
+Su, who sailed the seas as a merchant. Once his
+ship was suddenly driven on a distant shore by a great
+storm. It was a land of hills broken by ravines and
+green with luxuriant foliage, yet he could see something
+along the hills which looked like human dwellings. So
+he took some food with him and went ashore. No
+sooner had he entered the hills than he could see at
+either hand the entrances to caves, one close beside
+the other, like a row of beehives. So he stopped and
+looked into one of the openings. And in it sat two
+ogres, with teeth like spears and eyes like fiery lamps.
+They were just devouring a deer. The merchant was
+terrified by this sight and turned to flee; but the ogres
+had already noticed him and they caught him and
+dragged him into their cave. Then they talked to each
+other with animal sounds, and were about to tear his
+clothes from his body and devour him. But the merchant
+hurriedly took a bag of bread and dried meat out
+and offered it to them. They divided it, ate it up and
+it seemed to taste good to them. Then they once more
+went through the bag; but he gestured with his hand
+to show them that he had no more.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span>
+Then he said: &ldquo;Let me go! Aboard my ship I
+have frying-pans and cooking-pots, vinegar and spices.
+With these I could prepare your food.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ogres did not understand what he was saying,
+however, and were still ferocious. So he tried to make
+them understand in dumb show, and finally they seemed
+to get an idea of his meaning. So they went to the
+ship with him, and he brought his cooking gear to the
+cave, collected brush-wood, made a fire and cooked the
+remains of the deer. When it was done to a turn he
+gave them some of it to eat, and the two creatures devoured
+it with the greatest satisfaction. Then they
+left the cave and closed the opening with a great rock.
+In a short space of time they returned with another
+deer they had caught. The merchant skinned it,
+fetched fresh water, washed the meat and cooked several
+kettles full of it. Suddenly in came a whole herd
+of ogres, who devoured all he had cooked, and became
+quite animated over their eating. They all kept
+pointing to the kettle which seemed too small to them.
+When three or four days had passed, one of the ogres
+dragged in an enormous cooking-pot on his back,
+which was thenceforth used exclusively.</p>
+
+<p>Now the ogres crowded about the merchant, bringing
+him wolves and deer and antelopes, which he had to
+cook for them, and when the meat was done they would
+call him to eat it with them.</p>
+
+<p>Thus a few weeks passed and they gradually came to
+have such confidence in him that they let him run about
+freely. And the merchant listened to the sounds
+which they uttered, and learned to understand them.
+In fact, before very long he was able to speak the language
+of the ogres himself. This pleased the latter
+greatly, and they brought him a young ogre girl and
+made her his wife. She gave him valuables and fruit
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span>
+to win his confidence, and in course of time they grew
+much attached to each other.</p>
+
+<p>One day the ogres all rose very early, and each one
+of them hung a string of radiant pearls about his neck.
+They ordered the merchant to be sure and cook a great
+quantity of meat. The merchant asked his wife what
+it all meant.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This will be a day of high festival,&rdquo; answered she,
+&ldquo;we have invited the great king to a banquet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But to the other ogres she said: &ldquo;The merchant
+has no string of pearls!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then each of the ogres gave him five pearls and his
+wife added ten, so that he had fifty pearls in all.
+These his wife threaded and hung the pearl necklace
+about his neck, and there was not one of the pearls
+which was not worth at least several hundred ounces
+of silver.</p>
+
+<p>Then the merchant cooked the meat, and having done
+so left the cave with the whole herd in order to receive
+the great king. They came to a broad cave, in the
+middle of which stood a huge block of stone, as smooth
+and even as a table. Round it were stone seats. The
+place of honor was covered with a leopard-skin, and
+the rest of the seats with deerskins. Several dozen
+ogres were sitting around the cave in rank and file.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly a tremendous storm blew up, whirling
+around the dust in columns, and a monster appeared
+who had the figure of an ogre. The ogres all crowded
+out of the cave in a high state of excitement to receive
+him. The great king ran into the cave, sat down with
+his legs outstretched, and glanced about him with eyes
+as round as an eagle&rsquo;s. The whole herd followed him
+into the cave, and stood at either hand of him, looking
+up to him and folding their arms across their breasts
+in the form of a cross in order to do him honor.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span>
+The great king nodded, looked around and asked:
+&ldquo;Are all the folk of the Wo-Me hills present?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The entire herd declared that they were.</p>
+
+<p>Then he saw the merchant and asked: &ldquo;From
+whence does he hail?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His wife answered for him, and all spoke with praise
+of his art as a cook. A couple of ogres brought in the
+cooked meat and spread it out on the table. Then the
+great king ate of it till he could eat no more, praised it
+with his mouth full, and said that in the future they
+were always to furnish him with food of this kind.</p>
+
+<p>Then he looked at the merchant and asked: &ldquo;Why
+is your necklace so short?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he took ten pearls from his own
+necklace, pearls as large and round as bullets of a
+blunderbuss. The merchant&rsquo;s wife quickly took them
+on his behalf and hung them around his neck; and the
+merchant crossed his arms like the ogres and spoke his
+thanks. Then the great king went off again, flying
+away like lightning on the storm.</p>
+
+<p>In the course of time heaven sent the merchant children,
+two boys and a girl. They all had a human form
+and did not resemble their mother. Gradually the
+children learned to speak and their father taught them
+the language of men. They grew up, and were soon so
+strong that they could run across the hills as though
+on level ground.</p>
+
+<p>One day the merchant&rsquo;s wife had gone out with one
+of the boys and the girl and had been absent for half-a-day.
+The north wind was blowing briskly, and in
+the merchant&rsquo;s heart there awoke a longing for his old
+home. He took his son by the hand and went down to
+the sea-shore. There his old ship was still lying, so he
+climbed into it with his boy, and in a day and a night
+was back in Annam again.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span>
+When he reached home he loosened two of his pearls
+from his chain, and sold them for a great quantity of
+gold, so that he could keep house in handsome style.
+He gave his son the name of Panther, and when the
+boy was fourteen years of age he could lift thirty hundred
+weight with ease. Yet he was rough by nature
+and fond of fighting. The general of Annam, astonished
+at his bravery, appointed him a colonel, and in
+putting down a revolt his services were so meritorious
+that he was already a general of the second rank
+when but eighteen.</p>
+
+<p>At about this time another merchant was also driven
+ashore by a storm on the island of Wo-Me. When he
+reached land he saw a youth who asked him with astonishment:
+&ldquo;Are you not from the Middle Kingdom?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The merchant told him how he had come to be driven
+ashore on the island, and the youth led him to a little
+cave in a secret valley. Then he brought deer-flesh for
+him to eat, and talked with him. He told him that his
+father had also come from Annam, and it turned out
+that his father was an old acquaintance of the man to
+whom he was talking.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will have to wait until the wind blows from the
+North,&rdquo; said the youth, &ldquo;then I will come and escort
+you. And I will give you a message of greeting to
+take to my father and brother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why do you not go along yourself and hunt up
+your father?&rdquo; asked the merchant.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My mother does not come from the Middle Kingdom,&rdquo;
+replied the youth. &ldquo;She is different in speech
+and appearance, so it cannot well be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>One day the wind blew strongly from the North, and
+the youth came and escorted the merchant to his ship,
+and ordered him, at parting, not to forget a single one
+of his words.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span>
+When the merchant returned to Annam, he went to
+the palace of Panther, the general, and told him all
+that had happened. When Panther listened to him
+telling about his brother, he sobbed with bitter grief.
+Then he secured leave of absence and sailed out to sea
+with two soldiers. Suddenly a typhoon arose, which
+lashed the waves until they spurted sky-high. The
+ship turned turtle, and Panther fell into the sea. He
+was seized by a creature and flung up on a strand
+where there seemed to be dwellings. The creature who
+had seized him looked like an ogre, so Panther addressed
+him in the ogre tongue. The ogre, surprised,
+asked him who he was, and Panther told him his
+whole story.</p>
+
+<p>The ogre was pleased and said: &ldquo;Wo-Me is my old
+home, but it lies about eight thousand miles away from
+here. This is the kingdom of the poison dragons.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the ogre fetched a ship and had Panther seat
+himself in it, while he himself pushed the ship before
+him through the water so that it clove the waves like
+an arrow. It took a whole night, but in the morning
+a shoreline appeared to the North, and there on the
+strand stood a youth on look-out. Panther recognized
+his brother. He stepped ashore and they clasped hands
+and wept. Then Panther turned around to thank the
+ogre, but the latter had already disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Panther now asked after his mother and sister and
+was told that both were well and happy, so he wanted to
+go to them with his brother. But the latter told him to
+wait, and went off alone. Not long after he came back
+with their mother and sister. And when they saw Panther,
+both wept with emotion. Panther now begged
+them to return with him to Annam.</p>
+
+<p>But his mother replied: &ldquo;I fear that if I went,
+people would mock me because of my figure.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I am a high officer,&rdquo; replied Panther, &ldquo;and people
+would not dare to insult you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they all went down to the ship together with him.
+A favorable wind filled their sails and they sped home
+swiftly as an arrow flies. On the third day they
+reached land. But the people whom they encountered
+were all seized with terror and ran away. Then Panther
+took off his mantle and divided it among the
+three so that they could dress themselves.</p>
+
+<p>When they reached home and the mother saw her
+husband again, she at once began to scold him violently
+because he had said not a word to her when he went
+away. The members of his family, who all came to
+greet the wife of the master of the house, did so with
+fear and trembling. But Panther advised his mother
+to learn the language of the Middle Kingdom, dress
+in silks, and accustom herself to human food. This
+she agreed to do; yet she and her daughter had men&rsquo;s
+clothing made for them. The brother and sister gradually
+grew more fair of complexion, and looked like
+the people of the Middle Kingdom. Panther&rsquo;s brother
+was named Leopard, and his sister Ogrechild. Both
+possessed great bodily strength.</p>
+
+<p>But Panther was not pleased to think that his
+brother was so uneducated, so he had him study.
+Leopard was highly gifted; he understood a book at
+first reading; yet he felt no inclination to become a man
+of learning. To shoot and to ride was what he best
+loved to do. So he rose to high rank as a professional
+soldier, and finally married the daughter of a distinguished
+official.</p>
+
+<p>It was long before Ogrechild found a husband, because
+all suitors were afraid of their mother-in-law
+to be. But Ogrechild finally married one of her
+brother&rsquo;s subordinates. She could draw the strongest
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span>
+bow, and strike the tiniest bird at a distance of a hundred
+paces. Her arrow never fell to earth without
+having scored a hit. When her husband went out to
+battle she always accompanied him, and that he finally
+became a general was largely due to her. Leopard was
+already a field marshal at the age of thirty, and
+his mother accompanied him on his campaigns. When
+a dangerous enemy drew near, she buckled on armor,
+and took a knife in her hand to meet him in place of
+her son. And among the enemies who encountered her
+there was not a single one who did not flee from her in
+terror. Because of her courage the emperor bestowed
+upon her the title of &ldquo;The Superwoman.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The ogres here mentioned are the primitive inhabitants of
+the Island of Ceylon, also called Rakshas, who appear in legend
+as man-devouring monsters.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LVII" id="LVII"></a>LVII<br />
+<br />
+THE MAIDEN WHO WAS STOLEN AWAY</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the western portion of the old capital city of Lo
+Yang there was a ruined cloister, in which stood
+an enormous pagoda, several hundred stories high.
+Three or four people could still find room to stand on
+its very top.</p>
+
+<p>Not far from it there lived a beautiful maiden, and
+one very hot summer&rsquo;s day she was sitting in the
+courtyard of her home, trying to keep cool. And as
+she sat there a sudden cyclone came up and carried her
+off. When she opened her eyes, there she was on
+top of the pagoda, and beside her stood a young man
+in the dress of a student.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span>
+He was very polite and affable, and said to her:
+&ldquo;It seems as though heaven had meant to bring us
+together, and if you promise to marry me, we
+will be very happy.&rdquo; But to this the maiden would
+not agree. So the student said that until she changed
+her mind she would have to remain on the pagoda-top.
+Then he produced bread and wine for her to satisfy
+her hunger and thirst, and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Thereafter he appeared each day and asked her
+whether she had changed her mind, and each day she
+told him she had not. When he went away he always
+carefully closed the openings in the pagoda-top with
+stones, and he had also removed some of the steps of
+the stairs, so that she could not climb down. And
+when he came to the pagoda-top he always brought her
+food and drink, and he also presented her with rouge
+and powder, dresses and mandarin-coats and all sorts
+of jewelry. He told her he had bought them in the
+market place. And he also hung up a great carbuncle-stone
+so that the pagoda-top was bright by
+night as well as by day. The maiden had all that heart
+could wish, and yet she was not happy.</p>
+
+<p>But one day when he went away he forgot to lock the
+window. The maiden spied on him without his knowing
+it, and saw that from a youth he turned himself
+into an ogre, with hair as red as madder and a face as
+black as coal. His eyeballs bulged out of their sockets,
+and his mouth looked like a dish full of blood.
+Crooked white fangs thrust themselves from his lips,
+and two wings grew from his shoulders. Spreading
+them, he flew down to earth and at once turned into a
+man again.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden was seized with terror and burst into
+tears. Looking down from her pagoda she saw a wanderer
+passing below. She called out, but the pagoda
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>
+was so high that her voice did not carry down to him.
+She beckoned with her hand, but the wanderer did not
+look up. Then she could think of nothing else to do
+but to throw down the old clothes she had formerly
+worn. They fluttered through the air to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>The wanderer picked up the clothes. Then he
+looked up at the pagoda, and quite up at the very top
+he saw a tiny figure which looked like that of a girl;
+yet he could not make out her features. For a long
+time he wondered who it might be, but in vain. Then
+he saw a light.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My neighbor&rsquo;s daughter,&rdquo; said he to himself,
+&ldquo;was carried away by a magic storm. Is it possible
+that she may be up there?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he took the clothes with him and showed them
+to the maiden&rsquo;s parents, and when they saw them they
+burst into tears.</p>
+
+<p>But the maiden had a brother, who was stronger and
+braver than any one for miles around. When the tale
+had been told him he took a heavy ax and went to the
+pagoda. There he hid himself in the tall grass and
+waited for what would happen. When the sun was
+just going down, along came a youth, tramping the hill.
+Suddenly he turned into an ogre, spread his wings
+and was about to fly. But the brother flung his ax at
+him and struck him on the arm. He began to roar
+loudly, and then fled to the western hills. But when
+the brother saw that it was impossible to climb the pagoda,
+he went back and enlisted the aid of several
+neighbors. With them he returned the following
+morning and they climbed up into the pagoda. Most
+of the steps of the stairway were in good condition
+for the ogre had only destroyed those at the top. But
+they were able to get up with a ladder, and then the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span>
+brother fetched down his sister and brought her safely
+home again.</p>
+
+<p>And that was the end of the enchantment.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: In this tale the ogre is a Yakscha or a Fe Tian Ya Tscha.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LVIII" id="LVIII"></a>LVIII<br />
+<br />
+THE FLYING OGRE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE once lived in Sianfu an old Buddhist monk,
+who loved to wander in lonely places. In the
+course of his wanderings he once came to the Kuku-Nor,
+and there he saw a tree which was a thousand
+feet high and many cords in breadth. It was hollow
+inside and one could see the sky shining down into it
+from above.</p>
+
+<p>When he had gone on a few miles, he saw in the distance
+a girl in a red coat, barefoot, and with unbound
+hair, who was running as fast as the wind. In a
+moment she stood before him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Take pity on me and save my life!&rdquo; said she to
+him.</p>
+
+<p>When the monk asked her what was the trouble, she
+replied: &ldquo;A man is pursuing me. If you will tell
+him you have not seen me, I will be grateful to you all
+my life long!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that she ran up to the hollow tree and crawled
+into it.</p>
+
+<p>When the monk had gone a little further, he met one
+who rode an armored steed. He wore a garment of
+gold, a bow was slung across his shoulders, and a sword
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span>
+hung at his side. His horse ran with the speed of
+lightning, and covered a couple of miles with every
+step. Whether it ran in the air or on the ground,
+its speed was the same.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have you seen the girl in the red coat?&rdquo; asked the
+stranger. And when the monk replied that he had
+seen nothing, the other continued: &ldquo;Bonze, you
+should not lie! This girl is not a human being, but a
+flying ogre. Of flying ogres there are thousands of
+varieties, who bring ruin to people everywhere. I
+have already slain a countless number of them, and
+have pretty well done away with them. But this one
+is the worst of all. Last night the Lord of the Heavens
+gave me a triple command, and that is the
+reason I have hurried down from the skies. There
+are eight thousand of us under way in all directions
+to catch this monster. If you do not tell the truth,
+monk, then you are sinning against heaven itself!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Upon that the monk did not dare deceive him, but
+pointed to the hollow tree. The messenger of the
+skies dismounted, stepped into the tree and looked
+about him. Then he once more mounted his horse,
+which carried him up the hollow trunk and out at
+the end of the tree. The monk looked up and could
+see a small, red flame come out of the tree-top. It
+was followed by the messenger of the skies. Both
+rose up to the clouds and disappeared. After a time
+there fell a rain of blood. The ogre had probably been
+hit by an arrow or captured.</p>
+
+<p>Afterward the monk told the tale to the scholar
+who wrote it down.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This flying ogre is also of the Yakscha tribe.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="LIX" id="LIX"></a>LIX<br />
+<br />
+BLACK ARTS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE wild people who dwell in the South-West
+are masters of many black arts. They often
+lure men of the Middle Kingdom to their country by
+promising them their daughters in marriage, but their
+promises are not to be trusted. Once there was the
+son of a poor family, who agreed to labor for three
+years for one of the wild men in order to become his
+son-in-law. At the end of that time the wedding was
+celebrated, and the couple were given a little house
+for a home. But no sooner had they entered it than
+the wife warned her husband to be on his guard, since
+her parents did not like him, and would seek to do him
+harm. In accordance with the custom she entered the
+house first with a lighted lantern, but when the bridegroom
+followed her she had disappeared. And thus
+it went, day by day. During the daytime she was
+there, but when evening came she disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>And one day, not long after they had been married,
+his wife said to him: &ldquo;To-morrow morning my
+mother celebrates her birthday, and you must go to
+congratulate her. They will offer you tea and food.
+The tea you may drink, but be sure not to touch any
+of the food. Keep this in mind!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the following day the wife and husband went
+to her mother&rsquo;s home and offered their congratulations.
+Her parents seemed highly pleased,
+and served them with tea and sweets. The son-in-law
+drank, but ate nothing, though his wife&rsquo;s parents,
+with kind words and friendly gestures, kept urging
+him to help himself. At last the son-in-law did not
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>
+know what to do, and thought that surely they could
+mean him no ill. And seeing the fresh caught eels
+and crabs on the plate before him, he ate a little of
+them. His wife gave him a reproachful glance, and
+he offered some excuse for taking his leave.</p>
+
+<p>But his mother-in-law said: &ldquo;This is my birthday.
+You simply must taste my birthday noodles!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that she placed a great dish before him, filled
+with noodles that looked like threads of silver, mingled
+with fat meat, and spiced with fragrant mushrooms.
+During all the time he had been living in the
+country the son-in-law had never yet seen such an
+appetizing dish. Its pleasant odor rose temptingly
+to his nostrils, and he could not resist raising his
+chop-sticks. His wife glanced over at him, but he
+pretended that he did not see her.</p>
+
+<p>She coughed significantly, but he acted as though
+he did not hear. Finally she trod on his foot under
+the table; and then he regained control of himself.</p>
+
+<p>He had not as yet eaten half of the food and said:
+&ldquo;My hunger is satisfied.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he took leave, and went off with his wife.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This is a serious matter,&rdquo; said the latter. &ldquo;You
+would not listen to my words, and now you will surely
+have to die!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But still he did not believe her, until he suddenly
+felt terrible pains, which soon grew unbearable, so
+that he fell to the ground unconscious. His wife at
+once hung him up by the feet from the beam of the
+roof, and put a panful of glowing charcoal under his
+body, and a great jar of water, into which she had
+poured sesame oil, in front of the fire, directly below
+his mouth. And when the fire had heated him thoroughly,
+he suddenly opened his mouth&mdash;and can you
+imagine what came out of it? A squirming, crawling
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span>
+mass of poisonous worms, centipedes, toads and tadpoles,
+who all fell into the jar of water. Then his wife
+untied him, carried him to bed, and gave him wine
+mingled with realgar to drink. Then he recovered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What you ate in the belief that they were eels and
+crabs,&rdquo; said his wife, &ldquo;were nothing but toads and
+tadpoles, and the birthday noodles were poisonous
+worms and centipedes. But you must continue to be
+careful. My parents know that you have not died,
+and they will think up other evil plans.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A few days later his father-in-law said to him:
+&ldquo;There is a large tree growing on the precipice which
+juts over the cave. In it is the nest of the phenix.
+You are still young and able to climb, so go there
+quickly and fetch me the eggs!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His son-in-law went home and told his wife.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Take long bamboo poles,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;and tie them
+together, and fasten a curved sword at the top. And
+take these nine loaves of bread and these hens&rsquo; eggs,
+there are seven times seven of them. Carry them
+along with you in a basket. When you come to the
+spot you will see a large nest up in the branches. Do
+not climb the tree, but chop it down with the curved
+sword. Then throw away your poles, and run for
+dear life. Should a monster appear and follow you,
+throw him the loaves of bread, three loaves at a time,
+and finally throw down the eggs on the ground and
+make for home as quickly as you can. In this way you
+may escape the danger which threatens you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The man noted all she said exactly and went. And
+sure enough he saw the bird&rsquo;s nest&mdash;it was as large
+as a round pavilion. Then he tied his curved sword
+to the poles, chopped at the tree with all his strength,
+laid down his poles on the ground and never looked
+around but ran for dear life. Suddenly he heard the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span>
+roaring of a thunder-storm rising above him. When
+he looked up he saw a great dragon, many fathoms
+long and some ten feet across. His eyes gleamed
+like two lamps and he was spitting fire and flame from
+his maw. He had stretched out two feelers and was
+feeling along the ground. Then the man swiftly flung
+the loaves into the air. The dragon caught them,
+and it took a little time before he had devoured them.
+But no sooner had the man gained a few steps than
+the dragon once more came flying after him. Then
+he flung him more loaves and when the loaves came
+to an end, he turned over his basket so that the eggs
+rolled over the ground. The dragon had not yet satisfied
+his hunger and opened his greedy jaws wide.
+When he suddenly caught sight of the eggs, he descended
+from the air, and since the eggs were scattered
+round about, it took some time before he had
+sucked them all. In the meantime the man succeeded
+in escaping to his home.</p>
+
+<p>When he entered the door and saw his wife, he
+said to her, amid sobs: &ldquo;It was all I could do to
+escape, and I am lucky not to be in the dragon&rsquo;s
+stomach! If this sort of thing keeps up much longer
+I am bound to die!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he kneeled and begged his wife
+pitifully to save his life.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where is your home?&rdquo; asked his wife.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My home is about a hundred miles away from
+here, in the Middle Kingdom, and my old mother is
+still living. The only thing that worries me is that
+we are so poor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His wife said: &ldquo;I will flee with you, and we will
+find your mother. And waste no regrets on your
+poverty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that she gathered up all the house held in the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span>
+way of pearls and precious stones, put them in a bag
+and had her husband tie it around his waist. Then
+she also gave him an umbrella, and in the middle of
+the night they climbed the wall with the aid of a ladder,
+and stole away.</p>
+
+<p>His wife had also said to him: &ldquo;Take the umbrella
+on your back and run as fast as ever you can!
+Do not open it, and do not look around! I will follow
+you in secret.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he turned North and ran with all his might and
+main. He had been running for a day and a night,
+had covered nearly a hundred miles, and passed the
+boundaries of the wild people&rsquo;s country, when his legs
+gave out and he grew hungry. Before him lay a
+mountain village. He stopped at the village gate to
+rest, drew some food from his pocket and began to
+eat. And he looked around without being able to see
+his wife.</p>
+
+<p>Said he to himself: &ldquo;Perhaps she has deceived me
+after all, and is not coming with me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After he had finished eating, he took a drink from
+a spring, and painfully dragged himself further.
+When the heat of the day was greatest a violent
+mountain rain suddenly began to fall. In his haste
+he forgot what his wife had told him and opened his
+umbrella. And out fell his wife upon the ground.</p>
+
+<p>She reproached him: &ldquo;Once more you have not
+listened to my advice. Now the damage has been
+done!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Quickly she told him to go to the village, and there
+to buy a white cock, seven black tea-cups, and half a
+length of red nettlecloth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do not be sparing of the silver pieces in your
+pocket!&rdquo; she cried after him as he went off.</p>
+
+<p>He went to the village, attended to everything,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span>
+and came back. The woman tore the cloth apart,
+made a coat of it and put it on. No sooner had they
+walked a few miles before they could see a red cloud
+rising up in the South, like a flying bird.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is my mother,&rdquo; said the woman.</p>
+
+<p>In a moment the cloud was overhead. Then the
+woman took the black tea-cups and threw them at it.
+Seven she threw and seven fell to earth again. And
+then they could hear the mother in the cloud weeping
+and scolding, and thereupon the cloud disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>They went on for about four hours. Then they
+heard a sound like the noise of silk being torn, and
+could see a cloud as black as ink, which was rushing
+up against the wind.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas, that is my father!&rdquo; said the woman. &ldquo;This
+is a matter of life and death, for he will not let us be!
+Because of my love for you I will now have to disobey
+the holiest of laws!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words she quickly seized the white cock,
+separated its head from its body, and flung the head
+into the air. At once the black cloud dissolved, and
+her father&rsquo;s body, the head severed from the trunk,
+fell down by the edge of the road. Then the woman
+wept bitterly, and when she had wept her fill they
+buried the corpse. Thereupon they went together to
+her husband&rsquo;s home, where they found his old mother
+still living. They then undid the bag of pearls and
+jewels, bought a piece of good ground, built a fine
+house, and became wealthy and respected members
+of the community.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Realgar: The Chinese believe that realgar is a mithridate
+and tonic.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207"><!-- unnumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="padtop">HISTORIC LEGENDS</h2>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="LX" id="LX"></a>LX<br />
+<br />
+THE SORCERER OF THE WHITE LOTUS LODGE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a sorcerer who belonged
+to the White Lotus Lodge. He knew
+how to deceive the multitude with his black arts, and
+many who wished to learn the secret of his enchantments
+became his pupils.</p>
+
+<p>One day the sorcerer wished to go out. He placed
+a bowl which he covered with another bowl in the hall
+of his house, and ordered his pupils to watch it. But
+he warned them against uncovering the bowl to see
+what might be in it.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had he gone than the pupils uncovered
+the bowl and saw that it was filled with clear water.
+And floating on the water was a little ship made of
+straw, with real masts and sails. They were surprised
+and pushed it with their fingers till it upset.
+Then they quickly righted it again and once more
+covered the bowl. By that time the sorcerer was
+already standing among them. He was angry and
+scolded them, saying: &ldquo;Why did you disobey my
+command?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His pupils rose and denied that they had done so.</p>
+
+<p>But the sorcerer answered: &ldquo;Did not my ship turn
+turtle at sea, and yet you try to deceive me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On another evening he lit a giant candle in his room,
+and ordered his pupils to watch it lest it be blown out
+by the wind. It must have been at the second watch
+of the night and the sorcerer had not yet come back.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span>
+The pupils grew tired and sleepy, so they went to bed
+and gradually fell asleep. When they woke up again
+the candle had gone out. So they rose quickly and
+re-lit it. But the sorcerer was already in the room,
+and again he scolded them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Truly we did not sleep! How could the light
+have gone out?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Angrily the sorcerer replied: &ldquo;You let me walk
+fifteen miles in the dark, and still you can talk such
+nonsense!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then his pupils were very much frightened.</p>
+
+<p>In the course of time one of his pupils insulted the
+sorcerer. The latter made note of the insult, but
+said nothing. Soon after he told the pupil to feed the
+swine, and no sooner had he entered the sty than his
+master turned him into a pig. The sorcerer then at
+once called in a butcher, sold the pig to the man, and
+he went the way of all pigs who go to the butcher.</p>
+
+<p>One day this pupil&rsquo;s father turned up to ask after
+his son, for he had not come back to his home for a
+long time. The sorcerer told him that his son had
+left him long ago. The father returned home and inquired
+everywhere for his son without success. But
+one of his son&rsquo;s fellow-pupils, who knew of the matter,
+informed the father. So the father complained to
+the district mandarin. The latter, however, feared
+that the sorcerer might make himself invisible. He
+did not dare to have him arrested, but informed his
+superior and begged for a thousand well-armed soldiers.
+These surrounded the sorcerer&rsquo;s home and
+seized him, together with his wife and child. All
+three were put into wooden cages to be transported to
+the capital.</p>
+
+<p>The road wound through the mountains, and in the
+midst of the hills up came a giant as large as a tree,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span>
+with eyes like saucers, a mouth like a plate, and teeth a
+foot long. The soldiers stood there trembling and
+did not dare to move.</p>
+
+<p>Said the sorcerer: &ldquo;That is a mountain spirit.
+My wife will be able to drive him off.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They did as he suggested, unchained the woman,
+and she took a spear and went to meet the giant. The
+latter was angered, and he swallowed her, tooth and
+nail. This frightened the rest all the more.</p>
+
+<p>The sorcerer said: &ldquo;Well, if he has done away
+with my wife, then it is my son&rsquo;s turn!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they let the son out of his cage. But the giant
+swallowed him in the same way. The rest all looked
+on without knowing what to do.</p>
+
+<p>The sorcerer then wept with rage and said: &ldquo;First
+he destroys my wife, and then my son. If only he
+might be punished for it! But I am the only one
+who can punish him!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, sure enough, they took him out of his cage,
+too, gave him a sword, and sent him out against the
+giant. The sorcerer and the giant fought with each
+other for a time, and at last the giant seized the sorcerer,
+thrust him into his maw, stretched his neck and
+swallowed him. Then he went his way contentedly.</p>
+
+<p>And now when it was too late, the soldiers realized
+that the sorcerer had tricked them.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The Lodge of the White Lotus is one of the secret revolutionary
+societies of China. It harks back to Tung Tian Giau Dschu
+as its founder. Compare note to No. <a href="#XVIII">18</a>. The &ldquo;mountain spirit,&rdquo; of
+course, is an optical illusion called up by the sorcerer, by means of
+which he frees his family and himself from the soldiers.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="LXI" id="LXI"></a>LXI<br />
+<br />
+THE THREE EVILS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time, in the old days, there lived
+a young man by the name of Dschou Tschu.
+He was of more than ordinary strength, and no one
+could withstand him. He was also wild and undisciplined,
+and wherever he was, quarrels and brawls
+arose. Yet the village elders never ventured to punish
+him seriously. He wore a high hat on his head,
+adorned with two pheasants&rsquo; wings. His garments
+were woven of embroidered silk, and at his side hung
+the Dragonspring sword. He was given to play and
+to drinking, and his hand was inclined to take that
+which belonged to others. Whoever offended him
+had reason to dread the consequences, and he always
+mixed into disputes in which others were engaged.
+Thus he kept it up for years, and was a pest throughout
+the neighborhood.</p>
+
+<p>Then a new mandarin came to that district. When
+he had arrived, he first went quietly about the country
+and listened to the people&rsquo;s complaints. And they
+told him that there were three great evils in that district.</p>
+
+<p>Then he clothed himself in coarse garments, and
+wept before Dschou Tschu&rsquo;s door. Dschou Tschu
+was just coming from the tavern, where he had been
+drinking. He was slapping his sword and singing
+in a loud voice.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached his house he asked: &ldquo;Who is
+weeping here so pitifully?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the mandarin replied: &ldquo;I am weeping because
+of the people&rsquo;s distress.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span>
+Then Dschou Tschu saw him and broke out into
+loud laughter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are mistaken, my friend,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;Revolt
+is seething round about us like boiling water in a kettle.
+But here, in our little corner of the land, all is
+quiet and peaceful. The harvest has been abundant,
+corn is plentiful, and all go happily about their work.
+When you talk to me about distress I have to think
+of the man who groans without being sick. And
+who are you, tell me that, who instead of grieving for
+yourself, are grieving for others? And what are you
+doing before my door?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am the new mandarin,&rdquo; replied the other.
+&ldquo;Since I left my litter I have been looking about in the
+neighborhood. I find the people are honest and simple
+in their way of life, and every one has sufficient to
+wear and to eat. This is all just as you state. Yet,
+strange to say, when the elders come together, they always
+sigh and complain. And if they are asked why,
+they answer: &lsquo;There are three great evils in our
+district!&rsquo; I have come to ask you to do away with
+two of them, as to the third, perhaps I had better
+remain silent. And this is the reason I weep before
+your door.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, what are these evils?&rdquo; answered Dschou
+Tschu. &ldquo;Speak freely, and tell me openly all that
+you know!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The first evil,&rdquo; said the mandarin, &ldquo;is the evil
+dragon at the long bridge, who causes the water to
+rise so that man and beast are drowned in the river.
+The second evil is the tiger with the white forehead,
+who dwells in the hills. And the third evil, Dschou
+Tschu&mdash;is yourself!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the blush of shame mounted to the man&rsquo;s
+cheek, and he bowed and said: &ldquo;You have come here
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span>
+from afar to be the mandarin of this district, and yet
+you feel such sympathy for the people? I was born
+in this place and yet I have only made our elders
+grieve. What sort of a creature must I be? I beg
+that you will return home again. I will see to it that
+matters improve!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he ran without stopping to the hills, and
+hunted the tiger out of his cave. The latter leaped
+into the air so that the whole forest was shaken as
+though by a storm. Then he came rushing up, roaring,
+and stretching out his claws savagely to seize his
+enemy. Dschou Tschu stepped back a pace, and the
+tiger lit on the ground directly in front of him. Then
+he thrust the tiger&rsquo;s neck to the ground with his left
+hand, and beat him without stopping with his right,
+until he lay dead on the earth. Dschou Tschu loaded
+the tiger on his back and went home.</p>
+
+<p>Then he went to the long bridge. He undressed,
+took his sword in his hand, and thus dived into the
+water. No sooner had he disappeared, than there was
+a boiling and hissing, and the waves began to foam
+and billow. It sounded like the mad beating of thousands
+of hoofs. After a time a stream of blood shot
+up from the depths, and the water of the river turned
+red. Then Dschou Tschu, holding the dragon in his
+hand, rose out of the waves.</p>
+
+<p>He went to the mandarin and reported, with a bow:
+&ldquo;I have cut off the dragon&rsquo;s head, and have also done
+away with the tiger. Thus I have happily accomplished
+your command. And now I shall wander away
+so that you may be rid of the third evil as well.
+Lord, watch over my country, and tell the elders that
+they need sorrow no more!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When he had said this he enlisted as a soldier. In
+combat against the robbers he gained a great reputation
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>
+and once, when the latter were pressing him
+hard, and he saw that he could not save himself, he
+bowed to the East and said: &ldquo;The day has come at
+last when I can atone for my sin with my life!&rdquo;
+Then he offered his neck to the sword and died.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: A legendary tale rather than a folk-story, with a fine
+moral.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXII" id="LXII"></a>LXII<br />
+<br />
+HOW THREE HEROES CAME BY THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF
+TWO PEACHES</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>T the beginning of his reign Duke Ging of Tsi
+loved to draw heroes about him. Among those
+whom he attached to him were three of quite extraordinary
+bravery. The first was named Gung Sun
+Dsia, the second Tian Kai Giang, the third Gu I Dsi.
+All three were highly honored by the prince, but the
+honor paid them made them presumptuous, they kept
+the court in a turmoil, and overstepped the bounds of
+respect which lie between a prince and his servants.</p>
+
+<p>At the time Yan Dsi was chancellor of Tsi. The
+duke consulted him as to what would be best to do.
+And the chancellor advised him to give a great court
+banquet and invite all his courtiers. On the table,
+the choicest dish of all, stood a platter holding four
+magnificent peaches.</p>
+
+<p>Then, in accordance with his chancellor&rsquo;s advice,
+the Duke rose and said: &ldquo;Here are some magnificent
+peaches, but I cannot give one to each of you.
+Only those most worthy may eat of them. I myself
+reign over the land, and am the first among the princes
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span>
+of the empire. I have been successful in holding my
+possessions and power, and that is my merit. Hence
+one of the peaches falls to me. Yan Dsi sits here as
+my chancellor. He regulates communications with
+foreign lands and keeps the peace among the people.
+He has made my kingdom powerful among the kingdoms
+of the earth. That is his merit, and hence the
+second peach falls to him. Now there are but two
+peaches left; yet I cannot tell which ones among you
+are the worthiest. You may rise yourselves and tell
+us of your merits. But whoever has performed no
+great deeds, let him hold his tongue!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Gung Sun Dsia beat upon his sword, rose up
+and said: &ldquo;I am the prince&rsquo;s captain general. In
+the South I besieged the kingdom of Lu, in the West
+I conquered the kingdom of Dsin, in the North I captured
+the army of Yan. All the princes of the East
+come to the Duke&rsquo;s court and acknowledge the overlordship
+of Tsi. That is my merit. I do not know
+whether it deserves a peach.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Duke replied: &ldquo;Great is your merit! A peach
+is your just due!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Tian Kai Giang rose, beat on the table, and
+cried: &ldquo;I have fought a hundred battles in the army
+of the prince. I have slain the enemy&rsquo;s general-in-chief,
+and captured the enemy&rsquo;s flag. I have extended
+the borders of the Duke&rsquo;s land till the size of
+his realm has been increased by a thousand miles.
+How is it with my merit?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Duke said: &ldquo;Great is your merit! A peach
+is your just due!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Gu I Dsi arose; his eyes started from their
+sockets, and he shouted with a loud voice: &ldquo;Once,
+when the Duke was crossing the Yellow River, wind
+and waters rose. A river-dragon snapped up one of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span>
+the steeds of the chariot and tore it away. The ferry-boat
+rocked like a sieve and was about to capsize.
+Then I took my sword and leaped into the stream. I
+fought with the dragon in the midst of the foaming
+waves. And by reason of my strength I managed
+to kill him, though my eyes stood out of my head
+with my exertions. Then I came to the surface with
+the dragon&rsquo;s head in one hand, and holding the rein of
+the rescued horse in the other, and I had saved my
+prince from drowning. Whenever our country was
+at war with neighboring states, I refused no service.
+I commanded the van, I fought in single combat.
+Never did I turn my back on the foe. Once the
+prince&rsquo;s chariot stuck fast in the swamp, and the enemy
+hurried up on all sides. I pulled the chariot out,
+and drove off the hostile mercenaries. Since I have
+been in the prince&rsquo;s service I have saved his life more
+than once. I grant that my merit is not to be compared
+with that of the prince and that of the chancellor,
+yet it is greater than that of my two companions.
+Both have received peaches, while I must do without.
+This means that real merit is not rewarded, and that
+the Duke looks on me with disfavor. And in such case
+how may I ever show myself at court again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he drew his sword and killed himself.</p>
+
+<p>Then Gung Sun Dsia rose, bowed twice, and said
+with a sigh: &ldquo;Both my merit and that of Tian Kai
+Giang does not compare with Gu I Dsi&rsquo;s and yet the
+peaches were given us. We have been rewarded beyond
+our deserts, and such reward is shameful. Hence
+it is better to die than to live dishonored!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He took his sword and swung it, and his own head
+rolled on the sand.</p>
+
+<p>Tian Kai Giang looked up and uttered a groan of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span>
+disgust. He blew the breath from his mouth in front
+of him like a rainbow, and his hair rose on end with
+rage. Then he took sword in hand and said: &ldquo;We
+three have always served our prince bravely. We
+were like the same flesh and blood. The others are
+dead, and it is my duty not to survive them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he thrust his sword into his throat and died.</p>
+
+<p>The Duke sighed incessantly, and commanded that
+they be given a splendid burial. A brave hero values
+his honor more than his life. The chancellor knew this,
+and that was why he purposely arranged to incite the
+three heroes to kill themselves by means of the two
+peaches.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Duke Ging of Tsi (Eastern Shantung) was an older
+contemporary of Confucius. The chancellor Yan Dsi, who is the
+reputed author of a work on philosophy, is the same who prevented
+the appointment of Confucius at the court of Tsi.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXIII" id="LXIII"></a>LXIII<br />
+<br />
+HOW THE RIVER-GOD&rsquo;S WEDDING WAS BROKEN OFF</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>T the time of the seven empires there lived a man
+by the name of Si-Men Bau, who was a governor
+on the Yellow River. In this district the river-god
+was held in high honor. The sorcerers and witches who
+dwelt there said: &ldquo;Every year the river-god looks
+for a bride, who must be selected from among the people.
+If she be not found then wind and rain will not
+come at the proper seasons, and there will be scanty
+crops and floods!&rdquo; And then, when a girl came of age
+in some wealthy family, the sorcerers would say that
+she should be selected. Whereupon her parents, who
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span>
+wished to protect their daughter, would bribe them with
+large sums of money to look for some one else, till the
+sorcerers would give in, and order the rich folk to
+share the expense of buying some poor girl to be cast
+into the river. The remainder of the money they
+would keep for themselves as their profit on the transaction.
+But whoever would not pay, their daughter
+was chosen to be the bride of the river-god, and was
+forced to accept the wedding gifts which the sorcerers
+brought her. The people of the district chafed grievously
+under this custom.</p>
+
+<p>Now when Si-Men entered into office, he heard of this
+evil custom. He had the sorcerers come before him
+and said: &ldquo;See to it that you let me know when the
+day of the river-god&rsquo;s wedding comes, for I myself
+wish to be present to honor the god! This will please
+him, and in return he will shower blessings on my people.&rdquo;
+With that he dismissed them. And the sorcerers
+were full of praise for his piety.</p>
+
+<p>So when the day arrived they gave him notice. Si-Men
+dressed himself in his robes of ceremony, entered
+his chariot and drove to the river in festival procession.
+The elders of the people, as well as the sorcerers
+and the witches were all there. And from far and near
+men, women and children had flocked together in order
+to see the show. The sorcerers placed the river-bride
+on a couch, adorned her with her bridal jewels, and
+kettledrums, snaredrums and merry airs vied with
+each other in joyful sound.</p>
+
+<p>They were about to thrust the couch into the stream,
+and the girl&rsquo;s parents said farewell to her amid tears.
+But Si-Men bade them wait and said: &ldquo;Do not be in
+such a hurry! I have appeared in person to escort the
+bride, hence everything must be done solemnly and in
+order. First some one must go to the river-god&rsquo;s
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>
+castle, and let him know that he may come himself and
+fetch his bride.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with these words he looked at a witch and said:
+&ldquo;You may go!&rdquo; The witch hesitated, but he ordered
+his servants to seize her and thrust her into the stream.
+After which about an hour went by.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That woman did not understand her business,&rdquo;
+continued Si-Men, &ldquo;or else she would have been back
+long ago!&rdquo; And with that he looked at one of the sorcerers
+and added: &ldquo;Do you go and do better!&rdquo; The
+sorcerer paled with fear, but Si-Men had him seized
+and cast into the river. Again half-an-hour went by.</p>
+
+<p>Then Si-Men pretended to be uneasy. &ldquo;Both of
+them have made a botch of their errand,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;and
+are causing the bride to wait in vain!&rdquo; Once more
+he looked at a sorcerer and said: &ldquo;Do you go and
+hunt them up!&rdquo; But the sorcerer flung himself on the
+ground and begged for mercy. And all the rest of
+the sorcerers and witches knelt to him in a row, and
+pleaded for grace. And they took an oath that they
+would never again seek a bride for the river-god.</p>
+
+<p>Then Si-Men held his hand, and sent the girl back to
+her home, and the evil custom was at an end forever.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Si-Men Bau was an historical personage, who lived five
+centuries before Christ.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXIV" id="LXIV"></a>LXIV<br />
+<br />
+DSCHANG LIANG</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">D</span>SCHANG LIANG was a native of one of those
+states which had been destroyed by the Emperor
+Tsin Schi Huang. And Dschang Liang determined to
+do a deed for his dead king&rsquo;s sake, and to that end
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span>
+gathered followers with whom to slay Tsin Schi Huang.</p>
+
+<p>Once Tsin Schi Huang was making a progress
+through the country. When he came to the plain of
+Bo Lang, Dschang Liang armed his people with iron
+maces in order to kill him. But Tsin Schi Huang always
+had two traveling coaches which were exactly alike
+in appearance. In one of them he sat himself,
+while in the other was seated another person. Dschang
+Liang and his followers met the decoy wagon, and
+Dschang Liang was forced to flee from the Emperor&rsquo;s
+rage. He came to a ruined bridge. An icy wind was
+blowing, and the snowflakes were whirling through the
+air. There he met an old, old man wearing a black turban
+and a yellow gown. The old man let one of his
+shoes fall into the water, looked at Dschang Liang and
+said: &ldquo;Fetch it out, little one!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dschang Liang controlled himself, fetched out the
+shoe and brought it to the old man. The latter
+stretched out his foot to allow Dschang Liang to put it
+on, which he did in a respectful manner. This pleased
+the old man and he said: &ldquo;Little one, something may
+be made of you! Come here to-morrow morning
+early, and I will have something for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The following morning at break of dawn, Dschang
+Liang appeared. But the old man was already there
+and reproached him: &ldquo;You are too late. To-day I
+will tell you nothing. To-morrow you must come
+earlier.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So it went on for three days, and Dschang Liang&rsquo;s
+patience was not exhausted. Then the old man was
+satisfied, brought forth the Book of Hidden Complements,
+and gave it to him. &ldquo;You must read it,&rdquo; said
+he, &ldquo;and then you will be able to rule a great emperor.
+When your task is completed, seek me at the
+foot of the Gu Tschong Mountain. There you will
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span>
+find a yellow stone, and I will be by that yellow
+stone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dschang Liang took the book and aided the ancestor
+of the Han dynasty to conquer the empire. The emperor
+made him a count. From that time forward
+Dschang Liang ate no human food and concentrated in
+spirit. He kept company with the four whitebeards of
+the Shang Mountain, and with them shared the sunset
+roses in the clouds. Once he met two boys who were
+singing and dancing:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Green the garments you should wear,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">If to heaven&rsquo;s gate you&rsquo;d fare;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">There the Golden Mother greet,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Bow before the Wood Lord&rsquo;s feet!&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>When Dschang Liang heard this, he bowed before the
+youths, and said to his friends: &ldquo;Those are angel
+children of the King Father of the East. The Golden
+Mother is the Queen of the West. The Lord of Wood
+is the King Father of the East. They are the two primal
+powers, the parents of all that is male and female,
+the root and fountain of heaven and earth, to whom
+all that has life is indebted for its creation and nourishment.
+The Lord of Wood is the master of all the
+male saints, the Golden Mother is the mistress of all
+the female saints. Whoever would gain immortality,
+must first greet the Golden Mother and then bow before
+the King Father. Then he may rise up to the
+three Pure Ones and stand in the presence of the Highest.
+The song of the angel children shows the manner
+in which the hidden knowledge may be acquired.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At about that time the emperor was induced to have
+some of his faithful servants slain. Then Dschang
+Liang left his service and went to the Gu Tschong
+Mountain. There he found the old man by the yellow
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span>
+stone, gained the hidden knowledge, returned home,
+and feigning illness loosed his soul from his body and
+disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Later, when the rebellion of the &ldquo;Red Eyebrows&rdquo;
+broke out, his tomb was opened. But all that was
+found within it was a yellow stone. Dschang Liang
+was wandering with Laotsze in the invisible world.</p>
+
+<p>Once his grandson Dschang Dau Ling went to Kunlun
+Mountain, in order to visit the Queen Mother of
+the West. There he met Dschang Liang. Dschang
+Dau Ling gained power over demons and spirits, and
+became the first Taoist pope. And the secret of his
+power has been handed down in his family from generation
+to generation.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;In a yellow robe,&rdquo; is an indication of Taoism: compare
+with No. <a href="#XXXVIII">38</a>. &ldquo;The Book of Hidden Complements&rdquo; (Yin Fu Ging).
+Compare with Lia Dsi, Introduction.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXV" id="LXV"></a>LXV<br />
+<br />
+OLD DRAGONBEARD</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>T the time of the last emperor of the Sui dynasty,
+the power was in the hands of the emperor&rsquo;s
+uncle, Yang Su. He was proud and extravagant. In
+his halls stood choruses of singers and bands of dancing
+girls, and serving-maids stood ready to obey his
+least sign. When the great lords of the empire came
+to visit him he remained comfortably seated on his
+couch while he received them.</p>
+
+<p>In those days there lived a bold hero named Li
+Dsing. He came to see Yang Su in humble clothes in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>
+order to bring him a plan for the quieting of the empire.</p>
+
+<p>He made a low bow to which Yang Su did not reply,
+and then he said: &ldquo;The empire is about to be troubled
+by dissension and heroes are everywhere taking
+up arms. You are the highest servant of the imperial
+house. It should be your duty to gather the bravest
+around the throne. And you should not rebuff people
+by your haughtiness!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Yang Su heard him speak in this fashion he
+collected himself, rose from his place, and spoke to
+him in a friendly manner.</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing handed him a memorial, and Yang Su
+entered into talk with him concerning all sorts of
+things. A serving-maid of extraordinary beauty stood
+beside them. She held a red flabrum in her hand,
+and kept her eyes fixed on Li Dsing. The latter at
+length took his leave and returned to his inn.</p>
+
+<p>Later in the day some one knocked at his door. He
+looked out, and there, before the door, stood a person
+turbaned and gowned in purple, and carrying a bag
+slung from a stick across his shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing asked who it was and received the answer:
+&ldquo;I am the fan-bearer of Yang Su!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that she entered the room, threw back her mantle
+and took off her turban. Li Dsing saw that she
+was a maiden of eighteen or nineteen.</p>
+
+<p>She bowed to him, and when he had replied to her
+greeting she began: &ldquo;I have dwelt in the house of
+Yang Su for a long time and have seen many famous
+people, but none who could equal you. I will serve you
+wherever you go!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing answered: &ldquo;The minister is powerful. I
+am afraid that we will plunge ourselves into misfortune.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He is a living corpse, in whom the breath of life
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span>
+grows scant,&rdquo; said the fan-bearer, &ldquo;and we need not
+fear him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He asked her name, and she said it was Dschang,
+and that she was the oldest among her brothers and
+sisters.</p>
+
+<p>And when he looked at her, and considered her courageous
+behavior and her sensible words, he realized
+that she was a girl of heroic cast, and they agreed to
+marry and make their escape from the city in secret.
+The fan-bearer put on men&rsquo;s clothes, and they mounted
+horses and rode away. They had determined to go to
+Taiyuanfu.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day they stopped at an inn. They
+had their room put in order and made a fire on the
+hearth to cook their meal. The fan-bearer was combing
+her hair. It was so long that it swept the ground,
+and so shining that you could see your face in it. Li
+Dsing had just left the room to groom the horses.
+Suddenly a man who had a long curling mustache
+like a dragon made his appearance. He came along
+riding on a lame mule, threw down his leather bag on
+the ground in front of the hearth, took a pillow, made
+himself comfortable on a couch, and watched the fan-bearer
+as she combed her hair. Li Dsing saw him
+and grew angry; but the fan-bearer had at once seen
+through the stranger. She motioned Li Dsing to control
+himself, quickly finished combing her hair and tied
+it in a knot.</p>
+
+<p>Then she greeted the guest and asked his name.</p>
+
+<p>He told her that he was named Dschang.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, my name is also Dschang,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;so we
+must be relatives!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon she bowed to him as her elder brother.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How many are there of you brothers?&rdquo; she then
+inquired.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am the third,&rdquo; he answered, &ldquo;and you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I am the oldest sister.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How fortunate that I should have found a sister
+to-day,&rdquo; said the stranger, highly pleased.</p>
+
+<p>Then the fan-bearer called to Li Dsing through the
+door and said: &ldquo;Come in! I wish to present my
+third brother to you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Li Dsing came in and greeted him.</p>
+
+<p>They sat down beside each other and the stranger
+asked: &ldquo;What have you to eat?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A leg of mutton,&rdquo; was the answer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am quite hungry,&rdquo; said the stranger.</p>
+
+<p>So Li Dsing went to the market and brought bread
+and wine. The stranger drew out his dagger, cut the
+meat, and they all ate in company. When they had
+finished he fed the rest of the meat to his mule.</p>
+
+<p>Then he said: &ldquo;Sir Li, you seem to be a moneyless
+knight. How did you happen to meet my sister?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing told him how it had occurred.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And where do you wish to go now?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To Taiyuanfu,&rdquo; was the answer.</p>
+
+<p>Said the stranger: &ldquo;You do not seem to be an
+ordinary fellow. Have you heard anything regarding
+a hero who is supposed to be in this neighborhood?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing answered: &ldquo;Yes, indeed, I know of one,
+whom heaven seems destined to rule.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And who might he be?&rdquo; inquired the other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He is the son of Duke Li Yuan of Tang, and he is
+no more than twenty years of age.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Could you present him to me some time?&rdquo; asked
+the stranger.</p>
+
+<p>And when Li Dsing has assured him he could, he
+continued: &ldquo;The astrologers say that a special sign
+has been noticed in the air above Taiyuanfu. Perhaps
+it is caused by the very man. To-morrow you
+may await me at the Fenyang Bridge!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>
+With these words he mounted his mule and rode away,
+and he rode so swiftly that he seemed to be flying.</p>
+
+<p>The fan-bearer said to him: &ldquo;He is not a pleasant
+customer to deal with. I noticed that at first he had
+no good intentions. That is why I united him to us
+by bonds of relationship.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they set out together for Taiyuanfu, and at
+the appointed place, sure enough, they met Dragonbeard.
+Li Dsing had an old friend, a companion of
+the Prince of Tang.</p>
+
+<p>He presented the stranger to this friend, named
+Liu Wendsing, saying: &ldquo;This stranger is able to foretell
+the future from the lines of the face, and would
+like to see the prince.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon Liu Wendsing took him in to the prince.
+The prince was clothed in a simple indoor robe, but
+there was something impressive about him, which made
+him remarked among all others. When the stranger
+saw him, he fell into a profound silence, and his face
+turned gray. After he had drunk a few flagons of
+wine he took his leave.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That man is a true ruler,&rdquo; he told Li Dsing. &ldquo;I
+am almost certain of the fact, but to be sure my friend
+must also see him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he arranged to meet Li Dsing on a certain
+day at a certain inn.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;When you see this mule before the door, together
+with a very lean jackass, then you may be certain I am
+there with my friend.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the day set Li Dsing went there and, sure enough
+he saw the mule and the jackass before the door. He
+gathered up his robe and descended to the upper story
+of the inn. There sat old Dragonbeard and a Taoist
+priest over their wine. When the former saw Li
+Dsing he was much pleased, bade him sit down and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span>
+offered him wine. After they had pledged each other,
+all three returned to Liu Wendsing. He was engaged
+in a game of chess with the prince. The prince rose
+with respect and asked them to be seated.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the Taoist priest saw his radiant and
+heroic countenance he was disconcerted, and greeted
+him with a low bow, saying: &ldquo;The game is up!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When they took their leave Dragonbeard said to Li
+Dsing: &ldquo;Go on to Sianfu, and when the time has
+come, ask for me at such and such a place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And with that he went away snorting.</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing and the fan-bearer packed up their belongings,
+left Taiyuanfu and traveled on toward the
+West. At that time Yang Su died, and great disturbance
+arose throughout the empire.</p>
+
+<p>In the course of a few days Li Dsing and his wife
+reached the meeting-place appointed by Dragonbeard.
+They knocked at a little wooden door, and out came
+a servant, who led them through long passages. When
+they emerged magnificent buildings arose before them,
+in front of which stood a crowd of slave girls. Then
+they entered a hall in which the most valuable dowry
+that could be imagined had been piled up: mirrors,
+clothes, jewelry, all more beautiful than earth is wont
+to show. Handsome slave girls led them to the bath,
+and when they had changed their garments their friend
+was announced. He stepped in clad in silks and fox-pelts,
+and looking almost like a dragon or a tiger. He
+greeted his guests with pleasure and also called in his
+wife, who was of exceptional loveliness. A festive banquet
+was served, and all four sat down to it. The
+table was covered with the most expensive viands, so
+rare that they did not even know their names. Flagons
+and dishes and all the utensils were made of gold and
+jade, and ornamented with pearls and precious stones.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>
+Two companies of girl musicians alternately blew
+flutes and chalameaus. They sang and danced, and it
+seemed to the visitors that they had been transported
+to the palace of the Lady of the Moon. The rainbow
+garments fluttered, and the dancing girls were beautiful
+beyond all the beauty of earth.</p>
+
+<p>After they had banqueted, Dragonbeard commanded
+his servitors to bring in couches upon which embroidered
+silken covers had been spread. And after they
+had seen everything worth seeing, he presented them
+with a book and a key.</p>
+
+<p>Then he said: &ldquo;In this book are listed the valuables
+and the riches which I possess. I make you a wedding-present
+of them. Nothing great may be undertaken
+without wealth, and it is my duty to endow my sister
+properly. My original intention had been to take the
+Middle Kingdom in hand and do something with it.
+But since a ruler has already arisen to reign over it,
+what is there to keep me in this country? For Prince
+Tang of Taiyuanfu is a real hero, and will have restored
+order within a few years&rsquo; time. You must both of you
+aid him, and you will be certain to rise to high honors.
+You, my sister, are not alone beautiful, but you have
+also the right way of looking at things. None other
+than yourself would have been able to recognize the
+true worth of Li Dsing, and none other than Li Dsing
+would have had the good fortune to encounter you.
+You will share the honors which will be your husband&rsquo;s
+portion, and your name will be recorded in history.
+The treasures which I bestow upon you, you are to use
+to help the true ruler. Bear this in mind! And in
+ten years&rsquo; time a glow will rise far away to the South-east,
+and it shall be a sign that I have reached my goal.
+Then you may pour a libation of wine in the direction
+of the South-east, to wish me good fortune!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span>
+Then, one after another, he had his servitors and
+slave-girls greet Li Dsing and the fan-bearer, and
+said to them: &ldquo;This is your master and your mistress!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When he had spoken these words, he took his wife&rsquo;s
+hand, they mounted three steeds which were held ready,
+and rode away.</p>
+
+<p>Li Dsing and his wife now established themselves
+in the house, and found themselves possessed of countless
+wealth. They followed Prince Tang, who restored
+order to the empire, and aided him with their money.
+Thus the great work was accomplished, and after
+peace had been restored throughout the empire, Li
+Dsing was made Duke of We, and the fan-bearer became
+a duchess.</p>
+
+<p>Some ten years later the duke was informed that in
+the empire beyond the sea a thousand ships had landed
+an army of a hundred thousand armored soldiers.
+These had conquered the country, killed its prince, and
+set up their leader as its king. And order now reigned
+in that empire.</p>
+
+<p>Then the duke knew that Dragonbeard had accomplished
+his aim. He told his wife, and they robed
+themselves in robes of ceremony and offered wine in
+order to wish him good fortune. And they saw a
+radiant crimson ray flash up on the South-eastern
+horizon. No doubt Dragonbeard had sent it in answer.
+And both of them were very happy.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: Yang Su died in the year 606 <small>A.D.</small> The Li Dsing
+of this tale has nothing in common with Li Dsing, the father of
+Notscha (No. <a href="#XVIII">18</a>). He lived as a historical personage, 571-649
+<small>A.D.</small> Li Yuan was the founder of the Tang dynasty, 565-635
+<small>A.D.</small> His famous son, to whom he owed the throne, the &ldquo;Prince
+of Tang,&rdquo; was named Li Schi Min. His father abdicated in 618
+in his favor. This tale is not, of course, historical, but legendary.
+Compare with the introduction of the following one.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="LXVI" id="LXVI"></a>LXVI<br />
+<br />
+HOW MOLO STOLE THE LOVELY ROSE-RED</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>T the time when the Tang dynasty reigned over
+the Middle Kingdom, there were master swordsmen
+of various kinds. Those who came first were the
+saints of the sword. They were able to take different
+shapes at will, and their swords were like strokes of
+lightning. Before their opponents knew they had been
+struck their heads had already fallen. Yet these master
+swordsmen were men of lofty mind, and did not
+lightly mingle in the quarrels of the world. The second
+kind of master swordsmen were the sword heroes.
+It was their custom to slay the unjust, and to come to
+the aid of the oppressed. They wore a hidden dagger
+at their side and carried a leather bag at their belt.
+By magic means they were able to turn human heads
+into flowing water. They could fly over roofs and
+walk up and down walls, and they came and went and
+left no trace. The swordsmen of the lowest sort were
+the mere bought slayers. They hired themselves out
+to those who wished to do away with their enemies.
+And death was an everyday matter to them.</p>
+
+<p>Old Dragonbeard must have been a master swordsman
+standing midway between those of the first and of
+the second order. Molo, however, of whom this story
+tells, was a sword hero.</p>
+
+<p>At that time there lived a young man named Tsui,
+whose father was a high official and the friend of the
+prince. And the father once sent his son to visit his
+princely friend, who was ill. The son was young,
+handsome and gifted. He went to carry out his father&rsquo;s
+instructions. When he entered the prince&rsquo;s
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span>
+palace, there stood three beautiful slave girls, who piled
+rosy peaches into a golden bowl, poured sugar over
+them and presented them to him. After he had eaten
+he took his leave, and his princely host ordered one of
+the slave girls, Rose-Red by name, to escort him to the
+gate. As they went along the young man kept looking
+back at her. And she smiled at him and made signs
+with her fingers. First she would stretch out three fingers,
+then she would turn her hand around three times,
+and finally she would point to a little mirror which she
+wore on her breast. When they parted she whispered
+to him: &ldquo;Do not forget me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the young man reached home his thoughts
+were all in confusion. And he sat down absent-mindedly
+like a wooden rooster. Now it happened that he
+had an old servant named Molo, who was an extraordinary
+being.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is the trouble, master,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;Why are
+you so sad? Do you not want to tell your old slave
+about it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the boy told him what had occurred, and also mentioned
+the signs the girl had made to him in secret.</p>
+
+<p>Said Molo: &ldquo;When she stretched out three fingers,
+it meant that she is quartered in the third court of the
+palace. When she turned round her hand three times,
+it meant the sum of three times five fingers, which is
+fifteen. When she pointed at the little mirror, she
+meant to say that on the fifteenth, when the moon is
+round as a mirror, at midnight, you are to go for her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the young man was roused from his confused
+thoughts, and was so happy he could hardly control
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>But soon he grew sad again and said: &ldquo;The
+prince&rsquo;s palace is shut off as though by an ocean. How
+would it be possible to win into it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Nothing easier,&rdquo; said Molo. &ldquo;On the fifteenth we
+will take two pieces of dark silk and wrap ourselves up
+in them, and thus I will carry you there. Yet there is a
+wild dog on guard at the slave girl&rsquo;s court, who is
+strong as a tiger and watchful as a god. No one can
+pass by him, so he must be killed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the appointed day had come, the servant said:
+&ldquo;There is no one else in the world who can kill this dog
+but myself!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Full of joy the youth gave him meat and wine, and
+the old man took a chain-hammer and disappeared
+with it.</p>
+
+<p>And after no more time had elapsed than it takes to
+eat a meal he was back again and said: &ldquo;The dog is
+dead, and there is nothing further to hinder us!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At midnight they wrapped themselves in dark silk,
+and the old man carried the youth over the tenfold
+walls which surrounded the palace. They reached the
+third gateway and the gate stood ajar. Then they saw
+the glow of a little lamp, and heard Rose-Red sigh
+deeply. The entire court was silent and deserted.
+The youth raised the curtain and stepped into the
+room. Long and searchingly Rose-Red looked at him,
+then seized his hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I knew that you were intelligent, and would understand
+my sign language. But what magic power have
+you at your disposal, that you were able to get here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The youth told her in detail how Molo had helped
+him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And where is Molo?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Outside, before the curtain,&rdquo; was his answer.</p>
+
+<p>Then she called him in and gave him wine to drink
+from a jade goblet and said: &ldquo;I am of good family
+and have come here from far away. Force alone has
+made me a slave in this palace. I long to leave it.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span>
+For though I have jasper chop-sticks with which to eat,
+and drink my wine from golden flagons, though silk and
+satin rustle around me and jewels of every kind are at
+my disposal, all these are but so many chains and fetters
+to hold me here. Dear Molo, you are endowed
+with magic powers. I beg you to save me in my distress!
+If you do, I will be glad to serve your master
+as a slave, and will never forget the favor you do me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The youth looked at Molo. Molo was quite willing.
+First he asked permission to carry away Rose-Red&rsquo;s
+gear and jewels in sacks and bags. Three times he
+went away and returned until he had finished. Then
+he took his master and Rose-Red upon his back, and
+flew away with them over the steep walls. None of
+the watchmen of the prince&rsquo;s palace noticed anything
+out of the way. At home the youth hid Rose-Red in a
+distant room.</p>
+
+<p>When the prince discovered that one of his slave-girls
+was missing, and that one of his wild dogs had
+been killed, he said: &ldquo;That must have been some powerful
+sword hero!&rdquo; And he gave strict orders that
+the matter should not be mentioned, and that investigations
+should be made in secret.</p>
+
+<p>Two years passed, and the youth no longer thought
+of any danger. Hence, when the flowers began to
+bloom in the spring, Rose-Red went driving in a small
+wagon outside the city, near the river. And there one
+of the prince&rsquo;s servants saw her, and informed his
+master. The latter sent for the youth, who, since he
+could not conceal the matter, told him the whole story
+exactly as it had happened.</p>
+
+<p>Said the prince: &ldquo;The whole blame rests on Rose-Red.
+I do not reproach you. Yet since she is now
+your wife I will let the whole matter rest. But Molo
+will have to suffer for it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 435px;">
+<a name="flying_master" id="flying_master"></a>
+<img src="images/cfb09.jpg" width="435" height="600"
+alt="Molo carrying his passengers" />
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;THEN HE TOOK HIS MASTER AND ROSE-RED UPON HIS
+BACK AND FLEW WITH THEM OVER THE STEEP WALLS.&rdquo;</p>
+<p class="subcapt">&mdash;<i>Page <a href="#Page_234">234</a></i></p>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span>
+So he ordered a hundred armored soldiers, with
+bows and swords, to surround the house of the youth,
+and under all circumstances to take Molo captive. But
+Molo drew his dagger and flew up the high wall.
+Thence he looked about him like a hawk. The arrows
+flew as thick as rain, but not one hit him. And in a
+moment he had disappeared, no one knew where.</p>
+
+<p>Yet ten years later one of his former master&rsquo;s servants
+ran across him in the South, where he was selling
+medicine. And he looked exactly as he had looked ten
+years before.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This fairy-tale has many features in common with the
+fairy-tales of India, noticeably the use of the sign language, which
+the hero himself does not understand, but which is understood by his
+companion.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXVII" id="LXVII"></a>LXVII<br />
+<br />
+THE GOLDEN CANISTER</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the days of the Tang dynasty there lived a certain
+count in the camp at Ludschou. He had a slave
+who could play the lute admirably, and was also so
+well versed in reading and writing that the count employed
+her to indite his confidential letters.</p>
+
+<p>Once there was a great feast held in the camp. Said
+the slave-girl: &ldquo;The large kettledrum sounds so sad
+to-day; some misfortune must surely have happened to
+the kettledrummer!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The count sent for the kettledrummer and questioned
+him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My wife has died,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;yet I did not venture
+to ask for leave of absence. That is why, in spite
+of me, my kettledrum sounded so sad.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span>
+The count allowed him to go home.</p>
+
+<p>At that time there was much strife and jealousy
+among the counts along the Yellow River. The emperor
+wished to put an end to their dissensions by allying
+them to each other by marriages. Thus the daughter
+of the Count of Ludschou had married the son of the
+old Count of Webo. But this did not much improve
+matters. The old Count of Webo had lung trouble, and
+when the hot season came it always grew worse, and
+he would say: &ldquo;Yes, if I only had Ludschou! It is
+cooler and I might feel better there!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he gathered three thousand warriors around him,
+gave them good pay, questioned the oracle with regard
+to a lucky day, and set out to take Ludschou by force.</p>
+
+<p>The Count of Ludschou heard of it. He worried day
+and night, but could see no way out of his difficulties.
+One night, when the water-clock had already been set
+up, and the gate of the camp had been locked, he walked
+about the courtyard, leaning on his staff. Only his
+slave-girl followed him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lord,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;it is now more than a month since
+sleep and appetite have abandoned you! You live sad
+and lonely, wrapped up in your grief. Unless I am
+greatly deceived it is on account of Webo.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is a matter of life and death,&rdquo; answered the
+count, &ldquo;of which you women understand nothing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am no more than a slave-girl,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;and
+yet I have been able to guess the cause of your grief.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The count realized that there was meaning in
+her words and replied: &ldquo;You are in truth an extraordinary
+girl. It is a fact that I am quietly reflecting on
+some way of escape.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The slave-girl said: &ldquo;That is easily done! You
+need not give it a thought, master! I will go to Webo
+and see how things are. This is the first watch of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span>
+night. If I go now, I can be back by the fifth watch.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Should you not succeed,&rdquo; said the count, &ldquo;you
+merely bring misfortune upon me the more quickly.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A failure is out of the question,&rdquo; answered the
+slave-girl.</p>
+
+<p>Then she went to her room and prepared for her
+journey. She combed her raven hair, tied it in a knot
+on the top of her head, and fastened it with a golden
+pin. Then she put on a short garment embroidered
+with purple, and shoes woven of dark silk. In her
+breast she hid a dagger with dragon-lines graved on it,
+and upon her forehead she wrote the name of the
+Great God. Then she bowed before the count and
+disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>The count poured wine for himself and waited for
+her, and when the morning horn was blown, the slave-girl
+floated down before him as light as a leaf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did all go well?&rdquo; asked the count.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have done no discredit to my mission,&rdquo; replied
+the girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you kill any one?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, I did not have to go to such lengths. Yet I
+took the golden canister at the head of Webo&rsquo;s couch
+along as a pledge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The count asked what her experience had been,
+and she began to tell her story:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I set out when the drums were beating their first
+tattoo and reached Webo three hours before midnight.
+When I stepped through the gate, I could see the sentries
+asleep in their guard-rooms. They snored so that
+it sounded like thunder. The camp sentinels were pacing
+their beats, and I went in through the left entrance
+into the room in which the Count of Webo slept.
+There lay your relative on his back behind the curtain,
+plunged in sweet slumber. A costly sword showed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span>
+from beneath his pillow; and beside it stood an open
+canister of gold. In the canister were various
+slips. On one of them was set down his age and the
+day of his birth, on another the name of the Great
+Bear God. Grains of incense and pearls were scattered
+over it. The candles in the room burned dimly,
+and the incense in the censers was paling to ash. The
+slave-girls lay huddled up, round about, asleep. I
+could have drawn out their hair-pins and raised their
+robes and they would not have awakened. Your relative&rsquo;s
+life was in my hand, but I could not bring myself
+to kill him. So I took the golden canister and
+returned. The water-clock marked the third hour
+when I had finished my journey. Now you must have
+a swift horse saddled quickly, and must send a man to
+Webo to take back the golden canister. Then the Lord
+of Webo will come to his senses, and will give up his
+plans of conquest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Count of Ludschou at once ordered an officer to
+ride to Webo as swiftly as possible. He rode all day
+long and half the night and finally arrived. In Webo
+every one was excited because of the loss of the golden
+canister. They were searching the whole camp rigorously.
+The messenger knocked at the gate with his
+riding-whip, and insisted on seeing the Lord of Webo.
+Since he came at so unusual an hour the Lord of Webo
+guessed that he was bringing important information,
+and left his room to receive the messenger. The latter
+handed him a letter which said: &ldquo;Last night a
+stranger from Webo came to us. He informed us that
+with his own hands he had taken a golden canister from
+beside your bed. I have not ventured to keep it and
+hence am sending it back to you by messenger.&rdquo;
+When the Lord of Webo saw the golden canister he
+was much frightened. He took the messenger into his
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span>
+own room, treated him to a splendid meal, and rewarded
+him generously.</p>
+
+<p>On the following day he sent the messenger back
+again, and gave him thirty thousand bales of silk and
+a team of four horses along as a present for his master.
+He also wrote a letter to the Count of Ludschou:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My life was in your hand. I thank you for having
+spared me, regret my evil intentions and will improve.
+From this time forward peace and friendship shall
+ever unite us, and I will let no thought to the contrary
+enter my mind. The citizen soldiery I have gathered I
+will use only as a protection against robbers. I have
+already disarmed the men and sent them back to their
+work in the fields.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And thenceforward the heartiest friendship existed
+between the two relatives North and South of the
+Yellow River.</p>
+
+<p>One day the slave-girl came and wished to take leave
+of her master.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In my former existence,&rdquo; said the slave-girl, &ldquo;I
+was a man. I was a physician and helped the sick.
+Once upon a time I gave a little child a poison to drink
+by mistake instead of a healing draught, and the child
+died. This led the Lord of Death to punish me, and I
+came to earth again in the shape of a slave-girl. Yet I
+remembered my former life, tried to do well in my new
+surroundings, and even found a rare teacher who
+taught me the swordsman&rsquo;s art. Already I have
+served you for nineteen years. I went to Webo for you
+in order to repay your kindness. And I have succeeded
+in shaping matters so that you are living at
+peace with your relatives again, and thus have saved
+the lives of thousands of people. For a weak woman
+this is a real service, sufficient to absolve me of my
+original fault. Now I shall retire from the world and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span>
+dwell among the silent hills, in order to labor for sanctity
+with a clean heart. Perhaps I may thus succeed in
+returning to my former condition of life. So I beg of
+you to let me depart!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The count saw that it would not be right to detain
+her any longer. So he prepared a great banquet,
+invited a number of guests to the farewell meal, and
+many a famous knight sat down to the board. And
+all honored her with toasts and poems.</p>
+
+<p>The count could no longer hide his emotion, and the
+slave-girl also bowed before him and wept. Then
+she secretly left the banquet-hall, and no human being
+ever discovered whither she had gone.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This motive of the intelligent slave-girl also occurs in the
+story of the three empires. &ldquo;On her forehead she wrote the name
+of the Great God&rdquo;: Regarding this god, Tai I, the Great One,
+compare annotation to No. <a href="#XVIII">18</a>. The God of the Great Bear, i.e.,
+of the constellation. The letters which are exchanged are quite
+as noticeable for what is implied between the lines, as for what
+is actually set down.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXVIII" id="LXVIII"></a>LXVIII<br />
+<br />
+YANG GUI FE</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE favorite wife of the emperor Ming Huang of
+the Tang dynasty was the celebrated Yang Gui
+Fe. She so enchanted him by her beauty that he did
+whatever she wished him to do. But she brought her
+cousin to the court, a gambler and a drinker, and because
+of him the people began to murmur against the
+emperor. Finally a revolt broke out, and the emperor
+was obliged to flee. He fled with his entire court
+to the land of the four rivers.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span>
+But when they reached a certain pass his own soldiers
+mutinied. They shouted that Yang Gui Fe&rsquo;s
+cousin was to blame for all, and that he must die or
+they would go no further. The emperor did not know
+what to do. At last the cousin was delivered up to
+the soldiers and was slain. But still they were not
+satisfied.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;As long as Yang Gui Fe is alive she will do all
+in her power to punish us for the death of her cousin,
+so she must die as well!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sobbing, she fled to the emperor. He wept bitterly
+and endeavored to protect her; but the soldiers grew
+more and more violent. Finally she was hung from
+a pear-tree by a eunuch.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor longed so greatly for Yang Gui Fe
+that he ceased to eat, and could no longer sleep. Then
+one of his eunuchs told him of a man named Yang Shi
+Wu, who was able to call up the spirits of the departed.
+The emperor sent for him and Yang Shi Wu
+appeared.</p>
+
+<p>That very evening he recited his magic incantations,
+and his soul left its body to go in search of Yang Gui
+Fe. First he went to the Nether World, where the
+shades of the departed dwell. Yet no matter how
+much he looked and asked he could find no trace of
+her. Then he ascended to the highest heaven, where
+sun, moon and stars make their rounds, and looked
+for her in empty space. Yet she was not to be found
+there, either. So he came back and told the emperor
+of his experience. The emperor was dissatisfied and
+said: &ldquo;Yang Gui Fe&rsquo;s beauty was divine. How can
+it be possible that she had no soul!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The magician answered: &ldquo;Between hill and valley
+and amid the silent ravines dwell the blessed. I will
+go back once more and search for her there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span>
+So he wandered about on the five holy hills, by the
+four great rivers and through the islands of the sea.
+He went everywhere, and finally came to fairyland.</p>
+
+<p>The fairy said: &ldquo;Yang Gui Fe has become a blessed
+spirit and dwells in the great south palace!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the magician went there and knocked on the door.
+A maiden came out and asked what he wanted, and
+he told her that the emperor had sent him to look for
+her mistress. She let him in. The way led through
+broad gardens filled with flowers of jade and trees of
+coral, giving forth the sweetest of odors. Finally
+they reached a high tower, and the maiden raised
+the curtain hanging before a door. The magician
+kneeled and looked up. And there he saw Yang Gui
+Fe sitting on a throne, adorned with an emerald
+headdress and furs of yellow swans&rsquo; down. Her face
+glowed with rosy color, yet her forehead was wrinkled
+with care.</p>
+
+<p>She said: &ldquo;Well do I know the emperor longs for
+me! But for me there is no path leading back to the
+world of men! Before my birth I was a blessed sky-fairy,
+and the emperor was a blessed spirit as well.
+Even then we loved each other dearly. Then, when
+the emperor was sent down to earth by the Lord of
+the Heavens, I, too, descended to earth and found him
+there among men. In twelve years&rsquo; time we will meet
+again. Once, on the evening of the seventh day, when
+we stood looking up at the Weaving Maiden and the
+Herd Boy, we swore eternal love. The emperor had
+a ring, which he broke in two. One half he gave to
+me, the other he kept himself. Take this half of
+mine, bring it to the emperor, and tell him not to forget
+the words we said to each other in secret that
+evening. And tell him not to grieve too greatly because
+of me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span>
+With that she gave him the ring, with difficulty suppressing
+her sobs. The magician brought back the
+ring with him. At sight of it the emperor&rsquo;s grief
+broke out anew.</p>
+
+<p>He said: &ldquo;What we said to each other that evening
+no one else has ever learned! And now you bring
+me back her ring! By that sign I know that your
+words are true and that my beloved has really become
+a blessed spirit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he kept the ring and rewarded the magician
+lavishly.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The emperor Ming Huang of the Tang dynasty ruled
+from 713 to 756 <small>A.D.</small> The introduction to the tale is historical.
+The &ldquo;land of the four rivers&rdquo; is Setchuan.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXIX" id="LXIX"></a>LXIX<br />
+<br />
+THE MONK OF THE YANGTZE-KIANG</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">B</span>UDDHISM took its rise in southern India, on
+the island of Ceylon. It was there that the son
+of a Brahminic king lived, who had left his home in
+his youth, and had renounced all wishes and all sensation.
+With the greatest renunciation of self he did
+penance so that all living creatures might be saved. In
+the course of time he gained the hidden knowledge
+and was called Buddha.</p>
+
+<p>In the days of the Emperor Ming Di, of the dynasty
+of the Eastern Hans, a golden glow was seen in the
+West, a glow which flashed and shone without interruption.</p>
+
+<p>One night the emperor dreamed that he saw a golden
+saint, twenty feet in height, barefoot, his head shaven,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span>
+and clothed in Indian garb enter his room, who said
+to him: &ldquo;I am the saint from the West! My gospel
+must be spread in the East!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the ruler awoke he wondered about this
+dream, and sent out messengers to the lands of the
+West in order to find out what it meant.</p>
+
+<p>Thus it was that the gospel of Buddha came to
+China, and continued to gain in influence up to the
+time of the Tang dynasty. At that time, from emperors
+and kings down to the peasants in the villages, the
+wise and the ignorant alike were filled with reverence
+for Buddha. But under the last two dynasties his
+gospel came to be more and more neglected. In these
+days the Buddhist monks run to the houses of the rich,
+read their sutras and pray for pay. And one hears
+nothing of the great saints of the days gone by.</p>
+
+<p>At the time of the Emperor Tai Dsung, of the Tang
+dynasty, it once happened that a great drought reigned
+in the land, so that the emperor and all his officials
+erected altars everywhere in order to plead for rain.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea talked
+with the Dragon of the Milky Way and said: &ldquo;To-day
+they are praying for rain on earth below. The Lord
+of the Heavens has granted the prayer of the King of
+Tang. To-morrow you must let three inches of rain
+fall!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, I must let only two inches of rain fall,&rdquo; said
+the old dragon.</p>
+
+<p>So the two dragons made a wager, and the one who
+lost promised as a punishment to turn into a mud
+salamander.</p>
+
+<p>The following day the Highest Lord suddenly
+issued an order saying that the Dragon of the Milky
+Way was to instruct the wind and cloud spirits to
+send down three inches of rain upon the earth.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span>
+To contradict this command was out of the question.</p>
+
+<p>But the old dragon thought to himself: &ldquo;It seems
+that the Dragon-King had a better idea of what was
+going to happen than I had, yet it is altogether too
+humiliating to have to turn into a mud salamander!&rdquo;
+So he let only two inches of rain fall, and reported
+back to the heavenly court that the command had
+been carried out.</p>
+
+<p>Yet the Emperor Tai Dsung then offered a prayer
+of thanks to heaven. In it he said: &ldquo;The precious
+fluid was bestowed upon us to the extent of two inches
+of depth. We beg submissively that more may be sent
+down, so that the parched crops may recover!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the Lord of the Heavens read this prayer he
+was very angry and said: &ldquo;The criminal Dragon of
+the Milky Way has dared diminish the rain which I
+had ordered. He cannot be suffered to continue his
+guilty life. So We Dschong, who is a general among
+men on earth, shall behead him, as an example for all
+living beings.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the Emperor Tai Dsung had a dream.
+He saw a giant enter his room, who pleaded with
+hardly restrained tears: &ldquo;Save me, O Emperor! Because
+of my own accord I diminished the rainfall, the
+Lord of the Heavens, in his anger, has commanded
+that We Dschong behead me to-morrow at noon. If
+you will only prevent We Dschong from falling asleep
+at that time, and pray that I may be saved, misfortune
+once more may pass me by!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The emperor promised, and the other bowed and
+left him.</p>
+
+<p>The following day the emperor sent for We Dschong.
+They drank tea together and played chess.</p>
+
+<p>Toward noon We Dschong suddenly grew tired and
+sleepy; but he did not dare take his leave. The
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span>
+emperor, however, since one of his pawns had been taken,
+fixed his gaze for a moment on the chess-board and
+pondered, and before he knew it We Dschong was already
+snoring with a noise like a distant thunder.
+The emperor was much frightened, and hastily called
+out to him; but he did not awake. Then he had two
+eunuchs shake him, but a long time passed before he
+could be aroused.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How did you come to fall asleep so suddenly!&rdquo;
+asked the emperor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I dreamed,&rdquo; replied We Dschong, &ldquo;that the Highest
+God had commanded me to behead the old dragon.
+I have just hewn off his head, and my arm still aches
+from the exertion.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And before he had even finished speaking a dragon&rsquo;s
+head, as large as a bushel-measure, suddenly fell down
+out of the air. The emperor was terribly frightened
+and rose.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I have sinned against the old dragon,&rdquo; said he.
+Then he retired to the inner chambers of his palace
+and was confused in mind. He remained lying on his
+couch, closed his eyes, said not a word, and breathed
+but faintly.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he saw two persons in purple robes who
+had a summons in their hands. They spoke to him as
+follows: &ldquo;The old Dragon of the Milky Way has complained
+against the emperor in the Nether World.
+We beg that you will have the chariot harnessed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Instinctively the emperor followed them, and in the
+courtyard there stood his chariot before the castle,
+ready and waiting. The emperor entered it, and off
+they went flying through the air. In a moment they
+had reached the city of the dead. When he entered he
+saw the Lord of the High Mountain sitting in the midst
+of the city, with the ten princes of the Nether World
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span>
+in rows at his right and left. They all rose, bowed to
+him and bade him be seated.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Lord of the High Mountain said: &ldquo;The
+old Dragon of the Milky Way has really committed a
+deed which deserved punishment. Yet Your Majesty
+has promised to beg the Highest God to spare him,
+which prayer would probably have saved the old
+dragon&rsquo;s life. And that this matter was neglected
+over the chess-board might well be accounted a mistake.
+Now the old dragon complains to me without
+ceasing. When I think of how he has striven to gain
+sainthood for more than a thousand years, and must
+now fall back into the cycle of transformations, I am
+really depressed. It is for this reason I have called
+together the princes of the ten pits of the Nether
+World, to find a way out of the difficulty, and have
+invited Your Majesty to come here to discuss the
+matter. In heaven, on earth and in the Nether World
+only the gospel of Buddha has no limits. Hence, when
+you return to earth great sacrifices should be made
+to the three and thirty lords of the heavens. Three
+thousand six hundred holy priests of Buddha must
+read the sutras in order to deliver the old dragon so
+that he may rise again to the skies, and keep his
+original form. But the writings and readings of men
+will not be enough to ensure this. It will be necessary
+to go to the Western Heavens and thence bring
+words of truth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This the emperor agreed to, and the Lord of the
+Great Mountain and the ten princes of the Nether
+World rose and said as they bowed to him: &ldquo;We beg
+that you will now return!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly Tai Dsung opened his eyes again, and
+there he was lying on his imperial couch. Then he
+made public the fact that he was at fault, and had the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span>
+holiest among the priests of Buddha sent for to fetch
+the sutras from the Western Heavens. And it was
+Huan Dschuang, the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang, who
+in obedience to this order, appeared at court.</p>
+
+<p>The name of this Huan Dschuang had originally
+been Tschen. His father had passed the highest examinations
+during the reign of the preceding emperor,
+and had been intrusted with the office of district mandarin
+on the Yangtze-kiang. He set out with his wife
+for this new district, but when their ship reached the
+Yellow River it fell in with a band of robbers. Their
+captain slew the whole retinue, threw father Tschen
+into the river, took his wife and the document appointing
+him mandarin, went to the district capital under
+an assumed name and took charge of it. All the
+serving-men whom he took along were members of his
+robber-band. Tschen&rsquo;s wife, however, together with
+her little boy, he imprisoned in a tower room. And
+all the servants who attended her were in the confidence
+of the robbers.</p>
+
+<p>Now below the tower was a little pond, and in this
+pond rose a spring which flowed beneath the walls to
+the Yellow River. So one day Tschen&rsquo;s wife took
+a little basket of bamboo, pasted up the cracks and
+laid her little boy in the basket. Then she cut her
+finger, wrote down the day and hour of the boy&rsquo;s
+birth on a strip of silk paper with the blood, and
+added that the boy must come and rescue her when
+he had reached the age of twelve. She placed the
+strip of silk paper beside the boy in the basket, and
+at night, when no one was about, she put the basket
+in the pond. The current carried it away to the Yangtze-kiang,
+and once there it drifted on as far as the
+monastery on the Golden Hill, which is an island
+lying in the middle of the river. There a priest who
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span>
+had come to draw water found it. He fished it out and
+took it to the monastery.</p>
+
+<p>When the abbot saw what had been written in blood,
+he ordered his priests and novices to say nothing
+about it to any one. And he brought up the boy in
+the monastery.</p>
+
+<p>When the latter had reached the age of five, he
+was taught to read the holy books. The boy was
+more intelligent than any of his fellow-students, soon
+grasped the meaning of the sacred writings, and entered
+more and more deeply into their secrets. So
+he was allowed to take the vows, and when his head
+had been shaven was named: &ldquo;The Monk of the
+Yangtze-kiang.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>By the time he was twelve he was as large and
+strong as a grown man. The abbot, who knew of the
+duty he still had to perform, had him called to a
+quiet room. There he drew forth the letter written
+in blood and gave it to him.</p>
+
+<p>When the monk had read it he flung himself down
+on the ground and wept bitterly. Thereupon he
+thanked the abbot for all that the latter had done for
+him. He set out for the city in which his mother
+dwelt, ran around the yamen of the mandarin, beat
+upon the wooden fish and cried: &ldquo;Deliverance from
+all suffering! Deliverance from all suffering!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After the robber who had slain his father had slipped
+into the post he held by false pretences, he had
+taken care to strengthen his position by making
+powerful friends. He even allowed Tschen&rsquo;s wife,
+who had now been a prisoner for some ten years, a
+little more liberty.</p>
+
+<p>On that day official business had kept him abroad.
+The woman was sitting at home, and when she heard
+the wooden fish beaten so insistently before the door
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span>
+and heard the words of deliverance, the voice of her
+heart cried out in her. She sent out the serving-maid
+to call in the priest. He came in by the back door,
+and when she saw that he resembled his father in
+every feature, she could no longer restrain herself,
+but burst into tears. Then the monk of the Yangtze-kiang
+realized that this was his mother and he took
+the bloody writing out and gave it to her.</p>
+
+<p>She stroked it and said amid sobs: &ldquo;My father is
+a high official, who has retired from affairs and dwells
+in the capital. But I have been unable to write to
+him, because this robber guarded me so closely. So
+I kept alive as well as I could, waiting for you to
+come. Now hurry to the capital for the sake of your
+father&rsquo;s memory, and if his honor is made clear then
+I can die in peace. But you must hasten so that no
+one finds out about it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The monk then went off quickly. First he went
+back to his cloister to bid farewell to his abbot; and
+then he set out for Sianfu, the capital.</p>
+
+<p>Yet by that time his grandfather had already died.
+But one of his uncles, who was known at court, was
+still living. He took soldiers and soon made an end
+of the robbers. But the monk&rsquo;s mother had died in
+the meantime.</p>
+
+<p>From that time on, the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang
+lived in a pagoda in Sianfu, and was known as Huan
+Dschuang. When the emperor issued the order calling
+the priests of Buddha to court, he was some
+twenty years of age. He came into the emperor&rsquo;s
+presence, and the latter honored him as a great
+teacher. Then he set out for India.</p>
+
+<p>He was absent for seventeen years. When he returned
+he brought three collections of books with him,
+and each collection comprised five-hundred and forty
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span>
+rolls of manuscript. With these he once more entered
+the presence of the emperor. The emperor was overjoyed,
+and with his own hand wrote a preface of the
+holy teachings, in which he recorded all that had happened.
+Then the great sacrifice was held to deliver
+the old Dragon of the Milky Way.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: The emperor Tai Dsung is Li Schi Min, the Prince of
+Tang mentioned in No. <a href="#LXV">65</a>. He was the most glorious and splendid
+of all Chinese rulers. The &ldquo;Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea&rdquo; has
+appeared frequently in these fairy-tales. As regards the &ldquo;Lord of
+the High Mountain,&rdquo; and the ten princes of the Nether World, comp.
+Nos. <a href="#XXXVIII">38</a> and <a href="#L">50</a>. The Highest Lord is Yu Huang, the Lord of Jade
+or of Nephrite. Huan Dschuang was originally known as Tschen.
+Regarding his father&rsquo;s fate subsequent to his being drowned, and
+that of his sons in the spirit-world see No. <a href="#XXIV">24</a>. The &ldquo;bamboo
+basket&rdquo; is a Moses motive which occurs in other Chinese fairy-tales.
+&ldquo;The Monk of the Yangtze-kiang&rdquo; is, literally, (in Chinese, Giang
+Liu Ho Schang) &ldquo;The monk washed ashore by the stream.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Wooden fish&rdquo;: A hollow piece of wood in the form of a fish,
+which is beaten by the Buddhists as sign of watchfulness. Three
+collections of books&mdash;the Tripitaka. As regards one of the legendary
+companions of Huan Dschuang on his journey, see No. <a href="#LXXIV">74</a>.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253"><!-- unumbered page --></a></span></p>
+
+<h2 class="padtop">LITERARY FAIRY TALES</h2>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254"><!-- blank page --></a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3 class="padtop"><a name="LXX" id="LXX"></a>LXX<br />
+<br />
+THE HEARTLESS HUSBAND</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N olden times Hanchow was the capital of Southern
+China, and for that reason a great number of
+beggars had gathered there. These beggars were in
+the habit of electing a leader, who was officially entrusted
+with the supervision of all begging in the
+town. It was his duty to see that the beggars did
+not molest the townsfolk, and he received a tenth of
+their income from all his beggar subjects. When it
+snowed or rained, and the beggars could not go out
+to beg, he had to see to it that they had something to
+eat, and he also had to conduct their weddings and
+funerals. And the beggars obeyed him in all things.</p>
+
+<p>Well, it happened that there was a beggar king of
+this sort in Hanchow by the name of Gin, in whose
+family the office had been handed down from father
+to son for seven generations. What they had taken
+in by way of beggars&rsquo; pence they had lent out on interest,
+and so the family had gradually become well-to-do,
+and finally even rich.</p>
+
+<p>The old beggar-king had lost his wife at the age of
+fifty. But he had an only child, a girl who was called
+&ldquo;Little Golden Daughter.&rdquo; She had a face of rare
+beauty and was the jewel of his love. She had been
+versed in the lore of books from her youth up, and
+could write, improvise poems and compose essays.
+She was also experienced in needlework, a skilled
+dancer and singer, and could play the flute and zither.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span>
+The old beggar-king above all else wanted her to have
+a scholar for a husband. Yet because he was a beggar-king
+the distinguished families avoided him, and
+with those who were of less standing than himself he
+did not wish to have anything to do. So it came
+about that Little Golden Daughter had reached the
+age of eighteen without being betrothed.</p>
+
+<p>Now at that time there dwelt in Hanchow, near the
+Bridge of Peace, a scholar by the name of Mosu. He
+was twenty years of age, and universally popular because
+of his beauty and talent. His parents were
+both dead, and he was so poor that he could hardly
+manage to keep alive. His house and lot had long
+since been mortgaged or sold, and he lived in an abandoned
+temple, and many a day passed at whose end
+he went hungry to bed.</p>
+
+<p>A neighbor took pity on him and said to him one
+day: &ldquo;The beggar-king has a child named Little
+Golden Daughter, who is beautiful beyond all telling.
+And the beggar-king is rich and has money, but no
+son to inherit it. If you wish to marry into his family
+his whole fortune would in the end come to you. Is
+that not better than dying of hunger as a poor
+scholar?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At that time Mosu was in dire extremity. Hence,
+when he heard these words he was greatly pleased.
+He begged the neighbor to act as a go-between in the
+matter.</p>
+
+<p>So the latter visited the old beggar-king and talked
+with him, and the beggar-king talked over the matter
+with Little Golden Daughter, and since Mosu came
+from a good family and was, in addition, talented
+and learned, and had no objection to marrying into
+their family, they were both much pleased with the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span>
+prospect. So they agreed to the proposal, and the
+two were married.</p>
+
+<p>So Mosu became a member of the beggar-king&rsquo;s
+family. He was happy in his wife&rsquo;s beauty, always
+had enough to eat and good clothes to wear. So he
+thought himself lucky beyond his deserts, and lived
+with his wife in peace and happiness.</p>
+
+<p>The beggar-king and his daughter, to whom their
+low estate was a thorn in the flesh, admonished Mosu
+to be sure to study hard. They hoped that he would
+make a name for himself and thus reflect glory on
+their family as well. They bought books for him,
+old and new, at the highest prices, and they always
+supplied him liberally with money so that he could
+move in aristocratic circles. They also paid his examination
+expenses. So his learning increased day
+by day, and the fame of it spread through the entire
+district. He passed one examination after another in
+rapid succession, and at the age of twenty-three was
+appointed mandarin of the district of Wu We. He
+returned from his audience with the emperor in ceremonial
+robes, high on horseback.</p>
+
+<p>Mosu had been born in Hanchow, so the whole town
+soon knew that he had passed his examination successfully,
+and the townsfolk crowded together on both
+sides of the street to look at him as he rode to his
+father-in-law&rsquo;s house. Old and young, women and
+children gathered to enjoy the show, and some idle
+loafer called out in a loud voice:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The old beggar&rsquo;s son-in-law has become a mandarin!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mosu blushed with shame when he heard these
+words. Speechless and out of sorts he seated himself
+in his room. But the old beggar-king in the joy of
+his heart did not notice his ill humor. He had a great
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span>
+festival banquet prepared, to which he invited all his
+neighbors and good friends. But most of the invited
+guests were beggars and poor folk, and he insisted
+that Mosu eat with them. With much difficulty Mosu
+was induced to leave his room. Yet when he saw the
+guests gathered around the table, as ragged and dirty
+as a horde of hungry devils, he retired again with
+disdain. Little Golden Daughter, who realized how
+he felt, tried to cheer him up again in a hundred and
+one ways, but all in vain.</p>
+
+<p>A few days later Mosu, with his wife and servants,
+set out for the new district he was to govern. One
+goes from Hanchow to Wu We by water. So they
+entered a ship and sailed out to the Yangtze-kiang.
+At the end of the first day they reached a city where
+they anchored. The night was clear and the moonrays
+glittered on the water, and Mosu sat in the front
+part of the ship enjoying the moonlight. Suddenly
+he chanced to think of the old beggar-king. It was
+true that his wife was wise and good, but should
+heaven happen to bless them with children, these
+children would always be the beggar&rsquo;s nephews and
+nieces, and there was no way of preventing such a
+disgrace. And thus thinking a plan occurred to him.
+He called Little Golden Daughter out of the cabin to
+come and enjoy the moonlight, and she came out to
+him happily. Men servants and maid servants and
+all the sailors had long since gone to sleep. He looked
+about him on all sides, but there was no one to be seen.
+Little Golden Daughter was standing at the front of
+the ship, thinking no evil, when a hand suddenly thrust
+her into the water. Then Mosu pretended to be
+frightened, and began to call out: &ldquo;My wife made a
+misstep and has fallen into the water!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span>
+And when they heard his words, the servants
+hurried up and wanted to fish her out.</p>
+
+<p>But Mosu said: &ldquo;She has already been carried
+away by the current, so you need not trouble yourselves!&rdquo;
+Then he gave orders to set sail again as
+soon as possible.</p>
+
+<p>Now who would have thought that owing to a fortunate
+chance, Sir Hu, the mandarin in charge of the
+transportation system of the province, was also about
+to take charge of his department, and had anchored
+in the same place. He was sitting with his wife at
+the open window of the ship&rsquo;s cabin, enjoying the
+moonlight and the cool breeze.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he heard some one crying on the shore,
+and it sounded to him like a girl&rsquo;s voice. He quickly
+sent people to assist her, and they brought her aboard.
+It was Little Golden Daughter.</p>
+
+<p>When she had fallen into the water, she had felt
+something beneath her feet which held her up so that
+she did not sink. And she had been carried along by
+the current to the river-bank, where she crept out of
+the water. And then she realized that her husband,
+now that he had become distinguished, had forgotten
+how poor he had been, and for all she had not been
+drowned, she felt very lonely and abandoned, and
+before she knew it her tears began to flow. So when
+Sir Hu asked her what was the matter, she told him
+the whole story. Sir Hu comforted her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must not shed another tear,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;If
+you care to become my adopted daughter, we will take
+care of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little Golden Daughter bowed her thanks. But
+Hu&rsquo;s wife ordered her maids to bring other clothes
+to take the place of the wet ones, and to prepare a
+bed for her. The servants were strictly bidden to call
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span>
+her &ldquo;Miss,&rdquo; and to say nothing of what had occurred.</p>
+
+<p>So the journey continued and in a few days&rsquo; time
+Sir Hu entered upon his official duties. Wu We, where
+Mosu was district mandarin, was subject to his rule,
+and the latter made his appearance in order to visit
+his official superior. When Sir Hu saw Mosu he
+thought to himself: &ldquo;What a pity that so highly
+gifted a man should act in so heartless a manner!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When a few months had passed, Sir Hu said to his
+subordinates: &ldquo;I have a daughter who is very pretty
+and good, and would like to find a son-in-law to marry
+into my family. Do you know of any one who might
+answer?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His subordinates all knew that Mosu was young
+and had lost his wife. So they unanimously suggested
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Sir Hu replied: &ldquo;I have also thought of that gentleman,
+but he is young and has risen very rapidly. I
+am afraid he has loftier ambitions, and would not
+care to marry into my family and become my son-in-law.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He was originally poor,&rdquo; answered his people,
+&ldquo;and he is your subordinate. Should you care to
+show him a kindness of this sort, he will be sure to
+accept it joyfully, and will not object to marrying into
+your family.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, if you all believe it can be done,&rdquo; said Sir
+Hu, &ldquo;then pay him a visit and find out what he thinks
+about it. But you must not say that I have sent you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mosu, who was just then reflecting how he might
+win Sir Hu&rsquo;s favor, took up the suggestion with pleasure,
+and urgently begged them to act as his go-between
+in the matter, promising them a rich reward when the
+connection was established.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span>
+So they went back again and reported to Sir Hu.</p>
+
+<p>He said: &ldquo;I am much pleased that the gentleman
+in question does not disdain this marriage. But my
+wife and I are extremely fond of this daughter of ours,
+and we can hardly resign ourselves to giving her up.
+Sir Mosu is young and aristocratic, and our little
+daughter has been spoiled. If he were to ill-treat
+her, or at some future time were to regret having
+married into our family, my wife and I would be inconsolable.
+For this reason everything must be
+clearly understood in advance. Only if he positively
+agrees to do these things would I be able to receive
+him into my family.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mosu was informed of all these conditions, and
+declared himself ready to accept them. Then he
+brought gold and pearls and colored silks to Sir Hu&rsquo;s
+daughter as wedding gifts, and a lucky day was chosen
+for the wedding. Sir Hu charged his wife to talk to
+Little Golden Daughter.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your adopted father,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;feels sorry for
+you, because you are lonely, and therefore has picked
+out a young scholar for you to marry.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Little Golden Daughter replied: &ldquo;It is true
+that I am of humble birth, yet I know what is fitting.
+It chances that I agreed to cast my lot with Mosu for
+better or for worse. And though he has shown me
+but little kindness, I will marry no other man so long
+as he lives. I cannot bring myself to form another
+union and break my troth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And thus speaking the tears poured from her eyes.
+When Sir Hu&rsquo;s wife saw that nothing would alter her
+resolve, she told her how matters really stood.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your adopted father,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;is indignant at
+Mosu&rsquo;s heartlessness. And although he will see to it
+that you meet again, he has said nothing to Mosu
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span>
+which would lead him to believe that you are not our
+own daughter. Therefore Mosu was delighted to marry
+you. But when the wedding is celebrated this evening,
+you must do thus and so, in order that he may
+taste your just anger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When she had heard all this, Little Golden Daughter
+dried her tears, and thanked her adopted parents.
+Then she adorned herself for the wedding.</p>
+
+<p>The same day, late at evening, Mosu came to the
+house wearing golden flowers on his hat, and a red
+scarf across his breast, riding on a gaily trapped
+horse, and followed by a great retinue. All his friends
+and acquaintances came with him in order to be present
+at the festival celebration.</p>
+
+<p>In Sir Hu&rsquo;s house everything had been adorned
+with colored cloths and lanterns. Mosu dismounted
+from his horse at the entrance of the hall. Here Sir
+Hu had spread a festival banquet to which Mosu and
+his friends were led. And when the goblet had made
+the rounds three times, serving-maids came and invited
+Mosu to follow them to the inner rooms. The
+bride, veiled in a red veil, was led in by two maid-servants.
+Following the injunctions of the master
+of the ceremony, they worshiped heaven and earth
+together, and then the parents-in-law. Thereupon
+they went into another apartment. Here brightly
+colored candles were burning, and a wedding dinner
+had been prepared. Mosu felt as happy as though
+he had been raised to the seventh heaven.</p>
+
+<p>But when he wanted to leave the room, seven or
+eight maids with bamboo canes in their hands appeared
+at each side of the door, and began to beat him
+without mercy. They knocked his bridal hat from
+his head, and then the blows rained down upon his
+back and shoulders. When Mosu cried for help he
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span>
+heard a delicate voice say: &ldquo;You need not kill that
+heartless bridegroom of mine completely! Ask him
+to come in and greet me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the maids stopped beating him, and gathered
+about the bride, who removed her bridal veil.</p>
+
+<p>Mosu bowed with lowered head and said: &ldquo;But
+what have I done?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Yet when he raised his eyes he saw that none other
+than his wife, Little Golden Daughter, was standing
+before him.</p>
+
+<p>He started with fright and cried: &ldquo;A ghost, a
+ghost!&rdquo; But all the servants broke out into loud
+laughter.</p>
+
+<p>At last Sir Hu and his wife came in, and the former
+said: &ldquo;My dear son-in-law, you may rest assured
+that my adopted daughter, who came to me while I
+was on my way to this place, is no ghost.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Mosu hastily fell on his knees and answered:
+&ldquo;I have sinned and beg for mercy!&rdquo; And he kowtowed
+without end.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;With that I have nothing to do,&rdquo; remarked Sir
+Hu, &ldquo;if our little daughter only gets along well with
+you, then all will be in order.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Little Golden Daughter said: &ldquo;You heartless
+scoundrel! In the beginning you were poor and needy.
+We took you into our family, and let you study so
+that you might become somebody, and make a name
+for yourself. But no sooner had you become a mandarin
+and a man of standing, than your love turned
+into enmity, and you forgot your duty as a husband
+and pushed me into the river. Fortunately, I found
+my dear adopted parents thereby. They fished me
+out, and made me their own child, otherwise I would
+have found a grave in the bellies of the fishes. How
+can I honorably live again with such a man as you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span>
+With these words she began to lament loudly, and
+she called him one hard-hearted scoundrel after another.</p>
+
+<p>Mosu lay before her, speechless with shame, and
+begged her to forgive him.</p>
+
+<p>Now when Sir Hu noticed that Little Golden Daughter
+had sufficiently relieved herself by her scolding, he
+helped Mosu up and said to him: &ldquo;My dear son-in-law,
+if you repent of your misdeed, Little Golden
+Daughter will gradually cease to be angry. Of course
+you are an old married couple; yet as you have renewed
+your vows this evening in my house, kindly do me a
+favor and listen to what I have to say: You, Mosu,
+are weighed with a heavy burden of guilt, and for that
+reason you must not resent your wife&rsquo;s being somewhat
+indignant, but must have patience with her. I
+will call in my wife to make peace between you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words Sir Hu went out and sent in his
+wife who finally, after a great deal of difficulty, succeeded
+in reconciling the two, so that they agreed once
+more to take up life as husband and wife.</p>
+
+<p>And they esteemed and loved each other twice as
+much as they had before. Their life was all happiness
+and joy. And later, when Sir Hu and his wife died,
+they mourned for them as if in truth they had been
+their own parents.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;To marry into&rdquo;: as a rule the wife enters the home of
+her husband&rsquo;s parents. But when there is no male heir, it is arranged
+that the son-in-law continues the family of his wife&rsquo;s
+parents, and lives in their home. The custom is still very prevalent
+in Japan, but it is not considered very honorable in China to enter
+into a strange family in this way. It is characteristic that Mosu,
+as a punishment for disdaining to &ldquo;marry into&rdquo; a family the first
+time, is obliged to &ldquo;marry into&rdquo; a second time, the family of Sir
+Hu.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span>
+The costume here described is still the wedding-costume of China.
+&ldquo;Little Golden Daughter&rdquo; said: &ldquo;You heartless scoundrel!&rdquo;; despite
+her faithfulness, in accordance with Chinese custom, she is
+obliged to show her anger over his faithlessness; this is necessary
+before the matter can be properly adjusted, so that she may
+&ldquo;preserve her face.&rdquo;</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXXI" id="LXXI"></a>LXXI<br />
+<br />
+GIAUNA THE BEAUTIFUL</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there was a descendant of Confucius.
+His father had a friend, and this friend
+held an official position in the South and offered the
+young man a place as secretary. But when the latter
+reached the town where he was to have been active, he
+found that his father&rsquo;s friend had already died. Then
+he was much embarrassed, seeing that he did not have
+the means to return home again. So he was glad to
+take refuge in the Monastery of Puto, where he copied
+holy books for the abbot.</p>
+
+<p>About a hundred paces west of the monastery stood
+a deserted house. One day there had been a great
+snowfall, and as young Kung accidentally passed by
+the door of the house, he noticed a well dressed and
+prepossessing youth standing there who bowed to him
+and begged him to approach. Now young Kung was
+a scholar, and could appreciate good manners. Finding
+that the youth and himself had much in common, he
+took a liking to him, and followed him into the house.
+It was immaculately clean; silk curtains hung before
+the doors, and on the walls were pictures of good old
+masters. On a table lay a book entitled: &ldquo;Tales
+of the Coral Ring.&rdquo; Coral Ring was the name
+of a cavern.</p>
+
+<p>Once upon a time there lived a monk at Puto who
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span>
+was exceedingly learned. An aged man had led him
+into the cave in question, where he had seen a number
+of volumes on the book stands. The aged man had
+said: &ldquo;These are the histories of the various dynasties.&rdquo;
+In a second room were to be found the histories
+of all the peoples on earth. A third was guarded
+by two dogs. The aged man explained: &ldquo;In this
+room are kept the secret reports of the immortals, telling
+the arts by means of which they gained eternal
+life. The two dogs are two dragons.&rdquo; The monk
+turned the pages of the books, and found that they
+were all works of ancient times, such as he had never
+seen before. He would gladly have remained in the
+cave, but the old man said: &ldquo;That would not do!&rdquo;
+and a boy led him out again. The name of that cave,
+however, was the Coral Ring, and it was described in
+the volume which lay on the table.</p>
+
+<p>The youth questioned Kung regarding his name and
+family, and the latter told him his whole history. The
+youth pitied him greatly and advised him to open a
+school.</p>
+
+<p>Kung answered with a sigh: &ldquo;I am quite unknown
+in the neighborhood, and have no one to recommend
+me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the youth: &ldquo;If you do not consider me altogether
+too unworthy and stupid, I should like to be
+your pupil myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Young Kung was overjoyed. &ldquo;I should not dare to
+attempt to teach you,&rdquo; he replied, &ldquo;but together we
+might dedicate ourselves to the study of science.&rdquo; He
+then asked why the house had been standing empty for
+so long.</p>
+
+<p>The youth answered: &ldquo;The owner of the house has
+gone to the country. We come from Shensi, and have
+taken the house for a short time. We only moved in a
+few days ago.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span>
+They chatted and joked together gaily, and the young
+man invited Kung to remain overnight, ordering a
+small boy to light a pan of charcoal.</p>
+
+<p>Then he stepped rapidly into the rear room and
+soon returned saying: &ldquo;My father has come.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As Kung rose an aged man with a long, white beard
+and eyebrows stepped into the room and said, greeting
+him: &ldquo;You have already declared your willingness
+to instruct my son, and I am grateful for your kindness.
+But you must be strict with him and not treat
+him as a friend.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he had garments of silk, a fur cap, and shoes
+and socks of fur brought in, and begged Kung to change
+his clothes. Wine and food were then served. The
+cushions and covers of the tables and chairs were made
+of stuffs unknown to Kung, and their shimmering radiance
+blinded the eye. The aged man retired after a
+few beakers of wine, and then the youth showed Kung
+his essays. They were all written in the style of the
+old masters and not in the new-fangled eight-section
+form.</p>
+
+<p>When he was asked about this, the youth said with
+a smile: &ldquo;I am quite indifferent to winning success
+at the state examinations!&rdquo; Then he turned to the
+small boy and said: &ldquo;See whether the old gentleman
+has already fallen asleep. If he has, you may quietly
+bring in little Hiang-Nu.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The boy went off, and the youth took a lute from an
+embroidered case. At once a serving-maid entered,
+dressed in red, and surpassingly beautiful. The youth
+bade her sing &ldquo;The Lament of the Beloved,&rdquo; and her
+melting tones moved the heart. The third watch of the
+night had passed before they retired to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning all rose early and study
+began. The youth was exceptionally gifted. Whatever
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span>
+he had seen but once was graven in his memory.
+Hence he made surprising progress in the course of a
+few months. The old custom was followed of writing
+an essay every five days, and celebrating its completion
+with a little banquet. And at each banquet Hiang-Nu
+was sent for.</p>
+
+<p>One evening Kung could not remove his glance from
+Hiang-Nu. The youth guessed his thoughts and said
+to him: &ldquo;You are as yet unmarried. Early and late
+I keep thinking as to how I can provide you with a
+charming life companion. Hiang-Nu is the serving-maid
+of my father, so I cannot give her to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said Kung: &ldquo;I am grateful to you for your friendly
+thought. But if the girl you have in mind is not
+just as beautiful as Hiang-Nu, then I would rather
+do without.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The youth laughed: &ldquo;You are indeed inexperienced
+if you think that Hiang-Nu is beautiful. Your wish is
+easily fulfilled.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thus half a year went by and the monotonous rainy
+season had just began. Then a swelling the size of a
+peach developed in young Kung&rsquo;s breast, which increased
+over night until it was as large as a tea-cup.
+He lay on his couch groaning with pain, and unable to
+eat or to sleep. The youth was busy day and night
+nursing him, and even the old gentleman asked how
+he was getting along.</p>
+
+<p>Then the youth said: &ldquo;My little sister Giauna alone
+is able to cure this illness. Please send to grandmother,
+and have her brought here!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old gentleman was willing, and he sent off his
+boy.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the boy came back with the news that
+Giauna would come, together with her aunt and her
+cousin A-Sung.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span>
+Not long after the youth led his sister into the room.
+She was not more than thirteen or fourteen years of
+age, enchantingly beautiful, and slender as a willow-tree.
+When the sick man saw her he forgot all his
+pain and his spirits rose.</p>
+
+<p>The youth said to his sister Giauna: &ldquo;This is my
+best friend, whom I love as a brother! I beg of you,
+little sister, to cure him of his illness!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The maiden blushed with confusion; then she stepped
+up to the sick-bed. While she was feeling his pulse,
+it seemed to him as though she brought the fragrance
+of orchards with her.</p>
+
+<p>Said the maiden with a smile: &ldquo;No wonder that
+this illness has befallen him. His heart beats far too
+stormily. His illness is serious but not incurable.
+Now the blood which has flowed has already gathered,
+so we will have to cut to cure.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that she took her golden armlet from her arm
+and laid it on the aching place. She pressed it down
+very gently, and the swelling rose a full inch above the
+armlet so that it enclosed the entire swelling. Then
+she loosed a pen-knife with a blade as thin as paper
+from her silken girdle. With one hand she held the
+armlet, and with the other she took the knife and lightly
+passed it around the bottom of the ring. Black
+blood gushed forth and ran over mattress and bed.
+But young Kung was so enchanted by the presence of
+the beautiful Giauna that not only did he feel no pain,
+but his one fear was that the whole affair might end
+too soon, and that she would disappear from his sight.
+In a moment the diseased flesh had been cut away,
+and Giauna had fresh water brought and cleansed the
+wound. Then she took a small red pellet from her
+mouth, and laid it on the wound, and when she turned
+around in a circle, it seemed to Kung as though she
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span>
+drew out all the inflammation in steam and flames.
+Once more she turned in a circle, and he felt his wound
+itch and quiver, and when she turned for the third time,
+he was completely cured.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden took the pellet into her mouth again and
+said: &ldquo;Now all is well!&rdquo; Then she hastened into
+the inner room. Young Kung leaped up in order to
+thank her.</p>
+
+<p>True, he was now cured of his illness, but his thoughts
+continued to dwell on Giauna&rsquo;s pretty face. He neglected
+his books and sat lost in day-dreams.</p>
+
+<p>His friend had noticed it and said to him: &ldquo;I have
+at last succeeded, this very day, in finding an attractive
+life companion for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kung asked who she might be.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The daughter of my aunt, A-Sung. She is seventeen
+years of age, and anything but homely.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am sure she is not as beautiful as Giauna,&rdquo;
+thought Kung. Then he hummed the lines of a song to
+himself:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Who once has seen the sea close by,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">All rivers shallow streams declares;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who o&rsquo;er Wu&rsquo;s hill the clouds watched fly,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Says nothing with that view compares.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The youth smiled. &ldquo;My little sister Giauna is still
+very young,&rdquo; said he. &ldquo;Besides, she is my father&rsquo;s
+only daughter, and he would not like to see her marry
+some one from afar. But my cousin A-Sung is not
+homely either. If you do not believe me, wait until
+they go walking in the garden, and then you may take
+a look at them without their knowing it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kung posted himself at the open window on the look-out,
+and sure enough, he saw Giauna come along leading
+another girl by the hand, a girl so beautiful that
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span>
+there was none other like her. Giauna and she seemed
+to be sisters, only to be told apart by a slight difference
+in age.</p>
+
+<p>Then young Kung was exceedingly happy and
+begged his friend to act for him in arranging the marriage,
+which the latter promised to do. The next day
+he came to Kung, and told him amid congratulations
+that everything was arranged. A special court was
+put in order for the young pair, and the wedding was
+celebrated. Young Kung felt as though he had married
+a fairy, and the two became very fond of each
+other.</p>
+
+<p>One day Kung&rsquo;s friend came to him in a state of
+great excitement and said: &ldquo;The owner of this house
+is coming back, and my father now wishes to return to
+Shensi. The time for us to part draws near, and I
+am very sad!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kung wished to accompany them, but his friend advised
+him to return to his own home.</p>
+
+<p>Kung mentioned the difficulties in the way, but the
+youth replied: &ldquo;That need not worry you, because I
+will accompany you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After a time the father came, together with A-Sung,
+and made Kung a present of a hundred ounces of gold.
+Then the youth took Kung and his wife by the hand,
+and told them to close their eyes. As soon as they
+did so off they went through the air like a storm-wind.
+All Kung could notice was that the gale roared about
+his ears.</p>
+
+<p>When some time had passed the youth cried:
+&ldquo;Now we have arrived!&rdquo; Kung opened his eyes and
+saw his old home, and then he knew that his friend
+was not of human kind.</p>
+
+<p>Gaily they knocked at the door of his home. His
+mother opened it and when she saw that he had brought
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span>
+along so charming a wife she was greatly pleased.
+Then Kung turned around to his friend, but the latter
+had already disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>A-Sung served her mother-in-law with great devotion,
+and her beauty and virtue was celebrated far
+and near. Soon after young Kung gained the doctorate,
+and was appointed inspector of prisons in Shensi.
+He took his wife along with him, but his mother remained
+at home, since Shensi was too far for her to
+travel. And heaven gave A-Sung and Kung a little
+son.</p>
+
+<p>But Kung became involved in a dispute with a traveling
+censor. The latter complained about Kung and
+he was dismissed from his post.</p>
+
+<p>So it happened that one day he was idling about
+before the city, when he saw a handsome youth riding
+a black mule. When he looked more closely he saw
+that it was his old friend. They fell into each others&rsquo;
+arms, laughing and weeping, and the youth led him
+to a village. In the midst of a thick grove of trees
+which threw a deep shade, stood a house whose upper
+stories rose to the skies. One could see at a glance that
+people of distinction lived there. Kung now inquired
+after sister Giauna, and was told that she had married.
+He remained over night and then went off to fetch his
+wife.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Giauna arrived. She took A-Sung&rsquo;s
+little son in her arms and said: &ldquo;Cousin, this is a
+little stranger in our family!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kung greeted her, and again thanked her for the
+kindness she had shown him in curing his illness.</p>
+
+<p>She answered with a smile: &ldquo;Since then you have
+become a distinguished man, and the wound has long
+since healed. Have you still not forgotten your pain?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Giauna&rsquo;s husband arrived, and every one
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span>
+became acquainted. And after that they parted.</p>
+
+<p>One day the youth came sadly to Kung and said:
+&ldquo;We are threatened by a great misfortune to-day.
+I do not know whether you would be willing to save us!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Kung did not know what it might be; but he gladly
+promised his aid. Then the youth called up the entire
+family and they bowed down in the outer court.</p>
+
+<p>He began: &ldquo;I will tell you the truth just as it is.
+We are foxes. This day we are threatened by the danger
+of thunder. If you care to save us, then there is a
+hope that we may manage to stay alive; if not, then
+take your child and go, so that you are not involved
+in our danger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Kung vowed that he would share life and death
+with them.</p>
+
+<p>Then the youth begged him to stand in the door with
+a sword in his hand, and said: &ldquo;Now when the thunder
+begins to roll you must stand there and never stir.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly dark clouds rose in the sky, and the heavens
+grew gloomy as if night were closing down. Kung
+looked about him, but the buildings had all disappeared,
+and behind him he could only see a high barrow, in
+which was a large cave whose interior was lost in
+darkness. In the midst of his fright he was surprised
+by a thunderbolt. A heavy rain poured down in
+streams, and a storm wind arose which rooted up the
+tallest trees. Everything glimmered before his eyes
+and his ears were deafened. But he held his sword in
+his hand, and stood as firm as a rock. Suddenly
+in the midst of black smoke and flashes of lightning, he
+saw a monster with a pointed beak and long claws,
+which was carrying off a human body. When he looked
+more closely he recognized by the dress that it was
+Giauna. He leaped up at the monster and struck at
+him with his sword, and at once Giauna fell to the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span>
+ground. A tremendous crash of thunder shook the
+earth, and Kung fell down dead.</p>
+
+<p>Then the tempest cleared away, and the blue sky
+appeared once more.</p>
+
+<p>Giauna had regained consciousness, and when she
+saw Kung lying dead beside her she said amid sobs:
+&ldquo;He died for my sake! Why should I continue to
+live?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A-Sung also came out, and together they carried
+him into the cave. Giauna told A-Sung to hold his
+head while her brother opened his mouth. She herself
+took hold of his chin, and brought out her little red
+pellet. She pressed it against his lips with her own,
+and breathed into his lungs. Then the breath came
+back to his throat with a rattling noise, and in a short
+time he was himself once more.</p>
+
+<p>So there was the whole family reunited again, and
+none of its members had come to harm. They gradually
+recovered from their fright, and were quite happy:
+when suddenly a small boy brought the news that
+Giauna&rsquo;s husband and his whole family had been killed
+by the thunder. Giauna broke down, weeping, and
+the others tried to comfort her.</p>
+
+<p>Finally Kung said: &ldquo;It is not well to dwell too
+long amid the graves of the dead. Will you not come
+home with me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon they packed up their belongings and
+went with him. He assigned a deserted garden, which
+he carefully walled off, to his friend and his family
+as a dwelling-place. Only when Kung and A-Sung
+came to visit them was the bolt drawn. Then Giauna
+and her brother played chess, drank tea and chatted
+with them like members of the same family.</p>
+
+<p>But Kung&rsquo;s little son had a somewhat pointed face,
+which resembled a fox&rsquo;s, and when he went along the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span>
+street, the people would turn around and say: &ldquo;There
+goes the fox-child!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;Not in the new-fangled eight-section form&rdquo;: Ba Gu
+Wen Dschang, i.e., essays in eight-section form, divided according
+to strict rules, were the customary theses in the governmental
+examinations in China up to the time of the great educational reform.
+To-day there is a general return to the style of the old masters,
+the free form of composition. &ldquo;The danger of thunder&rdquo;: Three
+times the foxes must have escaped the mortal danger of thunder.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXXII" id="LXXII"></a>LXXII<br />
+<br />
+THE FROG PRINCESS</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE where the Yangtze-kiang has come about
+half-way on its course to the sea, the Frog King
+is worshiped with great devotion. He has a temple
+there and frogs by the thousand are to be found in the
+neighborhood, some of them of enormous size. Those
+who incur the wrath of the god are apt to have strange
+visitations in their homes. Frogs hop about on tables
+and beds, and in extreme cases they even creep up the
+smooth walls of the room without falling. There are
+various kinds of omens, but all indicate that some
+misfortune threatens the house in question. Then the
+people living in it become terrified, slaughter a cow
+and offer it as a sacrifice. Thus the god is mollified
+and nothing further happens.</p>
+
+<p>In that part of the country there once lived a youth
+named Sia Kung-Schong. He was handsome and intelligent.
+When he was some six or seven years of
+age, a serving-maid dressed in green entered his home.
+She said that she was a messenger from the Frog King,
+and declared that the Frog King wished to have his
+daughter marry young Sia. Old Sia was an honest
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span>
+man, not very bright, and since this did not suit him,
+he declined the offer on the plea that his son was still
+too young to marry. In spite of this, however, he did
+not dare look about for another mate for him.</p>
+
+<p>Then a few years passed and the boy gradually
+grew up. A marriage between him and a certain Mistress
+Giang was decided upon.</p>
+
+<p>But the Frog King sent word to Mistress Giang:
+&ldquo;Young Sia is my son-in-law. How dare you undertake
+to lay claim to what does not belong to you!&rdquo;
+Then Father Giang was frightened, and took back his
+promise.</p>
+
+<p>This made Old Sia very sad. He prepared a sacrifice
+and went to his temple to pray. He explained that
+he felt unworthy of becoming the relation of a god.
+When he had finished praying a multitude of enormous
+maggots made their appearance in the sacrificial meat
+and wine, and crawled around. He poured them out,
+begged forgiveness, and returned home filled with evil
+forebodings. He did not know what more he could do,
+and had to let things take their course.</p>
+
+<p>One day young Sia went out into the street. A
+messenger stepped up to him and told him, on the part
+of the Frog King that the latter urgently requested
+Sia to come to him. There was no help for it; he
+had to follow the messenger. He led him through a
+red gateway into some magnificent, high-ceilinged
+rooms. In the great hall sat an ancient man who might
+have been some eighty years of age. Sia cast himself
+down on the ground before him in homage. The
+old man bade him rise, and assigned him a place at the
+table. Soon a number of girls and women came crowding
+in to look at him. Then the old man turned to them
+and said: &ldquo;Go to the room of the bride and tell her
+that the bridegroom has arrived!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span>
+Quickly a couple of maids ran away, and shortly
+after an old woman came from the inner apartments,
+leading a maiden by the hand, who might have been
+sixteen years of age, and was incomparably beautiful.
+The old man pointed to her and said: &ldquo;This is my
+tenth little daughter. It seemed to me that you would
+make a good pair. But your father has scorned us
+because of our difference in race. Yet one&rsquo;s marriage
+is a matter that is of life-long importance. Our parents
+can determine it only in part. In the end it rests
+mainly with one&rsquo;s self.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sia looked steadily at the girl, and a fondness for
+her grew in his heart. He sat there in silence. The
+old man continued: &ldquo;I knew very well that the young
+gentleman would agree. Go on ahead of us, and we
+will bring you your bride!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sia said he would, and hurried to inform his father.
+His father did not know what to do in his excitement.
+He suggested an excuse and wanted to send Sia back
+to decline his bride with thanks. But this Sia was not
+willing to do. While they were arguing the matter,
+the bride&rsquo;s carriage was already at the door. It was
+surrounded by a crowd of greencoats, and the lady
+entered the house, and bowed politely to her parents-in-law.
+When the latter saw her they were both pleased,
+and the wedding was announced for that very evening.</p>
+
+<p>The new couple lived in peace and good understanding.
+And after they had been married their divine
+parents-in-law often came to their house. When they
+appeared dressed in red, it meant that some good fortune
+was to befall them; when they came dressed in
+white, it signified that they were sure to make some
+gain. Thus, in the course of time, the family became
+wealthy.</p>
+
+<p>But since they had become related to the gods the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span>
+rooms, courtyards and all other places were always
+crowded with frogs. And no one ventured to harm
+them. Sia Kung-Schong alone was young and showed
+no consideration. When he was in good spirits he
+did not bother them, but when he got out of sorts he
+knew no mercy, and purposely stepped on them and
+killed them.</p>
+
+<p>In general his young wife was modest and obedient;
+yet she easily lost her temper. She could not approve
+her husband&rsquo;s conduct. But Sia would not do her the
+favor to give up his brutal habit. So she scolded him
+because of it and he grew angry.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you imagine,&rdquo; he told her, &ldquo;that because your
+parents can visit human beings with misfortune,
+that a real man would be afraid of a frog?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His wife carefully avoided uttering the word
+&ldquo;frog,&rdquo; hence his speech angered her and she said:
+&ldquo;Since I have dwelt in your house your fields have
+yielded larger crops, and you have obtained the highest
+selling prices. And that is something after all.
+But now, when young and old, you are comfortably
+established, you wish to act like the fledgling owl, who
+picks out his own mother&rsquo;s eyes as soon as he is able
+to fly!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sia then grew still more angry and answered:
+&ldquo;These gifts have been unwelcome to me for a long
+time, for I consider them unclean. I could never consent
+to leave such property to sons and grandsons.
+It would be better if we parted at once!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he bade his wife leave the house, and before his
+parents knew anything about it, she was gone. His
+parents scolded him and told him to go at once and
+bring her back. But he was filled with rage, and would
+not give in to them.</p>
+
+<p>That same night he and his mother fell sick. They
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span>
+felt weak and could not eat. The father, much worried,
+went to the temple to beg for pardon. And he prayed
+so earnestly that his wife and son recovered in three
+days&rsquo; time. And the Frog Princess also returned,
+and they lived together happily and contented as
+before.</p>
+
+<p>But the young woman sat in the house all day long,
+occupied solely with her ornaments and her rouge, and
+did not concern herself with sewing and stitching.
+So Sia Kung-Schong&rsquo;s mother still had to look out
+for her son&rsquo;s clothes.</p>
+
+<p>One day his mother was angry and said: &ldquo;My son
+has a wife, and yet I have to do all the work! In
+other homes the daughter-in-law serves her mother-in-law.
+But in our house the mother-in-law must serve
+the daughter-in-law.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This the princess accidentally heard. In she came,
+much excited, and began: &ldquo;Have I ever omitted, as
+is right and proper, to visit you morning and evening?
+My only fault is that I will not burden myself with all
+this toil for the sake of saving a trifling sum of money!&rdquo;
+The mother answered not a word, but wept bitterly and
+in silence because of the insult offered her.</p>
+
+<p>Her son came along and noticed that his mother
+had been weeping. He insisted on knowing the reason,
+and found out what had happened. Angrily he reproached
+his wife. She raised objections and did not
+wish to admit that she had been in the wrong. Finally
+Sia said: &ldquo;It is better to have no wife at all than one
+who gives her mother-in-law no pleasure. What can
+the old frog do to me after all, if I anger him, save
+call misfortunes upon me and take my life!&rdquo; So he
+once more drove his wife out of the house.</p>
+
+<p>The princess left her home and went away. The
+following day fire broke out in the house, and spread
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span>
+to several other buildings. Tables, beds, everything
+was burned.</p>
+
+<p>Sia, in a rage because of the fire, went to the temple
+to complain: &ldquo;To bring up a daughter in such a way
+that she does not please her parents-in-law shows that
+there is no discipline in a house. And now you even
+encourage her in her faults. It is said the gods are
+most just. Are there gods who teach men to fear
+their wives? Incidentally, the whole quarrel rests on
+me alone. My parents had nothing to do with it. If
+I was to be punished by the ax and cord, well and
+good. You could have carried out the punishment
+yourself. But this you did not do. So now I will
+burn your own house in order to satisfy my own sense
+of justice!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With these words he began piling up brush-wood
+before the temple, struck sparks and wanted to set it
+ablaze. The neighbors came streaming up, and
+pleaded with him. So he swallowed his rage and went
+home.</p>
+
+<p>When his parents heard of it, they grew pale with a
+great fear. But at night the god appeared to the people
+of a neighboring village, and ordered them to rebuild
+the house of his son-in-law. When day began to
+dawn they dragged up building-wood and the workmen
+all came in throngs to build for Sia. No matter what
+he said he could not prevent them. All day long hundreds
+of workmen were busy. And in the course of a
+few days all the rooms had been rebuilt, and all the
+utensils, curtains and furniture were there as before.
+And when the work had been completed the princess
+also returned. She climbed the stairs to the great
+room, and acknowledged her fault with many tender
+and loving words. Then she turned to Sia
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span>
+Kung-Schong, and smiled at him sideways. Instead of resentment
+joy now filled the whole house. And after
+that time the princess was especially peaceable. Two
+whole years passed without an angry word being said.</p>
+
+<p>But the princess had a great dislike for snakes.
+Once, by way of a joke, young Sia put a small snake into
+a parcel, which he gave her and told her to open.
+She turned pale and reproached him. Then Sia-Kung-Schong
+also took his jest seriously, and angry words
+passed.</p>
+
+<p>At last the princess said: &ldquo;This time I will not
+wait for you to turn me out. Now we are finally done
+with one another!&rdquo; And with that she walked out of
+the door.</p>
+
+<p>Father Sia grew very much alarmed, beat his son
+himself with his staff, and begged the god to be kind
+and forgive. Fortunately there were no evil consequences.
+All was quiet and not a sound was heard.</p>
+
+<p>Thus more than a year passed. Sia-Kung-Schong
+longed for the princess and took himself seriously to
+task. He would creep in secret to the temple of the
+god, and lament because he had lost the princess. But
+no voice answered him. And soon afterward he even
+heard that the god had betrothed his daughter to another
+man. Then he grew hopeless at heart, and
+thought of finding another wife for himself. Yet no
+matter how he searched he could find none who equalled
+the princess. This only increased his longing for her,
+and he went to the home of the Yuans, to a member of
+which family it was said she had been promised.
+There they had already painted the walls, and swept
+the courtyard, and all was in readiness to receive the
+bridal carriage. Sia was overcome with remorse and
+discontent. He no longer ate, and fell ill. His
+parents were quite stunned by the anxiety they felt on
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span>
+his account, and were incapable of helpful thought.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly while he was lying there only half-conscious,
+he felt some one stroke him, and heard a voice
+say: &ldquo;And how goes it with our real husband, who
+insisted on turning out his wife?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He opened his eyes and it was the princess.</p>
+
+<p>Full of joy he leaped up and said: &ldquo;How is it you
+have come back to me?&rdquo; The princess answered:
+&ldquo;To tell the truth, according to your own habit of
+treating people badly, I should have followed my
+father&rsquo;s advice and taken another husband. And, as
+a matter of fact, the wedding gifts of the Yuan family
+have been lying in my home for a long time. But I
+thought and thought and could not bring myself to do
+so. The wedding was to have been this evening and
+my father thought it shameful to have the wedding
+gifts carried back. So I took the things myself and
+placed them before the Yuan&rsquo;s door. When I went
+out my father ran out beside me: &lsquo;You insane girl,&rsquo; he
+said, &lsquo;so you will not listen to what I say! If you are
+ill-treated by Sia in the future I wash my hands of it.
+Even if they kill you you shall not come home to me
+again!&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Moved by her faithfulness the tears rolled from
+Sia&rsquo;s eyes. The servants, full of joy, hurried to the
+parents to acquaint them with the good news. And
+when they heard it they did not wait for the young
+people to come to them, but hastened themselves to
+their son&rsquo;s rooms, took the princess by the hand and
+wept. Young Sia, too, had become more settled by
+this time, and was no longer so mischievous. So he
+and his wife grew to love each other more sincerely
+day by day.</p>
+
+<p>Once the princess said to him: &ldquo;Formerly, when
+you always treated me so badly, I feared that we would
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span>
+not keep company into our old age. So I never asked
+heaven to send us a child. But now that all has
+changed, and I will beg the gods for a son.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And, sure enough, before long Sia&rsquo;s parents-in-law
+appeared in the house clad in red garments, and shortly
+after heaven sent the happy pair two sons instead of
+one.</p>
+
+<p>From that time on their intercourse with the Frog-King
+was never interrupted. When some one among
+the people had angered the god, he first tried to induce
+young Sia to speak for him, and sent his wife and
+daughter to the Frog Princess to implore her aid. And
+if the princess laughed, then all would be well.</p>
+
+<p>The Sia family has many descendants, whom the
+people call &ldquo;the little frog men.&rdquo; Those who are
+near them do not venture to call them by this name, but
+those standing further off do so.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;Little frog men,&rdquo; Wa Dsi, is the derogatory name
+which the North Chinese give the Chinese of the South on occasion.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span></p>
+
+<h3><a name="LXXIII" id="LXXIII"></a>LXXIII<br />
+<br />
+ROSE OF EVENING</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>N the fifth day of the fifth month the festival of
+the Dragon Junk is held along the Yangtze-kiang.
+A dragon is hollowed out of wood, painted with
+an armor of scales, and adorned with gold and bright
+colors. A carved red railing surrounds this ship,
+and its sails and flags are made of silks and brocade.
+The after part of the vessel is called the dragon&rsquo;s
+tail. It rises ten feet above the water, and a board
+which floats in the water is tied to it by means of a
+cloth. Upon this board sit boys who turn somersaults,
+stand on their heads, and perform all sorts of
+tricks. Yet, being so close to the water their danger
+is very great. It is the custom, therefore, when a boy
+is hired for this purpose, to give his parents money
+before he is trained. Then, if he falls into the water
+and is drowned, no one has him on their conscience.
+Farther South the custom differs in so much that instead
+of boys, beautiful girls are chosen for this purpose.</p>
+
+<p>In Dschen-Giang there once lived a widow named
+Dsiang, who had a son called Aduan. When he was
+no more than seven years of age he was extraordinarily
+skilful, and no other boy could equal him. And
+his reputation increasing as he grew, he earned more
+and more money. So it happened that he was still
+called upon at the Dragon Junk Festival when he was
+already sixteen.</p>
+
+<p>But one day he fell into the water below the Gold
+Island and was drowned. He was the only son of his
+mother, and she sorrowed over him, and that was the
+end of it.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span>
+Yet Aduan did not know that he had been drowned.
+He met two men who took him along with them, and he
+saw a new world in the midst of the waters of the Yellow
+River. When he looked around, the waves of the
+river towered steeply about him like walls, and a palace
+was visible, in which sat a man wearing armor and a
+helmet. His two companions said to him: &ldquo;That is
+the Prince of the Dragon&rsquo;s Cave!&rdquo; and bade him
+kneel.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince of the Dragon&rsquo;s Cave seemed to be of a
+mild and kindly disposition and said: &ldquo;We can make
+use of such a skilful lad. He may take part in the
+dance of the willow branches!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he was brought to a spot surrounded by extensive
+buildings. He entered, and was greeted by a crowd
+of boys who were all about fourteen years of age.</p>
+
+<p>An old woman came in and they all called out:
+&ldquo;This is Mother Hia!&rdquo; And she sat down and had
+Aduan show his tricks. Then she taught him the dance
+of the flying thunders of Tsian-Tang River, and the
+music that calms the winds on the sea of Dung-Ting.
+When the cymbals and kettledrums reechoed through
+all the courts, they deafened the ear. Then, again,
+all the courts would fall silent. Mother Hia thought
+that Aduan would not be able to grasp everything
+the very first time; so she taught him with great patience.
+But Aduan had understood everything from
+the first, and that pleased old Mother Hia. &ldquo;This
+boy,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;equals our own Rose of Evening!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The following day the Prince of the Dragon&rsquo;s Cave
+held a review of his dancers. When all the dancers
+had assembled, the dance of the Ogres was danced
+first. Those who performed it all wore devil-masks
+and garments of scales. They beat upon enormous
+cymbals, and their kettledrums were so large that
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span>
+four men could just about span them. Their sound was
+like the sound of a mighty thunder, and the noise was
+so great that nothing else could be heard. When the
+dance began, tremendous waves spouted up to the very
+skies, and then fell down again like star-glimmer which
+scatters in the air.</p>
+
+<p>The Prince of the Dragon Cave hastily bade the
+dance cease, and had the dancers of the nightingale
+round step forth. These were all lovely young girls
+of sixteen. They made a delicate music with flutes, so
+that the breeze blew and the roaring of the waves was
+stilled in a moment. The water gradually became as
+quiet as a crystal world, transparent to its lowest
+depths. When the nightingale dancers had finished,
+they withdrew and posted themselves in the western
+courtyard.</p>
+
+<p>Then came the turn of the swallow dancers. These
+were all little girls. One among them, who was about
+fifteen years of age, danced the dance of the giving of
+flowers with flying sleeves and waving locks. And
+as their garments fluttered, many-colored flowers
+dropped from their folds, and were caught up by the
+wind and whirled about the whole courtyard. When
+the dance had ended, this dancer also went off with the
+rest of the girls to the western courtyard. Aduan
+looked at her from out the corner of his eye, and fell
+deeply in love with her. He asked his comrades who
+she might be and they told him she was named &ldquo;Rose
+of Evening.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the willow-spray dancers were now called out.
+The Prince of the Dragon Cave was especially desirous
+of testing Aduan. So Aduan danced alone, and he
+danced with joy or defiance according to the music.
+When he looked up and when he looked down his glances
+held the beat of the measure. The Dragon Prince,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span>
+enchanted with his skill, presented him with a garment
+of five colors, and gave him a carbuncle set in golden
+threads of fish-beard for a hair-jewel. Aduan bowed
+his thanks for the gift, and then also hastened to the
+western courtyard. There all the dancers stood in
+rank and file. Aduan could only look at Rose of Evening
+from a distance, but still Rose of Evening returned
+his glances.</p>
+
+<p>After a time Aduan gradually slipped to the end of
+his file and Rose of Evening also drew near to him,
+so that they stood only a few feet away from each
+other. But the strict rules allowed no confusion in
+the ranks, so they could only gaze and let their souls
+go out to each other.</p>
+
+<p>Now the butterfly dance followed the others. This
+was danced by the boys and girls together, and the
+pairs were equal in size, age and the color of their
+garments. When all the dances had ended, the
+dancers marched out with the goose-step. The willow-spray
+dancers followed the swallow dancers, and
+Aduan hastened in advance of his company, while
+Rose of Evening lingered along after hers. She
+turned her head, and when she spied Aduan she purposely
+let a coral pin fall from her hair. Aduan
+hastily hid it in his sleeve.</p>
+
+<p>When he had returned, he was sick with longing,
+and could neither eat nor sleep. Mother Hia brought
+him all sorts of dainties, looked after him three or
+four times a day, and stroked his forehead with loving
+care. But his illness did not yield in the least. Mother
+Hia was unhappy, and yet helpless.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The birthday of the King of the Wu River is at
+hand,&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;What is to be done?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In the twilight there came a boy, who sat down on
+the edge of Aduan&rsquo;s bed and chatted with him. He
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span>
+belonged to the butterfly dancers, said he, and asked
+casually: &ldquo;Are you sick because of Rose of Evening?&rdquo;
+Aduan, frightened, asked him how he came to
+guess it. The other boy said, with a smile: &ldquo;Well,
+because Rose of Evening is in the same case as yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Disconcerted, Aduan sat up and begged the boy to
+advise him. &ldquo;Are you able to walk?&rdquo; asked the latter.
+&ldquo;If I exert myself,&rdquo; said Aduan, &ldquo;I think I could
+manage it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the boy led him to the South. There he opened a
+gate and they turned the corner, to the West. Once
+more the doors of the gate flew open, and now Aduan
+saw a lotus field about twenty acres in size. The lotus
+flowers were all growing on level earth, and their leaves
+were as large as mats and their flowers like umbrellas.
+The fallen blossoms covered the ground beneath the
+stalks to the depth of a foot or more. The boy led
+Aduan in and said, &ldquo;Now first of all sit down for a
+little while!&rdquo; Then he went away.</p>
+
+<p>After a time a beautiful girl thrust aside the lotus
+flowers and came into the open. It was Rose of Evening.
+They looked at each other with happy timidity,
+and each told how each had longed for the other.
+And they also told each other of their former life.
+Then they weighted the lotus-leaves with stones so that
+they made a cozy retreat, in which they could be together,
+and promised to meet each other there every
+evening. And then they parted.</p>
+
+<p>Aduan came back and his illness left him. From
+that time on he met Rose of Evening every day in
+the lotus field.</p>
+
+<p>After a few days had passed they had to accompany
+the Prince of the Dragon Cave to the birthday festival
+of the King of the Wu River. The festival came to an
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span>
+end, and all the dancers returned home. Only, the
+King had kept back Rose of Evening and one of the
+nightingale dancers to teach the girls in his castle.</p>
+
+<p>Months passed and no news came from Rose of Evening,
+so that Aduan went about full of longing and despair.
+Now Mother Hia went every day to the castle
+of the god of the Wu River. So Aduan told her that
+Rose of Evening was his cousin, and entreated her to
+take him along with her so that he could at least see
+her a single time. So she took him along, and let him
+stay at the lodge-house of the river-god for a few days.
+But the indwellers of the castle were so strictly watched
+that he could not see Rose of Evening even a single
+time. Sadly Aduan went back again.</p>
+
+<p>Another month passed and Aduan, filled with gloomy
+thoughts, wished that death might be his portion.</p>
+
+<p>One day Mother Hia came to him full of pity, and
+began to sympathize with him. &ldquo;What a shame,&rdquo;
+said she, &ldquo;that Rose of Evening has cast herself into
+the river!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Aduan was extremely frightened, and his tears flowed
+resistlessly. He tore his beautiful garments, took
+his gold and his pearls, and went out with the sole idea
+of following his beloved in death. Yet the waters of
+the river stood up before him like walls, and no matter
+how often he ran against them, head down, they always
+flung him back.</p>
+
+<p>He did not dare return, since he feared he might be
+questioned about his festival garments, and severely
+punished because he had ruined them. So he stood
+there and knew not what to do, while the perspiration
+ran down to his ankles. Suddenly, at the foot of the
+water-wall he saw a tall tree. Like a monkey he
+climbed up to its very top, and then, with all his
+might, he shot into the waves.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span>
+And then, without being wet, he found himself suddenly
+swimming on the surface of the river. Unexpectedly
+the world of men rose up once more before
+his dazzled eyes. He swam to the shore, and as he
+walked along the river-bank, his thoughts went back
+to his old mother. He took a ship and traveled home.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached the village, it seemed to him as
+though all the houses in it belonged to another world.
+The following morning he entered his mother&rsquo;s house,
+and as he did so, heard a girl&rsquo;s voice beneath the window
+saying: &ldquo;Your son has come back again!&rdquo; The
+voice sounded like the voice of Rose of Evening, and
+when she came to greet him at his mother&rsquo;s side, sure
+enough, it was Rose of Evening herself.</p>
+
+<p>And in that hour the joy of these two who were so
+fond of each other overcame all their sorrow. But in
+the mother&rsquo;s mind sorrow and doubt, terror and joy
+mingled in constant succession in a thousand different
+ways.</p>
+
+<p>When Rose of Evening had been in the palace of the
+river-king, and had come to realize that she would never
+see Aduan again, she determined to die, and flung herself
+into the waters of the stream. But she was carried
+to the surface, and the waves carried and cradled her
+till a ship came by and took her aboard. They asked
+whence she came. Now Rose of Evening had originally
+been a celebrated singing girl of Wu, who had
+fallen into the river and whose body had never been
+found. So she thought to herself that, after all, she
+could not return to her old life again. So she answered:
+&ldquo;Madame Dsiang, in Dschen-Giang is my
+mother-in-law.&rdquo; Then the travelers took passage
+for her in a ship which brought her to the place she
+had mentioned. The widow Dsiang first said she must
+be mistaken, but the girl insisted that there was no
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span>
+mistake, and told Aduan&rsquo;s mother her whole story.
+Yet, though the latter was charmed by her surpassing
+loveliness, she feared that Rose of Evening was too
+young to live a widow&rsquo;s life. But the girl was respectful
+and industrious, and when she saw that poverty
+ruled in her new home, she took her pearls and sold
+them for a high price. Aduan&rsquo;s old mother was
+greatly pleased to see how seriously the girl took her
+duties.</p>
+
+<p>Now that Aduan had returned again Rose of Evening
+could not control her joy. And even Aduan&rsquo;s old
+mother cherished the hope that, after all, perhaps her
+son had not died. She secretly dug up her son&rsquo;s
+grave, yet all his bones were still lying in it. So she
+questioned Aduan. And then, for the first time, the
+latter realized that he was a departed spirit. Then
+he feared that Rose of Evening might regard him with
+disgust because he was no longer a human being. So
+he ordered his mother on no account to speak of it,
+and this his mother promised. Then she spread the
+report in the village that the body which had been
+found in the river had not been that of her son at all.
+Yet she could not rid herself of the fear that, since
+Aduan was a departed spirit, heaven might refuse to
+send him a child.</p>
+
+<p>In spite of her fear, however, she was able to hold a
+grandson in her arms in course of time. When she
+looked at him, he was no different from other children,
+and then her cup of joy was filled to overflowing.</p>
+
+<p>Rose of Evening gradually became aware of the fact
+that Aduan was not really a human being. &ldquo;Why did
+you not tell me at once?&rdquo; said she. &ldquo;Departed spirits
+who wear the garments of the dragon castle, surround
+themselves with a soul-casing so heavy in texture that
+they can no longer be distinguished from the living.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span>
+And if one can obtain the lime made of dragon-horn
+which is in the castle, then the bones may be glued
+together in such wise that flesh and blood will grow
+over them again. What a pity that we could not obtain
+the lime while we were there!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Aduan sold his pearl, for which a merchant from
+foreign parts gave him an enormous sum. Thus his
+family grew very wealthy. Once, on his mother&rsquo;s
+birthday, he danced with his wife and sang, in order to
+please her. The news reached the castle of the Dragon
+Prince and he thought to carry off Rose of Evening
+by force. But Aduan, alarmed, went to the Prince,
+and declared that both he and his wife were departed
+spirits. They examined him and since he cast no
+shadow, his word was taken, and he was not robbed of
+Rose of Evening.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: &ldquo;Rose of Evening&rdquo; is one of the most idyllic of Chinese
+art fairy-tales. The idea that the departed spirit throws no
+shadow has analogies in Norse and other European fairy-tales.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h3><a name="LXXIV" id="LXXIV"></a>LXXIV<br />
+<br />
+THE APE SUN WU KUNG</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">F</span>AR, far away to the East, in the midst of the Great
+Sea there is an island called the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits. And on this mountain there is a
+high rock. Now this rock, from the very beginning of
+the world, had absorbed all the hidden seed power of
+heaven and earth and sun and moon, which endowed
+it with supernatural creative gifts. One day the rock
+burst, and out came an egg of stone. And out of this
+stone egg a stone ape was hatched by magic power.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span>
+When he broke the shell he bowed to all sides. Then
+he gradually learned to walk and to leap, and two
+streams of golden radiance broke from his eyes which
+shot up to the highest of the castles of heaven, so that
+the Lord of the Heavens was frightened. So he sent
+out the two gods, Thousandmile-Eye and Fine-Ear,
+to find out what had happened. The two gods came
+back and reported: &ldquo;The rays shine from the eyes of
+the stone ape who was hatched out of the egg which
+came from the magic rock. There is no reason for
+uneasiness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little by little the ape grew up, ran and leaped about,
+drank from the springs in the valleys, ate the flowers
+and fruits, and time went by in unconstrained play.</p>
+
+<p>One day, during the summer, when he was seeking
+coolness, together with the other apes on the island,
+they went to the valley to bathe. There they saw a
+waterfall which plunged down a high cliff. Said the
+apes to each other: &ldquo;Whoever can force his way
+through the waterfall, without suffering injury, shall be
+our king.&rdquo; The stone ape at once leaped into the air
+with joy and cried: &ldquo;I will pass through!&rdquo; Then he
+closed his eyes, bent down low and leaped through the
+roar and foam of the waters. When he opened his eyes
+once more he saw an iron bridge, which was shut off
+from the outer world by the waterfall as though by a
+curtain.</p>
+
+<p>At its entrance stood a tablet of stone on which were
+graven the words: &ldquo;This is the heavenly cave behind
+the water-curtain on the Blessed Island of Flowers and
+Fruits.&rdquo; Filled with joy, the stone ape leaped out
+again through the waterfall and told the other apes
+what he had found. They received the news with great
+content, and begged the stone ape to take them there.
+So the tribe of apes leaped through the water on the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span>
+iron bridge, and then crowded into the cave castle
+where they found a hearth with a profusion of pots,
+cups and platters. But all were made of stone. Then
+the apes paid homage to the stone ape as their king, and
+he was given the name of Handsome King of the Apes.
+He appointed long-tailed, ring-tailed and other monkeys
+to be his officials and counselors, servants and
+retainers, and they led a blissful life on the Mountain,
+sleeping by night in their cave castle, keeping away
+from birds and beasts, and their king enjoyed untroubled
+happiness. In this way some three hundred
+years went by.</p>
+
+<p>One day, when the King of the Apes sat with his
+subjects at a merry meal, he suddenly began to weep.
+Frightened, the apes asked him why he so suddenly
+grew sad amid all his bliss. Said the King: &ldquo;It is
+true that we are not subject to the law and rule of man,
+that birds and beasts do not dare attack us, yet little
+by little we grow old and weak, and some day the hour
+will strike when Death, the Ancient, will drag us off!
+Then we are gone in a moment, and can no longer dwell
+upon earth!&rdquo; When the apes heard these words, they
+hid their faces and sobbed. But an old ape, whose
+arms were connected in such a way that he could add
+the length of one to that of the other, stepped forth
+from the ranks. In a loud tone of voice he said: &ldquo;That
+you have hit upon this thought, O King, shows the desire
+to search for truth has awakened you! Among all
+living creatures, there are but three kinds who are
+exempt from Death&rsquo;s power: the Buddhas, the blessed
+spirits and the gods. Whoever attains one of these
+three grades escapes the rod of re-birth, and lives as
+long as the Heavens themselves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The King of the Apes said: &ldquo;Where do these three
+kinds of beings live?&rdquo; And the old ape replied:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span>
+&ldquo;They live in caves and on holy mountains in the great
+world of mortals.&rdquo; The King was pleased when he
+heard this, and told his apes that he was going to seek
+out gods and sainted spirits in order to learn the road
+to immortality from them. The apes dragged up
+peaches and other fruits and sweet wine to celebrate
+the parting banquet, and all made merry together.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning the Handsome King of the
+Apes rose very early, built him a raft of old pine trees
+and took a bamboo staff for a pole. Then he climbed
+on the raft, quite alone, and poled his way through
+the Great Sea. Wind and waves were favorable and
+he reached Asia. There he went ashore. On the
+strand he met a fisherman. He at once stepped up to
+him, knocked him down, tore off his clothes and put
+them on himself. Then he wandered around and visited
+all famous spots, went into the market-places, the
+densely populated cities, learned how to conduct himself
+properly, and how to speak and act like a well-bred
+human being. Yet his heart was set on learning
+the teaching of the Buddhas, the blessed spirits and
+the holy gods. But the people of the country in which
+he was were only concerned with honors and wealth.
+Not one of them seemed to care for life. Thus he
+went about until nine years had passed by unnoticed.
+Then he came to the strand of the Western Sea and it
+occurred to him: &ldquo;No doubt there are gods and saints
+on the other side of the sea!&rdquo; So he built another
+raft, floated it over the Western Sea and reached the
+land of the West. There he let his raft drift, and went
+ashore. After he had searched for many days, he suddenly
+saw a high mountain with deep, quiet valleys.
+As the Ape King went toward it, he heard a man singing
+in the woods, and the song sounded like one the
+blessed spirits might sing. So he hastily entered the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span>
+wood to see who might be singing. There he met a
+wood-chopper at work. The Ape King bowed to him
+and said: &ldquo;Venerable, divine master, I fall down and
+worship at your feet!&rdquo; Said the wood-chopper: &ldquo;I
+am only a workman; why do you call me divine master?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Then, if you are no blessed god, how comes it
+you sing that divine song?&rdquo; The wood-chopper
+laughed and said: &ldquo;You are at home in music. The
+song I was singing was really taught me by a saint.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;If you are acquainted with a saint,&rdquo; said the Ape
+King, &ldquo;he surely cannot live far from here. I beg of
+you to show me the way to his dwelling.&rdquo; The wood-chopper
+replied: &ldquo;It is not far from here. This
+mountain is known as the Mountain of the Heart. In
+it is a cave where dwells a saint who is called &lsquo;The
+Discerner.&rsquo; The number of his disciples who have
+attained blessedness is countless. He still has some
+thirty to forty disciples gathered about him. You
+need only follow this path which leads to the South,
+and you cannot miss his dwelling.&rdquo; The Ape King
+thanked the wood-chopper and, sure enough, he came
+to the cave which the latter had described to him. The
+gate was locked and he did not venture to knock. So
+he leaped up into a pine tree, picked pine-cones and
+devoured the seed. Before long one of the saint&rsquo;s
+disciples came and opened the door and said: &ldquo;What
+sort of a beast is it that is making such a noise?&rdquo; The
+Ape King leaped down from his tree, bowed, and said:
+&ldquo;I have come in search of truth. I did not venture to
+knock.&rdquo; Then the disciple had to laugh and said:
+&ldquo;Our master was seated lost in meditation, when he
+told me to lead in the seeker after truth who stood
+without the gate, and here you really are. Well, you
+may come along with me!&rdquo; The Ape King smoothed
+his clothes, put his hat on straight, and stepped in. A
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span>
+long passage led past magnificent buildings and quiet
+hidden huts to the place where the master was sitting
+upright on a seat of white marble. At his right and
+left stood his disciples, ready to serve him. The Ape
+King flung himself down on the ground and greeted the
+master humbly. In answer to his questions he told him
+how he had found his way to him. And when he was
+asked his name, he said: &ldquo;I have no name. I am the
+ape who came out of the stone.&rdquo; So the master said:
+&ldquo;Then I will give you a name. I name you Sun Wu
+Kung.&rdquo; The Ape King thanked him, full of joy, and
+thereafter he was called Sun Wu Kung. The master
+ordered his oldest disciple to instruct Sun Wu Kung in
+sweeping and cleaning, in going in and out, in good
+manners, how to labor in the field and how to water
+the gardens. In the course of time he learned to write,
+to burn incense and read the sutras. And in this way
+some six or seven years went by.</p>
+
+<p>One day the master ascended the seat from which he
+taught, and began to speak regarding the great truth.
+Sun Wu Kung understood the hidden meaning of his
+words, and commenced to jerk about and dance in his
+joy. The master reproved him: &ldquo;Sun Wu Kung,
+you have still not laid aside your wild nature! What
+do you mean by carrying on in such an unfitting manner?&rdquo;
+Sun Wu Kung bowed and answered: &ldquo;I was
+listening attentively to you when the meaning of your
+words was disclosed to my heart, and without thinking
+I began to dance for joy. I was not giving way to my
+wild nature.&rdquo; Said the master: &ldquo;If your spirit has
+really awakened, then I will announce the great truth
+to you. But there are three hundred and sixty ways
+by means of which one may reach this truth. Which
+way shall I teach you?&rdquo; Said Sun Wu Kung:
+&ldquo;Whichever you will, O Master!&rdquo; Then the Master
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span>
+asked: &ldquo;Shall I teach you the way of magic?&rdquo;
+Said Sun Wu Kung: &ldquo;What does magic teach one?&rdquo;
+The Master replied: &ldquo;It teaches one to raise up spirits,
+to question oracles, and to foretell fortune and
+misfortune.&rdquo; &ldquo;Can one secure eternal life by means
+of it?&rdquo; inquired Sun Wu Kung. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; was the answer.
+&ldquo;Then I will not learn it.&rdquo; &ldquo;Shall I teach you
+the sciences?&rdquo; &ldquo;What are the sciences?&rdquo; &ldquo;They
+are the nine schools of the three faiths. You learn
+how to read the holy books, pronounce incantations,
+commune with the gods, and call the saints to you.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Can one gain eternal life by means of them?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;No.&rdquo; &ldquo;Then I will not learn them.&rdquo; &ldquo;The way of
+repose is a very good way.&rdquo; &ldquo;What is the way of
+repose?&rdquo; &ldquo;It teaches how to live without nourishment,
+how to remain quiescent in silent purity, and sit
+lost in meditation.&rdquo; &ldquo;Can one gain eternal life in
+this way?&rdquo; &ldquo;No.&rdquo; &ldquo;Then I will not learn it.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;The way of deeds is also a good way.&rdquo; &ldquo;What does
+that teach?&rdquo; &ldquo;It teaches one to equalize the vital
+powers, to practise bodily exercise, to prepare the
+elixir of life and to hold one&rsquo;s breath.&rdquo; &ldquo;Will it give
+one eternal life?&rdquo; &ldquo;Not so.&rdquo; &ldquo;Then I will not
+learn it! I will not learn it!&rdquo; Thereupon the Master
+pretended to be angry, leaped down from his stand,
+took his cane and scolded: &ldquo;What an ape! This he
+will not learn, and that he will not learn! What are
+you waiting to learn, then?&rdquo; With that he gave him
+three blows across the head, retired to his inner chamber,
+and closed the great door after him.</p>
+
+<p>The disciples were greatly excited, and overwhelmed
+Sun Wu Kung with reproaches. Yet the latter paid
+no attention to them, but smiled quietly to himself, for
+he had understood the riddle which the Master had
+given him to solve. And in his heart he thought:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span>
+&ldquo;His striking me over the head three times meant that
+I was to be ready at the third watch of the night. His
+withdrawing to his inner chamber and closing the great
+door after him, meant that I was to go in to him by the
+back door, and that he would make clear the great
+truth to me in secret.&rdquo; Accordingly he waited until
+evening, and made a pretense of lying down to sleep
+with the other disciples. But when the third watch of
+the night had come he rose softly and crept to the back
+door. Sure enough it stood ajar. He slipped in and
+stepped before the Master&rsquo;s bed. The Master was
+sleeping with his face turned toward the wall, and the
+ape did not venture to wake him, but knelt down in
+front of the bed. After a time the Master turned around
+and hummed a stanza to himself:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;A hard, hard grind,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Truth&rsquo;s lesson to expound.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">One talks oneself deaf, dumb and blind,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Unless the right man&rsquo;s found.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then Sun Wu Kung replied: &ldquo;I am waiting here
+reverentially!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Master flung on his clothes, sat up in bed and
+said harshly: &ldquo;Accursed ape! Why are you not
+asleep? What are you doing here?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung answered: &ldquo;Yet you pointed out to
+me yesterday that I was to come to you at the third
+watch of the night, by the back door, in order to be instructed
+in the truth. Therefore I have ventured to
+come. If you will teach me in the fulness of your
+grace, I will be eternally grateful to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Thought the Master to himself: &ldquo;There is real intelligence
+in this ape&rsquo;s head, to have made him understand
+me so well.&rdquo; Then he replied: &ldquo;Sun Wu
+Kung, it shall be granted you! I will speak freely
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span>
+with you. Come quite close to me, and then I will show
+you the way to eternal life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that he murmured into his ear a divine, magical
+incantation to further the concentration of his
+vital powers, and explained the hidden knowledge word
+for word. Sun Wu Kung listened to him eagerly, and
+in a short time had learned it by heart. Then he
+thanked his teacher, went out again and lay down to
+sleep. From that time forward he practised the right
+mode of breathing, kept guard over his soul and spirit,
+and tamed the natural instincts of his heart. And
+while he did so three more years passed by. Then the
+task was completed.</p>
+
+<p>One day the Master said to him: &ldquo;Three great
+dangers still threaten you. Every one who wishes to
+accomplish something out of the ordinary is exposed to
+them, for he is pursued by the envy of demons and
+spirits. And only those who can overcome these three
+great dangers live as long as the heavens.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Sun Wu Kung was frightened and asked: &ldquo;Is
+there any means of protection against these dangers?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Master again murmured a secret incantation
+into his ear, by means of which he gained the
+power to transform himself seventy-two times.</p>
+
+<p>And when no more than a few days had passed Sun
+Wu Kung had learned the art.</p>
+
+<p>One day the Master was walking before the cave in
+the company of his disciples. He called Sun Wu
+Kung up to him and asked: &ldquo;What progress have
+you made with your art? Can you fly already?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, indeed,&rdquo; said the ape.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then let me see you do so.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ape leaped into the air to a distance of five or
+six feet from the ground. Clouds formed beneath his
+feet, and he was able to walk on them for several
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span>
+hundred yards. Then he was forced to drop down to earth
+again.</p>
+
+<p>The Master said with a smile: &ldquo;I call that crawling
+around on the clouds, not floating on them, as do
+the gods and saints who fly over the whole world in a
+single day. I will teach you the magic incantation for
+turning somersaults on the clouds. If you turn one of
+those somersaults you advance eighteen thousand miles
+at a clip.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung thanked him, full of joy, and from that
+time on he was able to move without limitation of space
+in any direction.</p>
+
+<p>One day Sun Wu Kung was sitting together with the
+other disciples under the pine-tree by the gate, discussing
+the secrets of their teachings. Finally they asked
+him to show them some of his transforming arts. Sun
+Wu Kung could not keep his secret to himself, and
+agreed to do so.</p>
+
+<p>With a smile he said: &ldquo;Just set me a task! What
+do you wish me to change myself into?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They said: &ldquo;Turn yourself into a pine-tree.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Sun Wu Kung murmured a magic incantation,
+turned around&mdash;and there stood a pine-tree before
+their very eyes. At this they all broke out into a
+horse-laugh. The Master heard the noise and came
+out of the gate, dragging his cane behind him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why are you making such a noise?&rdquo; he called out
+to them harshly.</p>
+
+<p>Said they: &ldquo;Sun Wu Kung has turned himself into
+a pine-tree, and this made us laugh.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sun Wu Kung, come here!&rdquo; said the Master.
+&ldquo;Now just tell me what tricks you are up to? Why
+do you have to turn yourself into a pine-tree? All the
+work you have done means nothing more to you than a
+chance to make magic for your companions to wonder
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span>
+at. That shows that your heart is not yet under control.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Humbly Sun Wu Kung begged his forgiveness.</p>
+
+<p>But the Master said: &ldquo;I bear you no ill will, but
+you must go away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With tears in his eyes Sun Wu Kung asked him:
+&ldquo;But where shall I go?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must go back again whence you came,&rdquo; said
+the Master. And when Sun Wu Kung sadly bade him
+farewell, he threatened him: &ldquo;Your savage nature
+is sure to bring down evil upon you some time. You
+must tell no one that you are my pupil. If you so
+much as breathe a word about it, I will fetch your soul
+and lock it up in the nethermost hell, so that you cannot
+escape for a thousand eternities.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung replied: &ldquo;I will not say a word! I
+will not say a word!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he once more thanked him for all the kindness
+shown him, turned a somersault and climbed up to the
+clouds.</p>
+
+<p>Within the hour he had passed the seas, and saw the
+Mountain of Flowers and Fruits lying before him.
+Then he felt happy and at home again, let his cloud
+sink down to earth and cried: &ldquo;Here I am back again,
+children!&rdquo; And at once, from the valley, from behind
+the rocks, out of the grass and from amid the trees
+came his apes. They came running up by thousands,
+surrounded and greeted him, and inquired as to his
+adventures. Sun Wu Kung said: &ldquo;I have now found
+the way to eternal life, and need fear Death the
+Ancient no longer.&rdquo; Then all the apes were overjoyed,
+and competed with each other in bringing
+flowers and fruits, peaches and wine, to welcome him.
+And again they honored Sun Wu Kung as the Handsome
+Ape King.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span>
+Sun Wu Kung now gathered the apes about him and
+questioned them as to how they had fared during his
+absence.</p>
+
+<p>Said they: &ldquo;It is well that you have come back
+again, great king! Not long ago a devil came here
+who wanted to take possession of our cave by force.
+We fought with him, but he dragged away many of
+your children and will probably soon return.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung grew very angry and said: &ldquo;What
+sort of a devil is this who dares be so impudent?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The apes answered: &ldquo;He is the Devil-King of
+Chaos. He lives in the North, who knows how many
+miles away. We only saw him come and go amid
+clouds and mist.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung said: &ldquo;Wait, and I will see to him!&rdquo;
+With that he turned a somersault and disappeared
+without a trace.</p>
+
+<p>In the furthest North rises a high mountain, upon
+whose slope is a cave above which is the inscription:
+&ldquo;The Cave of the Kidneys.&rdquo; Before the door little
+devils were dancing. Sun Wu Kung called harshly
+to them: &ldquo;Tell your Devil-King quickly that he had
+better give me my children back again!&rdquo; The little
+devils were frightened, and delivered the message in
+the cave. Then the Devil-King reached for his sword
+and came out. But he was so large and broad that he
+could not even see Sun Wu Kung. He was clad from
+head to foot in black armor, and his face was as black
+as the bottom of a kettle. Sun Wu Kung shouted at
+him: &ldquo;Accursed devil, where are your eyes, that you
+cannot see the venerable Sun?&rdquo; Then the devil looked
+to the ground and saw a stone ape standing before him,
+bare-headed, dressed in red, with a yellow girdle and
+black boots. So the Devil-King laughed and said:
+&ldquo;You are not even four feet high, less than thirty years
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span>
+of age, and weaponless, and yet you venture to make
+such a commotion.&rdquo; Said Sun Wu Kung: &ldquo;I am not
+too small for you; and I can make myself large at will.
+You scorn me because I am without a weapon, but my
+two fists can thresh to the very skies.&rdquo; With that he
+stooped, clenched his fists and began to give the devil
+a beating. The devil was large and clumsy, but Sun
+Wu Kung leaped about nimbly. He struck him between
+the ribs and between the wind and his blows fell
+ever more fast and furious. In his despair the devil
+raised his great knife and aimed a blow at Sun Wu
+Kung&rsquo;s head. But the latter avoided the blow, and
+fell back on his magic powers of transformation. He
+pulled out a hair, put it in his mouth, chewed it, spat
+it out into the air and said: &ldquo;Transform yourself!&rdquo;
+And at once it turned into many hundreds of little apes
+who began to attack the devil. Sun Wu Kung, be it
+said, had eighty-four thousand hairs on his body, every
+single one of which he could transform. The little
+apes with their sharp eyes, leaped around with the
+greatest rapidity. They surrounded the Devil-King
+on all sides, tore at his clothes, and pulled at his legs,
+until he finally measured his length on the ground.
+Then Sun Wu Kung stepped up, tore his knife from
+his hand, and put an end to him. After that he entered
+the cave and released his captive children, the
+apes. The transformed hairs he drew to him again,
+and making a fire, he burned the evil cave to the
+ground. Then he gathered up those he had released,
+and flew back with them like a storm-wind to his cavern
+on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, joyfully
+greeted by all the apes.</p>
+
+<p>After Sun Wu Kung had obtained possession of the
+Devil-King&rsquo;s great knife, he exercised his apes every
+day. They had wooden swords and lances of bamboo,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span>
+and played their martial music on reed pipes. He had
+them build a camp so that they would be prepared for
+all dangers. Suddenly the thought came to Sun Wu
+Kung: &ldquo;If we go on this way, perhaps we may incite
+some human or animal king to fight with us, and then
+we would not be able to withstand him with our wooden
+swords and bamboo lances!&rdquo; And to his apes he
+said: &ldquo;What should be done?&rdquo; Four baboons
+stepped forward and said: &ldquo;In the capital city of the
+Aulai empire there are warriors without number. And
+there coppersmiths and steelsmiths are also to be
+found. How would it be if we were to buy steel and
+iron and have those smiths weld weapons for us?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A somersault and Sun Wu Kung was standing before
+the city moat. Said he to himself: &ldquo;To first
+buy the weapons would take a great deal of time. I
+would rather make magic and take some.&rdquo; So he blew
+on the ground. Then a tremendous storm-wind arose
+which drove sand and stones before it, and caused all
+the soldiers in the city to run away in terror. Then
+Sun Wu Kung went to the armory, pulled out one of
+his hairs, turned it into thousands of little apes,
+cleared out the whole supply of weapons, and flew back
+home on a cloud.</p>
+
+<p>Then he gathered his people about him and counted
+them. In all they numbered seventy-seven thousand.
+They held the whole Mountain in terror, and all the
+magic beasts and spirit princes who dwelt on it. And
+these came forth from seventy-two caves and honored
+Sun Wu Kung as their head.</p>
+
+<p>One day the Ape King said: &ldquo;Now you all have
+weapons; but this knife which I took from the Devil-King
+is too light, and no longer suits me. What should
+be done?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the four baboons stepped forward and said:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span>
+&ldquo;In view of your spirit powers, O king, you will find
+no weapon fit for your use on all the earth! Is it possible
+for you to walk through the water?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Ape King answered: &ldquo;All the elements are
+subject to me and there is no place where I cannot go.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the baboons said: &ldquo;The water at our cave
+here flows into the Great Sea, to the castle of the Dragon-King
+of the Eastern Sea. If your magic power
+makes it possible, you could go to the Dragon-King and
+let him give you a weapon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This suited the Ape King. He leaped on the iron
+bridge and murmured an incantation. Then he flung
+himself into the waves, which parted before him and
+ran on till he came to the palace of water-crystal.
+There he met a Triton who asked who he was. He mentioned
+his name and said: &ldquo;I am the Dragon-King&rsquo;s
+nearest neighbor, and have come to visit him.&rdquo; The
+Triton took the message to the castle, and the Dragon-King
+of the Eastern Sea came out hastily to receive
+him. He bade him be seated and served him with tea.</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung said: &ldquo;I have learned the hidden
+knowledge and gained the powers of immortality. I
+have drilled my apes in the art of warfare in order
+to protect our mountain; but I have no weapon I can
+use, and have therefore come to you to borrow one.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dragon-King now had General Flounder bring
+him a great spear. But Sun Wu Kung was not satisfied
+with it. Then he ordered Field-Marshal Eel to
+fetch in a nine-tined fork, which weighed three thousand
+six hundred pounds. But Sun Wu Kung balanced
+it in his hand and said: &ldquo;Too light! Too light!
+Too light!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Dragon-King was frightened, and had the
+heaviest weapon in his armory brought in. It weighed
+seven thousand two hundred pounds. But this was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span>
+still too light for Sun Wu Kung. The Dragon-King
+assured him that he had nothing heavier, but Sun Wu
+Kung would not give in and said: &ldquo;Just look around!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Finally the Dragon-Queen and her daughter came
+out, and said to the Dragon-King: &ldquo;This saint is an
+unpleasant customer with whom to deal. The great
+iron bar is still lying here in our sea; and not so long
+ago it shone with a red glow, which is probably a sign
+it is time for it to be taken away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the Dragon-King: &ldquo;But that is the rod which
+the Great Yu used when he ordered the waters, and
+determined the depth of the seas and rivers. It cannot
+be taken away.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dragon-Queen replied: &ldquo;Just let him see it!
+What he then does with it is no concern of ours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Dragon-King led Sun Wu Kung to the measuring
+rod. The golden radiance that came from it
+could be seen some distance off. It was an enormous
+iron bar, with golden clamps on either side.</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung raised it with the exertion of all his
+strength, and then said: &ldquo;It is too heavy, and ought
+to be somewhat shorter and thinner!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had he said this than the iron rod grew
+less. He tried it again, and then he noticed that it
+grew larger or smaller at command. It could be made
+to shrink to the size of a pin. Sun Wu Kung was overjoyed
+and beat about in the sea with the rod, which he
+had let grow large again, till the waves spurted mountain-high
+and the dragon-castle rocked on its foundations.
+The Dragon-King trembled with fright, and
+all his tortoises, fishes and crabs drew in their heads.</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung laughed, and said: &ldquo;Many thanks
+for the handsome present!&rdquo; Then he continued:
+&ldquo;Now I have a weapon, it is true, but as yet I have no
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span>
+armor. Rather than hunt up two or three other households,
+I think you will be willing to provide me with
+a suit of mail.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Dragon-King told him that he had no armor
+to give him.</p>
+
+<p>Then the ape said: &ldquo;I will not leave until you
+have obtained one for me.&rdquo; And once more he began
+to swing his rod.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do not harm me!&rdquo; said the terrified Dragon-King,
+&ldquo;I will ask my brothers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he had them beat the iron drum and strike the
+golden gong, and in a moment&rsquo;s time all the Dragon-King&rsquo;s
+brothers came from all the other seas. The
+Dragon-King talked to them in private and said:
+&ldquo;This is a terrible fellow, and we must not rouse his anger!
+First he took the rod with the golden clamps from
+me, and now he also insists on having a suit of armor.
+The best thing to do would be to satisfy him at once, and
+complain of him to the Lord of the Heavens later.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the brothers brought a magic suit of golden mail,
+magic boots and a magic helmet.</p>
+
+<p>Then Sun Wu Kung thanked them and returned to
+his cave. Radiantly he greeted his children, who had
+come to meet him, and showed them the rod with the
+golden clamps. They all crowded up and wished to
+pick it up from the ground, if only a single time; but
+it was just as though a dragon-fly had attempted to
+overthrow a stone column, or an ant were trying to
+carry a great mountain. It would not move a hair&rsquo;s
+breadth. Then the apes opened their mouths and
+stuck out their tongues, and said: &ldquo;Father, how is
+it possible for you to carry that heavy thing?&rdquo; So he
+told them the secret of the rod and showed them its
+effects. Then he set his empire in order, and appointed
+the four baboons field-marshals; and the seven
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span>
+beast-spirits, the ox-spirit, the dragon-spirit, the bird-spirit,
+the lion-spirit and the rest also joined him.</p>
+
+<p>One day he took a nap after dinner. Before he did
+so he had let the bar shrink, and had stuck it in his ear.
+While he was sleeping he saw two men come along in
+his dream, who had a card on which was written &ldquo;Sun
+Wu Kung.&rdquo; They would not allow him to resist, but
+fettered him and led his spirit away. And when they
+reached a great city the Ape King gradually came to
+himself. Over the city gate he saw a tablet of iron on
+which was engraved in large letters: &ldquo;The Nether
+World.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then all was suddenly clear to him and he said:
+&ldquo;Why, this must be the dwelling-place of Death! But
+I have long since escaped from his power, and how dare
+he have me dragged here!&rdquo; The more he reflected
+the wilder he grew. He drew out the golden rod from
+his ear, swung it and let it grow large. Then he
+crushed the two constables to mush, burst his fetters,
+and rolled his bar before him into the city. The ten
+Princes of the Dead were frightened, bowed before him
+and asked: &ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung answered: &ldquo;If you do not know me
+then why did you send for me and have me dragged to
+this place? I am the heaven-born saint Sun Wu Kung
+of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. And now,
+who are you? Tell me your names quickly or I will
+strike you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ten Princes of the Dead humbly gave him their
+names.</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung said: &ldquo;I, the Venerable Sun, have
+gained the power of eternal life! You have nothing
+to say to me! Quick, let me have the Book of Life!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They did not dare defy him, and had the scribe
+bring in the Book. Sun Wu Kung opened it. Under
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span>
+the head of &ldquo;Apes,&rdquo; No. 1350, he read: &ldquo;Sun Wu
+Kung, the heaven-born stone ape. His years shall be
+three hundred and twenty-four. Then he shall die
+without illness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung took the brush from the table and
+struck out the whole ape family from the Book of Life,
+threw the Book down and said: &ldquo;Now we are even!
+From this day on I will suffer no impertinences from
+you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that he cleared a way for himself out of the
+Nether World by means of his rod, and the ten Princes
+of the Dead did not venture to stay him, but only complained
+of him afterward to the Lord of the Heavens.</p>
+
+<p>When Sun Wu Kung had left the city he slipped and
+fell to the ground. This caused him to wake, and he
+noticed he had been dreaming. He called his four
+baboons to him and said: &ldquo;Splendid, splendid! I
+was dragged to Death&rsquo;s castle and I caused considerable
+uproar there. I had them give me the Book of
+Life, and I struck out the mortal hour of all the apes!&rdquo;
+And after that time the apes on the Mountain no longer
+died, because their names had been stricken out in
+the Nether World.</p>
+
+<p>But the Lord of the Heavens sat in his castle, and
+had all his servants assembled about him. And a
+saint stepped forward and presented the complaint of
+the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. And another
+stepped forward and presented the complaint of the ten
+Princes of the Dead. The Lord of the Heavens glanced
+through the two memorials. Both told of the wild,
+unmannerly conduct of Sun Wu Kung. So the Lord of
+the Heavens ordered a god to descend to earth and take
+him prisoner. The Evening Star came forward, however,
+and said: &ldquo;This ape was born of the purest
+powers of heaven and earth and sun and moon. He
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span>
+has gained the hidden knowledge and has become an immortal.
+Recall, O Lord, your great love for all that
+which has life, and forgive him his sin! Issue an order
+that he be called up to the heavens, and be given a
+charge here, so that he may come to his senses. Then,
+if he again oversteps your commands, let him be punished
+without mercy.&rdquo; The Lord of the Heavens was
+agreeable, had the order issued, and told the Evening
+Star to take it to Sun Wu Kung. The Evening Star
+mounted a colored cloud and descended on the Mountain
+of Flowers and Fruits.</p>
+
+<p>He greeted Sun Wu Kung and said to him: &ldquo;The
+Lord had heard of your actions and meant to punish
+you. I am the Evening Star of the Western Skies,
+and I spoke for you. Therefore he has commissioned
+me to take you to the skies, so that you may be given a
+charge there.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung was overjoyed and answered: &ldquo;I
+had just been thinking I ought to pay Heaven a visit
+some time, and sure enough, Old Star, here you have
+come to fetch me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he had his four baboons come and said to them
+impressively: &ldquo;See that you take good care of our
+Mountain! I am going up to the heavens to look
+around there a little!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he mounted a cloud together with the Evening
+Star and floated up. But he kept turning his somersaults,
+and advanced so quickly that the Evening Star
+on his cloud was left behind. Before he knew it he had
+reached the Southern Gate of Heaven and was about
+to step carelessly through. The gate-keeper did not
+wish to let him enter, but he did not let this stop him.
+In the midst of their dispute the Evening Star came up
+and explained matters, and then he was allowed to enter
+the heavenly gate. When he came to the castle of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span>
+the Lord of the Heavens, he stood upright before it,
+without bowing his head.</p>
+
+<p>The Lord of the Heavens asked: &ldquo;Then this hairy
+face with the pointed lips is Sun Wu Kung?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He replied: &ldquo;Yes, I am the Venerable Sun!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All the servants of the Lord of the Heavens were
+shocked and said: &ldquo;This wild ape does not even bow,
+and goes so far as to call himself the Venerable Sun.
+His crime deserves a thousand deaths!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the Lord said: &ldquo;He has come up from the earth
+below, and is not as yet used to our rules. We will
+forgive him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he gave orders that a charge be found for him.
+The marshal of the heavenly court reported: &ldquo;There
+is no charge vacant anywhere, but an official is needed
+in the heavenly stables.&rdquo; Thereupon the Lord made
+him stablemaster of the heavenly steeds. Then the
+servants of the Lord of the Heavens told him he should
+give thanks for the grace bestowed on him. Sun Wu
+Kung called out aloud: &ldquo;Thanks to command!&rdquo; took
+possession of his certificate of appointment, and went
+to the stables in order to enter upon his new office.</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung attended to his duties with great zeal.
+The heavenly steeds grew sleek and fat, and the stables
+were filled with young foals. Before he knew it half
+a month had gone by. Then his heavenly friends prepared
+a banquet for him.</p>
+
+<p>While they were at table Sun Wu Kung asked accidentally:
+&ldquo;Stablemaster? What sort of a title is
+that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, that is an official title,&rdquo; was the reply.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What rank has this office?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It has no rank at all,&rdquo; was the answer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; said the ape, &ldquo;is it so high that it outranks
+all other dignities?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span>
+&ldquo;No, it is not high, it is not high at all,&rdquo; answered
+his friends. &ldquo;It is not even set down in the official
+roster, but is quite a subordinate position. All you
+have to do is to attend to the steeds. If you see to it
+that they grow fat, you get a good mark; but if they
+grow thin or ill, or fall down, your punishment will be
+right at hand.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Ape King grew angry: &ldquo;What, they treat
+me, the Venerable Sun, in such a shameful way!&rdquo; and
+he started up. &ldquo;On my Mountain I was a king, I was
+a father! What need was there for him to lure me into
+his heaven to feed horses? I&rsquo;ll do it no longer! I&rsquo;ll
+do it no longer!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hola, and he had already overturned the table, drawn
+the rod with the golden clamps from his ear, let it
+grow large and beat a way out for himself to the
+Southern gate of Heaven. And no one dared stop
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Already he was back in his island Mountain and his
+people surrounded him and said: &ldquo;You have been
+gone for more than ten years, great king! How is it
+you do not return to us until now?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Ape King said: &ldquo;I did not spend more than
+about ten days in Heaven. This Lord of the Heavens
+does not know how to treat his people. He made me
+his stablemaster, and I had to feed his horses. I am
+so ashamed that I am ready to die. But I did not put
+up with it, and now I am here once more!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>His apes eagerly prepared a banquet to comfort him.
+While they sat at table two horned devil-kings came
+and brought him a yellow imperial robe as a present.
+Filled with joy he slipped into it, and appointed the
+two devil-kings leaders of the vanguard. They
+thanked him and began to flatter him: &ldquo;With your
+power and wisdom, great king, why should you have to
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span>
+serve the Lord of the Heavens? To call you the
+Great Saint who is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal would be quite in
+order.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The ape was pleased with this speech and said:
+&ldquo;Good, good!&rdquo; Then he ordered his four baboons
+to have a flag made quickly, on which was to be inscribed:
+&ldquo;The Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal.&rdquo;
+And from that time on he had himself called by that
+title.</p>
+
+<p>When the Lord of the Heavens learned of the flight
+of the ape, he ordered Li Dsing, the pagoda-bearing
+god, and his third son, Notscha, to take the Ape King
+prisoner. They sallied forth at the head of a heavenly
+warrior host, laid out a camp before his cave, and sent
+a brave warrior to challenge him to single combat.
+But he was easily beaten by Sun Wu Kung and obliged
+to flee, and Sun Wu Kung even shouted after him,
+laughing: &ldquo;What a bag of wind! And he calls himself
+a heavenly warrior! I&rsquo;ll not slay you. Run
+along quickly and send me a better man!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Notscha saw this he himself hurried up to do
+battle.</p>
+
+<p>Said Sun Wu Kung to him: &ldquo;To whom do you belong,
+little one? You must not play around here, for
+something might happen to you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Notscha cried out in a loud voice: &ldquo;Accursed
+ape! I am Prince Notscha, and have been ordered to
+take you prisoner!&rdquo; And with that he swung his
+sword in the direction of Sun Wu Kung.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said the latter, &ldquo;I will stand here and
+never move.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then Notscha grew very angry, and turned into a
+three-headed god with six arms, in which he held six
+different weapons. Thus he rushed on to the attack.</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung laughed. &ldquo;The little fellow knows
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span>
+the trick of it! But easy, wait a bit! I will change
+shape, too!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And he also turned himself into a figure with three
+heads and with six arms, and swung three gold-clamp
+rods. And thus they began to fight. Their blows
+rained down with such rapidity that it seemed as
+though thousands of weapons were flying through the
+air. After thirty rounds the combat had not yet been
+decided. Then Sun Wu Kung hit upon an idea. He
+secretly pulled out one of his hairs, turned it into
+his own shape, and let it continue the fight with Notscha.
+He himself, however, slipped behind Notscha,
+and gave him such a blow on the left arm with his rod
+that his knees gave way beneath him with pain, and he
+had to withdraw in defeat.</p>
+
+<p>So Notscha told his father Li Dsing: &ldquo;This devil-ape
+is altogether too powerful! I cannot get the better
+of him!&rdquo; There was nothing left to do but to return
+to the Heavens and admit their overthrow. The
+Lord of the Heavens bowed his head, and tried to think
+of some other hero whom he might send out.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Evening Star once more came forward and
+said: &ldquo;This ape is so strong and so courageous, that
+probably not one of us here is a match for him. He
+revolted because the office of stablemaster appeared
+too lowly for him. The best thing would be to temper
+justice with mercy, let him have his way, and appoint
+him Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal. It will only
+be necessary to give him the empty title, without combining
+a charge with it, and then the matter would be
+settled.&rdquo; The Lord of the Heavens was satisfied with
+this suggestion, and once more sent the Evening Star
+to summon the new saint. When Sun Wu Kung heard
+that he had arrived, he said: &ldquo;The old Evening Star
+is a good fellow!&rdquo; and he had his army draw up in line
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span>
+to give him a festive reception. He himself donned
+his robes of ceremony and politely went out to meet
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Evening Star told him what had taken place
+in the Heavens, and that he had his appointment as
+Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal with him.</p>
+
+<p>Thereupon the Great Saint laughed and said: &ldquo;You
+also spoke in my behalf before, Old Star! And now
+you have again taken my part. Many thanks! Many
+thanks!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then when they appeared together in the presence
+of the Lord of the Heavens the latter said: &ldquo;The rank
+of Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal is very high.
+But now you must not cut any further capers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Great Saint expressed his thanks, and the Lord
+of the Heavens ordered two skilled architects to build
+a castle for him East of the peach-garden of the Queen-Mother
+of the West. And he was led into it with all
+possible honors.</p>
+
+<p>Now the Saint was in his element. He had all that
+heart could wish for, and was untroubled by any work.
+He took his ease, walked about in the Heavens as he
+chose, and paid visits to the gods. The Three Pure
+Ones and the Four Rulers he treated with some little
+respect; but the planetary gods and the lords of the
+twenty-eight houses of the moon, and of the twelve
+zodiac signs, and the other stars he addressed familiarly
+with a &ldquo;Hey, you!&rdquo; Thus he idled day by day,
+without occupation among the clouds of the Heavens.
+On one occasion one of the wise said to the Lord of the
+Heavens: &ldquo;The holy Sun is idle while day follows day.
+It is to be feared that some mischievous thoughts may
+occur to him, and it might be better to give him some
+charge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So the Lord of the Heavens summoned the Great
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span>
+Saint and said to him: &ldquo;The life-giving peaches in
+the garden of the Queen-Mother will soon be ripe. I
+give you the charge of watching over them. Do your
+duty conscientiously!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This pleased the Saint and he expressed his thanks.
+Then he went to the garden, where the caretakers and
+gardeners received him on their knees.</p>
+
+<p>He asked them: &ldquo;How many trees in all are there
+in the garden?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Three thousand six hundred,&rdquo; replied the gardener.
+&ldquo;There are twelve-hundred trees in the foremost row.
+They have red blossoms and bear small fruit, which
+ripens every three thousand years. Whoever eats it
+grows bright and healthy. The twelve hundred trees
+in the middle row have double blossoms and bear sweet
+fruit, which ripens every six thousand years. Whoever
+eats of it is able to float in the rose-dawn without
+aging. The twelve hundred trees in the last row bear
+red-striped fruit with small pits. They ripen every
+nine thousand years. Whoever eats their fruit lives
+eternally, as long as the Heavens themselves, and
+remains untouched for thousands of eons.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Saint heard all this with pleasure. He checked
+up the lists and from that time on appeared every day
+or so to see to things. The greater part of the peaches
+in the last row were already ripe. When he came to
+the garden, he would on each occasion send away the
+caretakers and gardeners under some pretext, leap up
+into the trees, and gorge himself to his heart&rsquo;s content
+with the peaches.</p>
+
+<p>At that time the Queen-Mother of the West was preparing
+the great peach banquet to which she was accustomed
+to invite all the gods of the Heavens. She sent
+out the fairies in their garments of seven colors with
+baskets, that they might pick the peaches. The
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span>
+caretaker said to them: &ldquo;The garden has now been entrusted
+to the guardianship of the Great Saint Who is
+Heaven&rsquo;s Equal, so you will first have to announce
+yourselves to him.&rdquo; With that he led the seven fairies
+into the garden. There they looked everywhere for the
+Great Saint, but could not find him. So the fairies
+said: &ldquo;We have our orders and must not be late.
+We will begin picking the peaches in the meantime!&rdquo;
+So they picked several baskets full from the foremost
+row. In the second row the peaches were already
+scarcer. And in the last row there hung only a single
+half-ripe peach. They bent down the bough and
+picked it, and then allowed it to fly up again.</p>
+
+<p>Now it happened that the Great Saint, who had
+turned himself into a peach-worm, had just been taking
+his noon-day nap on this bough. When he was so
+rudely awakened, he appeared in his true form, seized
+his rod and was about to strike the fairies.</p>
+
+<p>But the fairies said: &ldquo;We have been sent here by
+the Queen-Mother. Do not be angry, Great Saint!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said the Great Saint: &ldquo;And who are all those
+whom the Queen-Mother has invited?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They answered: &ldquo;All the gods and saints in the
+Heavens, on the earth and under the earth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Has she also invited me?&rdquo; said the Saint.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not that we know of,&rdquo; said the fairies.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Saint grew angry, murmured a magic incantation
+and said: &ldquo;Stay! Stay! Stay!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With that the seven fairies were banned to the spot.
+The Saint then took a cloud and sailed away on it to
+the palace of the Queen-Mother.</p>
+
+<p>On the way he met the Bare-Foot God and asked
+him: &ldquo;Where are you going?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To the peach banquet,&rdquo; was the answer.</p>
+
+<p>Then the Saint lied to him, saying: &ldquo;I have been
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[319]</a></span>
+commanded by the Lord of the Heavens to tell all the
+gods and saints that they are first to come to the Hall
+of Purity, in order to practise the rites, and then go together
+to the Queen-Mother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the Great Saint changed himself into the semblance
+of the Bare-Foot God and sailed to the palace of
+the Queen-Mother. There he let his cloud sink down
+and entered quite unconcerned. The meal was ready,
+yet none of the gods had as yet appeared. Suddenly
+the Great Saint caught the aroma of wine, and saw
+well-nigh a hundred barrels of the precious nectar
+standing in a room to one side. His mouth watered.
+He tore a few hairs out and turned them into sleep-worms.
+These worms crept into the nostrils of the
+cup-bearers so that they all fell asleep. Thereupon he
+enjoyed the delicious viands to the full, opened the
+barrels and drank until he was nearly stupefied. Then
+he said to himself: &ldquo;This whole affair is beginning to
+make me feel creepy. I had better go home first of all
+and sleep a bit.&rdquo; And he stumbled out of the garden
+with uncertain steps. Sure enough, he missed his way,
+and came to the dwelling of Laotzse. There he regained
+consciousness. He arranged his clothing and
+went in. There was no one to be seen in the place, for
+at the moment Laotzse was at the God of Light&rsquo;s
+abode, talking to him, and with him were all his servants,
+listening. Since he found no one at home the
+Great Saint went as far as the inner chamber, where
+Laotzse was in the habit of brewing the elixir of life.
+Beside the stove stood five gourd containers full of the
+pills of life which had already been rolled. Said the
+Great Saint: &ldquo;I had long since intended to prepare a
+couple of these pills. So it suits me very well to find
+them here.&rdquo; He poured out the contents of the
+gourds, and ate up all the pills of life. Since he had
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[320]</a></span>
+now had enough to eat and drink he thought to himself:
+&ldquo;Bad, bad! The mischief I have done cannot well be
+repaired. If they catch me my life will be in danger.
+I think I had better go down to earth again and remain
+a king!&rdquo; With that he made himself invisible, went
+out at the Western Gate of Heaven, and returned to the
+Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, where he told his people
+who received him the story of his adventures.</p>
+
+<p>When he spoke of the wine-nectar of the peach garden,
+his apes said: &ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you go back once more
+and steal a few bottles of the wine, so that we too may
+taste of it and gain eternal life?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Ape King was willing, turned a somersault,
+crept into the garden unobserved, and picked up four
+more barrels. Two of them he took under his arms
+and two he held in his hands. Then he disappeared
+with them without leaving a trace and brought them
+to his cave, where he enjoyed them together with his
+apes.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime the seven fairies, whom the Great
+Saint had banned to the spot, had regained their freedom
+after a night and a day. They picked up their
+baskets and told the Queen-Mother what had happened
+to them. And the cup-bearers, too, came hurrying up
+and reported the destruction which some one unknown
+had caused among the eatables and drinkables. The
+Queen-Mother went to the Lord of the Heavens to complain.
+Shortly afterward Laotzse also came to him to
+tell about the theft of the pills of life. And the Bare-Foot
+God came along and reported that he had been
+deceived by the Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal;
+and from the Great Saint&rsquo;s palace the servants came
+running and said that the Saint had disappeared and
+was nowhere to be found. Then the Lord of the Heavens
+was frightened, and said: &ldquo;This whole mess is
+undoubtedly the work of that devilish ape!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[321]</a></span>
+Now the whole host of Heaven, together with all the
+star-gods, the time-gods and the mountain-gods was
+called out in order to catch the ape. Li Dsing once
+more was its commander-in-chief. He invested the
+entire Mountain, and spread out the sky-net and the
+earth-net, so that no one could escape. Then he sent
+his bravest heroes into battle. Courageously the ape
+withstood all attacks from early morn till sundown.
+But by that time his most faithful followers had been
+captured. That was too much for him. He pulled out
+a hair and turned it into thousands of Ape-Kings,
+who all hewed about them with golden-clamped iron
+rods. The heavenly host was vanquished, and the ape
+withdrew to his cave to rest.</p>
+
+<p>Now it happened that Guan Yin had also gone to the
+peach banquet in the garden, and had found out what
+Sun Wu Kung had done. When she went to visit the
+Lord of the Heavens, Li Dsing was just coming in, to
+report the great defeat which he had suffered on the
+Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. Then Guan Yin
+said to the Lord of the Heavens: &ldquo;I can recommend
+a hero to you who will surely get the better of the ape.
+It is your grandson Yang Oerlang. He has conquered
+all the beast and bird spirits, and overthrown the elves
+in the grass and the brush. He knows what has to be
+done to get the better of such devils.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Yang Oerlang was brought in, and Li Dsing led
+him to his camp. Li Dsing asked Yang Oerlang how
+he would go about getting the better of the ape.</p>
+
+<p>Yang Oerlang laughed and said: &ldquo;I think I will
+have to go him one better when it comes to changing
+shapes. It would be best for you to take away the
+sky-net so that our combat is not disturbed.&rdquo; Then he
+requested Li Dsing to post himself in the upper air
+with the magic spirit mirror in his hand, so that when
+the ape made himself invisible, he might be found again
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[322]</a></span>
+by means of the mirror. When all this had been arranged,
+Yang Oerlang went out in front of the cave
+with his spirits to give battle.</p>
+
+<p>The ape leaped out, and when he saw the powerful
+hero with the three-tined sword standing before him
+he asked: &ldquo;And who may you be?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The other said: &ldquo;I am Yang Oerlang, the grandson
+of the Lord of the Heavens!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the ape laughed and said: &ldquo;Oh yes, I remember!
+His daughter ran away with a certain Sir Yang,
+to whom heaven gave a son. You must be that son!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Yang Oerlang grew furious, and advanced upon him
+with his spear. Then a hot battle began. For three
+hundred rounds they fought without decisive results.
+Then Yang Oerlang turned himself into a giant with a
+black face and red hair.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not bad,&rdquo; said the ape, &ldquo;but I can do that too!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they continued to fight in that form. But the
+ape&rsquo;s baboons were much frightened. The beast and
+planet spirits of Yang Oerlang pressed the apes hard.
+They slew most of them and the others hid away.
+When the ape saw this his heart grew uneasy. He
+drew the magic giant-likeness in again, took his rod
+and fled. But Yang Oerlang followed hard on his
+heels. In his urgent need the ape thrust the rod, which
+he had turned into a needle, into his ear, turned into a
+sparrow, and flew up into the crest of a tree. Yang
+Oerlang who was following in his tracks, suddenly lost
+sight of him. But his keen eyes soon recognized that
+he had turned himself into a sparrow. So he flung
+away spear and crossbow, turned himself into a sparrow-hawk,
+and darted down on the sparrow. But the
+latter soared high into the air as a cormorant. Yang
+Oerlang shook his plumage, turned into a great sea-crane,
+and shot up into the clouds to seize the cormorant.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[323]</a></span>
+The latter dropped, flew into a valley and dove
+beneath the waters of a brook in the guise of a fish.
+When Yang Oerlang reached the edge of the valley, and
+had lost his trail he said to himself: &ldquo;This ape has
+surely turned himself into a fish or a crab! I will
+change my form as well in order to catch him.&rdquo; So he
+turned into a fish-hawk and floated above the surface
+of the water. When the ape in the water caught sight
+of the fish-hawk, he saw that he was Yang Oerlang.
+He swiftly swung around and fled, Yang Oerlang in
+pursuit. When the latter was no further away than
+the length of a beak, the ape turned, crept ashore as a
+water-snake and hid in the grass. Yang Oerlang, when
+he saw the water-snake creep from the water, turned
+into an eagle and spread his claws to seize the snake.
+But the water-snake sprang up and turned into the lowest
+of all birds, a speckled buzzard, and perched on the
+steep edge of a cliff. When Yang Oerlang saw that the
+ape had turned himself into so contemptible a creature
+as a buzzard, he would no longer play the game of
+changing form with him. He reappeared in his original
+form, took up his crossbow and shot at the bird.
+The buzzard slipped and fell down the side of the cliff.
+At its foot the ape turned himself into the chapel of a
+field-god. He opened his mouth for a gate, his teeth
+became the two wings of the door, his tongue the image
+of the god, and his eyes the windows. His tail was
+the only thing he did not know what to do with. So he
+let it stand up stiffly behind him in the shape of a flagpole.
+When Yang Oerlang reached the foot of the hill
+he saw the chapel, whose flagpole stood in the rear.
+Then he laughed and said: &ldquo;That ape is really a
+devil of an ape! He wants to lure me into the chapel in
+order to bite me. But I will not go in. First I will
+break his windows for him, and then I will stamp down
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[324]</a></span>
+the wings of his door!&rdquo; When the ape heard this he
+was much frightened. He made a bound like a tiger,
+and disappeared without a trace in the air. With a
+single somersault he reached Yang Oerlang&rsquo;s own temple.
+There he assumed Yang Oerlang&rsquo;s own form and
+stepped in. The spirits who were on guard were unable
+to recognize him. They received him on their
+knees. So the ape then seated himself on the god&rsquo;s
+throne, and had the prayers which had come in submitted
+to him.</p>
+
+<p>When Yang Oerlang no longer saw the ape, he rose
+in the air to Li Dsing and said: &ldquo;I was vying with the
+ape in changing shape. Suddenly I could no longer
+find him. Take a look in the mirror!&rdquo; Li Dsing took
+a look in the magic spirit mirror and then he laughed
+and said: &ldquo;The ape has turned himself into your likeness,
+is sitting in your temple quite at home there, and
+making mischief.&rdquo; When Yang Oerlang heard this he
+took his three-tined spear, and hastened to his temple.
+The door-spirits were frightened and said: &ldquo;But
+father came in only this very minute! How is it that
+another one comes now?&rdquo; Yang Oerlang, without
+paying attention to them, entered the temple and aimed
+his spear at Sun Wu Kung. The latter resumed his
+own shape, laughed and said: &ldquo;Young sir, you must
+not be angry! The god of this place is now Sun Wu
+Kung.&rdquo; Without uttering a word Yang Oerlang
+assailed him. Sun Wu Kung took up his rod and returned
+the blows. Thus they crowded out of the temple
+together, fighting, and wrapped in mists and clouds
+once more gained the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Guan Yin was sitting with Laotzse,
+the Lord of the Heavens and the Queen-Mother in the
+great hall of Heaven, waiting for news. When none
+came she said: &ldquo;I will go with Laotzse to the Southern
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[325]</a></span>
+Gate of Heaven and see how matters stand.&rdquo; And
+when they saw that the struggle had still not come to
+an end she said to Laotzse: &ldquo;How would it be if we
+helped Yang Oerlang a little? I will shut up Sun Wu
+Kung in my vase.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Laotzse said: &ldquo;Your vase is made of porcelain.
+Sun Wu Kung could smash it with his iron rod. But
+I have a circlet of diamonds which can enclose all living
+creatures. That we can use!&rdquo; So he flung his circlet
+through the air from the heavenly gate, and struck Sun
+Wu Kung on the head with it. Since he had his hands
+full fighting, the latter could not guard himself against
+it, and the blow on the forehead caused him to slip.
+Yet he rose again and tried to escape. But the heavenly
+hound of Yang Oerlang bit his leg until he fell to
+the ground. Then Yang Oerlang and his followers
+came up and tied him with thongs, and thrust a hook
+through his collar-bone so that he could no longer transform
+himself. And Laotzse took possession of his
+diamond circlet again, and returned with Guan Yin to
+the hall of Heaven. Sun Wu Kung was now brought
+in in triumph, and was condemned to be beheaded. He
+was then taken to the place of execution and bound to a
+post. But all efforts to kill him by means of ax and
+sword, thunder and lightning were vain. Nothing so
+much as hurt a hair on his head.</p>
+
+<p>Said Laotzse: &ldquo;It is not surprising. This ape has
+eaten the peaches, has drunk the nectar and also swallowed
+the pills of life. Nothing can harm him. The
+best thing would be for me to take him along and thrust
+him into my stove in order to melt the elixir of life out
+of him again. Then he will fall into dust and ashes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Sun Wu Kung&rsquo;s fetters were loosed, and Laotzse
+took him with him, thrust him into his oven, and ordered
+the boy to keep up a hot fire.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[326]</a></span>
+But along the edge of the oven were graven the signs
+of the eight elemental forces. And when the ape was
+thrust into the oven he took refuge beneath the sign of
+the wind, so that the fire could not injure him; and the
+smoke only made his eyes smart. He remained in the
+oven seven times seven days. Then Laotzse had it
+opened to take a look. As soon as Sun Wu Kung saw
+the light shine in, he could no longer bear to be shut up,
+but leaped out and upset the magic oven. The guards
+and attendants he threw to the ground and Laotzse
+himself, who tried to seize him, received such a push
+that he stuck his legs up in the air like an onion turned
+upside down. Then Sun Wu Kung took his rod out of
+his ear, and without looking where he struck, hewed
+everything to bits, so that the star-gods closed their
+doors and the guardians of the Heavens ran away.
+He came to the castle of the Lord of the Heavens, and
+the guardian of the gate with his steel whip was only
+just in time to hold him back. Then the thirty-six
+thunder gods were set at him, and surrounded him,
+though they could not seize him.</p>
+
+<p>The Lord of the Heavens said: &ldquo;Buddha will know
+what is to be done. Send for him quickly!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Buddha came up out of the West with Ananada
+and Kashiapa, his disciples. When he saw the turmoil
+he said: &ldquo;First of all, let weapons be laid aside and
+lead out the Saint. I wish to speak with him!&rdquo; The
+gods withdrew. Sun Wu Kung snorted and said:
+&ldquo;Who are you, who dare to speak to me?&rdquo; Buddha
+smiled and replied: &ldquo;I have come out of the blessed
+West, Shakiamuni Amitofu. I have heard of the revolt
+you have raised, and am come to tame you!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said Sun Wu Kung: &ldquo;I am the stone ape who has
+gained the hidden knowledge. I am master of
+seventy-two transformations, and will live as long as
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[327]</a></span>
+Heaven itself. What has the Lord of the Heavens
+accomplished that entitles him to remain eternally on
+his throne? Let him make way for me, and I will be
+satisfied!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Buddha replied with a smile: &ldquo;You are a beast
+which has gained magic powers. How can you expect
+to rule here as Lord of the Heavens? Be it known to
+you that the Lord of the Heavens has toiled for eons in
+perfecting his virtues. How many years would you
+have to pass before you could attain the dignity he has
+gained? And then I must ask you whether there is
+anything else you can do, aside from playing your
+tricks of transformation?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Said Sun Wu Kung: &ldquo;I can turn cloud somersaults.
+Each one carries me eighteen thousand miles ahead.
+Surely that is enough to entitle me to be the Lord of the
+Heavens?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Buddha answered with a smile: &ldquo;Let us make a
+wager. If you can so much as leave my hand with one
+of your somersaults, then I will beg the Lord of the
+Heavens to make way for you. But if you are not able
+to leave my hand, then you must yield yourself to my
+fetters.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung suppressed his laughter, for he
+thought: &ldquo;This Buddha is a crazy fellow! His hand
+is not a foot long; how could I help but leap out of it?&rdquo;
+So he opened his mouth wide and said: &ldquo;Agreed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Buddha then stretched out his right hand. It resembled
+a small lotus-leaf. Sun Wu Kung leaped up into
+it with one bound. Then he said: &ldquo;Go!&rdquo; And with
+that he turned one somersault after another, so that he
+flew along like a whirlwind. And while he was flying
+along he saw five tall, reddish columns towering to the
+skies. Then he thought: &ldquo;That is the end of the
+world! Now I will turn back and become Lord of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[328]</a></span>
+Heavens. But first I will write down my name to prove
+that I was there.&rdquo; He pulled out a hair, turned it into
+a brush, and wrote with great letters on the middle
+column: &ldquo;The Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s Equal.&rdquo;
+Then he turned his somersaults again until he had
+reached the place whence he had come. He leaped
+down from the Buddha&rsquo;s hand laughing and cried:
+&ldquo;Now hurry, and see to it that the Lord of the Heavens
+clears his heavenly castle for me! I have been at the
+end of the world and have left a sign there!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Buddha scolded: &ldquo;Infamous ape! How dare you
+claim that you have left my hand? Take a look and see
+whether or not &lsquo;The Great Saint Who Is Heaven&rsquo;s
+Equal,&rsquo; is written on my middle finger!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Sun Wu Kung was terribly frightened, for at
+the first glance he saw that this was the truth. Yet
+outwardly he pretended that he was not convinced,
+said he would take another look, and tried to make use
+of the opportunity to escape. But Buddha covered
+him with his hand, shoved him out of the gate of
+Heaven, and formed a mountain of water, fire, wood,
+earth and metal, which he softly set down on him to
+hold him fast. A magic incantation pasted on the
+mountain prevented his escape.</p>
+
+<p>Here he was obliged to lie for hundreds of years,
+until he finally reformed and was released, in order to
+help the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang fetch the holy
+writings from out of the West. He honored the Monk
+as his master, and thenceforward was known as the
+Wanderer. Guan Yin, who had released him, gave the
+Monk a golden circlet. Sun Wu Kung was induced to
+put it on, and it at once grew into his flesh so that he
+could not remove it. And Guan Yin gave the Monk a
+magic formula by means of which the ring could be
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[329]</a></span>
+tightened, should the ape grow disobedient. But from
+that time on he was always polite and well-mannered.</p>
+
+<div class="note">
+<p>Note: This tale, like &ldquo;The Pilgrim&rsquo;s Progress,&rdquo; is an allegory, the
+ape symbolizing the human heart. Yet despite its allegorical
+character, a number of mythological and fairy-tale motives are incorporated
+in it. The ape himself suggests Hanumant, the companion
+of Rama. Yo Huang is the Lord of the Heavens. The stone ape
+is the stone heart of natural man. The Buddhas, blessed spirits and
+gods, represent the ideals of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
+Sun Wu Kung: In Chinese apes are called Hu Sun, but the word
+Hu having an unlucky meaning, the Master chooses Sun as a family
+name, while at the same time the letter-sign is freed from the radical
+indicating an animal. Wu Kung&mdash;&ldquo;the magic awaking to nothingness&rdquo;
+(Nirwana). The different ways: magic, the way of raising
+spirits; the sciences: The three faiths are: Confucianism, Buddhism
+and Taoism; to these are added six &ldquo;schools&rdquo;: the Yin-Yang School,
+the Mo-Di School, Medicine, War, Law, Miscellaneous, so that nine
+directions in all are represented. Quiescence is the Taoism for non-activity,
+while Action is the Taoism for care of the body, as inaugurated
+by We Be Yang. The Devil-King of Chaos, i.e., sensuality,
+whose seat is supposed to be in Kidneys. &ldquo;Red garments,&rdquo;
+colors, here all have an allegorical meaning. Death, i.e., Yama.
+The Evening Star is the star of metal; Sun Wu Kung also personifies
+a metal, hence the Evening Star appears as his apologist. As
+regards Li Dsing and Notscha see No. <a href="#XVIII">18</a>. As regards the Queen
+Mother of the West, see No. <a href="#XV">15</a>. As regards Yang Oerlang, see No.
+<a href="#XVII">17</a>. Guan Yin is generally worshipped throughout China as the Feminine
+goddess. The motive of the magic flight is found frequently in
+fairy-tales the world over. Guan Yin is often represented holding a
+vase, Bau Ping. Laotzse&rsquo;s circlet or ring is the Tao. The eight elemental
+powers, i.e., Ba Gua. Buddha: while Sun Wu Kung is equipped
+to struggle against all external powers, he is conquered by Buddha,
+who does not combat him, but subdues him by his omnipresence.
+The Monk of the Yangtze-kiang is Huan Dschuang, see No. <a href="#LXIX">69</a>. The
+circlet or ring which can be made tighter when the ape does not obey,
+reappears in Hauff&rsquo;s fairy-tale of &ldquo;The Young Englishman,&rdquo; as a
+cravat.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+<p class="center smlpadt padbase">THE END</p>
+
+
+
+<div class="bbox">
+<p><b>Transcriber's Note</b></p>
+
+<p>Archaic spelling, e.g. rimes, phenix, is preserved as printed. Variable
+spelling has been made consistent where there was a prevalence of one
+form; otherwise it is preserved as printed, e.g. Kaiutschou &amp; Kiautschou,
+Laotzse &amp; Laotsze.</p>
+
+<p>Punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation, and capitalisation
+of proper nouns, has been made consistent. Typographic errors, e.g.
+omitted or transposed letters, have been repaired.</p>
+
+<p>The following amendments have been made:</p>
+
+<div class="amends">
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_24">24</a>&mdash;repeated 'the' deleted&mdash;"... &ldquo;The Wolf and the
+Seven Kids,&rdquo; ..."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_76">76</a>&mdash;(I) added to end of title for consistency with
+the table of contents&mdash;"THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)"</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_82">82</a>&mdash;omitted word Lan added&mdash;"Lan Tsai Ho, who is also
+pictured as a woman, ..."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_82">82</a>&mdash;(II) added to end of title for consistency with
+the table of contents&mdash;"THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)"</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_85">85</a>&mdash;omitted word Yuan added&mdash;"&ldquo;We are Liu Tschen and
+Yuan Dshau. Only a few days ago ...&rdquo;"</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_289">289</a>&mdash;superfluous 'the' deleted before 'Evening'&mdash;"Only,
+the King had kept back Rose of Evening ..."</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_186">186</a>&mdash;mentions the "Su Tsi Hia"&mdash;other similar references in
+the text are to the "Sin Tsi Hia" but, as the transcriber has been unable
+to confirm whether this is from the same source, it has been preserved
+as printed.</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_224">224</a>&mdash;refers to a serving-maid holding a
+"red flabrum in her hand." Flabrum is a Latin word for breeze. This may be a
+typo for flagrum, a kind of scourge, but as it is impossible to be certain,
+it has been preserved as printed.</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_227">227</a>&mdash;mentions a man who "descended to the upper story"&mdash;this
+should probably read "ascended to the upper story" but has been
+preserved as printed.</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_278">278</a>&mdash;mentions a man "now, when young and old"&mdash;this may be an
+error for "young and bold" but has been preserved as printed.</p>
+
+<p>A number of the notes to the stories refer to other stories. On page
+<a href="#Page_17">17</a>, there is a reference to No. 81. There is no story with this
+number, and, as the transcriber was unable to determine which story
+the author was referring to, it has been preserved as printed.</p>
+
+<p>The following amendments to references have also been made:</p>
+
+<div class="amends">
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_17">17</a>&mdash;67 amended to 68, and Fee amended to
+Fe&mdash;"... (see No. <a href="#LXVIII">68</a>, &ldquo;Yang Gui Fe&rdquo;)."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_24">24</a>&mdash;48 amended to 49&mdash;"... the same
+beast as &ldquo;the talking silver fox&rdquo; in No. <a href="#XLIX">49</a>, ..."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_41">41</a>&mdash;37 amended to 34&mdash;"... (comp.
+&ldquo;Sky O&rsquo;Dawn,&rdquo; No. <a href="#XXXIV">34</a>); ..."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_52">52</a>&mdash;73 amended to 74&mdash;"... occurs in
+the tale of Sun Wu Kung (No. <a href="#LXXIV">74</a>)."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_64">64</a>&mdash;68 amended to 69&mdash;"As regards the
+Monk of the Yangtze-kiang, comp. with No. <a href="#LXIX">69</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_75">75</a>&mdash;31 amended to 30&mdash;"... frequently
+used in the preparation of the elixir of life (comp. No. <a href="#XXX">30</a>)."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_83">83</a>&mdash;63 amended to 51&mdash;"As regards the
+field-god, see No. <a href="#LI">51</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_137">137</a>&mdash;62 amended to 63&mdash;"... the old
+river-god Ho Be (Count of the Stream), also mentioned in No. <a href="#LXIII">63</a>, ..."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_142">142</a>&mdash;75 amended to 74&mdash;"As regards
+the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, see Nos. <a href="#XVIII">18</a> and
+<a href="#LXXIV">74</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_142">142</a>&mdash;45 amended to 46&mdash;"With regard
+to So Pi-Lo and Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. <a href="#XLVI">46</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_251">251</a>&mdash;64 amended to 65&mdash;"... the Prince
+of Tang mentioned in No. <a href="#LXV">65</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_251">251</a>&mdash;49 amended to 50&mdash;"... and the
+ten princes of the Nether World, comp. Nos. <a href="#XXXVIII">38</a> and
+<a href="#L">50</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_251">251</a>&mdash;73 amended to 74&mdash;"As regards
+one of the legendary companions of Huan Dschuang on his journey, see No.
+<a href="#LXXIV">74</a>."</p>
+
+<p>Page <a href="#Page_329">329</a>&mdash;68 amended to 69&mdash;"The Monk of
+the Yangtze-kiang is Huan Dschuang, see No. <a href="#LXIX">69</a>."</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in
+the middle of a paragraph. The frontispiece illustration and advertising
+material has been moved to follow the title page.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by Various
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Chinese Fairy Book
+
+Author: Various
+
+Editor: R. Wilhelm
+
+Illustrator: George W. Hood
+
+Translator: Frederick H. Martens
+
+Release Date: September 8, 2009 [EBook #29939]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CHINESE FAIRY BOOK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                  THE
+              CHINESE FAIRY
+                  BOOK
+
+               EDITED BY
+             DR. R. WILHELM
+
+  TRANSLATED AFTER ORIGINAL SOURCES BY
+          FREDERICK H. MARTENS
+
+
+             [Illustration]
+
+
+   WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY
+             GEORGE W. HOOD
+
+
+                NEW YORK
+       FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+               PUBLISHERS
+
+
+
+
+          _Copyright, 1921, by_
+       FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+
+          _All Rights Reserved_
+
+
+
+
+    BOOKS IN THE "FAIRY SERIES"
+
+      _The English Fairy Book_
+      _The Welsh Fairy Book_
+      _The Irish Fairy Book_
+      _The Scottish Fairy Book_
+      _The Italian Fairy Book_
+      _The Hungarian Fairy Book_
+      _The Indian Fairy Book_
+      _The Jewish Fairy Book_
+      _The Swedish Fairy Book_
+      _The Chinese Fairy Book_
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: "THE CROWS COME FLYING AND FORM A BRIDGE OVER WHICH
+    THE WEAVING MAIDEN CROSSES THE SILVER RIVER."
+                                                  --_Page 40_]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+The fairy tales and legends of olden China have in common with the
+"Thousand and One Nights" an oriental glow and glitter of precious
+stones and gold and multicolored silks, an oriental wealth of
+fantastic and supernatural action. And yet they strike an exotic note
+distinct in itself. The seventy-three stories here presented after
+original sources, embracing "Nursery Fairy Tales," "Legends of the
+Gods," "Tales of Saints and Magicians," "Nature and Animal Tales,"
+"Ghost Stories," "Historic Fairy Tales," and "Literary Fairy Tales,"
+probably represent the most comprehensive and varied collection of
+oriental fairy tales ever made available for American readers. There
+is no child who will not enjoy their novel color, their fantastic
+beauty, their infinite variety of subject. Yet, like the "Arabian
+Nights," they will amply repay the attention of the older reader as
+well. Some are exquisitely poetic, such as "The Flower-Elves," "The
+Lady of the Moon" or "The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden"; others
+like "How Three Heroes Came By Their Deaths Because Of Two Peaches,"
+carry us back dramatically and powerfully to the Chinese age of
+Chivalry. The summits of fantasy are scaled in the quasi-religious
+dramas of "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" and "Notscha," or the weird sorceries
+unfolded in "The Kindly Magician." Delightful ghost stories, with
+happy endings, such as "A Night on the Battlefield" and "The Ghost Who
+Was Foiled," are paralleled with such idyllic love-tales as that of
+"Rose of Evening," or such Lilliputian fancies as "The King of the
+Ants" and "The Little Hunting Dog." It is quite safe to say that these
+Chinese fairy tales will give equal pleasure to the old as well as the
+young. They have been retold simply, with no changes in style or
+expression beyond such details of presentation which differences
+between oriental and occidental viewpoints at times compel. It is the
+writer's hope that others may take as much pleasure in reading them as
+he did in their translation.
+
+    FREDRICK H. MARTENS.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+
+    PREFACE                                                          v
+
+
+    NURSERY FAIRY TALES
+
+    CHAPTER
+
+          I WOMEN'S WORDS PART FLESH AND BLOOD                       1
+
+         II THE THREE RHYMSTERS                                      4
+
+        III HOW GREED FOR A TRIFLING THING LED A MAN TO LOSE A
+              GREAT ONE                                              6
+
+         IV WHO WAS THE SINNER?                                      9
+
+          V THE MAGIC CASK                                          10
+
+         VI THE FAVORITE OF FORTUNE AND THE CHILD OF ILL LUCK       11
+
+        VII THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS                                13
+
+       VIII THE CAVE OF THE BEASTS                                  17
+
+         IX THE PANTHER                                             20
+
+          X THE GREAT FLOOD                                         24
+
+         XI THE FOX AND THE TIGER                                   27
+
+        XII THE TIGER'S DECOY                                       28
+
+       XIII THE FOX AND THE RAVEN                                   29
+
+        XIV WHY DOG AND CAT ARE ENEMIES                             30
+
+
+    LEGENDS OF THE GODS
+
+         XV HOW THE FIVE ANCIENTS BECAME MEN                        35
+
+        XVI THE HERD BOY AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN                     37
+
+       XVII YANG OERLANG                                            42
+
+      XVIII NOTSCHA                                                 44
+
+        XIX THE LADY OF THE MOON                                    53
+
+         XX THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR                        55
+
+        XXI THE GIRL WITH THE HORSE'S HEAD OR THE SILKWORM
+              GODDESS                                               56
+
+       XXII THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN                                     58
+
+      XXIII THE FIRE-GOD                                            61
+
+       XXIV THE THREE RULING GODS                                   62
+
+        XXV A LEGEND OF CONFUCIUS                                   64
+
+       XXVI THE GOD OF WAR                                          66
+
+
+    TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS
+
+      XXVII THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS                                 71
+
+     XXVIII LAOTSZE                                                 73
+
+       XXIX THE ANCIENT MAN                                         75
+
+        XXX THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)                                 76
+
+       XXXI THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)                                82
+
+      XXXII THE TWO SCHOLARS                                        84
+
+     XXXIII THE MISERLY FARMER                                      88
+
+      XXXIV SKY O'DAWN                                              90
+
+       XXXV KING MU OF DSCHOU                                       95
+
+      XXXVI THE KING OF HUAI NAN                                    99
+
+     XXXVII OLD DSCHANG                                            102
+
+    XXXVIII THE KINDLY MAGICIAN                                    107
+
+
+    NATURE AND ANIMAL TALES
+
+      XXXIX THE FLOWER-ELVES                                       119
+
+         XL THE SPIRIT OF THE WU-LIAN MOUNTAIN                     124
+
+        XLI THE KING OF THE ANTS                                   125
+
+       XLII THE LITTLE HUNTING DOG                                 127
+
+      XLIII THE DRAGON AFTER HIS WINTER SLEEP                      130
+
+       XLIV THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW RIVER                        131
+
+        XLV THE DRAGON-PRINCESS                                    137
+
+       XLVI HELP IN NEED                                           142
+
+      XLVII THE DISOWNED PRINCESS                                  151
+
+     XLVIII FOX-FIRE                                               161
+
+
+    GHOST STORIES
+
+       XLIX THE TALKING SILVER FOXES                               165
+
+          L THE CONSTABLE                                          168
+
+         LI THE DANGEROUS REWARD                                   174
+
+        LII RETRIBUTION                                            177
+
+       LIII THE GHOST WHO WAS FOILED                               180
+
+        LIV THE PUNISHMENT OF GREED                                184
+
+         LV THE NIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELD                           186
+
+        LVI THE KINGDOM OF THE OGRES                               189
+
+       LVII THE MAIDEN WHO WAS STOLEN AWAY                         196
+
+      LVIII THE FLYING OGRE                                        199
+
+        LIX BLACK ARTS                                             201
+
+
+    HISTORIC LEGENDS
+
+         LX THE SORCERER OF THE WHITE LOTUS LODGE                  209
+
+        LXI THE THREE EVILS                                        212
+
+       LXII HOW THREE HEROES CAME BY THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF
+              TWO PEACHES                                          215
+
+      LXIII HOW THE RIVER GOD'S WEDDING WAS BROKEN OFF             218
+
+       LXIV DSCHANG LIANG                                          220
+
+        LXV OLD DRAGONBEARD                                        223
+
+       LXVI HOW MOLO STOLE THE LOVELY ROSE-RED                     231
+
+      LXVII THE GOLDEN CANISTER                                    235
+
+     LXVIII YANG GUI FE                                            240
+
+       LXIX THE MONK OF THE YANGTZE-KIANG                          243
+
+
+    LITERARY FAIRY TALES
+
+        LXX THE HEARTLESS HUSBAND                                  251
+
+       LXXI GIAUNA THE BEAUTIFUL                                   261
+
+      LXXII THE FROG PRINCESS                                      271
+
+     LXXIII ROSE OF EVENING                                        280
+
+      LXXIV THE APE SUN WU KUNG                                    288
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    "The crows come flying and form a bridge over which the
+      Weaving Maiden crosses the Silver River"          _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                           FACING PAGE
+
+    "Beside it stood a Cassia-tree"                                 54
+
+    "'And I crossed the water on the shoe'"                         90
+
+    "A fisherboy dived into the water and brought up a pearl
+      from beneath the chin of a black dragon"                     138
+
+    "Tsian Tang brought out a platter of red amber on which
+      lay a carbuncle"                                             156
+
+    "Then he took his master and Rose-Red upon his back and
+      flew with them over the steep walls"                         234
+
+
+
+
+NURSERY FAIRY TALES
+
+
+
+
+THE CHINESE FAIRY BOOK
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+WOMEN'S WORDS PART FLESH AND BLOOD
+
+
+Once upon a time there were two brothers, who lived in the same house.
+And the big brother listened to his wife's words, and because of them
+fell out with the little one. Summer had begun, and the time for
+sowing the high-growing millet had come. The little brother had no
+grain, and asked the big one to loan him some, and the big one ordered
+his wife to give it to him. But she took the grain, put it in a large
+pot and cooked it until it was done. Then she gave it to the little
+fellow. He knew nothing about it, and went and sowed his field with
+it. Yet, since the grain had been cooked, it did not sprout. Only a
+single grain of seed had not been cooked; so only a single sprout shot
+up. The little brother was hard-working and industrious by nature, and
+hence he watered and hoed the sprout all day long. And the sprout grew
+mightily, like a tree, and an ear of millet sprang up out of it like a
+canopy, large enough to shade half an acre of ground. In the fall the
+ear was ripe. Then the little brother took his ax and chopped it down.
+But no sooner had the ear fallen to the ground, than an enormous Roc
+came rushing down, took the ear in his beak and flew away. The little
+brother ran after him as far as the shore of the sea.
+
+Then the bird turned and spoke to him like a human being, as follows:
+"You should not seek to harm me! What is this one ear worth to you?
+East of the sea is the isle of gold and silver. I will carry you
+across. There you may take whatever you want, and become very rich."
+
+The little brother was satisfied, and climbed on the bird's back, and
+the latter told him to close his eyes. So he only heard the air
+whistling past his ears, as though he were driving through a strong
+wind, and beneath him the roar and surge of flood and waves. Suddenly
+the bird settled on a rock: "Here we are!" he said.
+
+Then the little brother opened his eyes and looked about him: and on
+all sides he saw nothing but the radiance and shimmer of all sorts of
+white and yellow objects. He took about a dozen of the little things
+and hid them in his breast.
+
+"Have you enough?" asked the Roc.
+
+"Yes, I have enough," he replied.
+
+"That is well," answered the bird. "Moderation protects one from
+harm."
+
+Then he once more took him up, and carried him back again.
+
+When the little brother reached home, he bought himself a good piece
+of ground in the course of time, and became quite well to do.
+
+But his brother was jealous of him, and said to him, harshly: "Where
+did you manage to steal the money?"
+
+So the little one told him the whole truth of the matter. Then the big
+brother went home and took counsel with his wife.
+
+"Nothing easier," said his wife. "I will just cook grain again and
+keep back one seedling so that it is not done. Then you shall sow it,
+and we will see what happens."
+
+No sooner said than done. And sure enough, a single sprout shot up,
+and sure enough, the sprout bore a single ear of millet, and when
+harvest time came around, the Roc again appeared and carried it off in
+his beak. The big brother was pleased, and ran after him, and the Roc
+said the same thing he had said before, and carried the big brother to
+the island. There the big brother saw the gold and silver heaped up
+everywhere. The largest pieces were like hills, the small ones were
+like bricks, and the real tiny ones were like grains of sand. They
+blinded his eyes. He only regretted that he knew of no way by which he
+could move mountains. So he bent down and picked up as many pieces as
+possible.
+
+The Roc said: "Now you have enough. You will overtax your strength."
+
+"Have patience but a little while longer," said the big brother. "Do
+not be in such a hurry! I must get a few more pieces!"
+
+And thus time passed.
+
+The Roc again urged him to make haste: "The sun will appear in a
+moment," said he, "and the sun is so hot it burns human beings up."
+
+"Wait just a little while longer," said the big brother. But that very
+moment a red disk broke through the clouds with tremendous power. The
+Roc flew into the sea, stretched out both his wings, and beat the
+water with them in order to escape the heat. But the big brother was
+shrivelled up by the sun.
+
+    Note: This fairy-tale is traditionally narrated. The
+    Roc is called _pong_ in Chinese, and the treasures on
+    the island are spoken of as "all sorts of yellow and
+    white objects" because the little fellow does not know
+    that they are gold and silver.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+THE THREE RHYMSTERS
+
+
+Once there were three daughters in a family. The oldest one married a
+physician, the second one married a magistrate; but the third, who was
+more than usually intelligent and a clever talker, married a farmer.
+
+Now it chanced, once upon a time, that their parents were celebrating
+a birthday. So the three daughters came, together with their husbands,
+to wish them long life and happiness. The parents-in-law prepared a
+meal for their three sons-in-law, and put the birthday wine on the
+table. But the oldest son-in-law, who knew that the third one had not
+attended school, wanted to embarrass him.
+
+"It is far too tiresome," said he, "just to sit here drinking: let us
+have a drinking game. Each one of us must invent a verse, one that
+rimes and makes sense, on the words: 'in the sky, on the earth, at the
+table, in the room,' And whoever cannot do so, must empty three
+glasses as a punishment."
+
+All the company were satisfied. Only the third son-in-law felt
+embarrassed and insisted on leaving. But the guests would not let him
+go, and obliged him to keep his seat.
+
+Then the oldest son-in-law began: "I will make a start with my verse.
+Here it is:
+
+    "In the sky the phenix proudly flies,
+    On the earth the lambkin tamely lies,
+    At the table through an ancient book I wade,
+    In the room I softly call the maid."
+
+The second one continued: "And I say:
+
+    "In the sky the turtle-dove flies round,
+    On the earth the ox paws up the ground,
+    At the table one studies the deeds of yore,
+    In the room the maid she sweeps the floor."
+
+But the third son-in-law stuttered, and found nothing to say. And when
+all of them insisted, he broke out in rough tones of voice:
+
+    "In the sky--flies a leaden bullet,
+    On the earth--stalks a tiger-beast,
+    On the table--lies a pair of scissors,
+    In the room--I call the stable-boy."
+
+The other two sons-in-law clapped their hands and began to laugh
+loudly.
+
+"Why the four lines do not rime at all," said they, "and, besides
+they do not make sense. A leaden bullet is no bird, the stable-boy
+does his work outside, would you call him into the room? Nonsense,
+nonsense! Drink!"
+
+Yet before they had finished speaking, the third daughter raised the
+curtain of the women's room, and stepped out. She was angry, yet she
+could not suppress a smile.
+
+"How so do our lines not make sense?" said she. "Listen a moment, and
+I'll explain them to you: In the sky our leaden bullet will shoot your
+phenix and your turtle-dove. On the earth our tiger-beast will devour
+your sheep and your ox. On the table our pair of scissors will cut up
+all your old books. And finally, in the room--well, the stable-boy can
+marry your maid!"
+
+Then the oldest son-in-law said: "Well scolded! Sister-in-law, you
+know how to talk! If you were a man you would have had your degree
+long ago. And, as a punishment, we will empty our three glasses."
+
+    Note: This is also a fairy-tale traditionally handed
+    down.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+HOW GREED FOR A TRIFLING THING LED A MAN TO LOSE A GREAT ONE
+
+
+Once upon a time there was an old woman, who had two sons. But her
+older son did not love his parents, and left his mother and brother.
+The younger one served her so faithfully, however, that all the people
+spoke of his filial affection.
+
+One day it happened that there was a theatrical performance given
+outside the village. The younger son started to carry his mother there
+on his back, so that she might look on. But there was a ravine before
+the village, and he slipped and fell down in the middle of it. And his
+mother was killed by the rolling stones, and her blood and flesh were
+sprinkled about everywhere. The son stroked his mother's corpse, and
+wept bitterly. He was about to kill himself when, suddenly, he saw a
+priest standing before him.
+
+The latter said: "Have no fear, for I can bring your mother back to
+life again!" And as he said so, he stooped, gathered up her flesh and
+bones, and laid them together as they should be. Then he breathed upon
+them, and at once the mother was alive again. This made the son very
+happy, and he thanked the priest on his knees. Yet on a sharp point of
+rock he still saw a bit of his mother's flesh hanging, a bit about an
+inch long.
+
+"That should not be left hanging there either," said he, and hid it in
+his breast.
+
+"In truth, you love your mother as a son should," said the priest.
+Then he bade the son give him the bit of flesh, kneaded a manikin out
+of it, breathed upon it, and in a minute there it stood, a really
+fine-looking little boy.
+
+"His name is Small Profit," said he, turning to the son, "and you may
+call him brother. You are poor and have not the wherewithal with which
+to nourish your mother. If you need something, Small Profit can get it
+for you."
+
+The son thanked him once more, then took his mother on his back again,
+and his new little brother by the hand, and went home. And when he
+said to Small Profit: "Bring meat and wine!" then meat and wine were
+at hand at once, and steaming rice was already cooking in the pot. And
+when he said to Small Profit: "Bring money and cloth!" then his purse
+filled itself with money, and the chests were heaped up with cloth to
+the brim. Whatever he asked for that he received. Thus, in the course
+of time, they came to be very well off indeed.
+
+But his older brother envied him greatly. And when there was another
+theatrical performance in the village, he took his mother on his
+back--by force--and went to it. And when he reached the ravine, he
+slipped purposely, and let his mother fall into the depths, only
+intent to see that she really was shattered into fragments. And sure
+enough his mother had such a bad fall that her limbs and trunk were
+strewn around in all directions. He then climbed down, took his
+mother's head in his hands, and pretended to weep.
+
+And at once the priest was on hand again, and said: "I can wake the
+dead to life again, and surround white bones with flesh and blood!"
+
+Then he did as he had done before, and the mother came to life again.
+But the older brother already had hidden one of her ribs on purpose.
+He now pulled it out and said to the priest: "Here is a bone left.
+What shall I do with it?"
+
+The priest took the bone, enclosed it in lime and earth, breathed upon
+it, as he had done the other time, and it became a little man,
+resembling Small Profit, but larger in stature.
+
+"His name is Great Duty," he told his older brother, "if you stick to
+him he will always lend you a hand."
+
+The son took his mother back again, and Great Duty walked beside him.
+
+When he came to their courtyard door, he saw his younger brother
+coming out, holding Small Profit in his arms.
+
+"Where are you going?" he said to him.
+
+His brother answered: "Small Profit is a divine being, who does not
+wish to dwell for all time among men. He wants to fly back to the
+heavens, and so I am escorting him."
+
+"Give Small Profit to me! Don't let him get away!" cried the older
+brother.
+
+Yet, before he had ended his speech, Small Profit was rising in the
+air. The older brother then quickly let his mother drop on the ground,
+and stretched out his hand to catch Small Profit. But he did not
+succeed, and now Great Duty, too, rose from the ground, took Small
+Profit's hand, and together they ascended to the clouds and
+disappeared.
+
+Then the older brother stamped on the ground, and said with a sigh:
+"Alas, I have lost my Great Duty because I was too greedy for that
+Small Profit!"
+
+    Note: In China--usually on festive days or because of
+    some religious celebration--a provisional stage is
+    erected before the village or temple, and a play given.
+    Permanent theaters are to be found only in the large
+    cities.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+WHO WAS THE SINNER?
+
+
+Once upon a time there were ten farmers, who were crossing a field
+together. They were surprised by a heavy thunder-storm, and took
+refuge in a half-ruined temple. But the thunder drew ever nearer, and
+so great was the tumult that the air trembled about them, while the
+lightning flew around the temple in a continuous circle. The farmers
+were greatly frightened, and thought that there must be a sinner among
+them, whom the lightning would strike. In order to find out who it
+might be, they agreed to hang their straw hats up before the door, and
+he whose hat was blown away was to yield himself up to his fate.
+
+No sooner were the hats outside, than one of them was blown away, and
+the rest thrust its unfortunate owner out of doors without pity. But
+as soon as he had left the temple the lightning ceased circling
+around, and struck it with a crash.
+
+The one whom the rest had thrust out, had been the only righteous one
+among them, and for his sake the lightning had spared the temple. So
+the other nine had to pay for their hard-heartedness with their lives.
+
+    Note: A traditionally narrated fairy-tale.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+THE MAGIC CASK
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man who dug up a big, earthenware cask in
+his field. So he took it home with him and told his wife to clean it
+out. But when his wife started brushing the inside of the cask, the
+cask suddenly began to fill itself with brushes. No matter how many
+were taken out, others kept on taking their place. So the man sold the
+brushes, and the family managed to live quite comfortably.
+
+Once a coin fell into the cask by mistake. At once the brushes
+disappeared and the cask began to fill itself with money. So now the
+family became rich; for they could take as much money out of the cask
+as ever they wished.
+
+Now the man had an old grandfather at home, who was weak and shaky.
+Since there was nothing else he could do, his grandson set him to work
+shoveling money out of the cask, and when the old grandfather grew
+weary and could not keep on, he would fall into a rage, and shout at
+him angrily, telling him he was lazy and did not want to work. One
+day, however, the old man's strength gave out, and he fell into the
+cask and died. At once the money disappeared, and the whole cask began
+to fill itself with dead grandfathers. Then the man had to pull them
+all out and have them buried, and for this purpose he had to use up
+again all the money he had received. And when he was through, the cask
+broke, and he was just as poor as before.
+
+    Note: "The Magic Cask" is a traditionally narrated tale.
+    In Northern China wooden casks or barrels are unknown.
+    Large vessels, open at the top, of earth or stone are
+    used to hold water and other liquids.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+THE FAVORITE OF FORTUNE AND THE CHILD OF ILL LUCK
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a proud prince who had a daughter. But the
+daughter was a child of ill luck. When it came time for her to marry,
+she had all her suitors assemble before her father's palace. She was
+going to throw down a ball of red silk among them, and whoever caught
+it was to be her husband. Now there were many princes and counts
+gathered before the castle, and in their midst there was also a
+beggar. And the princess could see dragons crawling into his ears and
+crawling out again from his nostrils, for he was a child of luck. So
+she threw the ball to the beggar and he caught it.
+
+Her father asked angrily: "Why did you throw the ball into the
+beggar's hands?"
+
+"He is a favorite of Fortune," said the princess, "I will marry him,
+and then, perhaps, I will share in his good luck."
+
+But her father would not hear of it, and since she insisted, he drove
+her from the castle in his rage. So the princess had to go off with
+the beggar. She dwelt with him in a little hut, and had to hunt for
+herbs and roots, and cook them herself, so that they might have
+something to eat; and often they both went hungry.
+
+One day her husband said to her: "I will set out and seek my fortune.
+And when I have found it, I will come back again and fetch you." The
+princess was willing, and he went away, and was gone for eighteen
+years. Meanwhile the princess lived in want and affliction, for her
+father remained hard and merciless. If her mother had not secretly
+given her food and money, no doubt she would have starved to death
+during all that time.
+
+But the beggar found his fortune, and at length became emperor. He
+returned and stood before his wife. She however, no longer recognized
+him: She only knew that he was the powerful emperor.
+
+He asked her how she were getting along.
+
+"Why do you ask me how I am getting along?" she replied. "I am too far
+beneath your notice."
+
+"And who may your husband be!"
+
+"My husband was a beggar. He went away to seek his fortune. That was
+eighteen years ago, and he has not yet returned."
+
+"And what have you done during all those long years?"
+
+"I have been waiting for him to return."
+
+"Do you wish to marry some one else, seeing that he has been missing
+so long?"
+
+"No, I will remain his wife until I die."
+
+When the emperor saw how faithful his wife was, he told her who he
+was, had her clothed in magnificent garments, and took her with him to
+his imperial palace. And there they lived in splendor and happiness.
+
+After a few days the emperor said to his wife: "We spend every day in
+festivities, as though every day were New Year."
+
+"And why should we not celebrate," answered his wife, "since we have
+now become emperor and empress?"
+
+Yet his wife was a child of ill luck. When she had been empress no
+more than eighteen days, she fell sick and died. But her husband lived
+for many a long year.
+
+    Note: "The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill
+    Luck" is a traditionally narrated fairy-tale. The dragon
+    is the symbol of imperial rule, and the New Year's
+    feasts, which old and young celebrate for weeks, is the
+    greatest of Chinese festivals.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS
+
+
+Long, long ago, there once lived a king and a queen who had a
+daughter. One day, when the daughter went walking in the garden, a
+tremendous storm suddenly came up and carried her away with it. Now
+the storm had come from the bird with nine heads, who had robbed the
+princess, and brought her to his cave. The king did not know whither
+his daughter had disappeared, so he had proclaimed throughout the
+land: "Whoever brings back the princess may have her for his bride!"
+
+Now a youth had seen the bird as he was carrying the princess to his
+cave. This cave, though, was in the middle of a sheer wall of rock.
+One could not climb up to it from below, nor could one climb down to
+it from above. And as the youth was walking around the rock, another
+youth came along and asked him what he was doing there. So the first
+youth told him that the bird with nine heads had carried off the
+king's daughter, and had brought her up to his cave. The other chap
+knew what he had to do. He called together his friends, and they
+lowered the youth to the cave in a basket. And when he went into the
+cave, he saw the king's daughter sitting there, and washing the wound
+of the bird with nine heads; for the hound of heaven had bitten off
+his tenth head, and his wound was still bleeding. The princess,
+however, motioned to the youth to hide, and he did so. When the king's
+daughter had washed his wound and bandaged it, the bird with nine
+heads felt so comfortable, that one after another, all his nine heads
+fell asleep. Then the youth stepped forth from his hiding-place, and
+cut off his nine heads with a sword. But the king's daughter said: "It
+would be best if you were hauled up first, and I came after."
+
+"No," said the youth. "I will wait below here, until you are in
+safety." At first the king's daughter was not willing; yet at last she
+allowed herself to be persuaded, and climbed into the basket. But
+before she did so, she took a long pin from her hair, broke it into
+two halves and gave him one and kept the other. She also divided her
+silken kerchief with him, and told him to take good care of both her
+gifts. But when the other man had drawn up the king's daughter, he
+took her along with him, and left the youth in the cave, in spite of
+all his calling and pleading.
+
+The youth now took a walk about the cave. There he saw a number of
+maidens, all of whom had been carried off by the bird with nine heads,
+and who had perished there of hunger. And on the wall hung a fish,
+nailed against it with four nails. When he touched the fish, the
+latter turned into a handsome youth, who thanked him for delivering
+him, and they agreed to regard each other as brothers. Soon the first
+youth grew very hungry. He stepped out in front of the cave to search
+for food, but only stones were lying there. Then, suddenly, he saw a
+great dragon, who was licking a stone. The youth imitated him, and
+before long his hunger had disappeared. He next asked the dragon how
+he could get away from the cave, and the dragon nodded his head in the
+direction of his tail, as much as to say he should seat himself upon
+it. So he climbed up, and in the twinkling of an eye he was down on
+the ground, and the dragon had disappeared. He then went on until he
+found a tortoise-shell full of beautiful pearls. But they were magic
+pearls, for if you flung them into the fire, the fire ceased to burn
+and if you flung them into the water, the water divided and you could
+walk through the midst of it. The youth took the pearls out of the
+tortoise-shell, and put them in his pocket. Not long after he reached
+the sea-shore. Here he flung a pearl into the sea, and at once the
+waters divided and he could see the sea-dragon. The sea-dragon cried:
+"Who is disturbing me here in my own kingdom?" The youth answered: "I
+found pearls in a tortoise-shell, and have flung one into the sea, and
+now the waters have divided for me."
+
+"If that is the case," said the dragon, "then come into the sea with
+me and we will live there together." Then the youth recognized him for
+the same dragon whom he had seen in the cave. And with him was the
+youth with whom he had formed a bond of brotherhood: He was the
+dragon's son.
+
+"Since you have saved my son and become his brother, I am your
+father," said the old dragon. And he entertained him hospitably with
+food and wine.
+
+One day his friend said to him: "My father is sure to want to reward
+you. But accept no money, nor any jewels from him, but only the little
+gourd flask over yonder. With it you can conjure up whatever you
+wish."
+
+And, sure enough, the old dragon asked him what he wanted by way of a
+reward, and the youth answered: "I want no money, nor any jewels. All
+I want is the little gourd flask over yonder."
+
+At first the dragon did not wish to give it up, but at last he did let
+him have it, after all. And then the youth left the dragon's castle.
+
+When he set his foot on dry land again he felt hungry. At once a table
+stood before him, covered with a fine and plenteous meal. He ate and
+drank. After he had gone on a while, he felt weary. And there stood an
+ass, waiting for him, on which he mounted. After he had ridden for a
+while, the ass's gait seemed too uneven, and along came a wagon, into
+which he climbed. But the wagon shook him up too, greatly, and he
+thought: "If I only had a litter! That would suit me better." No more
+had he thought so, than the litter came along, and he seated himself
+in it. And the bearers carried him to the city in which dwelt the
+king, the queen and their daughter.
+
+When the other youth had brought back the king's daughter, it was
+decided to hold the wedding. But the king's daughter was not willing,
+and said: "He is not the right man. My deliverer will come and bring
+with him half of the long pin for my hair, and half my silken kerchief
+as a token." But when the youth did not appear for so long a time, and
+the other one pressed the king, the king grew impatient and said: "The
+wedding shall take place to-morrow!" Then the king's daughter went
+sadly through the streets of the city, and searched and searched in
+the hope of finding her deliverer. And this was on the very day that
+the litter arrived. The king's daughter saw the half of her silken
+handkerchief in the youth's hand, and filled with joy, she led him to
+her father. There he had to show his half of the long pin, which
+fitted the other exactly, and then the king was convinced that he was
+the right, true deliverer. The false bridegroom was now punished, the
+wedding celebrated, and they lived in peace and happiness till the end
+of their days.
+
+    Note: "The Bird With Nine Heads" is a traditionally
+    narrated fairy-tale. The long hair needle is an example
+    of the halved jewel used as a sign of recognition by
+    lovers (see No. 68, "Yang Gui Fe"). The "Fish" in the
+    cave is the dragon's son, for like East Indian
+    _Nagaradjas_, the Chinese dragons are often sea-gods.
+    Gourd flasks often occur as magic talismans in Chinese
+    fairy-tales, and spirits who serve their owners are
+    often imprisoned in them. See No. 81.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+THE CAVE OF THE BEASTS
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a family in which there were seven
+daughters. One day when the father went out to gather wood, he found
+seven wild duck eggs. He brought them home, but did not think of
+giving any to his children, intending to eat them himself, with his
+wife. In the evening the oldest daughter woke up, and asked her mother
+what she was cooking. The mother said: "I am cooking wild duck eggs. I
+will give you one, but you must not let your sisters know." And so she
+gave her one. Then the second daughter woke up, and asked her mother
+what she was cooking. She said: "Wild duck eggs. If you will not tell
+your sisters, I'll give you one." And so it went. At last the
+daughters had eaten all the eggs, and there were none left.
+
+In the morning the father was very angry with the children, and said:
+"Who wants to go along to grandmother?" But he intended to lead the
+children into the mountains, and let the wolves devour them there. The
+older daughters suspected this, and said: "We are not going along!"
+But the two younger ones said: "We will go with you." And so they
+drove off with their father. After they had driven a good ways, they
+asked: "Will we soon get to grandmother's house?" "Right away," said
+their father. And when they had reached the mountains he told them:
+"Wait here. I will drive into the village ahead of you, and tell
+grandmother that you are coming." And then he drove off with the
+donkey-cart. They waited and waited, but their father did not come. At
+last they decided that their father would not come back to fetch them,
+and that he had left them alone in the mountains. So they went further
+and further into the hills seeking a shelter for the night. Then they
+spied a great stone. This they selected for a pillow, and rolled it
+over to the place where they were going to lie down to sleep. And then
+they saw that the stone was the door to a cave. There was a light in
+the cave, and they went into it. The light they had seen came from the
+many precious stones and jewels of every sort in the cave, which
+belonged to a wolf and a fox. They had a number of jars of precious
+stones and pearls that shone by night. The girls said: "What a lovely
+cave this is! We will lie right down and go to bed." For there stood
+two golden beds with gold-embroidered covers. So they lay down and
+fell asleep. During the night the wolf and fox came home. And the
+wolf said: "I smell human flesh!" But the fox replied: "Oh, nonsense!
+There are no human beings who can enter our cave. We lock it up too
+well for that." The wolf said: "Very well, then let us lie down in our
+beds and sleep." But the fox answered: "Let us curl up in the kettles
+on the hearth. They still hold a little warmth from the fire." The one
+kettle was of gold and the other of silver, and they curled up in
+them.
+
+When the girls rose early in the morning, they saw the wolf and the
+fox lying there, and were much frightened. And they put the covers on
+the kettles and heaped a number of big stones on them, so that the
+wolf and the fox could not get out again. Then they made a fire. The
+wolf and the fox said: "Oh, how nice and warm it is this morning! How
+does that happen?" But at length it grew too hot for them. Then they
+noticed that the two girls had kindled a fire and they cried: "Let us
+out! We will give you lots of precious stones, and lots of gold, and
+will do you no harm!" But the girls would not listen to them, and kept
+on making a bigger fire. So that was the end of the wolf and the fox
+in the kettles.
+
+Then the girls lived happily for a number of days in the cave. But
+their father was seized with a longing for his daughters, and he went
+into the mountains to look for them. And he sat right down on the
+stone in front of the cave to rest, and tapped his pipe against it to
+empty the ashes. Then the girls within called out: "Who is knocking at
+our door?" And the father said: "Are those not my daughters' voices?"
+While the daughters replied: "Is that not our father's voice?" Then
+they pushed aside the stone and saw that it was their father, and
+their father was glad to see them once more. He was much surprised to
+think that they should have chanced on this cave full of precious
+stones, and they told him the whole story. Then their father fetched
+people to help him carry home the jewels. And when they got home, his
+wife wondered where he had obtained all these treasures. So the father
+and daughters told her everything, and they became a very wealthy
+family, and lived happily to the end of their days.
+
+    Note: "The Cave of the Beasts" is traditionally
+    narrated.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+THE PANTHER
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters and a little
+son. And one day the mother said to her daughters: "Take good care of
+the house, for I am going to see grandmother, together with your
+little brother!" So the daughters promised her they would do so, and
+their mother went off. On her way a panther met her, and asked where
+she were going.
+
+She said: "I am going with my child to see my mother."
+
+"Will you not rest a bit?" asked the panther.
+
+"No," said she, "it is already late, and it is a long road to where my
+mother lives."
+
+But the panther did not cease urging her, and finally she gave in and
+sat down by the road side.
+
+"I will comb your hair a bit," said the panther. And the woman allowed
+the panther to comb her hair. But as he passed his claws through her
+hair, he tore off a bit of her skin and devoured it.
+
+"Stop!" cried the woman, "the way you comb my hair hurts!"
+
+But the panther tore off a much larger piece of skin. Now the woman
+wanted to call for help, but the panther seized and devoured her. Then
+he turned on her little son and killed him too, put on the woman's
+clothes, and laid the child's bones, which he had not yet devoured, in
+her basket. After that he went to the woman's home, where her two
+daughters were, and called in at the door: "Open the door, daughters!
+Mother has come home!" But they looked out through a crack and said:
+"Our mother's eyes are not so large as yours!"
+
+Then the panther said: "I have been to grandmother's house, and saw
+her hens laying eggs. That pleases me, and is the reason why my eyes
+have grown so large."
+
+"Our mother had no spots in her face such as you have."
+
+"Grandmother had no spare bed, so I had to sleep on the peas, and they
+pressed themselves into my face."
+
+"Our mother's feet are not so large as yours."
+
+"Stupid things! That comes from walking such a distance. Come, open
+the door quickly!"
+
+Then the daughters said to each other: "It must be our mother," and
+they opened the door. But when the panther came in, they saw it was
+not really their mother after all.
+
+At evening, when the daughters were already in bed, the panther was
+still gnawing the bones he had brought with him.
+
+Then the daughters asked: "Mother, what are you eating?"
+
+"I'm eating beets," was the answer.
+
+Then the daughters said: "Oh, mother, give us some of your beets,
+too! We are so hungry!"
+
+"No," was the reply, "I will not give you any. Now be quiet and go to
+sleep."
+
+But the daughters kept on begging until the false mother gave them a
+little finger. And then they saw that it was their little brother's
+finger, and they said to each other: "We must make haste to escape
+else he will eat us as well." And with that they ran out of the door,
+climbed up into a tree in the yard, and called down to the false
+mother: "Come out! We can see our neighbor's son celebrating his
+wedding!" But it was the middle of the night.
+
+Then the mother came out, and when she saw that they were sitting in
+the tree, she called out angrily: "Why, I'm not able to climb!"
+
+The daughters said: "Get into a basket and throw us the rope and we
+will draw you up!"
+
+The mother did as they said. But when the basket was half-way up, they
+began to swing it back and forth, and bump it against the tree. Then
+the false mother had to turn into a panther again, lest she fall down.
+And the panther leaped out of the basket, and ran away.
+
+Gradually daylight came. The daughters climbed down, seated themselves
+on the doorstep, and cried for their mother. And a needle-vender came
+by and asked them why they were crying.
+
+"A panther has devoured our mother and our brother," said the girls.
+"He has gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as well."
+
+Then the needle-vender gave them a pair of needles, and said: "Stick
+these needles in the cushion of the arm chair, with the points up."
+The girls thanked him and went on crying.
+
+Soon a scorpion-catcher came by; and he asked them why they were
+crying. "A panther has devoured our mother and brother," said the
+girls. "He has gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as
+well."
+
+The man gave them a scorpion and said: "Put it behind the hearth in
+the kitchen." The girls thanked him and went on crying.
+
+Then an egg-seller came by and asked them why they were crying. "A
+panther has devoured our mother and our brother," said the girls. "He
+has gone now, but he is sure to return and devour us as well."
+
+So he gave them an egg and said: "Lay it beneath the ashes in the
+hearth." The girls thanked him and went on crying.
+
+Then a dealer in turtles came by, and they told him their tale. He
+gave them a turtle and said: "Put it in the water-barrel in the yard."
+And then a man came by who sold wooden clubs. He asked them why they
+were crying. And they told him the whole story. Then he gave them two
+wooden clubs and said: "Hang them up over the door to the street." The
+girls thanked him and did as the men had told them.
+
+In the evening the panther came home. He sat down in the armchair in
+the room. Then the needles in the cushion stuck into him. So he ran
+into the kitchen to light the fire and see what had jabbed him so; and
+then it was that the scorpion hooked his sting into his hand. And when
+at last the fire was burning, the egg burst and spurted into one of
+his eyes, which was blinded. So he ran out into the yard and dipped
+his hand into the water-barrel, in order to cool it; and then the
+turtle bit it off. And when in his pain he ran out through the door
+into the street, the wooden clubs fell on his head and that was the
+end of him.
+
+    Note: "The Panther" in this tale is in reality the same
+    beast as "the talking silver fox" in No. 49, and the
+    fairy-tale is made up of motives to be found in "Little
+    Red Riding-Hood," "The Wolf and the Seven Kids," and
+    "The Vagabonds."
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+THE GREAT FLOOD
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a widow, who had a child. And the child was
+a kind-hearted boy of whom every one was fond. One day he said to his
+mother: "All the other children have a grandmother, but I have none.
+And that makes me feel very sad!"
+
+"We will hunt up a grandmother for you," said his mother. Now it once
+happened that an old beggar-woman came to the house, who was very old
+and feeble. And when the child saw her, he said to her: "You shall be
+my grandmother!" And he went to his mother and said: "There is a
+beggar-woman outside, whom I want for my grandmother!" And his mother
+was willing and called her into the house; though the old woman was
+very dirty. So the boy said to his mother: "Come, let us wash
+grandmother!" And they washed the woman. But she had a great many
+burrs in her hair, so they picked them all out and put them in a jar,
+and they filled the whole jar. Then the grandmother said: "Do not
+throw them away, but bury them in the garden. And you must not dig
+them up again before the great flood comes."
+
+"When is the great flood coming?" asked the boy.
+
+"When the eyes of the two stone lions in front of the prison grow red,
+then the great flood will come," said the grandmother.
+
+So the boy went to look at the lions, but their eyes were not yet
+red. And the grandmother also said to him: "Make a little wooden ship
+and keep it in a little box." And this the boy did. And he ran to the
+prison every day and looked at the lions, much to the astonishment of
+the people in the street.
+
+One day, as he passed the chicken-butcher's shop, the butcher asked
+him why he was always running to the lions. And the boy said: "When
+the lions' eyes grow red then the great flood will come." But the
+butcher laughed at him. And the following morning, quite early, he
+took some chicken-blood and rubbed it on the lions' eyes. When the boy
+saw that the lions' eyes were red he ran swiftly home, and told his
+mother and grandmother. And then his grandmother said: "Dig up the jar
+quickly, and take the little ship out of its box." And when they dug
+up the jar, it was filled with the purest pearls and the little ship
+grew larger and larger, like a real ship. Then the grandmother said:
+"Take the jar with you and get into the ship. And when the great flood
+comes, then you may save all the animals that are driven into it; but
+human beings, with their black heads, you are not to save." So they
+climbed into the ship, and the grandmother suddenly disappeared.
+
+Now it began to rain, and the rain kept falling more and more heavily
+from the heavens. Finally there were no longer any single drops
+falling, but just one big sheet of water which flooded everything.
+
+Then a dog came drifting along, and they saved him in their ship. Soon
+after came a pair of mice, with their little ones, loudly squeaking in
+their fear. And these they also saved. The water was already rising to
+the roofs of the houses, and on one roof stood a cat, arching her back
+and mewing pitifully. They took the cat into the ship, too. Yet the
+flood increased and rose to the tops of the trees. And in one tree sat
+a raven, beating his wings and cawing loudly. And him, too, they took
+in. Finally a swarm of bees came flying their way. The little
+creatures were quite wet, and could hardly fly. So they took in the
+bees on their ship. At last a man with black hair floated by on the
+waves. The boy said: "Mother, let us save him, too!" But the mother
+did not want to do so. "Did not grandmother tell us that we must save
+no black-headed human beings?" But the boy answered: "We will save the
+man in spite of that. I feel sorry for him, and cannot bear to see him
+drifting along in the water." So they also saved the man.
+
+Gradually the water subsided. Then they got out of their ship, and
+parted from the man and the beasts. And the ship grew small again and
+they put it away in its box.
+
+But the man was filled with a desire for the pearls. He went to the
+judge and entered a complaint against the boy and his mother, and they
+were both thrown into jail. Then the mice came, and dug a hole in the
+wall. And the dog came through the hole and brought them meat, and the
+cat brought them bread, so they did not have to hunger in their
+prison. But the raven flew off and returned with a letter for the
+judge. The letter had been written by a god, and it said: "I wandered
+about in the world of men disguised as a beggar woman. And this boy
+and his mother took me in. The boy treated me like his own
+grandmother, and did not shrink from washing me when I was dirty.
+Because of this I saved them out of the great flood by means of which
+I destroyed the sinful city wherein they dwelt. Do you, O judge, free
+them, or misfortune shall be your portion!"
+
+So the judge had them brought before him, and asked what they had
+done, and how they had made their way through the flood. Then they
+told him everything, and what they said agreed with the god's letter.
+So the judge punished their accuser, and set them both at liberty.
+
+When the boy had grown up he came to a city of many people, and it was
+said that the princess intended to take a husband. But in order to
+find the right man, she had veiled herself, and seated herself in a
+litter, and she had had the litter, together with many others, carried
+into the market place. In every litter sat a veiled woman, and the
+princess was in their midst. And whoever hit upon the right litter, he
+was to get the princess for his bride. So the youth went there, too,
+and when he reached the market place, he saw the bees whom he had
+saved from the great flood, all swarming about a certain litter. Up he
+stepped to it, and sure enough, the princess was sitting in it. And
+then their wedding was celebrated, and they lived happily ever
+afterward.
+
+    Note: "The Great Flood" is traditionally narrated and a
+    diluvian legend seems to underlie it. Compare with
+    Grimm's fairy-tale (No. 73) "The Queen of the Bees."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+THE FOX AND THE TIGER
+
+
+Once a fox met a tiger. The latter bared his teeth, stretched out his
+claws, and was about to devour him. But the fox spoke and said: "My
+dear sir, you must not think that you are the only king of beasts.
+Your courage does not compare with my own. Let us walk together, and
+do you keep behind me. And if men catch sight of me and do not fear
+me, then you may devour me." The tiger was willing, and so the fox led
+him along a broad highway. But the travelers, when they saw the tiger
+in the distance, were all frightened and ran away.
+
+Then the fox said: "How about it? I went in advance, and the men saw
+me and had not as yet seen you."
+
+And thereupon the tiger drew in his tail and ran away himself.
+
+The tiger had remarked quite well that the men were afraid of the fox,
+but he had not noticed that the fox had borrowed the terror he
+inspired from him.
+
+    Note: This universally known fable is traditionally
+    narrated. Animal fables are very rare in China.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+THE TIGER'S DECOY
+
+
+That the fox borrowed the terror he inspired from the tiger is more
+than a simile; but that the tiger has his decoy is something we read
+about in the story books, and grandfathers talk about a good deal,
+too. So there must be some truth in it. It is said that when a tiger
+devours a human being, the latter's spirit cannot free itself, and
+that the tiger then uses it for a decoy. When he goes out to seek his
+prey, the spirit of the man he has devoured must go before him, to
+hide him, so that people cannot see him. And the spirit is apt to
+change itself into a beautiful girl, or a lump of gold or a bolt of
+silk. All sorts of deceptions are used to lure folk into the mountain
+gorges. Then the tiger comes along and devours his victim, and the new
+spirit must serve as his decoy. The old spirit's time of service is
+over and it may go. And so it continues, turn by turn. Probably that
+is why they say of people who are forced to yield themselves up to
+cunning and powerful men, in order that others may be harmed: "They
+are the tiger's decoys!"
+
+    Note: This tale is traditionally narrated.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+THE FOX AND THE RAVEN
+
+
+The fox knows how to flatter, and how to play many cunning tricks.
+Once upon a time he saw a raven, who alighted on a tree with a piece
+of meat in his beak. The fox seated himself beneath the tree, looked
+up at him, and began to praise him.
+
+"Your color," he began, "is pure black. This proves to me that you
+possess all the wisdom of Laotzse, who knows how to shroud his
+learning in darkness. The manner in which you manage to feed your
+mother shows that your filial affection equals that which the Master
+Dsong had for his parents. Your voice is rough and strong. It proves
+that you have the courage with which King Hiang once drove his foes to
+flight by the mere sound of his voice. In truth, you are the king of
+birds!"
+
+The raven, hearing this, was filled with joy and said: "I thank you! I
+thank you!"
+
+And before he knew it, the meat fell to earth from his opened beak.
+
+The fox caught it up, devoured it and then said, laughing: "Make note
+of this, my dear sir: if some one praises you without occasion, he is
+sure to have a reason for doing so."
+
+    Note: Traditionally narrated, it may be taken for
+    granted that this is simply AEsop's fable in Chinese
+    dress. The manner of presentation is characteristically
+    Chinese. For "the wisdom of Laotzse" compare, p. 30,
+    "The Ancient's Book of Wisdom and Life": "Who sees his
+    light, yet dwells in darkness." Master Dsong was King
+    Dsi's most faithful pupil, renowned for his piety. The
+    raven is known in China as "the bird of filial love,"
+    for it is said that the young ravens bring forth the
+    food they have eaten from their beaks again, in order to
+    feed the old birds.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+WHY DOG AND CAT ARE ENEMIES
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man and his wife and they had a ring of
+gold. It was a lucky ring, and whoever owned it always had enough to
+live on. But this they did not know, and hence sold the ring for a
+small sum. But no sooner was the ring gone than they began to grow
+poorer and poorer, and at last did not know when they would get their
+next meal. They had a dog and a cat, and these had to go hungry as
+well. Then the two animals took counsel together as to how they might
+restore to their owners their former good fortune. At length the dog
+hit upon an idea.
+
+"They must have the ring back again," he said to the cat.
+
+The cat answered: "The ring has been carefully locked up in the
+chest, where no one can get at it."
+
+"You must catch a mouse," said the dog, "and the mouse must gnaw a
+hole in the chest and fetch out the ring. And if she does not want to,
+say that you will bite her to death, and you will see that she will do
+it."
+
+This advice pleased the cat, and she caught a mouse. Then she wanted
+to go to the house in which stood the chest, and the dog came after.
+They came to a broad river. And since the cat could not swim, the dog
+took her on his back and swam across with her. Then the cat carried
+the mouse to the house in which the chest stood. The mouse gnawed a
+hole in the chest, and fetched out the ring. The cat put the ring in
+her mouth and went back to the river, where the dog was waiting for
+her, and swam across with her. Then they started out together for
+home, in order to bring the lucky ring to their master and mistress.
+But the dog could only run along the ground; when there was a house in
+the way he always had to go around it. The cat, however, quickly
+climbed over the roof, and so she reached home long before the dog,
+and brought the ring to her master.
+
+Then her master said to his wife: "What a good creature the cat is! We
+will always give her enough to eat and care for her as though she were
+our own child!"
+
+But when the dog came home they beat him and scolded him, because he
+had not helped to bring home the ring again. And the cat sat by the
+fireplace, purred and said never a word. Then the dog grew angry at
+the cat, because she had robbed him of his reward, and when he saw her
+he chased her and tried to seize her.
+
+And ever since that day cat and dog are enemies.
+
+    Note: "Why Dog and Cat are Enemies." This fairy-tale is
+    given in the current popular version.
+
+
+
+
+LEGENDS OF THE GODS
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+HOW THE FIVE ANCIENTS BECAME MEN
+
+
+Before the earth was separated from the heavens, all there was was a
+great ball of watery vapor called chaos. And at that time the spirits
+of the five elemental powers took shape, and became the five Ancients.
+The first was called the Yellow Ancient, and he was the ruler of the
+earth. The second was called the Red Lord, and he was the ruler of the
+fire. The third was called the Dark Lord, and he was the ruler of the
+water. The fourth was known as the Wood Prince, and he was the ruler
+of the wood. The fifth was called the Mother of Metals, and ruled over
+them. These five Ancients set all their primal spirit into motion, so
+that water and earth sank down. The heavens floated upward, and the
+earth grew firm in the depths. Then they allowed the waters to gather
+into rivers and seas, and hills and plains made their appearance. So
+the heavens opened and the earth was divided. And there were sun, moon
+and all the stars, wind, clouds, rain, and dew. The Yellow Ancient set
+earth's purest power spinning in a circle, and added the effect of
+fire and water thereto. Then there came forth grasses and trees, birds
+and beasts, and the tribes of the serpents and insects, fishes and
+turtles. The Wood Prince and the Mother of Metals combined light and
+darkness, and thus created the human race as men and women. And thus
+the world gradually came to be.
+
+At that time there was one who was known as the True Prince of the
+Jasper Castle. He had acquired the art of sorcery through the
+cultivation of magic. The five Ancients begged him to rule as the
+supreme god. He dwelt above the three and thirty heavens, and the
+Jasper Castle, of white jade with golden gates, was his. Before him
+stood the stewards of the eight-and-twenty houses of the moon, and the
+gods of the thunders and the Great Bear, and in addition a class of
+baneful gods whose influence was evil and deadly. They all aided the
+True Prince of the Jasper Castle to rule over the thousand tribes
+under the heavens, and to deal out life and death, fortune and
+misfortune. The Lord of the Jasper Castle is now known as the Great
+God, the White Jade Ruler.
+
+The five Ancients withdrew after they had done their work, and
+thereafter lived in quiet purity. The Red Lord dwells in the South as
+the god of fire. The Dark Lord dwells in the North, as the mighty
+master of the somber polar skies. He lived in a castle of liquid
+crystal. In later ages he sent Confucius down upon earth as a saint.
+Hence this saint is known as the Son of Crystal. The Wood Prince
+dwells in the East. He is honored as the Green Lord, and watches over
+the coming into being of all creatures. In him lives the power of
+spring and he is the god of love. The Mother of Metals dwells in the
+West, by the sea of Jasper, and is also known as the Queen-Mother of
+the West. She leads the rounds of the fairies, and watches over change
+and growth. The Yellow Ancient dwells in the middle. He is always
+going about in the world, in order to save and to help those in any
+distress. The first time he came to earth he was the Yellow Lord, who
+taught mankind all sorts of arts. In his later years he fathomed the
+meaning of the world on the Ethereal Mount, and flew up to the radiant
+sun. Under the rule of the Dschou dynasty he was born again as Li
+Oerl, and when he was born his hair and beard were white, for which
+reason he was called Laotsze, "Old Child." He wrote the book of
+"Meaning and Life" and spread his teachings through the world. He is
+honored as the head of Taoism. At the beginning of the reign of the
+Han dynasty, he again appeared as the Old Man of the River, (Ho Schang
+Gung). He spread the teachings of Tao abroad mightily, so that from
+that time on Taoism flourished greatly. These doctrines are known to
+this day as the teachings of the Yellow Ancient. There is also a
+saying: "First Laotsze was, then the heavens were." And that must mean
+that Laotsze was that very same Yellow Ancient of primal days.
+
+    Note: "How the Five Ancients Became Men." This
+    fairy-tale, the first of the legends of the gods, is
+    given in the version current among the people. In it the
+    five elemental spirits of earth, fire, water, wood and
+    metal are brought into connection with a creation myth.
+    "Prince of the Jasper Castle" or "The White Jade Ruler,"
+    Yu Huang Di, is the popular Chinese synonym for "the
+    good lord." The phrase "White Jade" serves merely to
+    express his dignity. All in all, there are 32 other Yu
+    Huangs, among whom he is the highest. He may be compared
+    to Indra, who dwells in a heaven that also comprises 33
+    halls. The astronomic relationship between the two is
+    very evident.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+THE HERD BOY AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN
+
+
+The Herd Boy was the child of poor people. When he was twelve years
+old, he took service with a farmer to herd his cow. After a few years
+the cow had grown large and fat, and her hair shone like yellow gold.
+She must have been a cow of the gods.
+
+One day while he had her out at pasture in the mountains, she suddenly
+began to speak to the Herd Boy in a human voice, as follows: "This is
+the Seventh Day. Now the White Jade Ruler has nine daughters, who
+bathe this day in the Sea of Heaven. The seventh daughter is beautiful
+and wise beyond all measure. She spins the cloud-silk for the King and
+Queen of Heaven, and presides over the weaving which maidens do on
+earth. It is for this reason she is called the Weaving Maiden. And if
+you go and take away her clothes while she bathes, you may become her
+husband and gain immortality."
+
+"But she is up in Heaven," said the Herd Boy, "and how can I get
+there?"
+
+"I will carry you there," answered the yellow cow.
+
+So the Herd Boy climbed on the cow's back. In a moment clouds began to
+stream out of her hoofs, and she rose into the air. About his ears
+there was a whistling like the sound of the wind, and they flew along
+as swiftly as lightning. Suddenly the cow stopped.
+
+"Now we are here," said she.
+
+Then round about him the Herd Boy saw forests of chrysophrase and
+trees of jade. The grass was of jasper and the flowers of coral. In
+the midst of all this splendor lay a great, four-square sea, covering
+some five-hundred acres. Its green waves rose and fell, and fishes
+with golden scales were swimming about in it. In addition there were
+countless magic birds who winged above it and sang. Even in the
+distance the Herd Boy could see the nine maidens in the water. They
+had all laid down their clothes on the shore.
+
+"Take the red clothes, quickly," said the cow, "and hide away with
+them in the forest, and though she ask you for them never so sweetly
+do not give them back to her until she has promised to become your
+wife."
+
+Then the Herd Boy hastily got down from the cow's back, seized the red
+clothes and ran away. At the same moment the nine maidens noticed him
+and were much frightened.
+
+"O youth, whence do you come, that you dare to take our clothes?" they
+cried. "Put them down again quickly!"
+
+But the Herd Boy did not let what they said trouble him; but crouched
+down behind one of the jade trees. Then eight of the maidens hastily
+came ashore and drew on their clothes.
+
+"Our seventh sister," said they, "whom Heaven has destined to be
+yours, has come to you. We will leave her alone with you."
+
+The Weaving Maiden was still crouching in the water.
+
+But the Herd Boy stood before her and laughed.
+
+"If you will promise to be my wife," said he, "then I will give you
+your clothes."
+
+But this did not suit the Weaving Maiden.
+
+"I am a daughter of the Ruler of the Gods," said she, "and may not
+marry without his command. Give back my clothes to me quickly, or else
+my father will punish you!"
+
+Then the yellow cow said: "You have been destined for each other by
+fate, and I will be glad to arrange your marriage, and your father,
+the Ruler of the Gods, will make no objection. Of that I am sure."
+
+The Weaving Maiden replied: "You are an unreasoning animal! How could
+you arrange our marriage?"
+
+The cow said: "Do you see that old willow-tree there on the shore?
+Just give it a trial and ask it. If the willow tree speaks, then
+Heaven wishes your union."
+
+And the Weaving Maiden asked the willow.
+
+The willow replied in a human voice:
+
+    "This is the Seventh day,
+    The Herd Boy his court to the Weaver doth pay!"
+
+and the Weaving Maiden was satisfied with the verdict. The Herd Boy
+laid down her clothes, and went on ahead. The Weaving Maiden drew them
+on and followed him. And thus they became man and wife.
+
+But after seven days she took leave of him.
+
+"The Ruler of Heaven has ordered me to look after my weaving," said
+she. "If I delay too long I fear that he will punish me. Yet, although
+we have to part now, we will meet again in spite of it."
+
+When she had said these words she really went away. The Herd Boy ran
+after her. But when he was quite near she took one of the long needles
+from her hair and drew a line with it right across the sky, and this
+line turned into the Silver River. And thus they now stand, separated
+by the River, and watch for one another.
+
+And since that time they meet once every year, on the eve of the
+Seventh Day. When that time comes, then all the crows in the world of
+men come flying and form a bridge over which the Weaving Maiden
+crosses the Silver River. And on that day you will not see a single
+crow in the trees, from morning to night, no doubt because of the
+reason I have mentioned. And besides, a fine rain often falls on the
+evening of the Seventh Day. Then the women and old grandmothers say to
+one another: "Those are the tears which the Herd Boy and the Weaving
+Maiden shed at parting!" And for this reason the Seventh Day is a rain
+festival.
+
+To the west of the Silver River is the constellation of the Weaving
+Maiden, consisting of three stars. And directly in front of it are
+three other stars in the form of a triangle. It is said that once the
+Herd Boy was angry because the Weaving Maiden had not wished to cross
+the Silver River, and had thrown his yoke at her, which fell down just
+in front of her feet. East of the Silver River is the Herd Boy's
+constellation, consisting of six stars. To one side of it are
+countless little stars which form a constellation pointed at both ends
+and somewhat broader in the middle. It is said that the Weaving Maiden
+in turn threw her spindle at the Herd Boy; but that she did not hit
+him, the spindle falling down to one side of him.
+
+    Note: "The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden" is retold
+    after an oral source. The Herd Boy is a constellation in
+    Aquila, the Weaving Maiden one in Lyra. The Silver River
+    which separates them is the Milky Way. The Seventh Day
+    of the seventh month is the festival of their reunion.
+    The Ruler of the Heavens has nine daughters in all, who
+    dwell in the nine heavens. The oldest married Li Dsing
+    (comp. "Notscha," No. 18); the second is the mother of
+    Yang Oerlang (comp. No. 17); the third is the mother of
+    the planet Jupiter (comp. "Sky O'Dawn," No. 34); and the
+    fourth dwelt with a pious and industrious scholar, by
+    name of Dung Yung, whom she aided to win riches and
+    honor. The seventh is the Spinner, and the ninth had to
+    dwell on earth as a slave because of some transgression
+    of which she had been guilty. Of the fifth, the sixth
+    and the eighth daughters nothing further is known.
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+YANG OERLANG
+
+
+The second daughter of the Ruler of Heaven once came down upon the
+earth and secretly became the wife of a mortal man named Yang. And
+when she returned to Heaven she was blessed with a son. But the Ruler
+of Heaven was very angry at this desecration of the heavenly halls. He
+banished her to earth and covered her with the Wu-I hills. Her son,
+however, Oerlang by name, the nephew of the Ruler of Heaven, was
+extraordinarily gifted by nature. By the time he was full grown he had
+learned the magic art of being able to control eight times nine
+transformations. He could make himself invisible, or could assume the
+shape of birds and beasts, grasses, flowers, snakes and fishes, as he
+chose. He also knew how to empty out seas and remove mountains from
+one place to another. So he went to the Wu-I hills and rescued his
+mother, whom he took on his back and carried away. They stopped to
+rest on a flat ledge of rock.
+
+Then the mother said: "I am very thirsty!"
+
+Oerlang climbed down into the valley in order to fetch her water, and
+some time passed before he returned. When he did his mother was no
+longer there. He searched eagerly, but on the rock lay only her skin
+and bones, and a few blood-stains. Now you must know that at that time
+there were still ten suns in the heavens, glowing and burning like
+fire. The Daughter of Heaven, it is true, was divine by nature; yet
+because she had incurred the anger of her father and had been banished
+to earth, her magic powers had failed her. Then, too, she had been
+imprisoned so long beneath the hills in the dark that, coming out
+suddenly into the sunlight, she had been devoured by its blinding
+radiance.
+
+When Oerlang thought of his mother's sad end, his heart ached. He took
+two mountains on his shoulders, pursued the suns and crushed them to
+death between the mountains. And whenever he had crushed another
+sun-disk, he picked up a fresh mountain. In this way he had already
+slain nine of the ten suns, and there was but one left. And as Oerlang
+pursued him relentlessly, he hid himself in his distress beneath the
+leaves of the portulacca plant. But there was a rainworm close by who
+betrayed his hiding-place, and kept repeating: "There he is! There he
+is!"
+
+Oerlang was about to seize him, when a messenger from the Ruler of the
+Heaven suddenly descended from the skies with a command: "Sky, air and
+earth need the sunshine. You must allow this one sun to live, so that
+all created beings may live. Yet, because you rescued your mother, and
+showed yourself to be a good son, you shall be a god, and be my
+bodyguard in the Highest Heaven, and shall rule over good and evil in
+the mortal world, and have power over devils and demons." When Oerlang
+received this command he ascended to Heaven.
+
+Then the sun-disk came out again from beneath the portulacca leaves,
+and out of gratitude, since the plant had saved him, he bestowed upon
+it the gift of a free-blooming nature, and ordained that it never need
+fear the sunshine. To this very day one may see on the lower side of
+the portulacca leaves quite delicate little white pearls. They are the
+sunshine that remained hanging to the leaves when the sun hid under
+them. But the sun pursues the rainworm, when he ventures forth out of
+the ground, and dries him up as a punishment for his treachery.
+
+Since that time Yang Oerlang has been honored as a god. He has
+oblique, sharply marked eyebrows, and holds a double-bladed,
+three-pointed sword in his hand. Two servants stand beside him, with a
+falcon and a hound; for Yang Oerlang is a great hunter. The falcon is
+the falcon of the gods, and the hound is the hound of the gods. When
+brute creatures gain possession of magic powers or demons oppress men,
+he subdues them by means of the falcon and hound.
+
+    Note: Yang Oerlang is a huntsman, as is indicated by his
+    falcon and hound. His Hound of the Heavens, literally
+    "the divine, biting hound" recalls the hound of Indra.
+    The myth that there were originally ten suns in the
+    skies, of whom nine were shot down by an archer, is also
+    placed in the period of the ruler Yau. In that story the
+    archer is named Hou I, or I (comp. No. 19). Here,
+    instead of the shooting down of the suns with arrows, we
+    have the Titan motive of destruction with the mountains.
+
+
+
+
+XVIII
+
+NOTSCHA
+
+
+The oldest daughter of the Ruler of Heaven had married the great
+general Li Dsing. Her sons were named Gintscha, Mutscha and Notscha.
+But when Notscha was given her, she dreamed at night that a Taoist
+priest came into her chamber and said: "Swiftly receive the Heavenly
+Son!" And straightway a radiant pearl glowed within her. And she was
+so frightened at her dream that she awoke. And when Notscha came into
+the world, it seemed as though a ball of flesh were turning in circles
+like a wheel, and the whole room was filled with strange fragrances
+and a crimson light.
+
+Li Dsing was much frightened, and thought it was an apparition. He
+clove the circling ball with his sword, and out of it leaped a small
+boy whose whole body glowed with a crimson radiance. But his face was
+delicately shaped and white as snow. About his right arm he wore a
+golden armlet and around his thighs was wound a length of crimson
+silk, whose glittering shine dazzled the eyes. When Li Dsing saw the
+child he took pity on him and did not slay him, while his wife began
+to love the boy dearly.
+
+When three days had passed, all his friends came to wish him joy. They
+were just sitting at the festival meal when a Taoist priest entered
+and said: "I am the Great One. This boy is the bright Pearl of the
+Beginning of Things, bestowed upon you as your son. Yet the boy is
+wild and unruly, and will kill many men. Therefore I will take him as
+my pupil to gentle his savage ways." Li Dsing bowed his thanks and the
+Great One disappeared.
+
+When Notscha was seven years old he once ran away from home. He came
+to the river of nine bends, whose green waters flowed along between
+two rows of weeping-willows. The day was hot, and Notscha entered the
+water to cool himself. He unbound his crimson silk cloth and whisked
+it about in the water to wash it. But while Notscha sat there and
+whisked about his scarf in the water, it shook the castle of the
+Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea to its very foundations. So the
+Dragon-King sent out a Triton, terrible to look upon, who was to find
+out what was the matter. When the Triton saw the boy he began to
+scold. But the latter merely looked up and said: "What a
+strange-looking beast you are, and you can actually talk!" Then the
+Triton grew enraged, leaped up and struck at Notscha with his ax. But
+the latter avoided the blow, and threw his golden armlet at him. The
+armlet struck the Triton on the head and he sank down dead.
+
+Notscha laughed and said: "And there he has gone and made my armlet
+bloody!" And he once more sat down on a stone, in order to wash his
+armlet. Then the crystal castle of the dragon began to tremble as
+though it were about to fall apart. And a watchman also came and
+reported that the Triton had been slain by a boy. So the Dragon-King
+sent out his son to capture the boy. And the son seated himself on the
+water-cleaving beast, and came up with a thunder of great waves of
+water. Notscha straightened up and said: "That is a big wave!"
+Suddenly he saw a creature rise out of the waves, on whose back sat an
+armed man who cried in a loud voice: "Who has slain my Triton?"
+Notscha answered: "The Triton wanted to slay me so I killed him. What
+difference does it make?" Then the dragon assailed him with his
+halberd. But Notscha said: "Tell me who you are before we fight." "I
+am the son of the Dragon-King," was the reply. "And I am Notscha, the
+son of General Li Dsing. You must not rouse my anger with your
+violence, or I will skin you, together with that old mud-fish, your
+father!" Then the dragon grew wild with rage, and came storming along
+furiously. But Notscha cast his crimson cloth into the air, so that it
+flashed like a ball of fire, and cast the dragon-youth from his
+breast. Then Notscha took his golden armlet and struck him on the
+forehead with it, so that he had to reveal himself in his true form as
+a golden dragon, and fall down dead.
+
+Notscha laughed and said: "I have heard tell that dragon-sinews make
+good cords. I will draw one out and bring it to my father, and he can
+tie his armor together with it." And with that he drew out the
+dragon's back sinew and took it home.
+
+In the meantime the Dragon-King, full of fury, had hastened to
+Notscha's father Li Dsing and demanded that Notscha be delivered up to
+him. But Li Dsing replied: "You must be mistaken, for my boy is only
+seven years old and incapable of committing such misdeeds." While they
+were still quarreling Notscha came running up and cried: "Father, I'm
+bringing along a dragon's sinew for you, so that you may bind up your
+armor with it!" Now the dragon broke out into tears and furious
+scolding. He threatened to report Li Dsing to the Ruler of the Heaven,
+and took himself off, snorting with rage.
+
+Li Dsing grew very much excited, told his wife what had happened, and
+both began to weep. Notscha, however, came to them and said: "Why do
+you weep? I will just go to my master, the Great One, and he will know
+what is to be done." And no sooner had he said the words than he had
+disappeared. He came into his master's presence and told him the whole
+tale. The latter said: "You must get ahead of the dragon, and prevent
+him from accusing you in Heaven!" Then he did some magic, and Notscha
+found himself set down by the gate of Heaven, where he waited for the
+dragon. It was still early in the morning; the gate of Heaven had not
+yet been opened, nor was the watchman at his post. But the dragon was
+already climbing up. Notscha, whom his master's magic had rendered
+invisible, threw the dragon to the ground with his armlet, and began
+to pitch into him. The dragon scolded and screamed. "There the old
+worm flounders about," said Notscha, "and does not care how hard he is
+beaten! I will scratch off some of his scales." And with these words
+he began to tear open the dragon's festal garments, and rip off some
+of the scales beneath his left arm, so that the red blood dripped out.
+Then the dragon could no longer stand the pain and begged for mercy.
+But first he had to promise Notscha that he would not complain of
+him, before the latter would let him go. And then the dragon had to
+turn himself into a little green snake, which Notscha put into his
+sleeve and took back home with him. But no sooner had he drawn the
+little snake from his sleeve than it assumed human shape. The dragon
+then swore that he would punish Li Dsing in a terrible manner, and
+disappeared in a flash of lightning.
+
+Li Dsing was now angry with his son in earnest. Therefore Notscha's
+mother sent him to the rear of the house to keep out of his father's
+sight. Notscha disappeared and went to his master, in order to ask him
+what he should do when the dragon returned. His master advised him and
+Notscha went back home. And all the Dragon Kings of the four seas were
+assembled, and had bound his parents, with cries and tumult, in order
+to punish them. Notscha ran up and cried with a loud voice: "I will
+take the punishment for whatever I have done! My parents are
+blameless! What is the punishment you wish to lay upon me?" "Life for
+life!" said the dragon. "Very well then, I will destroy myself!" And
+so he did and the dragons went off satisfied; while Notscha's mother
+buried him with many tears.
+
+But the spiritual part of Notscha, his soul, fluttered about in the
+air, and was driven by the wind to the cave of the Great One. He took
+it in and said to it: "You must appear to your mother! Forty miles
+distant from your home rises a green mountain cliff. On this cliff she
+must build a shrine for you. And after you have enjoyed the incense of
+human adoration for three years, you shall once more have a human
+body." Notscha appeared to his mother in a dream, and gave her the
+whole message, and she awoke in tears. But Li Dsing grew angry when
+she told him about it. "It serves the accursed boy right that he is
+dead! It is because you are always thinking of him that he appears to
+you in dreams. You must pay no attention to him." The woman said no
+more, but thenceforward he appeared to her daily, as soon as she
+closed her eyes, and grew more and more urgent in his demand. Finally
+all that was left for her to do was to erect a temple for Notscha
+without Li Dsing's knowledge.
+
+And Notscha performed great miracles in his temple. All prayers made
+in it were granted. And from far away people streamed to it to burn
+incense in his honor.
+
+Thus half a year passed. Then Li Dsing, on the occasion of a great
+military drill, once came by the cliff in question, and saw the people
+crowding thickly about the hill like a swarm of ants. Li Dsing
+inquired what there were to see upon the hill. "It is a new god, who
+performs so many miracles that people come from far and near to honor
+him." "What sort of a god is he?" asked Li Dsing. They did not dare
+conceal from him who the god was. Then Li Dsing grew angry. He spurred
+his horse up the hill and, sure enough, over the door of the temple
+was written: "Notscha's Shrine." And within it was the likeness of
+Notscha, just as he had appeared while living. Li Dsing said: "While
+you were alive you brought misfortune to your parents. Now that you
+are dead you deceive the people. It is disgusting!" With these words
+he drew forth his whip, beat Notscha's idolatrous likeness to pieces
+with it, had the temple burned down, and the worshipers mildly
+reproved. Then he returned home.
+
+Now Notscha had been absent in the spirit upon that day. When he
+returned he found his temple destroyed; and the spirit of the hill
+gave him the details. Notscha hurried to his master and related with
+tears what had befallen him. The latter was roused and said: "It is Li
+Dsing's fault. After you had given back your body to your parents,
+you were no further concern of his. Why should he withdraw from you
+the enjoyment of the incense?" Then the Great One made a body of
+lotus-plants, gave it the gift of life, and enclosed the soul of
+Notscha within it. This done he called out in a loud voice: "Arise!" A
+drawing of breath was heard, and Notscha leaped up once more in the
+shape of a small boy. He flung himself down before his master and
+thanked him. The latter bestowed upon him the magic of the fiery
+lance, and Notscha thenceforward had two whirling wheels beneath his
+feet: The wheel of the wind and the wheel of fire. With these he could
+rise up and down in the air. The master also gave him a bag of
+panther-skin in which to keep his armlet and his silken cloth.
+
+Now Notscha had determined to punish Li Dsing. Taking advantage of a
+moment when he was not watched, he went away, thundering along on his
+rolling wheels to Li Dsing's dwelling. The latter was unable to
+withstand him and fled. He was almost exhausted when his second son,
+Mutscha, the disciple of the holy Pu Hain, came to his aid from the
+Cave of the White Crane. A violent quarrel took place between the
+brothers; they began to fight, and Mutscha was overcome; while Notscha
+once more rushed in pursuit of Li Dsing. At the height of his
+extremity, however, the holy Wen Dschu of the Hill of the Five
+Dragons, the master of Gintscha, Li Dsing's oldest son, stepped forth
+and hid Li Dsing in his cave. Notscha, in a rage, insisted that he be
+delivered up to him; but Wen Dschu said: "Elsewhere you may indulge
+your wild nature to your heart's content, but not in this place."
+
+And when Notscha in the excess of his rage turned his fiery lance upon
+him, Wen Dschu stepped back a pace, shook the seven-petaled lotus from
+his sleeve, and threw it into the air. A whirlwind arose, clouds and
+mists obscured the sight, and sand and earth were flung up from the
+ground. Then the whirlwind collapsed with a great crash. Notscha
+fainted, and when he regained consciousness found himself bound to a
+golden column with three thongs of gold, so that he could no longer
+move. Wen Dschu now called Gintscha to him and ordered him to give his
+unruly brother a good thrashing. And this he did, while Notscha,
+obliged to stand it, stood grinding his teeth. In his extremity he saw
+the Great One floating by, and called out to him: "Save me, O Master!"
+But the latter did not notice him; instead he entered the cave and
+thanked Wen Dschu for the severe lesson which he had given Notscha.
+Finally they called Notscha in to them and ordered him to be
+reconciled to his father. Then they dismissed them both and seated
+themselves to play chess. But no sooner was Notscha free than he again
+fell into a rage, and renewed his pursuit of his father. He had again
+overtaken Li Dsing when still another saint came forward to defend the
+latter. This time it was the old Buddha of the Radiance of the Light.
+When Notscha attempted to battle with him he raised his arm, and a
+pagoda shaped itself out of red, whirling clouds and closed around
+Notscha. Then Radiance of Light placed both his hands on the pagoda
+and a fire arose within it which burned Notscha so that he cried
+loudly for mercy. Then he had to promise to beg his father's
+forgiveness and always to obey him in the future. Not till he had
+promised all this did the Buddha let him out of the pagoda again. And
+he gave the pagoda to Li Dsing; and taught him a magic saying which
+would give him the mastery over Notscha. It is for this reason that Li
+Dsing is called the Pagoda-bearing King of Heaven.
+
+Later on Li Dsing and his three sons, Gintscha, Mutscha and Notscha,
+aided King Wu of the Dschou dynasty to destroy the tyrant Dschou-Sin.
+
+None could withstand their might. Only once did a sorcerer succeed in
+wounding Notscha in the left arm. Any other would have died of the
+wound. But the Great One carried him into his cave, healed his wound
+and gave him three goblets of the wine of the gods to drink, and three
+fire-dates to eat. When Notscha had eaten and drunk he suddenly heard
+a crash at his left side and another arm grew out from it. He could
+not speak and his eyes stood out from their sockets with horror. But
+it went on as it had begun: six more arms grew out of his body and two
+more heads, so that finally he had three heads and eight arms. He
+called out to his Master: "What does all this mean?" But the latter
+only laughed and said: "All is as it should be. Thus equipped you will
+really be strong!" Then he taught him a magic incantation by means of
+which he could make his arms and heads visible or invisible as he
+chose. When the tyrant Dschou-Sin had been destroyed, Li Dsing and his
+three sons, while still on earth, were taken up into heaven and seated
+among the gods.
+
+    Note: Li Dsing, the Pagoda-bearing King of Heaven, may
+    be traced back to Indra, the Hindoo god of thunder and
+    lightning. The Pagoda might be an erroneous variant of
+    the thunderbolt Vadjra. In such case Notscha would be a
+    personification of the thunder. The Great One (Tai I),
+    is the condition of things before their separation into
+    the active and passive principles. There is a whole
+    genealogy of mythical saints and holy men who took part
+    in the battles between King Wu of Dschou and the tyrant
+    Dschou-Sin. These saints are, for the most part,
+    Buddhist-Brahminic figures which have been reshaped. The
+    Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea also occurs in the tale
+    of Sun Wu Kung (No. 74). "Dragon sinew" means the spinal
+    cord, the distinction between nerves and sinews not
+    being carefully observed. "Three spirits and seven
+    souls": man has three spirits, usually above his head,
+    and seven animal souls. "Notscha had been absent in the
+    spirit upon that day": the idol is only the seat of the
+    godhead, which the latter leaves or inhabits as he
+    chooses. Therefore the godhead must be summoned when
+    prayers are offered, by means of bells and incense. When
+    the god is not present, his idol is merely a block of
+    wood or stone. Pu Hain, the Buddha of the Lion, is the
+    Indian Samantabharda, one of the four great Boddhisatvas
+    of the Tantra School. Wen Dschu, the Buddha on the
+    Golden-haired Mountain Lion, (Hou), is the Indian
+    Mandjusri. The old Buddha of the Radiance of the Light,
+    Jan Dong Go Fu, is the Indian Dipamkara.
+
+
+
+
+XIX
+
+THE LADY OF THE MOON
+
+
+In the days of the Emperor Yau lived a prince by the name of Hou I,
+who was a mighty hero and a good archer. Once ten suns rose together
+in the sky, and shone so brightly and burned so fiercely that the
+people on earth could not endure them. So the Emperor ordered Hou I to
+shoot at them. And Hou I shot nine of them down from the sky. Besides
+his bow, Hou I also had a horse which ran so swiftly that even the
+wind could not catch up with it. He mounted it to go a-hunting, and
+the horse ran away and could not be stopped. So Hou I came to Kunlun
+Mountain and met the Queen-Mother of the Jasper Sea. And she gave him
+the herb of immortality. He took it home with him and hid it in his
+room. But his wife who was named Tschang O, once ate some of it on the
+sly when he was not at home, and she immediately floated up to the
+clouds. When she reached the moon, she ran into the castle there, and
+has lived there ever since as the Lady of the Moon.
+
+On a night in mid-autumn, an emperor of the Tang dynasty once sat at
+wine with two sorcerers. And one of them took his bamboo staff and
+cast it into the air, where it turned into a heavenly bridge, on which
+the three climbed up to the moon together. There they saw a great
+castle on which was inscribed: "The Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold."
+Beside it stood a cassia tree which blossomed and gave forth a
+fragrance filling all the air. And in the tree sat a man who was
+chopping off the smaller boughs with an ax. One of the sorcerers said:
+"That is the man in the moon. The cassia tree grows so luxuriantly
+that in the course of time it would overshadow all the moon's
+radiance. Therefore it has to be cut down once in every thousand
+years." Then they entered the spreading halls. The silver stories of
+the castle towered one above the other, and its walls and columns were
+all formed of liquid crystal. In the walls were cages and ponds, where
+fishes and birds moved as though alive. The whole moon-world seemed
+made of glass. While they were still looking about them on all sides
+the Lady of the Moon stepped up to them, clad in a white mantle and a
+rainbow-colored gown. She smiled and said to the emperor: "You are a
+prince of the mundane world of dust. Great is your fortune, since you
+have been able to find your way here!" And she called for her
+attendants, who came flying up on white birds, and sang and danced
+beneath the cassia tree. A pure clear music floated through the air.
+Beside the tree stood a mortar made of white marble, in which a jasper
+rabbit ground up herbs. That was the dark half of the moon. When the
+dance had ended, the emperor returned to earth again with the
+sorcerers. And he had the songs which he had heard on the moon written
+down and sung to the accompaniment of flutes of jasper in his
+pear-tree garden.
+
+    Note: This fairy-tale is traditional. The archer Hou I
+    (or Count I, the Archer-Prince, comp. Dschuang Dsi), is
+    placed by legend in different epochs. He also occurs in
+    connection with the myths regarding the moon, for one
+    tale recounts how he saved the moon during an eclipse by
+    means of his arrows. The Queen-Mother is Si Wang Mu
+    (comp. with No. 15). The Tang dynasty reigned 618-906
+    A.D. "The Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold": The goddess
+    of the ice also has her habitation in the moon. The hare
+    in the moon is a favorite figure. He grinds the grains
+    of maturity or the herbs that make the elixir of life.
+    The rain-toad Tschan, who has three legs, is also placed
+    on the moon. According to one version of the story,
+    Tschang O took the shape of this toad.
+
+  [Illustration: "BESIDE IT STOOD A CASSIA-TREE."
+                                                  --_Page 54_]
+
+
+
+
+XX
+
+THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR
+
+
+Once upon a time there were two stars, sons of the Golden King of the
+Heavens. The one was named Tschen and the other Shen. One day they
+quarreled, and Tschen struck Shen a terrible blow. Thereupon both
+stars made a vow that they would never again look upon each other. So
+Tschen only appears in the evening, and Shen only appears in the
+morning, and not until Tschen has disappeared is Shen again to be
+seen. And that is why people say: "When two brothers do not live
+peaceably with one another they are like Tschen and Shen."
+
+    Note: Tschen and Shen are Hesperus and Lucifer, the
+    morning and evening stars. The tale is told in its
+    traditional form.
+
+
+
+
+XXI
+
+THE GIRL WITH THE HORSE'S HEAD OR THE SILKWORM GODDESS
+
+
+In the dim ages of the past there once was an old man who went on a
+journey. No one remained at home save his only daughter and a white
+stallion. The daughter fed the horse day by day, but she was lonely
+and yearned for her father.
+
+So it happened that one day she said in jest to the horse: "If you
+will bring back my father to me then I will marry you!"
+
+No sooner had the horse heard her say this, than he broke loose and
+ran away. He ran until he came to the place where her father was. When
+her father saw the horse, he was pleasantly surprised, caught him and
+seated himself on his back. And the horse turned back the way he had
+come, neighing without a pause.
+
+"What can be the matter with the horse?" thought the father.
+"Something must have surely gone wrong at home!" So he dropped the
+reins and rode back. And he fed the horse liberally because he had
+been so intelligent; but the horse ate nothing, and when he saw the
+girl, he struck out at her with his hoofs and tried to bite her. This
+surprised the father; he questioned his daughter, and she told him the
+truth, just as it had occurred.
+
+"You must not say a word about it to any one," spoke her father, "or
+else people will talk about us."
+
+And he took down his crossbow, shot the horse, and hung up his skin in
+the yard to dry. Then he went on his travels again.
+
+One day his daughter went out walking with the daughter of a
+neighbor. When they entered the yard, she pushed the horse-hide with
+her foot and said: "What an unreasonable animal you were--wanting to
+marry a human being! What happened to you served you right!"
+
+But before she had finished her speech, the horse-hide moved, rose up,
+wrapped itself about the girl and ran off.
+
+Horrified, her companion ran home to her father and told him what had
+happened. The neighbors looked for the girl everywhere, but she could
+not be found.
+
+At last, some days afterward, they saw the girl hanging from the
+branches of a tree, still wrapped in the horse-hide; and gradually she
+turned into a silkworm and wove a cocoon. And the threads which she
+spun were strong and thick. Her girl friend then took down the cocoon
+and let her slip out of it; and then she spun the silk and sold it at
+a large profit.
+
+But the girl's relatives longed for her greatly. So one day the girl
+appeared riding in the clouds on her horse, followed by a great
+company and said: "In heaven I have been assigned to the task of
+watching over the growing of silkworms. You must yearn for me no
+longer!" And thereupon they built temples to her in her native land,
+and every year, at the silkworm season, sacrifices are offered to her
+and her protection is implored. And the Silkworm Goddess is also known
+as the girl with the Horse's Head.
+
+    Note: This tale is placed in the times of the Emperor
+    Hau, and the legend seems to have originated in
+    Setchuan. The stallion is the sign of the zodiac which
+    rules the springtime, the season when the silkworms are
+    cultivated. Hence she is called the Goddess with the
+    Horse's Head. The legend itself tells a different tale.
+    In addition to this goddess, the spouse of Schen Nung,
+    the "Divine Husbandman," is also worshiped as the
+    goddess of silkworm culture. The Goddess with the
+    Horse's Head is more of a totemic representation of the
+    silkworm as such; while the wife of Schen Nung is
+    regarded as the protecting goddess of silk culture, and
+    is supposed to have been the first to teach women its
+    details. The spouse of the Yellow Lord is mentioned in
+    the same connection. The popular belief distinguishes
+    three goddesses who protect the silkworm culture in
+    turn. The second is the best of the three, and when it
+    is her year the silk turns out well.
+
+
+
+
+XXII
+
+THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN
+
+
+The Queen of Heaven, who is also known as the Holy Mother, was in
+mortal life a maiden of Fukien, named Lin. She was pure, reverential
+and pious in her ways and died at the age of seventeen. She shows her
+power on the seas and for this reason the seamen worship her. When
+they are unexpectedly attacked by wind and waves, they call on her and
+she is always ready to hear their pleas.
+
+There are many seamen in Fukien, and every year people are lost at
+sea. And because of this, most likely, the Queen of Heaven took pity
+on the distress of her people during her lifetime on earth. And since
+her thoughts are uninterruptedly turned toward aiding the drowning in
+their distress, she now appears frequently on the seas.
+
+In every ship that sails a picture of the Queen of Heaven hangs in the
+cabin, and three paper talismans are also kept on shipboard. On the
+first she is painted with crown and scepter, on the second as a maiden
+in ordinary dress, and on the third she is pictured with flowing hair,
+barefoot, standing with a sword in her hand. When the ship is in
+danger the first talisman is burnt, and help comes. But if this is of
+no avail, then the second and finally the third picture is burned. And
+if no help comes then there is nothing more to be done.
+
+When seamen lose their course among wind and waves and darkling
+clouds, they pray devoutly to the Queen of Heaven. Then a red lantern
+appears on the face of the waters. And if they follow the lantern they
+will win safe out of all danger. The Queen of Heaven may often be seen
+standing in the skies, dividing the wind with her sword. When she does
+this the wind departs for the North and South, and the waves grow
+smooth.
+
+A wooden wand is always kept before her holy picture in the cabin. It
+often happens that the fish-dragons play in the seas. They are two
+giant fish who spout up water against one another till the sun in the
+sky is obscured, and the seas are shrouded in profound darkness. And
+often, in the distance, one may see a bright opening in the darkness.
+If the ship holds a course straight for this opening it will win
+through, and is suddenly floating in calm waters again. Looking back,
+one may see the two fishes still spouting water, and the ship will
+have passed directly beneath their jaws. But a storm is always near
+when the fish dragons swim; therefore it is well to burn paper or wool
+so that the dragons do not draw the ship down into the depths. Or the
+Master of the Wand may burn incense before the wand in the cabin. Then
+he must take the wand and swing it over the water three times, in a
+circle. If he does so the dragons will draw in their tails and
+disappear.
+
+When the ashes in the censer fly up into the air without any cause,
+and are scattered about, it is a sign that great danger is
+threatening.
+
+Nearly two-hundred years ago an army was fitted out to subdue the
+island of Formosa. The captain's banner had been dedicated with the
+blood of a white horse. Suddenly the Queen of Heaven appeared at the
+tip of the banner-staff. In another moment she had disappeared, but
+the invasion was successful.
+
+On another occasion, in the days of Kien Lung, the minister Dschou
+Ling was ordered to install a new king in the Liu-Kiu Islands. When
+the fleet was sailing by south of Korea, a storm arose, and his ship
+was driven toward the Black Whirlpool. The water had the color of ink,
+sun and moon lost their radiance, and the word was passed about that
+the ship had been caught in the Black Whirlpool, from which no living
+man had ever returned. The seaman and travelers awaited their end with
+lamentations. Suddenly an untold number of lights, like red lanterns,
+appeared on the surface of the water. Then the seamen were overjoyed
+and prayed in the cabins. "Our lives are saved!" they cried, "the Holy
+Mother has come to our aid!" And truly, a beautiful maiden with golden
+earrings appeared. She waved her hand in the air and the winds became
+still and the waves grew even. And it seemed as though the ship were
+being drawn along by a mighty hand. It moved plashing through the
+waves, and suddenly it was beyond the limits of the Black Whirlpool.
+
+Dschou Ling on his return told of this happening, and begged that
+temples be erected in honor of the Queen of Heaven, and that she be
+included in the list of the gods. And the emperor granted his prayer.
+
+Since then temples of the Queen of Heaven are to be found in all
+sea-port towns, and her birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of
+the fourth month with spectacles and sacrifices.
+
+    Note: "The Queen of Heaven," whose name is Tian Hou, or
+    more exactly, Tian Fe Niang Niang, is a Taoist goddess
+    of seamen, generally worshiped in all coast towns. Her
+    story is principally made up of local legends of Fukien
+    province, and a variation of the Indian Maritschi (who
+    as Dschunti with the eight arms, is the object of quite
+    a special cult). Tian Hou, since the establishment of
+    the Manchu dynasty, is one of the officially recognized
+    godheads.
+
+
+
+
+XXIII
+
+THE FIRE-GOD
+
+
+Long before the time of Fu Hi, Dschu Yung, the Magic Welder, was the
+ruler of men. He discovered the use of fire, and succeeding
+generations learned from him to cook their food. Hence his descendants
+were intrusted with the preservation of fire, while he himself was
+made the Fire-God. He is a personification of the Red Lord, who showed
+himself at the beginning of the world as one of the Five Ancients. The
+Fire-God is worshiped as the Lord of the Holy Southern Mountain. In
+the skies the Fiery Star, the southern quarter of the heavens and the
+Red Bird belong to his domain. When there is danger of fire the Fiery
+Star glows with a peculiar radiance. When countless numbers of
+fire-crows fly into a house, a fire is sure to break out in it.
+
+In the land of the four rivers there dwelt a man who was very rich.
+One day he got into his wagon and set out on a long journey. And he
+met a girl, dressed in red, who begged him to take her with him. He
+allowed her to get into the wagon, and drove along for half-a-day
+without even looking in her direction. Then the girl got out again and
+said in farewell: "You are truly a good and honest man, and for that
+reason I must tell you the truth. I am the Fire-God. To-morrow a fire
+will break out in your house. Hurry home at once to arrange your
+affairs and save what you can!" Frightened, the man faced his horses
+about and drove home as fast as he could. All that he possessed in the
+way of treasures, clothes and jewels, he removed from the house. And,
+when he was about to lie down to sleep, a fire broke out on the hearth
+which could not be quenched until the whole building had collapsed in
+dust and ashes. Yet, thanks to the Fire-God, the man had saved all his
+movable belongings.
+
+    Note: "The Fire-God" (comp. with No. 15). The Holy
+    Southern Mountain is Sung-Schan in Huan. The Fiery Star
+    is Mars. The constellations of the southern quarter of
+    the heavens are grouped by the Chinese as under the name
+    of the "Red Bird." The "land of the four rivers" is
+    Setchuan, in the western part of present-day China.
+
+
+
+
+XXIV
+
+THE THREE RULING GODS
+
+
+There are three lords: in heaven, and on the earth and in the waters,
+and they are known as the Three Ruling Gods. They are all brothers,
+and are descended from the father of the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang.
+When the latter was sailing on the river he was cast into the water by
+a robber. But he did not drown, for a Triton came his way who took him
+along with him to the dragon-castle. And when the Dragon-King saw him
+he realized at once that there was something extraordinary about the
+Monk, and he married him to his daughter.
+
+From their early youth his three sons showed a preference for the
+hidden wisdom. And together they went to an island in the sea. There
+they seated themselves and began to meditate. They heard nothing, they
+saw nothing, they spoke not a word and they did not move. The birds
+came and nested in their hair; the spiders came and wove webs across
+their faces; worms and insects came and crawled in and out of their
+noses and ears. But they paid no attention to any of them.
+
+After they had meditated thus for a number of years, they obtained the
+hidden wisdom and became gods. And the Lord made them the Three Ruling
+Gods. The heavens make things, the earth completes things, and the
+waters create things. The Three Ruling Gods sent out the current of
+their primal power to aid in ordering all to this end. Therefore they
+are also known as the primal gods, and temples are erected to them all
+over the earth.
+
+If you go into a temple you will find the Three Ruling Gods all seated
+on one pedestal. They wear women's hats upon their heads, and hold
+scepters in their hands, like kings. But he who sits on the last
+place, to the right, has glaring eyes and wears a look of rage. If you
+ask why this is you are told: "These three were brothers and the Lord
+made them the Ruling Gods. So they talked about the order in which
+they were to sit. And the youngest said: 'To-morrow morning, before
+sunrise, we will meet here. Whoever gets here first shall have the
+seat of honor in the middle; the second one to arrive shall have the
+second place, and the third the third.' The two older brothers were
+satisfied. The next morning, very early, the youngest came first,
+seated himself in the middle place, and became the god of the waters.
+The middle brother came next, sat down on the left, and became the god
+of the heavens. Last of all came the oldest brother. When he saw that
+his brothers were already sitting in their places, he was disgusted
+and yet he could not say a word. His face grew red with rage, his
+eyeballs stood forth from their sockets like bullets, and his veins
+swelled like bladders. And he seated himself on the right and became
+god of the earth." The artisans who make the images of the gods
+noticed this, so they always represent him thus.
+
+    Note: "The Three Ruling Gods" is set down as told by the
+    people. It is undoubtedly a version of the Indian
+    Trimurti. The meaning of the terrible appearance of the
+    third godhead, evidently no longer understood by the
+    people, points to Siva, and has given rise to the
+    fairy-tale here told. As regards the Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang, comp. with No. 69.
+
+
+
+
+XXV
+
+A LEGEND OF CONFUCIUS
+
+
+When Confucius came to the earth, the Kilin, that strange beast which
+is the prince of all four-footed animals, and only appears when there
+is a great man on earth, sought the child and spat out a jade whereon
+was written: "Son of the Watercrystal you are destined to become an
+uncrowned king!" And Confucius grew up, studied diligently, learned
+wisdom and came to be a saint. He did much good on earth, and ever
+since his death has been reverenced as the greatest of teachers and
+masters. He had foreknowledge of many things. And even after he had
+died he gave evidence of this.
+
+Once, when the wicked Emperor Tsin Schi Huang had conquered all the
+other kingdoms, and was traveling through the entire empire, he came
+to the homeland of Confucius. And he found his grave. And, finding his
+grave, he wished to have it opened and see what was in it. All his
+officials advised him not to do so, but he would not listen to them.
+So a passage was dug into the grave, and in its main chamber they
+found a coffin, whose wood appeared to be quite fresh. When struck it
+sounded like metal. To the left of the coffin was a door, which led
+into an inner chamber. In this chamber stood a bed, and a table with
+books and clothing, all as though meant for the use of a living
+person. Tsin Schi Huang seated himself on the bed and looked down. And
+there on the floor stood two shoes of red silk, whose tips were
+adorned with a woven pattern of clouds. A bamboo staff leaned against
+the wall. The Emperor, in jest, put on the shoes, took the staff and
+left the grave. But as he did so a tablet suddenly appeared before his
+eyes on which stood the following lines:
+
+    O'er kingdoms six Tsin Schi Huang his army led,
+    To ope my grave and find my humble bed;
+    He steals my shoes and takes my staff away
+    To reach Schakiu--and his last earthly day!
+
+Tsin Schi Huang was much alarmed, and had the grave closed again. But
+when he reached Schakiu he fell ill of a hasty fever of which he died.
+
+    Note: The Kilin is an okapi-like legendary beast of the
+    most perfected kindness, prince of all the four-footed
+    animals. The "Watercrystal" is the dark Lord of the
+    North, whose element is water and wisdom, for which last
+    reason Confucius is termed his son. Tsin Schi Huang
+    (B.C. 200) is the burner of books and reorganizer of
+    China famed in history. Schakiu (Sandhill) was a city in
+    the western part of the China of that day.
+
+
+
+
+XXVI
+
+THE GOD OF WAR
+
+
+The God of War, Guan Di, was really named Guan Yu. At the time when
+the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans was raging throughout the empire,
+he, together with two others whom he met by the wayside, and who were
+inspired with the same love of country which possessed him, made a
+pact of friendship. One of the two was Liu Be, afterward emperor, the
+other was named Dschang Fe. The three met in a peach-orchard and swore
+to be brothers one to the other, although they were of different
+families. They sacrificed a white steed and vowed to be true to each
+other to the death.
+
+Guan Yu was faithful, honest, upright and brave beyond all measure. He
+loved to read Confucius's "Annals of Lu," which tell of the rise and
+fall of empires. He aided his friend Liu Be to subdue the Yellow Turbans
+and to conquer the land of the four rivers. The horse he rode was known
+as the Red Hare, and could run a thousand miles in a day. Guan Yu had a
+knife shaped like a half-moon which was called the Green Dragon. His
+eyebrows were beautiful like those of the silk-butterflies, and his eyes
+were long-slitted like the eyes of the Phenix. His face was scarlet-red
+in color, and his beard so long that it hung down over his stomach.
+Once, when he appeared before the emperor, the latter called him Duke
+Fairbeard, and presented him with a silken pocket in which to place his
+beard. He wore a garment of green brocade. Whenever he went into battle
+he showed invincible bravery. Whether he were opposed by a thousand
+armies or by ten thousand horsemen--he attacked them as though they were
+merely air.
+
+Once the evil Tsau Tsau had incited the enemies of his master, the
+Emperor, to take the city by treachery. When Guan Yu heard of it he
+hastened up with an army to relieve the town. But he fell into an
+ambush, and, together with his son, was brought a captive to the
+capital of the enemy's land. The prince of that country would have
+been glad to have had him go over to his side; but Guan Yu swore that
+he would not yield to death himself. Thereupon father and son were
+slain. When he was dead, his horse Red Hare ceased to eat and died. A
+faithful captain of his, by name of Dschou Dsang, who was
+black-visaged and wore a great knife, had just invested a fortress
+when the news of the sad end of the duke reached him. And he, as well
+as other faithful followers would not survive their master, and
+perished.
+
+At the time a monk, who was an old compatriot and acquaintance of Duke
+Guan was living in the Hills of the Jade Fountains. He used to walk at
+night in the moonlight.
+
+Suddenly he heard a loud voice cry down out of the air: "I want my
+head back again!"
+
+The monk looked up and saw Duke Guan, sword in hand, seated on his
+horse, just as he appeared while living. And at his right and left
+hand, shadowy figures in the clouds, stood his son Guan Ping and his
+captain, Dschou Dsang.
+
+The monk folded his hands and said: "While you lived you were upright
+and faithful, and in death you have become a wise god; and yet you do
+not understand fate! If you insist on having your head back again, to
+whom shall the many thousands of your enemies who lost their lives
+through you appeal, in order to have life restored to them?"
+
+When he heard this the Duke Guan bowed and disappeared. Since that
+time he has been without interruption spiritually active. Whenever a
+new dynasty is founded, his holy form may be seen. For this reason
+temples and sacrifices have been instituted for him, and he has been
+made one of the gods of the empire. Like Confucius, he received the
+great sacrifice of oxen, sheep and pigs. His rank increases with the
+passing of centuries. First he was worshiped as Prince Guan, later as
+King Guan, and then as the great god who conquers the demons. The last
+dynasty, finally, worships him as the great, divine Helper of the
+Heavens. He is also called the God of War, and is a strong deliverer
+in all need, when men are plagued by devils and foxes. Together with
+Confucius, the Master of Peace, he is often worshiped as the Master of
+War.
+
+    Note: The Chinese God of War is a historical personality
+    from the epoch of the three empires, which later joined
+    the Han dynasty, about 250 A.D. Liu Be founded the
+    "Little Han dynasty" in Setchuan, with the aid of Guan
+    Yu and Dschang Fe. Guan Yu or Guan Di, i.e., "God
+    Yuan," has become one of the most popular figures in
+    Chinese legend in the course of time, God of War and
+    deliverer in one and the same person. The talk of the
+    monk with the God Guan Di in the clouds is based on the
+    Buddhist law of Karma. Because Guan Di--even though his
+    motives might be good--had slain other men, he must
+    endure like treatment at their hands, even while he is a
+    god.
+
+
+
+
+TALES OF SAINTS AND MAGICIANS
+
+
+
+
+XXVII
+
+THE HALOS OF THE SAINTS
+
+
+The true gods all have halos around their heads. When the lesser gods
+and demons see these halos, they hide and dare not move. The Master of
+the Heavens on the Dragon-Tiger Mountain meets the gods at all times.
+One day the God of War came down to the mountain while the mandarin of
+the neighboring district was visiting the Master of the Heavens. The
+latter advised the mandarin to withdraw and hide himself in an inner
+chamber. Then he went out to receive the God of War. But the mandarin
+peeped through a slit in the door, and he saw the red face and green
+garment of the God of War as he stood there, terrible and
+awe-inspiring. Suddenly a red halo flashed up above his head, whose
+beams penetrated into the inner chamber so that the mandarin grew
+blind in one eye. After a time the God of War went away again, and the
+Master of the Heavens accompanied him. Suddenly Guan Di said, with
+alarm: "Confucius is coming! The halo he wears illumines the whole
+world. I cannot endure its radiance even a thousand miles away, so I
+must hurry and get out of the way!" And with that he stepped into a
+cloud and disappeared. The Master of the Heavens then told the
+mandarin what had happened, and added: "Fortunately you did not see
+the God of War face to face! Whoever does not possess the greatest
+virtue and the greatest wisdom, would be melted by the red glow of
+his halo." So saying he gave him a pill of the elixir of life to eat,
+and his blind eye gradually regained its sight.
+
+It is also said that scholars wear a red halo around their heads which
+devils, foxes and ghosts fear when they see it.
+
+There was once a scholar who had a fox for a friend. The fox came to
+see him at night, and went walking with him in the villages. They
+could enter the houses, and see all that was going on, without people
+being any the wiser. But when at a distance the fox saw a red halo
+hanging above a house he would not enter it. The scholar asked him why
+not.
+
+"Those are all celebrated scholars," answered the fox. "The greater
+the halo, the more extensive is their knowledge. I dread them and do
+not dare enter their houses."
+
+Then the man said: "But I am a scholar, too! Have I no halo which
+makes you fear me, instead of going walking with me?"
+
+"There is only a black mist about your head," answered the fox. "I
+have never yet seen it surrounded by a halo."
+
+The scholar was mortified and began to scold him; but the fox
+disappeared with a horse-laugh.
+
+    Note: This tale is told as traditionally handed down.
+    The Master of the Heavens, Tian Schi, who dwells on the
+    Lung Hu Schan, is the so-called Taoist pope.
+
+
+
+
+XXVIII
+
+LAOTSZE
+
+
+Laotsze is really older than heaven and earth put together. He is the
+Yellow Lord or Ancient, who created this world together with the other
+four. At various times he has appeared on earth, under various names.
+His most celebrated incarnation, however, is that of Laotsze, "The Old
+Child," which name he was given because he made his appearance on
+earth with white hair.
+
+He acquired all sorts of magic powers by means of which he extended
+his life-span. Once he hired a servant to do his bidding. He agreed to
+give him a hundred pieces of copper daily; yet he did not pay him, and
+finally he owed him seven million, two hundred thousand pieces of
+copper. Then he mounted a black steer and rode to the West. He wanted
+to take his servant along. But when they reached the Han-Gu pass, the
+servant refused to go further, and insisted on being paid. Yet Laotsze
+gave him nothing.
+
+When they came to the house of the guardian of the pass, red clouds
+appeared in the sky. The guardian understood this sign and knew that a
+holy man was drawing near. So he went out to meet him and took him
+into his house. He questioned him with regard to hidden knowledge, but
+Laotsze only stuck out his tongue at him and would not say a word.
+Nevertheless, the guardian of the pass treated him with the greatest
+respect in his home. Laotsze's servant told the servant of the
+guardian that his master owed him a great deal of money, and begged
+the latter to put in a good word for him. When the guardian's servant
+heard how large a sum it was, he was tempted to win so wealthy a man
+for a son-in-law, and he married him to his daughter. Finally the
+guardian heard of the matter and came to Laotsze together with the
+servant. Then Laotsze said to his servant: "You rascally servant. You
+really should have been dead long ago. I hired you, and since I was
+poor and could give you no money, I gave you a life-giving talisman to
+eat. That is how you still happen to be alive. I said to you: 'If you
+will follow me into the West, the land of Blessed Repose, I will pay
+you your wages in yellow gold. But you did not wish to do this.'" And
+with that he patted his servant's neck. Thereupon the latter opened
+his mouth, and spat out the life-giving talisman. The magic signs
+written on it with cinnabar, quite fresh and well-preserved, might
+still be seen. But the servant suddenly collapsed and turned into a
+heap of dry bones. Then the guardian of the pass cast himself to earth
+and pleaded for him. He promised to pay the servant for Laotsze and
+begged the latter to restore him to life. So Laotsze placed the
+talisman among the bones and at once the servant came to life again.
+The guardian of the pass paid him his wages and dismissed him. Then he
+adored Laotsze as his master, and the latter taught him the art of
+eternal life, and left him his teachings, in five thousand words,
+which the guardian wrote down. The book which thus came into being is
+the Tao Teh King, "The Book of the Way and Life." Laotsze then
+disappeared from the eyes of men. The guardian of the pass however,
+followed his teachings, and was given a place among the immortals.
+
+    Note: The Taoists like to assert that Laotsze's journey
+    to the West was undertaken before the birth of Buddha,
+    who, according to many, is only a reincarnation of
+    Laotsze. The guardian of the Han-Gu pass is mentioned
+    by the name of Guan Yin Hi, in the Lia Dsi and the
+    Dschuang Dsi.
+
+
+
+
+XXIX
+
+THE ANCIENT MAN
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man named Huang An. He must have been
+well over eighty and yet he looked like a youth. He lived on cinnabar
+and wore no clothing. Even in winter he went about without garments.
+He sat on a tortoise three feet long. Once he was asked: "About how
+old might this tortoise be?" He answered: "When Fu Hi first invented
+fish-nets and eel-pots he caught this tortoise and gave it to me. And
+since then I have worn its shield quite flat sitting on it. The
+creature dreads the radiance of the sun and moon, so it only sticks
+its head out of its shell once in two thousand years. Since I have had
+the beast, it has already stuck its head out five times." With these
+words he took his tortoise on his back and went off. And the legend
+arose that this man was ten thousand years old.
+
+    Note: Cinnabar is frequently used in the preparation of
+    the elixir of life (comp. No. 30). Fu Hi is "the
+    life-breeding breath." Tortoises live to a great age.
+
+
+
+
+XXX
+
+THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)
+
+
+There is a legend which declares that Eight Immortals dwell in the
+heavens. The first is named Dschung Li Kuan. He lived in the time of
+the Han dynasty, and discovered the wonderful magic of golden
+cinnabar, the philosopher's stone. He could melt quicksilver and burn
+lead and turn them into yellow gold and white silver. And he could fly
+through the air in his human form. He is the chief of the Eight
+Immortals.
+
+The second is named Dschang Go. In primal times he gained hidden
+knowledge. It is said that he was really a white bat, who turned into
+a man. In the first days of the Tang dynasty an ancient with a white
+beard and a bamboo drum on his back, was seen riding backward on a
+black ass in the town of Tschang An. He beat the drum and sang, and
+called himself old Dschang Go. Another legend says that he always had
+a white mule with him which could cover a thousand miles in a single
+day. When he had reached his destination he would fold up the animal
+and put it in his trunk. When he needed it again, he would sprinkle
+water on it with his mouth, and the beast would regain its first
+shape.
+
+The third is named Lu Yuan or Lu Dung Bin (The Mountain Guest). His
+real name was Li, and he belonged to the ruling Tang dynasty. But when
+the Empress Wu seized the throne and destroyed the Li family to almost
+the last man, he fled with his wife into the heart of the mountains.
+They changed their names to Lu, and, since they lived in hiding in the
+caverns in the rocks, he called himself the Mountain Guest or the
+Guest of the Rocks. He lived on air and ate no bread. Yet he was fond
+of flowers. And in the course of time he acquired the hidden wisdom.
+
+In Lo Yang, the capital city, the peonies bloomed with special
+luxuriance. And there dwelt a flower fairy, who changed herself into a
+lovely maiden with whom Guest of the Rocks, when he came to Lo Yang,
+was wont to converse. Suddenly along came the Yellow Dragon, who had
+taken the form of a handsome youth. He mocked the flower fairy. Guest
+of the Rocks grew furious and cast his flying sword at him, cutting
+off his head. From that time onward he fell back again into the world
+of mundane pleasure and death. He sank down into the dust of the
+diurnal, and was no longer able to wing his way to the upper regions.
+Later he met Dschung Li Kuan, who delivered him, and then he was taken
+up in the ranks of the Immortals.
+
+Willowelf was his disciple. This was an old willow-tree which had
+drawn into itself the most ethereal powers of the sunrays and the
+moonbeams, and had thus been able to assume the shape of a human
+being. His face is blue and he has red hair. Guest of the Rocks
+received him as a disciple. Emperors and kings of future times honor
+Guest of the Rocks as the ancestor and master of the pure sun. The
+people call him Grandfather Lu. He is very wise and powerful. And
+therefore the people still stream into Grandfather Lu's temples to
+obtain oracles and pray for good luck. If you want to know whether you
+will be successful or not in an undertaking, go to the temple, light
+incense and bow your head to earth. On the altar is a bamboo goblet,
+in which are some dozens of little lottery sticks. You must shake them
+while kneeling, until one of the sticks flies out. On the
+lottery-stick is inscribed a number. This number must then be looked
+up in the Book of Oracles, where it is accompanied by a four-line
+stanza. It is said that fortune and misfortune, strange to think,
+occur to one just as foretold by the oracle.
+
+The fourth Immortal is Tsau Guo Gui (Tsau the Uncle of the State). He
+was the younger brother of the Empress Tsau, who for a time ruled the
+land. For this reason he was called the Uncle of the State. From his
+earliest youth he had been a lover of the hidden wisdom. Riches and
+honors were no more to him than dust. It was Dschung Li Kuan who aided
+him to become immortal.
+
+The fifth is called Lan Tsai Ho. Nothing is known of his true name,
+his time nor his family. He was often seen in the market-place, clad
+in a torn blue robe and wearing only a single shoe, beating a block of
+wood and singing the nothingness of life.
+
+The sixth Immortal is known as Li Tia Guai (Li with the iron crutch).
+He lost his parents in early youth and was brought up in his older
+brother's home. His sister-in-law treated him badly and never gave him
+enough to eat. Because of this he fled into the hills, and there
+learned the hidden wisdom.
+
+Once he returned in order to see his brother, and said to his
+sister-in-law: "Give me something to eat!" She answered: "There is no
+kindling wood on hand!" He replied: "You need only to prepare the
+rice. I can use my leg for kindling wood, only you must not say that
+the fire might injure me, and if you do not no harm will be done."
+
+His sister-in-law wished to see his art, so she poured the rice into
+the pot. Li stretched one of his legs out under it and lit it. The
+flames leaped high and the leg burned like coal.
+
+When the rice was nearly boiled his sister-in-law said: "Won't your
+leg be injured?"
+
+And Li replied angrily: "Did I not warn you not to say anything! Then
+no harm would have been done. Now one of my legs is lamed." With these
+words he took an iron poker and fashioned it into a crutch for
+himself. Then he hung a bottle-gourd on his back, and went into the
+hills to gather medicinal herbs. And that is why he is known as Li
+with the Iron Crutch.
+
+It is also told of him that he often was in the habit of ascending
+into the heavens in the spirit to visit his master Laotsze. Before he
+left he would order a disciple to watch his body and soul within it,
+so that the latter did not escape. Should seven days have gone by
+without his spirit returning, then he would allow his soul to leave
+the empty tenement. Unfortunately, after six days had passed, the
+disciple was called to the death-bed of his mother, and when the
+master's spirit returned on the evening of the seventh day, the life
+had gone out of its body. Since there was no place for his spirit in
+his own body, in his despair he seized upon the first handy body from
+which the vital essence had not yet dispersed. It was the body of a
+neighbor, a lame cripple, who had just died, so that from that time on
+the master appeared in his form.
+
+The seventh Immortal is called Hang Siang Dsi. He was the nephew of
+the famous Confucian scholar Han Yu, of the Tang dynasty. From his
+earliest youth he cultivated the arts of the deathless gods, left his
+home and became a Taoist. Grandfather Lu awakened him and raised him
+to the heavenly world. Once he saved his uncle's life. The latter had
+been driven from court, because he had objected when the emperor sent
+for a bone of Buddha with great pomp. When he reached the Blue Pass in
+his flight, a deep snowfall had made the road impassable. His horse
+had floundered in a snow-drift, and he himself was well-nigh frozen.
+Then Hang Siang Dsi suddenly appeared, helped him and his horse out of
+the drift, and brought them safely to the nearest inn along the Blue
+Pass. Han Yu sang a verse, in which the lines occurred:
+
+    Tsin Ling Hill 'mid clouds doth lie,
+      And home is far, beyond my sight!
+    Round the Blue Pass snow towers high,
+      And who will lead the horse aright?
+
+Suddenly it occurred to him that several years before, Hang Siang Dsi
+had come to his house to congratulate him on his birthday. Before he
+had left, he had written these words on a slip of paper, and his uncle
+had read them, without grasping their meaning. And now he was
+unconsciously singing the very lines of that song that his nephew had
+written. So he said to Hang Siang Dsi, with a sigh: "You must be one
+of the Immortals, since you were able thus to foretell the future!"
+
+And thrice Hang Siang Dsi sought to deliver his wife from the bonds of
+earth. For when he left his home to seek the hidden wisdom, she sat
+all day long yearning for his presence. Hang Siang Dsi wished to
+release her into immortality, but he feared she was not capable of
+translation. So he appeared to her in various forms, in order to try
+her, once as a beggar, another time as a wandering monk. But his wife
+did not grasp her opportunities. At last he took the shape of a lame
+Taoist, who sat on a mat, beat a block of wood and read sutras before
+the house.
+
+His wife said: "My husband is not at home. I can give you nothing."
+
+The Taoist answered: "I do not want your gold and silver, I want you.
+Sit down beside me on the mat, and we will fly up into the air and you
+shall find your husband again!"
+
+Hereupon the woman grew angry and struck at him with a cudgel.
+
+Then Hang Siang Dsi changed himself into his true form, stepped on a
+shining cloud and was carried aloft. His wife looked after him and
+wept loudly; but he had disappeared and was not seen again.
+
+The eighth Immortal is a girl and was called Ho Sian Gu. She was a
+peasant's daughter, and though her step-mother treated her harshly she
+remained respectful and industrious. She loved to give alms, though
+her step-mother tried to prevent her. Yet she was never angry, even
+when her step-mother beat her. She had sworn not to marry, and at last
+her step-mother did not know what to do with her. One day, while she
+was cooking rice, Grandfather Du came and delivered her. She was still
+holding the rice-spoon in her hand as she ascended into the air. In
+the heavens she was appointed to sweep up the fallen flowers at the
+Southern Gate of Heaven.
+
+    Note: The legends of the Eight Immortals, regarded as
+    one group, do not go back further than the Manchu
+    dynasty, though individual ones among them were known
+    before. Some of the Immortals, like Han Siang Dsi, are
+    historic personages, others purely mythical. In the
+    present day they play an important part in art and in
+    the art-crafts. Their emblems also occur frequently:
+    Dschung Li Kuan is represented with a fan. Dschang Go
+    has a bamboo drum with two drum-sticks (and his donkey).
+    Lu Dung Bin has a sword and a flower-basket on his
+    back. Tsau Guo Gui has two small boards, (Yin Yang Ban),
+    which he can throw into the air. Li Tia Guai has the
+    bottle-gourd, out of which emerges a bat, the emblem of
+    good fortune. Lan Tsai Ho, who is also pictured as a woman,
+    has a flute. Han Siang Dsi has a flower-basket and a
+    dibble. Ho Sian Gu has a spoon, usually formed in the
+    shape of a lotus-flower.
+
+
+
+
+XXXI
+
+THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a poor man, who at last had no roof to
+shelter him and not a bite to eat. So, weary and worn, he lay down
+beside a little temple of the field-god that stood by the roadside and
+fell asleep. And he dreamed that the old, white-bearded field-god came
+out of his little shrine and said to him: "I know of a means to help
+you! To-morrow the Eight Immortals will pass along this road. Cast
+yourself down before them and plead to them!"
+
+When the man awoke he seated himself beneath the great tree beside the
+field-god's little temple, and waited all day long for his dream to
+come true. At last, when the sun had nearly sunk, eight figures came
+down the road, which the beggar clearly recognized as those of the
+Eight Immortals. Seven of them were hurrying as fast as they could,
+but one among them, who had a lame leg, limped along after the rest.
+Before him--it was Li Tia Guai--the man cast himself to earth. But the
+lame Immortal did not want to bother with him, and told him to go
+away. Yet the poor man would not give over pleading with him, begging
+that he might go with them and be one of the Immortals, too. That
+would be impossible, said the cripple. Yet, as the poor man did not
+cease his prayers and would not leave him, he at last said: "Very
+well, then, take hold of my coat!" This the man did and off they went
+in flying haste over paths and fields, on and on, and even further on.
+Suddenly they stood together high up on the tower of Pong-lai-schan,
+the ghost mountain by the Eastern Sea. And, lo, there stood the rest
+of the Immortals as well! But they were very discontented with the
+companion whom Li Tia Guai had brought along. Yet since the poor man
+pleaded so earnestly, they too allowed themselves to be moved, and
+said to him: "Very well! We will now leap down into the sea. If you
+follow us you may also become an Immortal!" And one after another the
+seven leaped down into the sea. But when it came to the man's turn he
+was frightened, and would not dare the leap. Then the cripple said to
+him: "If you are afraid, then you cannot become an Immortal!"
+
+"But what shall I do now?" wailed the man, "I am far from my home and
+have no money!" The cripple broke off a fragment of the battlement of
+the tower, and thrust it into the man's hand; then he also leaped from
+the tower and disappeared into the sea like his seven companions.
+
+When the man examined the stone in his hand more closely, he saw that
+it was the purest silver. It provided him with traveling money during
+the many weeks it took him to reach his home. But by that time the
+silver was completely used up, and he found himself just as poor as he
+had been before.
+
+    Note: Little field-god temples, Tu Di Miau, are
+    miniature stone chapels which stand before every
+    village. As regards the field-god, see No. 51.
+
+
+
+
+XXXII
+
+THE TWO SCHOLARS
+
+
+Once upon a time there were two scholars. One was named Liu Tschen and
+the other Yuan Dschau. Both were young and handsome. One spring day
+they went together into the hills of Tian Tai to gather curative
+herbs. There they came to a little valley where peach-trees blossomed
+luxuriantly on either side. In the middle of the valley was a cave,
+where two maidens stood under the blossoming trees, one of them clad
+in red garments, the other in green. And they were beautiful beyond
+all telling. They beckoned to the scholars with their hands.
+
+"And have you come?" they asked. "We have been waiting for you
+overlong!"
+
+Then they led them into the cave and served them with tea and wine.
+
+"I have been destined for the lord Liu," said the maiden in the red
+gown; "and my sister is for the lord Yuan!"
+
+And so they were married. Every day the two scholars gazed at the
+flowers or played chess so that they forgot the mundane world
+completely. They only noticed that at times the peach-blossoms on the
+trees before the cave opened, and at others that they fell from the
+boughs. And, at times, unexpectedly, they felt cold or warm, and had
+to change the clothing they were wearing. And they marveled within
+themselves that it should be so.
+
+Then, one day, they were suddenly overcome by homesickness. Both
+maidens were already aware of it.
+
+"When our lords have once been seized with homesickness, then we may
+hold them no longer," said they.
+
+On the following day they prepared a farewell banquet, gave the
+scholars magic wine to take along with them and said:
+
+"We will see one another again. Now go your way!"
+
+And the scholars bade them farewell with tears.
+
+When they reached home the gates and doors had long since vanished,
+and the people of the village were all strangers to them. They crowded
+about the scholars and asked who they might be.
+
+"We are Liu Tschen and Yuan Dschau. Only a few days ago we went into
+the hills to pick herbs!"
+
+With that a servant came hastening up and looked at them. At last he
+fell at Liu Tschen's feet with great joy and cried: "Yes, you are
+really my master! Since you went away, and we had no news of any kind
+regarding you some seventy years or more have passed."
+
+Thereupon he drew the scholar Liu through a high gateway, ornamented
+with bosses and a ring in a lion's mouth, as is the custom in the
+dwellings of those of high estate.
+
+And when he entered the hall, an old lady with white hair and bent
+back, leaning on a cane, came forward and asked: "What man is this?"
+
+"Our master has returned again," replied the servant. And then,
+turning to Liu he added: "That is the mistress. She is nearly a
+hundred years old, but fortunately is still strong and in good
+health."
+
+Tears of joy and sadness filled the old lady's eyes.
+
+"Since you went away among the immortals, I had thought that we should
+never see each other again in this life," said she. "What great good
+fortune that you should have returned after all!"
+
+And before she had ended the whole family, men and women, came
+streaming up and welcomed him in a great throng outside the hall.
+
+And his wife pointed out this one and that and said: "That is so and
+so, and this is so and so!"
+
+At the time the scholar had disappeared there had been only a tiny boy
+in his home, but a few years old. And he was now an old man of eighty.
+He had served the empire in a high office, and had already retired to
+enjoy his old age in the ancestral gardens. There were three
+grand-children, all celebrated ministers; there were more than ten
+great-grand-children, of whom five had already passed their examinations
+for the doctorate; there were some twenty great-great-grand-children, of
+whom the oldest had just returned home after having passed his induction
+examinations for the magistracy with honor. And the little ones, who
+were carried in their parents' arms, were not to be counted. The
+grand-children, who were away, busy with their duties, all asked for
+leave and returned home when they heard that their ancestor had
+returned. And the girl grand-children, who had married into other
+families, also came. This filled Liu with joy, and he had a family
+banquet prepared in the hall, and all his descendants, with their wives
+and husbands sat about him in a circle. He himself and his wife, a
+white-haired, wrinkled old lady, sat in their midst at the upper end.
+The scholar himself still looked like a youth of twenty years, so that
+all the young people in the circle looked around and laughed.
+
+Then the scholar said: "I have a means of driving away old age!"
+
+And he drew out his magic wine and gave his wife some of it to drink.
+And when she had taken three glasses, her white hair gradually turned
+black again, her wrinkles disappeared, and she sat beside her husband,
+a handsome young woman. Then his son and the older grand-children
+came up and all asked for a drink of the wine. And whichever of them
+drank only so much as a drop of it was turned from an old man into a
+youth. The tale was bruited abroad and came to the emperor's ears. The
+emperor wanted to call Liu to his court, but he declined with many
+thanks. Yet he sent the emperor some of his magic wine as a gift. This
+pleased the emperor greatly, and he gave Liu a tablet of honor, with
+the inscription:
+
+    "The Common Home of Five Generations"
+
+Besides this he sent him three signs which he had written with his own
+imperial brush signifying:
+
+    "Joy in longevity"
+
+As to the other of the two scholars, Yuan Dschau, he was not so
+fortunate. When he came home he found that his wife and child had long
+since died, and his grand-children and great-grand-children were
+mostly useless people. So he did not remain long, but returned to the
+hills. Yet Liu Tschen remained for some years with his family, then
+taking his wife with him, went again to the Tai Hills and was seen no
+more.
+
+    Note: This tale is placed in the reign of the Emperor
+    Ming Di (A.D. 58-75). Its motive is that of the legend
+    of the Seven Sleepers, and is often found in Chinese
+    fairy tales.
+
+
+
+
+XXXIII
+
+THE MISERLY FARMER
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a farmer who had carted pears to market.
+Since they were very sweet and fragrant, he hoped to get a good price
+for them. A bonze with a torn cap and tattered robe stepped up to his
+cart and asked for one. The farmer repulsed him, but the bonze did not
+go. Then the farmer grew angry and began to call him names. The bonze
+said: "You have pears by the hundred in your cart. I only ask for one.
+Surely that does you no great injury. Why suddenly grow so angry about
+it?"
+
+The bystanders told the farmer that he ought to give the bonze one of
+the smaller pears and let him go. But the farmer would not and did
+not. An artisan saw the whole affair from his shop, and since the
+noise annoyed him, he took some money, bought a pear and gave it to
+the bonze.
+
+The bonze thanked him and said: "One like myself, who has given up the
+world, must not be miserly. I have beautiful pears myself, and I
+invite you all to eat them with me." Then some one asked: "If you have
+pears then why do you not eat your own?" He answered: "I first must
+have a seed to plant."
+
+And with that he began to eat the pear with gusto. When he had
+finished, he held the pit in his hand, took his pick-ax from his
+shoulder; and dug a hole a couple of inches deep. Into this he thrust
+the pit, and covered it with earth. Then he asked the folk in the
+market place for water, with which to water it. A pair of curiosity
+seekers brought him hot water from the hostelry in the street, and
+with it the bonze watered the pit. Thousands of eyes were turned on
+the spot. And the pit could already be seen to sprout. The sprout grew
+and in a moment it had turned into a tree. Branches and leaves
+burgeoned out from it. It began to blossom and soon the fruit had
+ripened: large, fragrant pears, which hung in thick clusters from the
+boughs. The bonze climbed into the tree and handed down the pears to
+the bystanders. In a moment all the pears had been eaten up. Then the
+bonze took his pick-ax and cut down the tree. Crash, crash! so it went
+for a while, and the tree was felled. Then he took the tree on his
+shoulder and walked away at an easy gait.
+
+When the bonze had begun to make his magic, the farmer, too, had
+mingled with the crowd. With neck outstretched and staring eyes he had
+stood there and had entirely forgotten the business he hoped to do
+with his pears. When the bonze had gone off he turned around to look
+after his cart. His pears had all disappeared. Then he realized that
+the pears the bonze had divided had been his own. He looked more
+closely, and the axle of his cart had disappeared. It was plainly
+evident that it had been chopped off quite recently. The farmer fell
+into a rage and hastened after the bonze as fast as ever he could. And
+when he turned the corner, there lay the missing piece from the axle
+by the city wall. And then he realized that the pear-tree which the
+bonze had chopped down must have been his axle. The bonze, however,
+was nowhere to be found. And the whole crowd in the market burst out
+into loud laughter.
+
+    Note: The axle in China is really a handle, for the
+    little Chinese carts are one-wheel push-carts with two
+    handles or shafts.
+
+
+
+
+XXXIV
+
+SKY O'DAWN
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man who took a child to a woman in a
+certain village, and told her to take care of him. Then he
+disappeared. And because the dawn was just breaking in the sky when
+the woman took the child into her home, she called him Sky O'Dawn.
+When the child was three years old, he would often look up to the
+heavens and talk with the stars. One day he ran away and many months
+passed before he came home again. The woman gave him a whipping. But
+he ran away again, and did not return for a year. His foster-mother
+was frightened, and asked: "Where have you been all year long?" The
+boy answered: "I only made a quick trip to the Purple Sea. There the
+water stained my clothes red. So I went to the spring at which the sun
+turns in, and washed them. I went away in the morning and I came back
+at noon. Why do you speak about my having been gone a year?"
+
+Then the woman asked: "And where did you pass on your way?"
+
+The boy answered: "When I had washed my clothes, I rested for a while
+in the City of the Dead and fell asleep. And the King-Father of the
+East gave me red chestnuts and rosy dawn-juice to eat, and my hunger
+was stilled. Then I went to the dark skies and drank the yellow dew,
+and my thirst was quenched. And I met a black tiger and wanted to ride
+home on his back. But I whipped him too hard, and he bit me in the
+leg. And so I came back to tell you about it."
+
+  [Illustration: "'AND I CROSSED THE WATER ON THE SHOE.'"
+                                                  --_Page 91_]
+
+Once more the boy ran away from home, thousands of miles, until he
+came to the swamp where dwelt the Primal Mist. There he met an old man
+with yellow eyebrows and asked him how old he might be. The old man
+said: "I have given up the habit of eating, and live on air. The
+pupils of my eyes have gradually acquired a green glow, which enables
+me to see all hidden things. Whenever a thousand years have passed I
+turn around my bones and wash the marrow. And every two thousand years
+I scrape my skin to get rid of the hair. I have already washed my
+bones thrice and scraped my skin five times."
+
+Afterward Sky O'Dawn served the Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. The
+Emperor, who was fond of the magic arts, was much attached to him. One
+day he said to him: "I wish that the empress might not grow old. Can
+you prevent it?"
+
+Sky O'Dawn answered: "I know of only one means to keep from growing
+old."
+
+The Emperor asked what herbs one had to eat. Sky O'Dawn replied: "In
+the North-East grow the mushrooms of life. There is a three-legged
+crow in the sun who always wants to get down and eat them. But the
+Sun-God holds his eyes shut and does not let him get away. If human
+beings eat them they become immortal, when animals eat them they grow
+stupefied."
+
+"And how do you know this?" asked the Emperor.
+
+"When I was a boy I once fell into a deep well, from which I could not
+get out for many decades. And down there was an immortal who led me to
+this herb. But one has to pass through a red river whose water is so
+light that not even a feather can swim on it. Everything that touches
+its surface sinks to the depths. But the man pulled off one of his
+shoes and gave it to me. And I crossed the water on the shoe, picked
+the herb and ate it. Those who dwell in that place weave mats of
+pearls and precious stones. They led me to a spot before which hung a
+curtain of delicate, colored skin. And they gave me a pillow carved of
+black jade, on which were graven sun and moon, clouds and thunder.
+They covered me with a dainty coverlet spun of the hair of a hundred
+gnats. A cover of that kind is very cool and refreshing in summer. I
+felt of it with my hands, and it seemed to be formed of water; but
+when I looked at it more closely, it was pure light."
+
+Once the Emperor called together all his magicians in order to talk
+with them about the fields of the blessed spirits. Sky O'Dawn was
+there, too, and said: "Once I was wandering about the North Pole and I
+came to the Fire-Mirror Mountain. There neither sun nor moon shines.
+But there is a dragon who holds a fiery mirror in his jaws in order to
+light up the darkness. On the mountain is a park, and in the park is a
+lake. By the lake grows the glimmer-stalk grass, which shines like a
+lamp of gold. If you pluck it and use it for a candle, you can see all
+things visible, and the shapes of the spirits as well. It even
+illuminates the interior of a human being."
+
+Once Sky O'Dawn went to the East, into the country of the fortunate
+clouds. And he brought back with him from that land a steed of the
+gods, nine feet high. The Emperor asked him how he had come to find
+it.
+
+So he told him: "The Queen-Mother of the West had him harnessed to her
+wagon when she went to visit the King-Father of the East. The steed
+was staked out in the field of the mushrooms of life. But he trampled
+down several hundred of them. This made the King-Father angry, and he
+drove the steed away to the heavenly river. There I found him and rode
+him home. I rode three times around the sun, because I had fallen
+asleep on the steed's back. And then, before I knew it, I was here.
+This steed can catch up with the sun's shadow. When I found him he was
+quite thin and as sad as an aged donkey. So I mowed the grass of the
+country of the fortunate clouds, which grows once every two-thousand
+years on the Mountain of the Nine Springs and fed it to the horse; and
+that made him lively again."
+
+The Emperor asked what sort of a place the country of the fortunate
+clouds might be. Sky O'Dawn answered: "There is a great swamp there.
+The people prophesy fortune and misfortune by the air and the clouds.
+If good fortune is to befall a house, clouds of five colors form in
+the rooms, which alight on the grass and trees and turn into a colored
+dew. This dew tastes as sweet as cider."
+
+The Emperor asked whether he could obtain any of this dew. Sky O'Dawn
+replied: "My steed could take me to the place where it falls four
+times in the course of a single day!"
+
+And sure enough he came back by evening, and brought along dew of
+every color in a crystal flask. The Emperor drank it and his hair grew
+black again. He gave it to his highest officials to drink, and the old
+grew young again and the sick became well.
+
+Once, when a comet appeared in the heavens, Sky O'Dawn gave the
+Emperor the astrologer's wand. The Emperor pointed it at the comet and
+the comet was quenched.
+
+Sky O'Dawn was an excellent whistler. And whenever he whistled in full
+tones, long drawn out, the motes in the sunbeams danced to his music.
+
+Once he said to a friend: "There is not a soul on earth who knows who
+I am with the exception of the astrologer!"
+
+When Sky O'Dawn had died, the Emperor called the astrologer to him
+and asked: "Did you know Sky O'Dawn?"
+
+He replied: "No!"
+
+The Emperor said: "What do you know?"
+
+The astrologer answered: "I know how to gaze on the stars."
+
+"Are all the stars in their places?" asked the Emperor.
+
+"Yes, but for eighteen years I have not seen the Star of the Great
+Year. Now it is visible once more."
+
+Then the Emperor looked up towards the skies and sighed: "For eighteen
+years Sky O'Dawn kept me company, and I did not know that he was the
+Star of the Great Year!"
+
+    Note: The mother of Sky O'Dawn, (Dung Fang So) who makes
+    so mysterious an appearance on earth, according to one
+    tradition, is the third daughter of the Lord of the
+    Heavens. (Comp. Note to No. 16). Dung Fang So is an
+    incarnation of the Wood Star or Star of the Great Year
+    (Jupiter). The King-Father of the East, one of the Five
+    Ancients, is the representative of wood (comp. No. 15).
+    Red chestnuts, like fire-dates, are fruits of the gods,
+    and bestow immortality. Sky O'Dawn was an excellent
+    whistler. Whistling is a famous means of magic among the
+    Taoists. The Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty, was a prince
+    who is reputed to have devoted much attention to the
+    magic arts. He reigned from 140 to 86 B.C. The
+    three-legged crow in the sun is the counterpart of the
+    three-legged ram-toad in the moon. The Red River recalls
+    the Weak River by the Castle of the Queen-Mother of the
+    West.
+
+
+
+
+XXXV
+
+KING MU OF DSCHOU
+
+
+In the days of King Mu of Dschou a magician came out of the uttermost
+West, who could walk through water and fire, and pass through metal
+and stone. He could make mountains and rivers change place, shift
+about cities and castles, rise into emptiness without falling, strike
+against solid matter without finding it an obstruction; and he knew a
+thousand transformations in all their inexhaustible variety. And he
+could not only change the shape of things but he could change men's
+thoughts. The King honored him like a god, and served him as he would
+a master. He resigned his own apartments that the magician might be
+lodged in them, had beasts of sacrifice brought to offer him, and
+selected sweet singers to give him pleasure. But the rooms in the
+King's palace were too humble--the magician could not dwell in them;
+and the King's singers were not musical enough to be allowed to be
+near him. So King Mu had a new palace built for him. The work of
+bricklayers and carpenters, of painters and stainers left nothing to
+be desired with regard to skill. The King's treasury was empty when
+the tower had reached its full height. It was a thousand fathoms high,
+and rose above the top of the mountain before the capital. The King
+selected maidens, the loveliest and most dainty, gave them fragrant
+essences, had their eyebrows curved in lines of beauty, and adorned
+their hair and ears with jewels. He garbed them in fine cloth, and
+with white silks fluttering about them, and had their faces painted
+white and their eyebrows stained black. He had them put on armlets of
+precious stones and mix sweet-smelling herbs. They filled the palace
+and sang the songs of the ancient kings in order to please the
+magician. Every month the most costly garments were brought him, and
+every morning the most delicate food. The magician allowed them to do
+so, and since he had no choice, made the best of it.
+
+Not long afterward the magician invited the King to go traveling with
+him. The King grasped the magician's sleeve, and thus they flew up
+through the air to the middle of the skies. When they stopped they
+found they had reached the palace of the magician. It was built of
+gold and silver, and adorned with pearls and precious stones. It
+towered high over the clouds and rain; and none could say whereon it
+rested. To the eye it had the appearance of heaped-up clouds. All that
+it offered the senses was different from the things of the world of
+men. It seemed to the King as though he were bodily present in the
+midst of the purple depths of the city of the air, of the divine
+harmony of the spheres, where the Great God dwells. The King looked
+down, and his castles and pleasure-houses appeared to him like hills
+of earth and heaps of straw. And there the King remained for some
+decades and thought no more of his kingdom.
+
+Then the magician again invited the King to go traveling with him once
+more. And in the place to which they came there was to be seen neither
+sun nor moon above, nor rivers or sea below. The King's dazzled eyes
+could not see the radiant shapes which showed themselves; the King's
+dulled ears could not hear the sounds which played about them. It
+seemed as though his body were dissolving in confusion; his thoughts
+began to stray, and consciousness threatened to leave him. So he
+begged the magician to return. The magician put his spell upon him,
+and it seemed to the King as though he were falling into empty space.
+
+When he regained consciousness, he was sitting at the same place where
+he had been sitting when the magician had asked him to travel with him
+for the first time. The servants waiting on him were the same, and
+when he looked down, his goblet was not yet empty, and his food had
+not yet grown cold.
+
+The King asked what had happened. And the servants answered, "The King
+sat for a space in silence." Whereupon the King was quite bereft of
+reason, and it was three months before he regained his right mind.
+Then he questioned the magician. The magician said: "I was traveling
+with you in the spirit, O King! What need was there for the body to go
+along? And the place in which we stayed at that time was no less real
+than your own castle and your own gardens. But you are used only to
+permanent conditions, therefore visions which dissolve so suddenly
+appear strange to you."
+
+The King was content with the explanation. He gave no further thought
+to the business of government and took no more interest in his
+servants, but resolved to travel afar. So he had the eight famous
+steeds harnessed, and accompanied by a few faithful retainers, drove a
+thousand miles away. There he came to the country of the great
+hunters. The great hunters brought the King the blood of the white
+brant to drink, and washed his feet in the milk of mares and cows.
+When the King and his followers had quenched their thirst, they drove
+on and camped for the night on the slope of the Kunlun Mountain, south
+of the Red River. The next day they climbed to the peak of Kunlun
+Mountain and gazed at the castle of the Lord of the Yellow Earth.
+Then they traveled on to the Queen-Mother of the West. Before they got
+there they had to pass the Weak River. This is a river whose waters
+will bear neither floats nor ships. All that attempts to float over it
+sinks into its depths. When the King reached the shore, fish and
+turtles, crabs and salamanders came swimming up and formed a bridge,
+so that he could drive across with the wagon.
+
+It is said of the Queen-Mother of the West that she goes about with
+hair unkempt, with a bird's beak and tiger's teeth, and that she is
+skilled in playing the flute. Yet this is not her true figure, but
+that of a spirit who serves her, and rules over the Western sky. The
+Queen-Mother entertained King Mu in her castle by the Springs of Jade.
+And she gave him rock-marrow to drink and fed him with the fruit of
+the jade-trees. Then she sang him a song and taught him a magic
+formula by means of which one could obtain long life. The Queen-Mother
+of the West gathers the immortals around her, and gives them to eat of
+the peaches of long life; and then they come to her with wagons with
+purple canopies, drawn by flying dragons. Ordinary mortals sink in the
+Weak River when they try to cross. But she was kindly disposed to King
+Mu.
+
+When he took leave of her, he also went on to the spot where the sun
+turns in after running three thousand miles a day. Then he returned
+again to his kingdom.
+
+When King Mu was a hundred years old, the Queen-Mother of the West
+drew near his palace and led him away with her into the clouds.
+
+And from that day on he was seen no more.
+
+    Note: King Mu of Dschou reigned from 1001 to 946 B.C.
+    With his name are associated the stories of the
+    marvelous travels into the land of the far West, and
+    especially to the Queen-Mother (who is identified by
+    some with Juno). The peaches of immortality suggest the
+    apples of the Hesperides. (Comp. with the story of "The
+    Ape Sun Wu Kung.")
+
+
+
+
+XXXVI
+
+THE KING OF HUAI NAN
+
+
+The King of Huai Nan was a learned man of the Han dynasty. Since he
+was of the blood royal the emperor had given him a kingdom in fee. He
+cultivated the society of scholars, could interpret signs and foretell
+the future. Together with his scholars he had compiled the book which
+bears his name.
+
+One day eight aged men came to see him. They all had white beards and
+white hair. The gate-keeper announced them to the King. The King
+wished to try them, so he sent back the gate-keeper to put
+difficulties in the way of their entrance. The latter said to them:
+"Our King is striving to learn the art of immortal life. You gentlemen
+are old and feeble. How can you be of aid to him? It is unnecessary
+for you to pay him a visit."
+
+The eight old men smiled and said: "Oh, and are we too old to suit
+you? Well, then we will make ourselves young!" And before they had
+finished speaking they had turned themselves into boys of fourteen and
+fifteen, with hair-knots as black as silk and faces like
+peach-blossoms. The gate-keeper was frightened, and at once informed
+the King of what had happened. When the King heard it, he did not even
+take time to slip into his shoes, but hurried out barefoot to receive
+them. He led them into his palace, had rugs of brocade spread for
+them, and beds of ivory set up, fragrant herbs burned and tables of
+gold and precious stones set in front of them. Then he bowed before
+them as pupils do before a teacher, and told them how glad he was that
+they had come.
+
+The eight boys changed into old men again and said: "Do you wish to go
+to school to us, O King? Each one of us is master of a particular art.
+One of us can call up wind and rain, cause clouds and mists to gather,
+rivers to flow and mountains to heave themselves up, if he wills it
+so. The second can cause high mountains to split asunder and check
+great streams in their course. He can tame tigers and panthers and
+soothe serpents and dragons. Spirits and gods do his bidding. The
+third can send out doubles, transform himself into other shapes, make
+himself invisible, cause whole armies to disappear, and turn day into
+night. The fourth can walk through the air and clouds, can stroll on
+the surface of the waves, pass through walls and rocks and cover a
+thousand miles in a single breath. The fifth can enter fire without
+burning, and water without drowning. The winter frost cannot chill
+him, nor the summer heat burn him. The sixth can create and transform
+living creatures if he feel inclined. He can form birds and beasts,
+grasses and trees. He can transplace houses and castles. The seventh
+can bake lime so that it turns to gold, and cook lead so that it turns
+to silver; he can mingle water and stone so that the bubbles
+effervesce and turn into pearls. The eighth can ride on dragons and
+cranes to the eight poles of the world, converse with the immortals,
+and stand in the presence of the Great Pure One."
+
+The King kept them beside him from morning to night, entertained them
+and had them show him what they could do. And, true enough, they could
+do everything just as they had said. And now the King began to distil
+the elixir of life with their aid. He had finished, but not yet
+imbibed it when a misfortune overtook his family. His son had been
+playing with a courtier and the latter had heedlessly wounded him.
+Fearing that the prince might punish him, he joined other discontented
+persons and excited a revolt. And the emperor, when he heard of it,
+sent one of his captains to judge between the King and the rebels.
+
+The eight aged men spoke: "It is now time to go. This misfortune has
+been sent you from heaven, O King! Had it not befallen you, you would
+not have been able to resolve to leave the splendors and glories of
+this world!"
+
+They led him on to a mountain. There they offered sacrifices to
+heaven, and buried gold in the earth. Then they ascended into the
+skies in bright daylight. The footprints of the eight aged men and of
+the king were imprinted in the rock of the mountain, and may be seen
+there to this very day. Before they had left the castle, however, they
+had set what was left of the elixir of life out in the courtyard. Hens
+and hounds picked and licked it up, and all flew up into the skies. In
+Huai Nan to this very day the crowing of cocks and the barking of
+hounds may be heard up in the skies, and it is said that these are the
+creatures who followed the King at the time.
+
+One of the King's servants, however, followed him to an island in the
+sea, whence he sent him back. He told that the King himself had not
+yet ascended to the skies, but had only become immortal and was
+wandering about the world. When the emperor heard of the matter he
+regretted greatly that he had sent soldiers into the King's land and
+thus driven him out. He called in magicians to aid him, in hope of
+meeting the eight old men himself. Yet, for all that he spent great
+sums, he was not successful. The magicians only cheated him.
+
+    Note: The King of Huai Nan was named Liu An. He belonged
+    to the Han dynasty. He dabbled largely in magic, and
+    drew to his court many magicians whose labors are
+    collected in the philosophical work which bears his
+    name. Liu An lived at the time of the Emperor Wu (see
+    No. 34). The latter having no heirs, Liu An entered into
+    a conspiracy which, however, was discovered. As a
+    consequence he killed himself, 122 B.C. Our fairy-tale
+    presents these events in their legendary transformation.
+
+
+
+
+XXXVII
+
+OLD DSCHANG
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man who went by the name of Old Dschang.
+He lived in the country, near Yangdschou, as a gardener. His neighbor,
+named Sir We, held an official position in Yangdschou. Sir We had
+decided that it was time for his daughter to marry, so he sent for a
+match-maker and commissioned her to find a suitable husband. Old
+Dschang heard this, and was pleased. He prepared food and drink,
+entertained the match-maker, and told her to recommend him as a
+husband. But the old match-maker went off scolding.
+
+The next day he invited her to dinner again and gave her money. Then
+the old match-maker said: "You do not know what you wish! Why should a
+gentleman's beautiful daughter condescend to marry a poor old gardener
+like yourself? Even though you had money to burn, your white hair
+would not match her black locks. Such a marriage is out of the
+question!"
+
+But Old Dschang did not cease to entreat her: "Make an attempt, just
+one attempt, to mention me! If they will not listen to you, then I
+must resign myself to my fate!"
+
+The old match-maker had taken his money, so she could not well refuse,
+and though she feared being scolded, she mentioned him to Sir We. He
+grew angry and wanted to throw her out of the house.
+
+"I knew you would not thank me," said she, "but the old man urged it
+so that I could not refuse to mention his intention."
+
+"Tell the old man that if this very day he brings me two white
+jade-stones, and four hundred ounces of yellow gold, then I will give
+him my daughter's hand in marriage."
+
+But he only wished to mock the old man's folly, for he knew that the
+latter could not give him anything of the kind. The match-maker went
+to Old Dschang and delivered the message. And he made no objection;
+but at once brought the exact quantity of gold and jewels to Sir We's
+house. The latter was very much frightened and when his wife heard of
+it, she began to weep and wail loudly. But the girl encouraged her
+mother: "My father has given his word now and cannot break it. I will
+know how to bear my fate."
+
+So Sir We's daughter was married to Old Dschang. But even after the
+wedding the latter did not give up his work as a gardener. He spaded
+the field and sold vegetables as usual, and his wife had to fetch
+water and build the kitchen fire herself. But she did her work without
+false shame and, though her relatives reproached her, she continued to
+do so.
+
+Once an aristocratic relative visited Sir We and said: "If you had
+really been poor, were there not enough young gentlemen in the
+neighborhood for your daughter? Why did you have to marry her to such
+a wrinkled old gardener? Now that you have thrown her away, so to
+speak, it would be better if both of them left this part of the
+country."
+
+Then Sir We prepared a banquet and invited his daughter and Old
+Dschang to visit him. When they had had sufficient to eat and drink he
+allowed them to get an inkling of what was in his mind.
+
+Said Old Dschang: "I have only remained here because I thought you
+would long for your daughter. But since you are tired of us, I will be
+glad to go. I have a little country house back in the hills, and we
+will set out for it early to-morrow morning."
+
+The following morning, at break of dawn, Old Dschang came with his
+wife to say farewell. Sir We said: "Should we long to see you at some
+later time, my son can make inquiries." Old Dschang placed his wife on
+a donkey and gave her a straw hat to wear. He himself took his staff
+and walked after.
+
+A few years passed without any news from either of them. Then Sir We
+and his wife felt quite a longing to see their daughter and sent their
+son to make inquiries. When the latter got back in the hills he met a
+plow-boy who was plowing with two yellow steers. He asked him: "Where
+is Old Dschang's country house?" The plow-boy left the plow in the
+harrow, bowed and answered: "You have been a long time coming, sir!
+The village is not far from here: I will show you the way."
+
+They crossed a hill. At the foot of the hill flowed a brook, and when
+they had crossed the brook they had to climb another hill. Gradually
+the landscape changed. From the top of the hill could be seen a
+valley, level in the middle, surrounded by abrupt crags and shaded by
+green trees, among which houses and towers peeped forth. This was the
+country house of Old Dschang. Before the village flowed a deep brook
+full of clear, blue water. They passed over a stone bridge and reached
+the gate. Here flowers and trees grew in luxurious profusion, and
+peacocks and cranes flew about. From the distance could be heard the
+sound of flutes and of stringed instruments. Crystal-clear tones rose
+to the clouds. A messenger in a purple robe received the guest at the
+gate and led him into a hall of surpassing splendor. Strange
+fragrances filled the air, and there was a ringing of little bells of
+pearl. Two maid-servants came forth to greet him, followed by two rows
+of beautiful girls in a long processional. After them a man in a
+flowing turban, clad in scarlet silk, with red slippers, came floating
+along. The guest saluted him. He was serious and dignified, and at the
+same time seemed youthfully fresh. At first We's son did not recognize
+him, but when he looked more closely, why it was Old Dschang! The
+latter said with a smile: "I am pleased that the long road to travel
+has not prevented your coming. Your sister is just combing her hair.
+She will welcome you in a moment." Then he had him sit down and drink
+tea.
+
+After a short time a maid-servant came and led him to the inner rooms,
+to his sister. The beams of her room were of sandalwood, the doors of
+tortoise-shell and the windows inlaid with blue jade; her curtains
+were formed of strings of pearls and the steps leading into the room
+of green nephrite. His sister was magnificently gowned, and far more
+beautiful than before. She asked him carelessly how he was getting
+along, and what her parents were doing; but was not very cordial.
+After a splendid meal she had an apartment prepared for him.
+
+"My sister wishes to make an excursion to the Mountain of the
+Fairies," said Old Dschang to him. "We will be back about sunset, and
+you can rest until we return."
+
+Then many-colored clouds rose in the courtyard, and dulcet music
+sounded on the air. Old Dschang mounted a dragon, while his wife and
+sister rode on phenixes and their attendants on cranes. So they rose
+into the air and disappeared in an easterly direction. They did not
+return until after sunset.
+
+Old Dschang and his wife then said to him: "This is an abode of the
+blessed. You cannot remain here overlong. To-morrow we will escort you
+back."
+
+On the following day, when taking leave, Old Dschang gave him eighty
+ounces of gold and an old straw hat. "Should you need money," said he,
+"you can go to Yangdschou and inquire in the northern suburb for old
+Wang's drug-shop. There you can collect ten million pieces of copper.
+This hat is the order for them." Then he ordered his plow-boy to take
+him home again.
+
+Quite a few of the folks at home, to whom he described his adventures,
+thought that Old Dschang must be a holy man, while others regarded the
+whole thing a magic vision.
+
+After five or six years Sir We's money came to an end. So his son took
+the straw hat to Yangdschou and there asked for old Wang. The latter
+just happened to be standing in his drug-shop, mixing herbs. When the
+son explained his errand he said: "The money is ready. But is your hat
+genuine?" And he took the hat and examined it. A young girl came from
+an inner room and said: "I wove the hat for Old Dschang myself. There
+must be a red thread in it." And sure enough, there was. Then old Wang
+gave young We the ten million pieces of copper, and the latter now
+believed that Old Dschang was really a saint. So he once more went
+over the hills to look for him. He asked the forest-keepers, but they
+could tell him naught. Sadly he retraced his steps and decided to
+inquire of old Wang, but he had also disappeared.
+
+When several years had passed he once more came to Yangdschou, and was
+walking in the meadow before the city gate. There he met Old Dschang's
+plow-boy. The latter cried out: "How are you? How are you?" and drew
+out ten pounds of gold, which he gave to him, saying: "My mistress
+told me to give you this. My master is this very moment drinking tea
+with old Wang in the inn." Young We followed the plow-boy, intending
+to greet his brother-in-law. But when he reached the inn there was no
+one in sight. And when he turned around the plow-boy had disappeared
+as well. And since that time no one ever heard from Old Dschang again.
+
+    Note: The match-maker, according to Chinese custom--and
+    the custom of other oriental peoples--is an absolutely
+    necessary mediator between the two families. There are
+    old women who make their living at this profession.
+
+
+
+
+XXXVIII
+
+THE KINDLY MAGICIAN
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a man named Du Dsi Tschun. In his youth he
+was a spendthrift and paid no heed to his property. He was given to
+drink and idling. When he had run through all his money, his relatives
+cast him out. One winter day he was walking barefoot about the city,
+with an empty stomach and torn clothes. Evening came on and still he
+had not found any food. Without end or aim he wandered about the
+market place. He was hungry, and the cold seemed well nigh
+unendurable. So he turned his eyes upward and began to lament aloud.
+
+Suddenly an ancient man stood before him, leaning on a staff, who
+said: "What do you lack since you complain so?"
+
+"I am dying of hunger," replied Du Dsi Tschun, "and not a soul will
+take pity on me!"
+
+The ancient man said: "How much money would you need in order to live
+in all comfort?"
+
+"If I had fifty thousand pieces of copper it would answer my purpose,"
+replied Du Dsi Tschun.
+
+The ancient said: "That would not answer."
+
+"Well, then, a million!"
+
+"That is still too little!"
+
+"Well, then, three million!"
+
+The ancient man said: "That is well spoken!" He fetched a thousand
+pieces of copper out of his sleeve and said: "That is for this
+evening. Expect me to-morrow by noon, at the Persian Bazaar!"
+
+At the time set Du Dsi Tschun went there, and, sure enough, there was
+the ancient, who gave him three million pieces of copper. Then he
+disappeared, without giving his name.
+
+When Du Dsi Tschun held the money in his hand, his love for
+prodigality once more awoke. He rode pampered steeds, clothed himself
+in the finest furs, went back to his wine, and led such an extravagant
+life that the money gradually came to an end. Instead of wearing
+brocade he had to wear cotton, and instead of riding horseback he went
+to the dogs. Finally he was again running about barefoot and in rags
+as before, and did not know how to satisfy his hunger. Once more he
+stood in the market-place and sighed. But the ancient was already
+there, took him by the hand and said: "Are you back already to where
+you were? That is strange! However, I will aid you once more!"
+
+But Du Dsi Tschun was ashamed and did not want to accept his help. Yet
+the ancient insisted, and led him along to the Persian Bazaar. This
+time he gave him ten million pieces of copper, and Du Dsi Tschun
+thanked him with shame in his heart.
+
+With money in hand, he tried to give time to adding to it, and saving
+in order to gain great wealth. But, as is always the case, it is hard
+to overcome ingrown faults. Gradually he began to fling his money away
+again, and gave free rein to all his desires. And once more his purse
+grew empty. In a couple of years he was as poor as ever he had been.
+
+Then he met the ancient the third time, but was so ashamed of himself
+that he hid his face when he passed him.
+
+The ancient seized his arm and said: "Where are you going? I will help
+you once more. I will give you thirty million. But if then you do not
+improve you are past all aid!"
+
+Full of gratitude, Du Dsi Tschun bowed before him and said: "In the
+days of my poverty my wealthy relatives did not seek me out. You alone
+have thrice aided me. The money you give me to-day shall not be
+squandered, that I swear; but I will devote it to good works in order
+to repay your great kindness. And when I have done this I will follow
+you, if needs be through fire and through water."
+
+The ancient replied: "That is right! When you have ordered these
+things ask for me in the temple of Laotsze beneath the two mulberry
+trees!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun took the money and went to Yangdschou. There he bought a
+hundred acres of the best land, and built a lofty house with many
+hundreds of rooms on the highway. And there he allowed widows and
+orphans to live. Then he bought a burial-place for his ancestors, and
+supported his needy relations. Countless people were indebted to him
+for their livelihood.
+
+When all was finished, he went to inquire after the ancient in the
+temple of Laotsze. The ancient was sitting in the shade of the
+mulberry trees blowing the flute. He took Du Dsi Tschun along with him
+to the cloudy peaks of the holy mountains of the West. When they had
+gone some forty miles into the mountains, he saw a dwelling, fair and
+clean. It was surrounded by many-colored clouds, and peacocks and
+cranes were flying about it. Within the house was a herb-oven nine
+feet high. The fire burned with a purple flame, and its glow leaped
+along the walls. Nine fairies stood at the oven, and a green dragon
+and a white tiger crouched beside it. Evening came. The ancient was no
+longer clad like an ordinary man; but wore a yellow cap and wide,
+flowing garments. He took three pellets of the White Stone, put them
+into a flagon of wine, and gave them to Du Dsi Tschun to drink. He
+spread out a tiger-skin against the western wall of the inner chamber,
+and bade Du Dsi Tschun sit down on it, with his face turned toward the
+East. Then he said to him: "Now beware of speaking a single word--no
+matter what happens to you, whether you encounter powerful gods or
+terrible demons, wild beasts or ogres, or all the tortures of the
+nether world, or even if you see your own relatives suffer--for all
+these things are only deceitful images! They cannot harm you. Think
+only of what I have said, and let your soul be at rest!" And when he
+had said this the ancient disappeared.
+
+Then Du Dsi Tschun saw only a large stone jug full of clear water
+standing before him. Fairies, dragon and tiger had all vanished.
+Suddenly he heard a tremendous crash, which made heaven and earth
+tremble. A man towering more than ten feet in height appeared. He
+called himself the great captain, and he and his horse were covered
+with golden armor. He was surrounded by more than a hundred soldiers,
+who drew their bows and swung their swords, and halted in the
+courtyard.
+
+The giant called out harshly: "Who are you? Get out of my way!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun did not move. And he returned no answer to his
+questions.
+
+Then the giant flew into a passion and cried with a thundering voice:
+"Chop off his head!"
+
+But Du Dsi Tschun remained unmoved, so the giant went off raging.
+
+Then a furious tiger and a poisonous serpent came up roaring and
+hissing. They made as though to bite him and leaped over him. But Du
+Dsi Tschun remained unperturbed in spirit, and after a time they
+dissolved and vanished.
+
+Suddenly a great rain began to fall in streams. It thundered and
+lightninged incessantly, so that his ears rang and his eyes were
+blinded. It seemed as though the house would fall. The water rose to a
+flood in a few moments' time, and streamed up to the place where he
+was sitting. But Du Dsi Tschun remained motionless and paid no
+attention to it. And after a time the water receded.
+
+Then came a great demon with the head of an ox. He set up a kettle in
+the middle of the courtyard, in which bubbled boiling oil. He caught
+Du Dsi Tschun by the neck with an iron fork and said: "If you will
+tell me who you are I will let you go!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun shut his eyes and kept silent. Then the demon picked
+him up with the fork and flung him into the kettle. He withstood the
+pain, and the boiling oil did not harm him. Finally the demon dragged
+him out again, and drew him down the steps of the house before a man
+with red hair and a blue face, who looked like the prince of the
+nether world. The latter cried: "Drag in his wife!"
+
+After a time Du Dsi Tschun's wife was brought on in chains. Her hair
+was torn and she wept bitterly.
+
+The demon pointed to Du Dsi Tschun and said: "If you will speak your
+name we will let her go!"
+
+But he answered not a word.
+
+Then the prince of evil had the woman tormented in all sorts of ways.
+And she pleaded with Du Dsi Tschun: "I have been your wife now for ten
+years. Will you not speak one little word to save me? I can endure no
+more!" And the tears ran in streams from her eyes. She screamed and
+scolded. Yet he spoke not a word.
+
+Thereupon the prince of evil shouted: "Chop her into bits!" And there,
+before his eyes, it seemed as though she were really being chopped to
+pieces. But Du Dsi Tschun did not move.
+
+"The scoundrel's measure is full!" cried the prince of evil. "He shall
+dwell no longer among the living! Off with his head!" And so they
+killed him, and it seemed to him that his soul fled his body. The
+ox-headed demon dragged him down into the nether regions, where he
+tasted all the tortures in turn. But Du Dsi Tschun remembered the
+words of the ancient. And the tortures, too, seemed bearable. So he
+did not scream and said not a word.
+
+Now he was once more dragged before the prince of evil. The latter
+said: "As punishment for his obstinacy this man shall come to earth
+again in the shape of a woman!"
+
+The demon dragged him to the wheel of life and he returned to earth
+in the shape of a girl. He was often ill, had to take medicine
+continually, and was pricked and burned with hot needles. Yet he never
+uttered a sound. Gradually he grew into a beautiful maiden. But since
+he never spoke, he was known as the dumb maid. A scholar finally took
+him for his bride, and they lived in peace and good fellowship. And a
+son came to them who, in the course of two years was already beyond
+measure wise and intelligent. One day the father was carrying the son
+on his arm. He spoke jestingly to his wife and said: "When I look at
+you it seems to me that you are not really dumb. Won't you say one
+little word to me? How delightful it would be if you were to become my
+speaking rose!"
+
+The woman remained silent. No matter how he might coax and try to make
+her smile, she would return no answer.
+
+Then his features changed: "If you will not speak to me, it is a sign
+that you scorn me; and in that case your son is nothing to me,
+either!" And with that he seized the boy and flung him against the
+wall.
+
+But since Du Dsi Tschun loved this little boy so dearly, he forgot the
+ancient's warning, and cried out: "Oh, oh!"
+
+And before the cry had died away Du Dsi Tschun awoke as though from a
+dream and found himself seated in his former place. The ancient was
+there as well. It must have been about the fifth hour of the night.
+Purple flames rose wildly from the oven, and flared up to the sky. The
+whole house caught fire and burned like a torch.
+
+"You have deceived me!" cried the ancient. Then he seized him by the
+hair and thrust him into the jug of water. And in a minute the fire
+went out. The ancient spoke: "You overcame joy and rage, grief and
+fear, hate and desire, it is true; but love you had not driven from
+your soul. Had you not cried out when the child was flung against the
+wall, then my elixir would have taken shape and you would have
+attained immortality. But in the last moment you failed me. Now it is
+too late. Now I can begin brewing my elixir of life once more from the
+beginning and you will remain a mere mortal man!"
+
+Du Dsi Tschun saw that the oven had burst, and that instead of the
+philosopher's stone it held only a lump of iron. The ancient man cast
+aside his garments and chopped it up with a magic knife. Du Dsi Tschun
+took leave of him and returned to Yangdschou, where he lived in great
+affluence. In his old age he regretted that he had not completed his
+task. He once more went to the mountain to look for the ancient. But
+the ancient had vanished without leaving a trace.
+
+    Note: The "pieces of copper" are the ancient Chinese
+    copper coins, with a hole in the middle, usually hung on
+    strings to the number of 500 or 1000. Money had a
+    greater purchasing value in ancient China, however, than
+    in the China of to-day. The "Persian Bazaar": During the
+    reign of the Tang dynasty China maintained an active
+    intercourse with the West, traces of which are at
+    present being investigated in Central Asia. At that time
+    Persian bazaars were no novelty in the city of Si-An-Fu,
+    then the capital. "Herb-oven": a tripod kettle used for
+    brewing the elixir of life, with which the fairies,
+    dragon and tiger (both the last-mentioned
+    star-incarnations) are connected. In order to prepare
+    the elixir the master must have absolute endurance. It
+    is for this reason that he had placed Du Dsi Tschun in
+    his debt by means of kindness. The yellow cap which the
+    master wears is connected with the teachings of the
+    Yellow Ancient (comp. w. No. 15). The "prince of the
+    nether world," Yan Wang, or Yan Lo Wang, is the Indian
+    god Yama. There are in all ten princes of the nether
+    world, of whom the fifth is the highest and most feared.
+    "Obstinacy," literally; his real offense is reticence,
+    or the keeping secret of a thing. This quality belongs
+    to the Yin, the dark or feminine principle, and
+    determines Du Dsi Tschun's reappearance on earth as a
+    woman. "Purple flames rose wildly from the oven": Though
+    Du Dsi Tschun had overcome his other emotions, so that
+    fear and terror did not affect him, love, and love in
+    its highest form, mother-love, still remained in him.
+    This love created the flames which threatened to destroy
+    the building. The highest point in Taoism--as in
+    Buddhism--is, however, the absolute negation of all
+    feeling.
+
+
+
+
+NATURE AND ANIMAL TALES
+
+
+
+
+XXXIX
+
+THE FLOWER-ELVES
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a scholar who lived retired from the world
+in order to gain hidden wisdom. He lived alone and in a secret place.
+And all about the little house in which he dwelt he had planted every
+kind of flower, and bamboos and other trees. There it lay, quite
+concealed in its thick grove of flowers. With him he had only a boy
+servant, who dwelt in a separate hut, and who carried out his orders.
+He was not allowed to appear before his master unless summoned. The
+scholar loved his flowers as he did himself. Never did he set his foot
+beyond the boundaries of his garden.
+
+It chanced that once there came a lovely spring evening. Flowers and
+trees stood in full bloom, a fresh breeze was blowing, the moon shone
+clearly. And the scholar sat over his goblet and was grateful for the
+gift of life.
+
+Suddenly he saw a maiden in dark garments come tripping up in the
+moonlight. She made a deep courtesy, greeted him and said: "I am your
+neighbor. We are a company of young maids who are on our way to visit
+the eighteen aunts. We should like to rest in this court for awhile,
+and therefore ask your permission to do so."
+
+The scholar saw that this was something quite out of the common, and
+gladly gave his consent. The maiden thanked him and went away.
+
+In a short time she brought back a whole crowd of maids carrying
+flowers and willow branches. All greeted the scholar. They were
+charming, with delicate features, and slender, graceful figures. When
+they moved their sleeves, a delightful fragrance was exhaled. There is
+no fragrance known to the human world which could be compared with it.
+
+The scholar invited them to sit down for a time in his room. Then he
+asked them: "Whom have I really the honor of entertaining? Have you
+come from the castle of the Lady in the Moon, or the Jade Spring of
+the Queen-Mother of the West?"
+
+"How could we claim such high descent?" said a maiden in a green gown,
+with a smile. "My name is Salix." Then she presented another, clad in
+white, and said: "This is Mistress Prunophora"; then one in rose, "and
+this is Persica"; and finally one in a dark-red gown, "and this is
+Punica. We are all sisters and we want to visit the eighteen
+zephyr-aunts to-day. The moon shines so beautifully this evening and
+it is so charming here in the garden. We are most grateful to you for
+taking pity on us."
+
+"Yes, yes," said the scholar.
+
+Then the sober-clad servant suddenly announced: "The zephyr-aunts have
+already arrived!"
+
+At once the girls rose and went to the door to meet them.
+
+"We were just about to visit you, aunts," they said, smiling. "This
+gentleman here had just invited us to sit for a moment. What a
+pleasant coincidence that you aunts have come here, too. This is such
+a lovely night that we must drink a goblet of nectar in honor of you
+aunts!"
+
+Thereon they ordered the servant to bring what was needed.
+
+"May one sit down here?" asked the aunts.
+
+"The master of the house is most kind," replied the maids, "and the
+spot is quiet and hidden."
+
+And then they presented the aunts to the scholar. He spoke a few
+kindly words to the eighteen aunts. They had a somewhat irresponsible
+and airy manner. Their words fairly gushed out, and in their
+neighborhood one felt a frosty chill.
+
+Meanwhile the servant had already brought in table and chairs. The
+eighteen aunts sat at the upper end of the board, the maids followed,
+and the scholar sat down with them at the lowest place. Soon the
+entire table was covered with the most delicious foods and most
+magnificent fruits, and the goblets were filled with a fragrant
+nectar. They were delights such as the world of men does not know! The
+moon shone brightly and the flowers exhaled intoxicating odors. After
+they had partaken of food and drink the maids rose, danced and sung.
+Sweetly the sound of their singing echoed through the falling gloam,
+and their dance was like that of butterflies fluttering about the
+flowers. The scholar was so overpowered with delight that he no longer
+knew whether he were in heaven or on earth.
+
+When the dance had ended, the girls sat down again at the table, and
+drank the health of the aunts in flowing nectar. The scholar, too, was
+remembered with a toast, to which he replied with well-turned phrases.
+
+But the eighteen aunts were somewhat irresponsible in their ways. One
+of them, raising her goblet, by accident poured some nectar on
+Punica's dress. Punica, who was young and fiery, and very neat, stood
+up angrily when she saw the spot on her red dress.
+
+"You are really very careless," said she, in her anger. "My other
+sisters may be afraid of you, but I am not!"
+
+Then the aunts grew angry as well and said: "How dare this young chit
+insult us in such a manner!"
+
+And with that they gathered up their garments and rose.
+
+All the maids then crowded about them and said: "Punica is so young
+and inexperienced! You must not bear her any ill-will! To-morrow she
+shall go to you switch in hand, and receive her punishment!"
+
+But the eighteen aunts would not listen to them and went off.
+Thereupon the maids also said farewell, scattered among the
+flower-beds and disappeared. The scholar sat for a long time lost in
+dreamy yearning.
+
+On the following evening the maids all came back again.
+
+"We all live in your garden," they told him. "Every year we are
+tormented by naughty winds, and therefore we have always asked the
+eighteen aunts to protect us. But yesterday Punica insulted them, and
+now we fear they will help us no more. But we know that you have
+always been well disposed toward us, for which we are heartily
+grateful. And now we have a great favor to ask, that every New Year's
+day you make a small scarlet flag, paint the sun, moon and five
+planets on it, and set it up in the eastern part of the garden. Then
+we sisters will be left in peace and will be protected from all evil.
+But since New Year's day has passed for this year, we beg that you
+will set up the flag on the twenty-first of this month. For the East
+Wind is coming and the flag will protect us against him!"
+
+The scholar readily promised to do as they wished, and the maids all
+said with a single voice: "We thank you for your great kindness and
+will repay it!" Then they departed and a sweet fragrance filled the
+entire garden.
+
+The scholar, however, made a red flag as described, and when early in
+the morning of the day in question the East Wind really did begin to
+blow, he quickly set it up in the garden.
+
+Suddenly a wild storm broke out, one that caused the forests to bend,
+and broke the trees. The flowers in the garden alone did not move.
+
+Then the scholar noticed that Salix was the willow; Prunophora the
+plum; Persica the peach, and the saucy Punica the Pomegranate, whose
+powerful blossoms the wind cannot tear. The eighteen zephyr-aunts,
+however, were the spirits of the winds.
+
+In the evening the flower-elves all came and brought the scholar
+radiant flowers as a gift of thanks.
+
+"You have saved us," they said, "and we have nothing else we can give
+you. If you eat these flowers you will live long and avoid old age.
+And if you, in turn, will protect us every year, then we sisters, too,
+will live long."
+
+The scholar did as they told him and ate the flowers. And his figure
+changed and he grew young again like a youth of twenty. And in the
+course of time he attained the hidden wisdom and was placed among the
+Immortals.
+
+    Note. Salix: the names of the "Flower Elves" are given
+    in the Chinese as family names, whose sound suggests the
+    flower-names without exactly using them. In the
+    translation the play on words is indicated by the Latin
+    names. "Zephyr-aunts": In Chinese the name given the
+    aunt is "Fong," which in another stylization means
+    "wind."
+
+
+
+
+XL
+
+THE SPIRIT OF THE WU-LIAN MOUNTAIN
+
+
+To the west of the gulf of Kiautschou is the Wu-Lian Mountain, where
+there are many spirits. Once upon a time a scholar who lived there was
+sitting up late at night, reading. And, as he stepped out before the
+house, a storm rose up suddenly, and a monster stretched out his claws
+and seized him by the hair. And he lifted him up in the air and
+carried him away. They passed by the tower which looks out to sea, a
+Buddhist temple in the hills. And in the distance, in the clouds, the
+scholar saw the figure of a god in golden armor. The figure looked
+exactly like the image of Weto which was in the tower. In its right
+hand it held an iron mace, while its left pointed toward the monster,
+and it looked at it with anger. Then the monster let the scholar fall,
+right on top of the tower, and disappeared. No doubt the saint in the
+tower had come to the scholar's aid, because his whole family
+worshiped Buddha dutifully.
+
+When the sun rose the priest came and saw the scholar on his tower. He
+piled up hay and straw on the ground; so that he could jump down
+without hurting himself. Then he took the scholar home, yet there
+where the monster had seized his hair, the hair remained stiff and
+unyielding. It did not improve until half a year had gone by.
+
+    Note: This legend comes from Dschungschong, west of the
+    gulf of Kiautschou. "The tower which looks out to sea,"
+    a celebrated tower which gives a view of the ocean. At
+    present the people give this name to the Tsingtau Signal
+    Station. Weto (Sanscrit, Veda), a legendary Boddhisatva,
+    leader of the hosts of the four kings of heaven. His
+    picture, with drawn sword, may be found at the entrance
+    of every Buddhist temple. In China, he is often
+    represented with a mace (symbolizing a thunderbolt)
+    instead of a sword. When this is the case he has
+    probably been confused with Vaisramana.
+
+
+
+
+XLI
+
+THE KING OF THE ANTS
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a scholar, who wandered away from his home
+and went to Emmet village. There stood a house which was said to be
+haunted. Yet it was beautifully situated and surrounded by a lovely
+garden. So the scholar hired it. One evening he was sitting over his
+books, when several hundred knights suddenly came galloping into the
+room. They were quite tiny, and their horses were about the size of
+flies. They had hunting falcons and dogs about as large as gnats and
+fleas.
+
+They came to his bed in the corner of the room, and there they held a
+great hunt, with bows and arrows: one could see it all quite plainly.
+They caught a tremendous quantity of birds and game, and all this game
+was no larger than little grains of rice.
+
+When the hunt was over, in came a long procession with banners and
+standards. They wore swords at their side and bore spears in their
+hands, and came to a halt in the north-west corner of the room. They
+were followed by several hundred serving-men. These brought with them
+curtains and covers, tents and tent-poles, pots and kettles, cups and
+plates, tables and chairs. And after them some hundreds of other
+servants carried in all sorts of fine dishes, the best that land and
+water had to offer. And several hundred more ran to and fro without
+stopping, in order to guard the roads and carry messages.
+
+The scholar gradually accustomed himself to the sight. Although the
+men were so very small he could distinguish everything quite clearly.
+
+Before long, a bright colored banner appeared. Behind it rode a
+personage wearing a scarlet hat and garments of purple. He was
+surrounded by an escort of several thousands. Before him went runners
+with whips and rods to clear the way.
+
+Then a man wearing an iron helmet and with a golden ax in his hand
+cried out in a loud voice: "His Highness is graciously pleased to look
+at the fish in the Purple Lake!" Whereupon the one who wore the
+scarlet hat got down from his horse, and, followed by a retinue of
+several hundred men, approached the saucer which the scholar used for
+his writing-ink. Tents were put up on the edge of the saucer and a
+banquet was prepared. A great number of guests sat down to the table.
+Musicians and dancers stood ready. There was a bright confusion of
+mingled garments of purple and scarlet, crimson and green. Pipes and
+flutes, fiddles and cymbals sounded, and the dancers moved in the
+dance. The music was very faint, and yet its melodies could be clearly
+distinguished. All that was said, too, the table-talk and orders,
+questions and calls, could be quite distinctly heard.
+
+After three courses, he who wore the scarlet hat said: "Quick! Make
+ready the nets and lines for fishing!"
+
+And at once nets were thrown out into the saucer which held the water
+in which the scholar dipped his brush. And they caught hundreds of
+thousands of fishes. The one with the scarlet hat contented himself
+with casting a line in the shallow waters of the saucer, and caught a
+baker's dozen of red carp.
+
+Then he ordered the head cook to cook the fish, and the most varied
+dishes were prepared with them. The odor of roasting fat and spices
+filled the whole room.
+
+And then the wearer of the scarlet hat in his arrogance, decided to
+amuse himself at the scholar's expense. So he pointed to him and said:
+"I know nothing at all about the writings and customs of the saints
+and wise men, and still I am a king who is highly honored! Yonder
+scholar spends his whole life toiling over his books and yet he
+remains poor and gets nowhere. If he could make up his mind to serve
+me faithfully as one of my officials, I might allow him to partake of
+our meal."
+
+This angered the scholar, and he took his book and struck at them. And
+they all scattered, wriggling and crawling out of the door. He
+followed them and dug up the earth in the place where they had
+disappeared. And there he found an ants' nest as large as a barrel, in
+which countless green ants were wriggling around. So he built a large
+fire and smoked them out.
+
+    Note: This charming tale is taken from the Tang Dai
+    Tsung Schu.
+
+
+
+
+XLII
+
+THE LITTLE HUNTING DOG
+
+
+Once upon a time, in the city of Shansi, there lived a scholar who
+found the company of others too noisy for him. So he made his home in
+a Buddhist temple. Yet he suffered because there were always so many
+gnats and fleas in his room that he could not sleep at night.
+
+Once he was resting on his bed after dinner, when suddenly two little
+knights with plumes in their helmets rode into the room. They might
+have been two inches high, and rode horses about the size of
+grasshoppers. On their gauntleted hands they held hunting falcons as
+large as flies. They rode about the room with great rapidity. The
+scholar had no more than set eyes on them when a third entered, clad
+like the others, but carrying a bow and arrows and leading a little
+hunting dog the size of an ant with him. After him came a great throng
+of footmen and horsemen, several hundred in all. And they had hunting
+falcons and hunting dogs by the hundred, too. Then the fleas and gnats
+began to rise in the air; but were all slain by the falcons. And the
+hunting dogs climbed on the bed, and sniffed along the walls trailing
+the fleas, and ate them up. They followed the trace of whatever hid in
+the cracks, and nosed it out, so that in a short space of time they
+had killed nearly all the vermin.
+
+The scholar pretended to be asleep and watched them. And the falcons
+settled down on him, and the dogs crawled along his body. Shortly
+after came a man clad in yellow, wearing a king's crown, who climbed
+on an empty couch and seated himself there. And at once all the
+horsemen rode up, descended from their horses and brought him all the
+birds and game. They then gathered beside him in a great throng, and
+conversed with him in a strange tongue.
+
+Not long after the king got into a small chariot and his bodyguards
+saddled their horses with the greatest rapidity. Then they galloped
+out with great cries of homage, till it looked as though some one were
+scattering beans and a heavy cloud of dust rose behind them.
+
+They had nearly all of them disappeared, while the scholar's eyes
+were still fixed on them full of terror and astonishment, and he could
+not imagine whence they had come. He slipped on his shoes and looked;
+but they had vanished without a trace. Then he returned and looked all
+about his room; but there was nothing to be seen. Only, on a brick
+against the wall, they had forgotten a little hunting dog. The scholar
+quickly caught it and found it quite tame. He put it in his paint-box
+and examined it closely. It had a very smooth, fine coat, and wore a
+little collar around its neck. He tried to feed it a few bread-crumbs,
+but the little dog only sniffed at them and let them lie. Then it
+leaped into the bed and hunted up some nits and gnats in the folds of
+the linen, which it devoured. Then it returned and lay down. When the
+night had passed the scholar feared it might have run away; but there
+it lay, curled up as before. Whenever the scholar went to bed, the dog
+climbed into it and bit to death any vermin it could find. Not a fly
+or gnat dared alight while it was around. The scholar loved it like a
+jewel of price.
+
+But once he took a nap in the daytime, and the little dog crawled into
+bed beside him. The scholar woke and turned around, supporting himself
+on his side. As he did so he felt something, and feared it might be
+his little dog. He quickly rose and looked, but it was already
+dead--pressed flat, as though cut out of paper!
+
+But at any rate none of the vermin had survived it.
+
+    Note: This tale is taken from the Liau Dschai ("Strange
+    Stories") of P'u Sung Lang (b. 1622). It is a parallel
+    of the preceding one and shows how the same material
+    returns in a different working-out.
+
+
+
+
+XLIII
+
+THE DRAGON AFTER HIS WINTER SLEEP
+
+
+Once there was a scholar who was reading in the upper story of his
+house. It was a rainy, cloudy day and the weather was gloomy. Suddenly
+he saw a little thing which shone like a fire-fly. It crawled upon the
+table, and wherever it went it left traces of burns, curved like the
+tracks of a rainworm. Gradually it wound itself about the scholar's
+book and the book, too, grew black. Then it occurred to him that it
+might be a dragon. So he carried it out of doors on the book. There he
+stood for quite some time; but it sat uncurled, without moving in the
+least.
+
+Then the scholar said: "It shall not be said of me that I was lacking
+in respect." With these words he carried back the book and once more
+laid it on the table. Then he put on his robes of ceremony, made a
+deep bow and escorted the dragon out on it again.
+
+No sooner had he left the door, than he noticed that the dragon raised
+his head and stretched himself. Then he flew up from the book with a
+hissing sound, like a radiant streak. Once more he turned around
+toward the scholar, and his head had already grown to the size of a
+barrel, while his body must have been a full fathom in length. He gave
+one more snaky twist, and then there was a terrible crash of thunder
+and the dragon went sailing through the air.
+
+The scholar then returned and looked to see which way the little
+creature had come. And he could follow his tracks hither and thither,
+to his chest of books.
+
+    Note: This tale is also from the "Strange Stories." The
+    dragon, head of all scaled creatures and insects,
+    hibernates during the winter according to the Chinese
+    belief. At the time he is quite small. When the first
+    spring storm comes he flies up to the clouds on the
+    lightning. Here the dragon's nature as an atmospheric
+    apparition is expressed.
+
+
+
+
+XLIV
+
+THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW RIVER
+
+
+The spirits of the Yellow River are called Dai Wang--Great King. For
+many hundreds of years past the river inspectors had continued to
+report that all sorts of monsters show themselves in the waves of the
+stream, at times in the shape of dragons, at others in that of cattle
+and horses, and whenever such a creature makes an appearance a great
+flood follows. Hence temples are built along the river banks. The
+higher spirits of the river are honored as kings, the lower ones as
+captains, and hardly a day goes by without their being honored with
+sacrifices or theatrical performances. Whenever, after a dam has been
+broken, the leak is closed again, the emperor sends officials with
+sacrifices and ten great bars of Tibetan incense. This incense is
+burned in a great sacrificial censer in the temple court, and the
+river inspectors and their subordinates all go to the temple to thank
+the gods for their aid. These river gods, it is said, are good and
+faithful servants of former rulers, who died in consequence of their
+toil in keeping the dams unbroken. After they died their spirits
+became river-kings; in their physical bodies, however, they appear as
+lizards, snakes and frogs.
+
+The mightiest of all the river-kings is the Golden Dragon-King. He
+frequently appears in the shape of a small golden snake with a square
+head, low forehead and four red dots over his eyes. He can make
+himself large or small at will, and cause the waters to rise and fall.
+He appears and vanishes unexpectedly, and lives in the mouths of the
+Yellow River and the Imperial Canal. But in addition to the Golden
+Dragon-King there are dozens of river-kings and captains, each of whom
+has his own place. The sailors of the Yellow River all have exact
+lists in which the lives and deeds of the river-spirits are described
+in detail.
+
+The river-spirits love to see theatrical performances. Opposite every
+temple is a stage. In the hall stands the little spirit-tablet of the
+river-king, and on the altar in front of it a small bowl of golden
+lacquer filled with clean sand. When a little snake appears in it, the
+river-king has arrived. Then the priests strike the gong and beat the
+drum and read from the holy books. The official is at once informed
+and he sends for a company of actors. Before they begin to perform the
+actors go up to the temple, kneel, and beg the king to let them know
+which play they are to give. And the river-god picks one out and
+points to it with his head; or else he writes signs in the sand with
+his tail. The actors then at once begin to perform the desired play.
+
+The river-god cares naught for the fortunes or misfortunes of human
+beings. He appears suddenly and disappears in the same way, as best
+suits him.
+
+Between the outer and the inner dam of the Yellow River are a number
+of settlements. Now it often happens that the yellow water moves to
+the very edge of the inner walls. Rising perpendicularly, like a wall,
+it gradually advances. When people see it coming they hastily burn
+incense, bow in prayer before the waters, and promise the river-god a
+theatrical performance. Then the water retires and the word goes
+round: "The river-god has asked for a play again!"
+
+In a village in that section there once dwelt a wealthy man. He built
+a stone wall, twenty feet high, around the village, to keep away the
+water. He did not believe in the spirits of the river, but trusted in
+his strong wall and was quite unconcerned.
+
+One evening the yellow water suddenly rose and towered in a straight
+line before the village. The rich man had them shoot cannon at it.
+Then the water grew stormy, and surrounded the wall to such a height
+that it reached the openings in the battlements. The water foamed and
+hissed, and seemed about to pour over the wall. Then every one in the
+village was very much frightened. They dragged up the rich man and he
+had to kneel and beg for pardon. They promised the river-god a
+theatrical performance, but in vain; but when they promised to build
+him a temple in the middle of the village and give regular
+performances, the water sank more and more and gradually returned to
+its bed. And the village fields suffered no damage, for the earth,
+fertilized by the yellow slime, yielded a double crop.
+
+Once a scholar was crossing the fields with a friend in order to visit
+a relative. On their way they passed a temple of the river-god where a
+new play was just being performed. The friend asked the scholar to go
+in with him and look on. When they entered the temple court they saw
+two great snakes upon the front pillars, who had wound themselves
+about the columns, and were thrusting out their heads as though
+watching the performance. In the hall of the temple stood the altar
+with the bowl of sand. In it lay a small snake with a golden body, a
+green head and red dots above his eyes. His neck was thrust up and his
+glittering little eyes never left the stage. The friend bowed and the
+scholar followed his example.
+
+Softly he said to his friend: "What are the three river-gods called?"
+
+"The one in the temple," was the reply, "is the Golden Dragon-King.
+The two on the columns are two captains. They do not dare to sit in
+the temple together with the king."
+
+This surprised the scholar, and in his heart he thought: "Such a tiny
+snake! How can it possess a god's power? It would have to show me its
+might before I would worship it."
+
+He had not yet expressed these secret thoughts before the little snake
+suddenly stretched forth his head from the bowl, above the altar.
+Before the altar burned two enormous candles. They weighed more than
+ten pounds and were as thick as small trees. Their flame burned like
+the flare of a torch. The snake now thrust his head into the middle of
+the candle-flame. The flame must have been at least an inch broad, and
+was burning red. Suddenly its radiance turned blue, and was split into
+two tongues. The candle was so enormous and its fire so hot that even
+copper and iron would have melted in it; but it did not harm the
+snake.
+
+Then the snake crawled into the censer. The censer was made of iron,
+and was so large one could not clasp it with both arms. Its cover
+showed a dragon design in open-work. The snake crawled in and out of
+the holes in this cover, and wound his way through all of them, so
+that he looked like an embroidery in threads of gold. Finally all the
+openings of the cover, large and small, were filled by the snake. In
+order to do so, he must have made himself several dozen feet long.
+Then he stretched out his head at the top of the censer and once more
+watched the play.
+
+Thereupon the scholar was frightened, he bowed twice, and prayed:
+"Great King, you have taken this trouble on my account! I honor you
+from my heart!"
+
+No sooner had he spoken these words than, in a moment, the little
+snake was back in his bowl, and just as small as he had been before.
+
+In Dsiningdschou they were celebrating the river god's birthday in his
+temple. They were giving him a theatrical performance for a birthday
+present. The spectators crowded around as thick as a wall, when who
+should pass but a simple peasant from the country, who said in a loud
+voice: "Why, that is nothing but a tiny worm! It is a great piece of
+folly to honor it like a king!"
+
+Before ever he had finished speaking the snake flew out of the temple.
+He grew and grew, and wound himself three times around the stage. He
+became as thick around as a small pail, and his head seemed like that
+of a dragon. His eyes sparkled like golden lamps, and he spat out red
+flame with his tongue. When he coiled and uncoiled the whole stage
+trembled and it seemed as though it would break down. The actors
+stopped their music and fell down on the stage in prayer. The whole
+multitude was seized with terror and bowed to the ground. Then some of
+the old men came along, cast the peasant on the ground, and gave him a
+good thrashing. So he had to cast himself on his knees before the
+snake and worship him. Then all heard a noise as though a great many
+firecrackers were being shot off. This lasted for some time, and then
+the snake disappeared.
+
+East of Shantung lies the city of Dongschou. There rises an
+observation-tower with a great temple. At its feet lies the
+water-city, with a sea-gate at the North, through which the flood-tide
+rises up to the city. A camp of the boundary guard is established at
+this gate.
+
+Once upon a time there was an officer who had been transferred to
+this camp as captain. He had formerly belonged to the land forces, and
+had not yet been long at his new post. He gave some friends of his a
+banquet, and before the pavilion in which they feasted lay a great
+stone shaped somewhat like a table. Suddenly a little snake was seen
+crawling on this stone. It was spotted with green, and had red dots on
+its square head. The soldiers were about to kill the little creature,
+when the captain went out to look into the matter. When he had looked
+he laughed and said: "You must not harm him! He is the river-king of
+Dsiningdschou. When I was stationed in Dsiningdschou he sometimes
+visited me, and then I always gave sacrifices and performances in his
+honor. Now he has come here expressly in order to wish his old friend
+luck, and to see him once more."
+
+There was a band in camp; the bandsmen could dance and play like a
+real theatrical troupe. The captain quickly had them begin a
+performance, had another banquet with wine and delicate foods
+prepared, and invited the river-god to sit down to the table.
+
+Gradually evening came and yet the river-god made no move to go.
+
+So the captain stepped up to him with a bow and said: "Here we are far
+removed from the Yellow River, and these people have never yet heard
+your name spoken. Your visit has been a great honor for me. But the
+women and fools who have crowded together chattering outside, are
+afraid of hearing about you. Now you have visited your old friend, and
+I am sure you wish to get back home again."
+
+With these words he had a litter brought up; cymbals were beaten and
+fire-works set off, and finally a salute of nine guns was fired to
+escort him on his way. Then the little snake crawled into the litter,
+and the captain followed after. In this order they reached the port,
+and just when it was about time to say farewell, the snake was already
+swimming in the water. He had grown much larger, nodded to the captain
+with his head, and disappeared.
+
+Then there were doubts and questionings: "But the river-god lives a
+thousand miles away from here, how does he get to this place?"
+
+Said the captain: "He is so powerful that he can get to any place, and
+besides, from where he dwells a waterway leads to the sea. To come
+down that way and swim to sea is something he can do in a moment's
+time!"
+
+    Note: "The Spirits of the Yellow River." The place of
+    the old river-god Ho Be (Count of the Stream), also
+    mentioned in No. 63, has to-day been taken by the Dai
+    Wang in the popular belief. These spirits are thought to
+    have placed many hindrances in the way of the erection
+    of the railroad bridge across the Yellow River. The
+    "spirit-tablet": images of the gods were first
+    introduced in China by the Buddhists. The old custom,
+    which Confucianism and ancestor-worship still follow,
+    holds that the seat of the gods is a small wooden tablet
+    on which the name of the god to be honored is written.
+    Theatrical performances as religious services are as
+    general in China as they were in ancient Greece.
+    Dsiningdschou is a district capital on the Imperial
+    Canal, near the Yellow River.
+
+
+
+
+XLV
+
+THE DRAGON-PRINCESS
+
+
+In the Sea of Dungting there is a hill, and in that hill there is a
+hole, and this hole is so deep that it has no bottom.
+
+Once a fisherman was passing there who slipped and fell into the hole.
+He came to a country full of winding ways which led over hill and dale
+for several miles. Finally he reached a dragon-castle lying in a great
+plain. There grew a green slime which reached to his knees. He went
+to the gate of the castle. It was guarded by a dragon who spouted
+water which dispersed in a fine mist. Within the gate lay a small
+hornless dragon who raised his head, showed his claws, and would not
+let him in.
+
+The fisherman spent several days in the cave, satisfying his hunger
+with the green slime, which he found edible and which tasted like
+rice-mush. At last he found a way out again. He told the district
+mandarin what had happened to him, and the latter reported the matter
+to the emperor. The emperor sent for a wise man and questioned him
+concerning it.
+
+The wise man said: "There are four paths in this cave. One path leads
+to the south-west shore of the Sea of Dungting, the second path leads
+to a valley in the land of the four rivers, the third path ends in a
+cave on the mountain of Lo-Fu and the fourth in an island of the
+Eastern Sea. In this cave dwells the seventh daughter of the
+Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, who guards his pearls and his
+treasure. It happened once in the ancient days, that a fisherboy dived
+into the water and brought up a pearl from beneath the chin of a black
+dragon. The dragon was asleep, which was the reason the fisherboy
+brought the pearl to the surface without being harmed. The treasure
+which the daughter of the Dragon-King has in charge is made up of
+thousands and millions of such jewels. Several thousands of small
+dragons watch over them in her service. Dragons have the peculiarity
+of fighting shy of wax. But they are fond of beautiful jade-stones,
+and of kung-tsing, the hollowgreen wood, and like to eat swallows. If
+one were to send a messenger with a letter, it would be possible to
+obtain precious pearls."
+
+  [Illustration: "A FISHERBOY DIVED INTO THE WATER AND BROUGHT UP A
+    PEARL FROM BENEATH THE CHIN OF A BLACK DRAGON."
+                                                  --_Page 138_]
+
+The emperor was greatly pleased, and announced a large reward for
+the man who was competent to go to the dragon-castle as his messenger.
+
+The first man to come forward was named So Pi-Lo. But the wise man
+said: "A great-great-great-great-grandfather of yours once slew more
+than a hundred of the dragons of the Eastern Sea, and was finally
+himself slain by the dragons. The dragons are the enemies of your
+family and you cannot go."
+
+Then came a man from Canton, Lo-Dsi-Tschun, with his two brothers, who
+said that his ancestors had been related to the Dragon-King. Hence
+they were well liked by the dragons and well known to them. They
+begged to be entrusted with the message.
+
+The wise man asked: "And have you still in your possession the stone
+which compels the dragons to do your will?"
+
+"Yes," said they, "we have brought it along with us."
+
+The wise man had them show him the stone; then he spoke: "This stone
+is only obeyed by the dragons who make clouds and send down the rain.
+It will not do for the dragons who guard the pearls of the sea-king."
+Then he questioned them further: "Have you the dragon-brain vapor?"
+
+When they admitted that they had not, the wise man said: "How then
+will you compel the dragons to yield their treasure?"
+
+And the emperor said: "What shall we do?"
+
+The wise man replied: "On the Western Ocean sail foreign merchants who
+deal in dragon-brain vapor. Some one must go to them and seek it from
+them. I also know a holy man who is an adept in the art of taming
+dragons, and who has prepared ten pounds of the dragon-stone. Some one
+should be sent for that as well."
+
+The emperor sent out his messengers. They met one of the holy man's
+disciples and obtained two fragments of dragon-stone from him.
+
+Said the wise man: "That is what we want!"
+
+Several more months went by, and at last a pill of dragon-brain vapor
+had also been secured. The emperor felt much pleased and had his
+jewelers carve two little boxes of the finest jade. These were
+polished with the ashes of the Wutung-tree. And he had an essence
+prepared of the very best hollowgreen wood, pasted with sea-fish lime,
+and hardened in the fire. Of this two vases were made. Then the bodies
+and the clothing of the messengers were rubbed with tree-wax, and they
+were given five hundred roasted swallows to take along with them.
+
+They went into the cave. When they reached the dragon-castle, the
+little dragon who guarded the gate smelled the tree-wax, so he
+crouched down and did them no harm. They gave him a hundred roasted
+swallows as a bribe to announce them to the daughter of the
+Dragon-King. They were admitted to her presence and offered her the
+jade caskets, the vases and the four hundred roasted swallows as
+gifts. The dragon's daughter received them graciously, and they
+unfolded the emperor's letter.
+
+In the castle there was a dragon who was over a thousand years old. He
+could turn himself into a human being, and could interpret the
+language of human beings. Through him the dragon's daughter learned
+that the emperor was sending her the gifts, and she returned them with
+a gift of three great pearls, seven smaller pearls and a whole bushel
+of ordinary pearls. The messengers took leave, rode off with their
+pearls on a dragon's back, and in a moment they had reached the banks
+of the Yangtze-kiang. They made their way to Nanking, the imperial
+capital, and there handed over their treasure of gems.
+
+The emperor was much pleased and showed them to the wise man. He said:
+"Of the three great pearls one is a divine wishing-pearl of the third
+class, and two are black dragon-pearls of medium quality. Of the seven
+smaller pearls two are serpent-pearls, and five are mussel-pearls. The
+remaining pearls are in part sea-crane pearls, in part snail and
+oyster-pearls. They do not approach the great pearls in value, and yet
+few will be found to equal them on earth."
+
+The emperor also showed them to all his servants. They, however,
+thought the wise man's words all talk, and did not believe what he
+said.
+
+Then the wise man said: "The radiance of wishing-pearls of the first
+class is visible for forty miles, that of the second class for twenty
+miles, and that of the third for ten miles. As far as their radiance
+carries, neither wind nor rain, thunder nor lightning, water, fire nor
+weapons may reach. The pearls of the black dragon are nine-colored and
+glow by night. Within the circle of their light the poison of serpents
+and worms is powerless. The serpent-pearls are seven-colored, the
+mussel-pearls five-colored. Both shine by night. Those most free from
+spots are the best. They grow within the mussel, and increase and
+decrease in size as the moon waxes and wanes."
+
+Some one asked how the serpent and sea-crane pearls could be told
+apart, and the wise man answered: "The animals themselves recognize
+them."
+
+Then the emperor selected a serpent-pearl and a sea-crane pearl, put
+them together with a whole bushel of ordinary pearls, and poured the
+lot out in the courtyard. Then a large yellow serpent and a black
+crane were fetched and placed among the pearls. At once the crane
+took up a sea-crane pearl in his bill and began to dance and sing and
+flutter around. But the serpent snatched at the serpent-pearl, and
+wound himself about it in many coils. And when the people saw this
+they acknowledged the truth of the wise man's words. As regards the
+radiance of the larger and smaller pearls it turned out, too, just as
+the wise man had said.
+
+In the dragon-castle the messengers had enjoyed dainty fare, which
+tasted like flowers, herbs, ointment and sugar. They had brought a
+remnant of it with them to the capital; yet exposed to the air it had
+become as hard as stone. The emperor commanded that these fragments be
+preserved in the treasury. Then he bestowed high rank and titles on
+the three brothers, and made each one of them a present of a thousand
+rolls of fine silk stuff. He also had investigated why it was that the
+fisherman, when he chanced upon the cave, had not been destroyed by
+the dragons. And it turned out that his fishing clothes had been
+soaked in oil and tree-wax. The dragons had dreaded the odor.
+
+    Note: As regards the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, see
+    Nos. 18 and 74. The pearl under the dragon's chin comes
+    from Dschuang Dsi. With regard to So Pi-Lo and
+    Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. 46.
+
+
+
+
+XLVI
+
+HELP IN NEED
+
+
+Some twenty miles east of Gingdschou lies the Lake of the Maidens. It
+is several miles square and surrounded on all sides by thick green
+thickets and tall forests. Its waters are clear and dark-blue. Often
+all kinds of wondrous creatures show themselves in the lake. The
+people of the vicinity have erected a temple there for the Dragon
+Princess. And in times of drought all make pilgrimage there to offer
+up prayers.
+
+West of Gingdschou, two hundred miles away, is another lake, whose god
+is named Tschauna, and who performs many miracles. During the time of
+the Tang dynasty there lived in Gingdschou a mandarin by name of
+Dschou Bau. While he was in office it chanced that in the fifth month
+clouds suddenly arose in the sky, piling themselves up like mountains,
+among which wriggled dragons and serpents; they rolled up and down
+between the two seas. Tempest and rain, thunder and lightning arose so
+that houses fell to pieces, trees were torn up by the roots, and much
+damage was done the crops. Dschou Bau took the blame upon himself, and
+prayed to the heavens that his people might be pardoned.
+
+On the fifth day of the sixth month he sat in his hall of audience and
+gave judgment; and suddenly he felt quite weary and sleepy. He took
+off his hat and laid down on the cushions. No sooner had he closed his
+eyes than he saw a warrior in helmet and armor, with a halberd in his
+hand, standing on the steps leading to the hall, who announced: "A
+lady is waiting outside who wishes to enter!" Dschou Bau asked him:
+"Who are you?" The answer was: "I am your door-keeper. In the
+invisible world I already have been performing this duty for many
+years." Meanwhile two figures clad in green came up the steps, knelt
+before him and said: "Our mistress has come to visit you!" Dschou Bau
+rose. He beheld lovely clouds, from which fell a fine rain, and
+strange fragrances enchanted him. Suddenly he saw a lady clad in a
+simple gown, but of surpassing beauty, float down from on high, with a
+retinue of many female servants. These were all neat and clean in
+appearance, and waited upon the lady as though she were a princess.
+When the latter entered the hall she raised her arms in greeting.
+Dschou Bau came forward to meet her and invited her to be seated. From
+all sides bright-colored clouds came floating in, and the courtyard
+was filled with a purple ether. Dschou Bau had wine and food brought
+and entertained them all in the most splendid way. But the goddess sat
+staring straight before her with wrinkled brows, and seemed to feel
+very sad. Then she rose and said with a blush: "I have been living in
+this neighborhood for many years. A wrong which has been done me,
+permits me to pass the bounds of what is fitting, and encourages me to
+ask a favor of you. Yet I do not know whether you wish to save me!"
+
+"May I hear what it is all about," answered Dschou Bau. "If I can help
+you, I will be glad to place myself at your disposal."
+
+The goddess said: "For hundreds of years my family has been living in
+the depth of the Eastern Sea. But we were unfortunate in that our
+treasures excited the jealousy of men. The ancestor of Pi-Lo nearly
+destroyed our entire clan by fire. My ancestors had to fly and hide
+themselves. And not long ago, our enemy Pi-Lo himself wanted to
+deliver an imperial letter in the cave of the Sea of Dungting. Under
+the pretext of begging for pearls and treasures, he wished to enter
+the dragon-castle and destroy our family. Fortunately a wise man saw
+through his treacherous purpose, and Lo-Dsi-Tschun and his brothers
+were sent in his stead. Yet my people did not feel safe from future
+attacks. For this reason they withdrew to the distant West. My father
+has done much good to mankind and hence is highly honored there. I am
+his ninth daughter. When I was sixteen I was wedded to the youngest
+son of the Rock-Dragon. But my good husband had a fiery temper, which
+often caused him to offend against the laws of courtesy, and in less
+than a year's time the punishment of heaven was his portion. I was
+left alone and returned to the home of my parents. My father wished me
+to marry again; but I had promised to remain true to the memory of my
+husband, and made a vow not to comply with my father's wish. My
+parents grew angry, and I was obliged to retire to this place in view
+of their anger. That was three years ago. Who could imagine that the
+contemptible dragon Tschauna, who was seeking a wife for his youngest
+brother, would try to force the wedding-gift upon me? I refused to
+accept it; but Tschauna knew how to gain his point with my father, and
+was determined to carry out his intention. My father, regardless of my
+wishes, promised me to him. And then the dragon Tschauna appeared with
+his youngest brother and wanted to carry me off by sheer force of
+arms. I encountered him with fifty faithful followers, and we fought
+on the meadow before the city. We were defeated, and I am more than
+ever afraid that Tschauna will attempt to drag me off. So I have
+plucked up courage to beg you to lend me your mercenaries so that I
+may beat off my foes and remain as I am. If you will help me I will be
+grateful to you till the end of my days."
+
+Dschou Bau answered: "You come from a noble family. Have you no
+kinsfolk who will hasten to help you in your need, that you are
+compelled to turn to a mortal man?"
+
+"It is true that my kinsfolk are far-famed and numerous. If I were to
+send out letters and they came to my aid, they would rub out that
+scaly scoundrel Tschauna as one might rub garlic. But my deceased
+husband offended the high heavens and he has not yet been pardoned.
+And my parents' will, too, is opposed to mine, so that I dare not call
+upon my kinsfolk for help. You will understand my need." Then Dschou
+Bau promised to help her, and the princess thanked him and departed.
+
+When he awoke, he sighed long thinking over his strange experience.
+And the following day he sent off fifteen hundred soldiers to stand
+guard by the Lake of the Maidens.
+
+On the seventh day of the sixth month Dschou Bau rose early. Darkness
+still lay before the windows, yet it seemed to him as though he could
+glimpse a man before the curtain. He asked who it might be. The man
+said: "I am the princess's adviser. Yesterday you were kind enough to
+send soldiers to aid us in our distress. But they were all living men,
+and such cannot fight against invisible spirits. You will have to send
+us soldiers of yours who have died, if you wish to aid us."
+
+Dschou Bau reflected for a time, and then it occurred to him that of
+course such must be the case. So he had his field-secretary examine
+the roster to see how many of his soldiers had fallen in battle. And
+the latter counted up to some two thousand foot-soldiers and
+five-hundred horsemen. Dschou Bau appointed his deceased officer Mong
+Yuan as their leader, and wrote his commands on a paper which he
+burned, in order thus to place them at the princess's disposal. The
+living soldiers he recalled. When they were being reviewed in the
+courtyard after their return, a soldier suddenly fell unconscious. It
+was not until early the following morning that he came to his senses
+again. He was questioned and replied: "I saw a man clad in red who
+approached me and said: 'Our princess is grateful for the aid your
+master has so kindly given her. Yet she still has a request to make
+and has asked me to call you.' I followed him to the temple. The
+princess bade me come forward and said to me: 'I thank your master
+from my heart for sending me the ghost soldiers, but Mong Yuan, their
+leader is incapable. Yesterday the robbers came with three thousand
+men, and Mong Yuan was beaten by them. When you return and again see
+your master, say that I earnestly beg him to send me a good general.
+Perhaps that will save me in my need.' Then she had me led back again
+and I regained consciousness."
+
+When Dschou Bau had heard these words, which seemed to fit strangely
+well with what he had dreamed, he thought he would try to see if this
+were really the case. Therefore he chose his victorious general
+Dschong Tschong-Fu to take the place of Mong Yuan. That evening he
+burned incense, offered wine and handed over to the princess this
+captain's soul.
+
+On the twenty-sixth of the month news came from the general's camp
+that he had suddenly died at midnight on the thirteenth. Dschou Bau
+was frightened, and sent a man to bring him a report. The latter
+informed him that the general's heart had hardly ceased to beat, and
+that, in spite of the hot summer weather, his body was free from any
+trace of decay. So the order was given not to bury him.
+
+Then one night an icy, spectral wind arose, which whirled up sand and
+stones, broke trees and tore down houses. The standing corn in the
+fields was blown down. The storm lasted all day. Finally, the crash of
+a terrific thunderbolt was heard, and then the skies cleared and the
+clouds scattered. That very hour the dead general began to breathe
+painfully on his couch, and when his attendants came to him, he had
+returned to life again.
+
+They questioned him and he told them: "First I saw a man in a purple
+gown riding a black horse, who came up with a great retinue. He
+dismounted before the door. In his hand he held a decree of
+appointment which he gave me, saying: 'Our princess begs you most
+respectfully to become her general. I hope that you will not refuse.'
+Then he brought forth gifts and heaped them up before the steps.
+Jade-stones, brocades, and silken garments, saddles, horses, helmets
+and suits of mail--he heaped them all up in the courtyard. I wished to
+decline, but this he would not allow, and urged me to enter his
+chariot with him. We drove a hundred miles and met a train of
+three-hundred armored horsemen who had ridden out to escort me. They
+led me to a great city, and before the city a tent had been erected in
+which played a band of musicians. A high official welcomed me. When I
+entered the city the onlookers were crowded together like walls.
+Servants ran to and fro bearing orders. We passed through more than a
+dozen gates before we reached the princess. There I was requested to
+dismount and change my clothes in order to enter the presence of the
+princess, for she wished to receive me as her guest. But I thought
+this too great an honor and greeted her below, on the steps. She,
+however, invited me to seat myself near her in the hall. She sat
+upright in all her incomparable beauty, surrounded by female
+attendants adorned with the richest jewels. These plucked lute-strings
+and played flutes. A throng of servitors stood about in golden girdles
+with purple tassels, ready to carry out her commands. Countless crowds
+were assembled before the palace. Five or six visitors sat in a circle
+about the princess, and a general led me to my place. The princess
+said to me: 'I have begged you to come here in order to entrust the
+command of my army to you. If you will break the power of my foe I
+will reward you richly.' I promised to obey her. Then wine was
+brought in, and the banquet was served to the sound of music. While we
+were at table a messenger entered: 'The robber Tschauna has invaded
+our land with ten thousand footmen and horsemen, and is approaching
+our city by various roads. His way is marked by columns of fire and
+smoke!' The guests all grew pale with terror when they heard the news.
+And the princess said: 'This is the foe because of whom I have sought
+your aid. Save me in my hour of need!' Then she gave me two chargers,
+a suit of golden armor, and the insignia of a commander-in-chief, and
+bowed to me. I thanked her and went, called together the captains, had
+the army mustered and rode out before the city. At several decisive
+points I placed troops in ambush. The enemy was already approaching in
+great force, careless and unconcerned, intoxicated by his former
+victories. I sent out my most untrustworthy soldiers in advance, who
+allowed themselves to be beaten in order to lure him on. Light-armed
+men then went out against him, and retreated in skirmish order. And
+thus he fell into my ambush. Drums and kettledrums sounded together,
+the ring closed around them on all sides and the robber army suffered
+a grievous defeat. The dead lay about like hemp-stalks, but little
+Tschauna succeeded in breaking through the circle. I sent out the
+light horsemen after him, and they seized him before the tent of the
+enemy's commanding general. Hastily I sent word to the princess, and
+she reviewed the prisoners before the palace. All the people, high and
+low, streamed together, to acclaim her. Little Tschauna was about to
+be executed in the market place when a messenger came spurring up with
+a command from the princess's father to pardon him. The princess did
+not dare to disobey. So he was dismissed to his home after he had
+sworn to give up all thought of realizing his traitorous plans. I was
+loaded with benefits as a reward for my victory. I was invested with
+an estate with three thousand peasants, and was given a palace, horses
+and wagons, all sorts of jewels, men-servants and women-servants,
+gardens and forests, banners and suits of mail. And my subordinate
+officers, too, were duly rewarded. On the following day a banquet was
+held, and the princess herself filled a goblet, sent it to me by one
+of her attendants, and said: 'Widowed early in life, I opposed the
+wishes of my stern father and fled to this spot. Here the infamous
+Tschauna harassed me and well-nigh put me to shame. Had not your
+master's great kindness and your own courage come to my assistance,
+hard would have been my lot!' Then she began to thank me and her tears
+of emotion flowed like a stream. I bowed and begged her to grant me
+leave of absence, so that I might look after my family. I was given a
+month's leave and the following day she dismissed me with a splendid
+retinue. Before the city a pavilion had been erected in which I drank
+the stirrup-cup. Then I rode away and when I arrived before our own
+gate a thunder-peal crashed and I awoke."
+
+Thereupon the general wrote an account of what had happened to Dschou
+Bau, in which he conveyed the princess's thanks. Then he paid no
+further heed to worldly matters, but set his house in order and turned
+it over to his wife and son. When a month had passed, he died without
+any sign of illness.
+
+That same day one of his officers was out walking. Suddenly he saw a
+heavy cloud of dust rising along the highway, while flags and banners
+darkened the sun. A thousand knights were escorting a man who sat his
+horse proudly and like a hero. And when the officer looked at his
+face, it was the general Dschong Tschong-Fu. Hastily he stepped to the
+edge of the road, in order to allow the cavalcade to pass, and
+watched it ride by. The horsemen took the way to the Lake of the
+Maidens, where they disappeared.
+
+    Note: The expression: "Dschou Bau took the blame upon
+    himself" is explained by the fact that the territorial
+    mandarin is responsible for his district, just as the
+    emperor is for the whole empire. Since extraordinary
+    natural phenomena are the punishment of heaven, their
+    occurrence supposed the guilt of man. This train of
+    thought is in accord with the idea, as in this case,
+    that differences occurring among the spirits of the air
+    lead to misfortune, since where virtue is in the
+    ascendant in the mortal world, the spirits are prevented
+    from giving way to such demonstrations. "Drums and
+    kettledrums sounded together": the kettledrums sounded
+    the attack, and the drums the retreat. The simultaneous
+    sounding of both signals was intended to throw the
+    enemy's army into disorder.
+
+
+
+
+XLVII
+
+THE DISOWNED PRINCESS
+
+
+At the time that the Tang dynasty was reigning there lived a man named
+Liu I, who had failed to pass his examinations for the doctorate. So
+he traveled home again. He had gone six or seven miles when a bird
+flew up in a field, and his horse shied and ran ten miles before he
+could stop him. There he saw a woman who was herding sheep on a
+hillside. He looked at her and she was lovely to look upon, yet her
+face bore traces of hidden grief. Astonished, he asked her what was
+the matter.
+
+The woman began to sob and said: "Fortune has forsaken me, and I am in
+need and ashamed. Since you are kind enough to ask I will tell you
+all. I am the youngest daughter of the Dragon-King of the Sea of
+Dungting, and was married to the second son of the Dragon-King of Ging
+Dschou. Yet my husband ill-treated and disowned me. I complained to my
+step-parents, but they loved their son blindly and did nothing. And
+when I grew insistent they both became angry, and I was sent out here
+to herd sheep." When she had done, the woman burst into tears and lost
+all control of herself. Then she continued: "The Sea of Dungting is
+far from here; yet I know that you will have to pass it on your
+homeward journey. I should like to give you a letter to my father, but
+I do not know whether you would take it."
+
+Liu I answered: "Your words have moved my heart. Would that I had
+wings and could fly away with you. I will be glad to deliver the
+letter to your father. Yet the Sea of Dungting is long and broad, and
+how am I to find him?"
+
+"On the southern shore of the Sea stands an orange-tree," answered the
+woman, "which people call the tree of sacrifice. When you get there
+you must loosen your girdle and strike the tree with it three times in
+succession. Then some one will appear whom you must follow. When you
+see my father, tell him in what need you found me, and that I long
+greatly for his help."
+
+Then she fetched out a letter from her breast and gave it to Liu I.
+She bowed to him, looked toward the east and sighed, and, unexpectedly,
+the sudden tears rolled from the eyes of Liu I as well. He took the
+letter and thrust it in his bag.
+
+Then he asked her: "I cannot understand why you have to herd sheep. Do
+the gods slaughter cattle like men?"
+
+"These are not ordinary sheep," answered the woman; "these are
+rain-sheep."
+
+"But what are rain-sheep?"
+
+"They are the thunder-rams," replied the woman.
+
+And when he looked more closely he noticed that these sheep walked
+around in proud, savage fashion, quite different from ordinary sheep.
+
+Liu I added: "But if I deliver the letter for you, and you succeed in
+getting back to the Sea of Dungting in safety, then you must not use
+me like a stranger."
+
+The woman answered: "How could I use you as a stranger? You shall be
+my dearest friend."
+
+And with these words they parted.
+
+In course of a month Liu I reached the Sea of Dungting, asked for the
+orange-tree and, sure enough, found it. He loosened his girdle, and
+struck the tree with it three times. At once a warrior emerged from
+the waves of the sea, and asked: "Whence come you, honored guest?"
+
+Liu I said: "I have come on an important mission and want to see the
+King."
+
+The warrior made a gesture in the direction of the water, and the
+waves turned into a solid street along which he led Liu I. The
+dragon-castle rose before them with its thousand gates, and magic
+flowers and rare grasses bloomed in luxurious profusion. The warrior
+bade him wait at the side of a great hall.
+
+Liu I asked: "What is this place called?"
+
+"It is the Hall of the Spirits," was the reply.
+
+Liu I looked about him: all the jewels known to earth were there in
+abundance. The columns were of white quartz, inlaid with green jade;
+the seats were made of coral, the curtains of mountain crystal as
+clear as water, the windows of burnished glass, adorned with rich
+lattice-work. The beams of the ceiling, ornamented with amber, rose in
+wide arches. An exotic fragrance filled the hall, whose outlines were
+lost in darkness.
+
+Liu I had waited for the king a long time. To all his questions the
+warrior replied: "Our master is pleased at this moment to talk with
+the priest of the sun up on the coral-tower about the sacred book of
+the fire. He will, no doubt, soon be through."
+
+Liu I went on to ask: "Why is he interested in the sacred book of the
+fire?"
+
+The reply was: "Our master is a dragon. The dragons are powerful
+through the power of water. They can cover hill and dale with a single
+wave. The priest is a human being. Human beings are powerful through
+fire. They can burn the greatest palaces by means of a torch. Fire and
+water fight each other, being different in their nature. For that
+reason our master is now talking with the priest, in order to find a
+way in which fire and water may complete each other."
+
+Before they had quite finished there appeared a man in a purple robe,
+bearing a scepter of jade in his hand.
+
+The warrior said: "This is my master!"
+
+Liu I bowed before him.
+
+The king asked: "Are you not a living human being? What has brought
+you here?"
+
+Liu I gave his name and explained: "I have been to the capital and
+there failed to pass my examination. When I was passing by the Ging
+Dschou River, I saw your daughter, whom you love, herding sheep in the
+wilderness. The winds tousled her hair, and the rain drenched her. I
+could not bear to see her trouble and spoke to her. She complained
+that her husband had cast her out and wept bitterly. Then she gave me
+a letter for you. And that is why I have come to visit you, O King!"
+
+With these words he fetched out his letter and handed it to the king.
+When the latter had read it, he hid his face in his sleeve and said
+with a sigh: "It is my own fault. I picked out a worthless husband
+for her. Instead of securing her happiness I have brought her to shame
+in a distant land. You are a stranger and yet you have been willing to
+help her in her distress, for which I am very grateful to you." Then
+he once more began to sob, and all those about him shed tears.
+Thereupon the monarch gave the letter to a servant who took it into
+the interior of the palace; and soon the sound of loud lamentations
+rose from the inner rooms.
+
+The king was alarmed and turned to an official: "Go and tell them
+within not to weep so loudly! I am afraid that Tsian Tang may hear
+them."
+
+"Who is Tsian Tang?" asked Liu I.
+
+"He is my beloved brother," answered the king. "Formerly he was the
+ruler of the Tsian-Tang River, but now he has been deposed."
+
+Liu I asked: "Why should the matter be kept from him?"
+
+"He is so wild and uncontrollable," was the reply, "that I fear he
+would cause great damage. The deluge which covered the earth for nine
+long years in the time of the Emperor Yau was the work of his anger.
+Because he fell out with one of the kings of heaven, he caused a great
+deluge that rose and covered the tops of five high mountains. Then the
+king of heaven grew angry with him, and gave him to me to guard. I had
+to chain him to a column in my palace."
+
+Before he had finished speaking a tremendous turmoil arose, which
+split the skies and made the earth tremble, so that the whole palace
+began to rock, and smoke and clouds rose hissing and puffing. A red
+dragon, a thousand feet long, with flashing eyes, blood-red tongue,
+scarlet scales and a fiery beard came surging up. He was dragging
+along through the air the column to which he had been bound, together
+with its chain. Thunders and lightnings roared and darted around his
+body; sleet and snow, rain and hail-stones whirled about him in
+confusion. There was a crash of thunder, and he flew up to the skies
+and disappeared.
+
+Liu I fell to earth in terror. The king helped him up with his own
+hand and said: "Do not be afraid! That is my brother, who is hastening
+to Ging Dschou in his rage. We will soon have good news!"
+
+Then he had food and drink brought in for his guest. When the goblet
+had thrice made the rounds, a gentle breeze began to murmur and a fine
+rain fell. A youth clad in a purple gown and wearing a lofty hat
+entered. A sword hung at his side. His appearance was manly and
+heroic. Behind him walked a girl radiantly beautiful, wearing a robe
+of misty fragrance. And when Liu I looked at her, lo, it was the
+dragon-princess whom he had met on his way! A throng of maidens in
+rosy garments received her, laughing and giggling, and led her into
+the interior of the palace. The king, however, presented Liu I to the
+youth and said: "This is Tsian Tang, my brother!"
+
+Tsian Tang thanked him for having brought the message. Then he turned
+to his brother and said: "I have fought against the accursed dragons
+and have utterly defeated them!"
+
+"How many did you slay?"
+
+"Six hundred thousand."
+
+"Were any fields damaged?"
+
+"The fields were damaged for eight hundred miles around."
+
+"And where is the heartless husband?"
+
+"I ate him alive!"
+
+  [Illustration: "TSIAN TANG BROUGHT OUT A PLATTER OF RED AMBER ON
+    WHICH LAY A CARBUNCLE."
+                                                  --_Page 157_]
+
+Then the king was alarmed and said: "What the fickle boy did was not
+to be endured, it is true. But still you were a little too rough
+with him; in future you must not do anything of the sort again." And
+Tsian Tang promised not to.
+
+That evening Liu I was feasted at the castle. Music and dancing lent
+charm to the banquet. A thousand warriors with banners and spears in
+their hands stood at attention. Trombones and trumpets resounded, and
+drums and kettledrums thundered and rattled as the warriors danced a
+war-dance. The music expressed how Tsian Tang had broken through the
+ranks of the enemy, and the hair of the guest who listened to it rose
+on his head in terror. Then, again, there was heard the music of
+strings, flutes and little golden bells. A thousand maidens in
+crimson and green silk danced around. The return of the princess was
+also told in tones. The music sounded like a song of sadness and
+plaining, and all who heard it were moved to tears. The King of the
+Sea of Dungting was filled with joy. He raised his goblet and drank
+to the health of his guest, and all sorrow departed from them. Both
+rulers thanked Liu I in verses, and Liu I answered them in a rimed
+toast. The crowd of courtiers in the palace-hall applauded. Then the
+King of the Sea of Dungting drew forth a blue cloud-casket in which
+was the horn of a rhinoceros, which divides the water. Tsian Tang
+brought out a platter of red amber on which lay a carbuncle. These
+they presented to their guest, and the other inmates of the palace
+also heaped up embroideries, brocades and pearls by his side.
+Surrounded by shimmer and light Liu I sat there, smiling, and bowed
+his thanks to all sides. When the banquet was ended he slept in the
+Palace of Frozen Radiance.
+
+On the following day another banquet was held. Tsian Tang, who was not
+quite himself, sat carelessly on his seat and said: "The Princess of
+the Dungting Sea is handsome and delicately fashioned. She has had
+the misfortune to be disowned by her husband, and to-day her marriage
+is annulled. I should like to find another husband for her. If you
+were agreeable it would be to your advantage. But if you were not
+willing to marry her, you may go your way, and should we ever meet
+again we will not know each other."
+
+Liu I was angered by the careless way in which Tsian Tang spoke to
+him. The blood rose to his head and he replied: "I served as a
+messenger, because I felt sorry for the princess, but not in order to
+gain an advantage for myself. To kill a husband and carry off a wife
+is something an honest man does not do. And since I am only an
+ordinary man, I prefer to die rather than do as you say."
+
+Tsian Tang rose, apologized and said: "My words were over-hasty. I
+hope you will not take them ill!" And the King of the Dungting Sea
+also spoke kindly to him, and censured Tsian Tang because of his rude
+speech. So there was no more said about marriage.
+
+On the following day Liu I took his leave, and the Queen of the
+Dungting Sea gave a farewell banquet in his honor.
+
+With tears the queen said to Liu I: "My daughter owes you a great debt
+of gratitude, and we have not had an opportunity to make it up to you.
+Now you are going away and we see you go with heavy hearts!"
+
+Then she ordered the princess to thank Liu I.
+
+The princess stood there, blushing, bowed to him and said: "We will
+probably never see each other again!" Then tears choked her voice.
+
+It is true that Liu I had resisted the stormy urging of her uncle, but
+when he saw the princess standing before him in all the charm of her
+loveliness, he felt sad at heart; yet he controlled himself and went
+his way. The treasures which he took with him were incalculable. The
+king and his brother themselves escorted him as far as the river.
+
+When, on his return home, he sold no more than a hundredth part of
+what he had received, his fortune already ran into the millions, and
+he was wealthier than all his neighbors. He decided to take a wife,
+and heard of a widow who lived in the North with her daughter. Her
+father had become a Taoist in his later years and had vanished in the
+clouds without ever returning. The mother lived in poverty with the
+daughter; yet since the girl was beautiful beyond measure she was
+seeking a distinguished husband for her.
+
+Liu I was content to take her, and the day of the wedding was set. And
+when he saw his bride unveiled on the evening of her wedding day, she
+looked just like the dragon-princess. He asked her about it, but she
+merely smiled and said nothing.
+
+After a time heaven sent them a son. Then she told her husband:
+"To-day I will confess to you that I am truly the Princess of Dungting
+Sea. When you had rejected my uncle's proposal and gone away, I fell
+ill of longing, and was near death. My parents wanted to send for you,
+but they feared you might take exception to my family. And so it was
+that I married you disguised as a human maiden. I had not ventured to
+tell you until now, but since heaven has sent us a son, I hope that
+you will love his mother as well."
+
+Then Liu I awoke as though from a deep sleep, and from that time on
+both were very fond of each other.
+
+One day his wife said: "If you wish to stay with me eternally, then we
+cannot continue to dwell in the world of men. We dragons live ten
+thousand years, and you shall share our longevity. Come back with me
+to the Sea of Dungting!"
+
+Ten years passed and no one knew where Liu I, who had disappeared,
+might be. Then, by accident, a relative went sailing across the Sea of
+Dungting. Suddenly a blue mountain rose up out of the water.
+
+The seamen cried in alarm: "There is no mountain on this spot! It must
+be a water-demon!"
+
+While they were still pointing to it and talking, the mountain drew
+near the ship, and a gaily-colored boat slid from its summit into the
+water. A man sat in the middle, and fairies stood at either side of
+him. The man was Liu I. He beckoned to his cousin, and the latter drew
+up his garments and stepped into the boat with him. But when he had
+entered the boat it turned into a mountain. On the mountain stood a
+splendid castle, and in the castle stood Liu I, surrounded with
+radiance, and with the music of stringed instruments floating about
+him.
+
+They greeted each other, and Liu I said to his cousin: "We have been
+parted no more than a moment, and your hair is already gray!"
+
+His cousin answered: "You are a god and blessed: I have only a mortal
+body. Thus fate has decreed."
+
+Then Liu I gave him fifty pills and said: "Each pill will extend your
+life for the space of a year. When you have lived the tale of these
+years, come to me and dwell no longer in the earthly world of dust,
+where there is nothing but toil and trouble."
+
+Then he took him back across the sea and disappeared.
+
+His cousin, however, retired from the world, and fifty years later,
+and when he had taken all the pills, he disappeared and was never seen
+again.
+
+    Note: The outcast princess is represented as "herding
+    sheep." In Chinese the word sheep is often used as an
+    image for clouds. (Sheep and goats are designated by the
+    same word in Chinese.) Tsian Tang is the name of a
+    place used for the name of the god of that place. The
+    deluge is the flood which the great Yu regulated as
+    minister of the Emperor Yau. It is here represented in
+    an exaggerated sense, as a deluge.
+
+
+
+
+XLVIII
+
+FOX-FIRE
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a strong young farmer who came home late
+one evening from market. His way led him past the gardens of a wealthy
+gentleman, in which stood a number of tall buildings. Suddenly he saw
+something shining floating in the air inside the gardens, something
+which glowed like a ball of crystal. He was astonished, and climbed
+the wall around the gardens, but there was not a human being in sight;
+all he saw was, at a distance, something which appeared to be a dog,
+looking up at the moon. And whenever it blew its breath out a ball of
+fire came out of its mouth, and rose to the moon. And whenever it drew
+its breath in the ball sank down again, and it caught it in its jaws.
+And so it went on without a stop. Then the farmer realized that it was
+a fox, who was preparing the elixir of life. He hid in the grass and
+waited until the ball of fire came down again, at about the height of
+his own head. Then he stepped hastily from his hiding-place, took it
+away and at once swallowed it. And he could feel it glow as it passed
+down his throat into his stomach. When the fox saw what had happened
+he grew angry. He looked furiously at the farmer, but feared his
+strength. For this reason he did not dare attack him, but went angrily
+on his way.
+
+From that time on the farmer-boy could make himself invisible, was
+able to see ghosts and devils, and had intercourse with the
+spirit-world. In cases of sickness, when people lay unconscious, he
+could call back their souls, and if some one had committed a sin he
+could plead for them. He earned much money owing to these gifts.
+
+When he reached his fiftieth year, he withdrew from all things and
+would no longer exercise his arts. One summer evening he was sitting
+in his courtyard, enjoying the cool air. While there he drank a number
+of goblets of wine, and by midnight had fallen fast asleep. Suddenly
+he awoke, feeling ill. It seemed as though some one were patting him
+on the back, and before he knew it, the ball of fire had leaped out
+from his throat. At once a hand reached for it and a voice said: "For
+thirty long years you kept my treasure from me, and from a poor
+farmer-lad you have grown to be a wealthy man. Now you have enough,
+and I would like to have my fire-ball back again!"
+
+Then the man knew what had happened, but the fox was gone.
+
+    Note: The thought underlying the story is the belief
+    that the fox prepares the elixir of life out of his own
+    breath, which he allows to rise to the moon. If a thief
+    can rob him of the elixir he gains supernatural powers.
+
+
+
+
+GHOST STORIES
+
+
+
+
+XLIX
+
+THE TALKING SILVER FOXES
+
+
+The silver foxes resemble other foxes, but are yellow, fire-red or
+white in color. They know how to influence human beings, too. There is
+a kind of silver fox which can learn to speak like a man in a year's
+time. These foxes are called "Talking Foxes."
+
+South-west of the bay of Kaiutschou there is a mountain by the edge of
+the sea, shaped like a tower, and hence known as Tower Mountain. On
+the mountain there is an old temple with the image of a goddess, who
+is known as the Old Mother of Tower Mountain. When children fall ill
+in the surrounding villages, the magicians often give orders that
+paper figures of them be burned at her altar, or little lime images of
+them be placed around it. And for this reason the altar and its
+surroundings are covered with hundreds of figures of children made in
+lime. Paper flowers, shoes and clothing are also brought to the Old
+Mother, and lie in a confusion of colors. The pilgrimage festivals
+take place on the third day of the third month, and the ninth day of
+the ninth month, and then there are theatrical performances, and the
+holy writings are read. And there is also an annual fair. The girls
+and women of the neighborhood burn incense and pray to the goddess.
+Parents who have no children go there and pick out one of the little
+children made of lime, and tie a red thread around its neck, or even
+secretly break off a small bit of its body, dissolve it in water and
+drink it. Then they pray quietly that a child may be sent them.
+
+Behind the temple is a great cave where, in former times, some talking
+foxes used to live. They would even come out and seat themselves on
+the point of a steep rock by the wayside. When a wanderer came by they
+would begin to talk to him in this fashion: "Wait a bit, neighbor;
+first smoke a pipe!" The traveler would look around in astonishment,
+to see where the voice came from, and would become very much
+frightened. If he did not happen to be exceptionally brave, he would
+begin to perspire with terror, and run away. Then the fox would laugh:
+"Hi hi!"
+
+Once a farmer was plowing on the side of the mountain. When he looked
+up he saw a man with a straw hat, wearing a mantle of woven grass and
+carrying a pick across his shoulder coming along the way.
+
+"Neighbor Wang," said he, "first smoke a pipeful and take a little
+rest! Then I will help you plow."
+
+Then he called out "Hu!" the way farmers do when they talk to their
+cattle.
+
+The farmer looked at him more closely and saw then that he was a
+talking fox. He waited for a favorable opportunity, and when it came
+gave him a lusty blow with his ox-whip. He struck home, for the fox
+screamed, leaped into the air and ran away. His straw hat, his mantle
+of woven grass and the rest he left lying on the ground. Then the
+farmer saw that the straw hat was just woven out of potato-leaves; he
+had cut it in two with his whip. The mantle was made of oak-leaves,
+tied together with little blades of grass. And the pick was only the
+stem of a kau-ling plant, to which a bit of brick had been fastened.
+
+Not long after, a woman in a neighboring village became possessed. A
+picture of the head priest of the Taoists was hung up in her room,
+but the evil spirit did not depart. Since there were none who could
+exorcise devils in the neighborhood, and the trouble she gave was
+unendurable, the woman's relatives decided to send to the temple of
+the God of War and beg for aid.
+
+But when the fox heard of it he said: "I am not afraid of your Taoist
+high-priest nor of your God of War; the only person I fear is your
+neighbor Wang in the Eastern village, who once struck me cruelly with
+his whip."
+
+This suited the people to a T. They sent to the Eastern village, and
+found out who Wang was. And Wang took his ox-whip and entered the
+house of the possessed woman.
+
+Then he said in a deep voice: "Where are you? Where are you? I have
+been on your trail for a long time. And now, at last, I have caught
+you!"
+
+With that he snapped his whip.
+
+The fox hissed and spat and flew out of the window.
+
+They had been telling stories about the talking fox of Tower Mountain
+for more than a hundred years when one fine day, a skilful archer came
+to that part of the country who saw a creature like a fox, with a
+fiery-red pelt, whose back was striped with gray. It was lying under a
+tree. The archer aimed and shot off its hind foot.
+
+At once it said in a human voice: "I brought myself into this danger
+because of my love for sleep; but none may escape their fate! If you
+capture me you will get at the most no more than five thousand pieces
+of copper for my pelt. Why not let me go instead? I will reward you
+richly, so that all your poverty will come to an end."
+
+But the archer would not listen to him. He killed him, skinned him
+and sold his pelt; and, sure enough, he received five thousand pieces
+of copper for it.
+
+From that time on the fox-spirit ceased to show itself.
+
+    Note: The silver fox is known in Chinese as "Pi," the
+    same word also being used for "panthers," since this
+    legendary beast partakes of the nature of both animals.
+    "The Old Mother" is really the mother-goddess of the
+    Taischan. But in other localities she is chiefly honored
+    as a child-giving goddess. "A picture of the head priest
+    of the Taoists": Talismans painted by the head priest of
+    the Taoists or the Taoist pope, the so-called "Master of
+    the Heavens," (Tian Schi) have special virtues against
+    all kinds of sorcery and enchantment. The war god Guan
+    Di also is appealed to as a savior in all sorts of
+    emergencies.
+
+
+
+
+L
+
+THE CONSTABLE
+
+
+In a city in the neighborhood of Kaiutschou there once lived a
+constable by the name of Dung. One day when he returned from a hunt
+after thieves the twilight had already begun to fall. So before he
+waded through the stream that flowed through the city he sat down on
+the bank, lit a pipe and took off his shoes. When he looked up, he
+suddenly saw a man in a red hat dressed as a constable crouching
+beside him.
+
+Astonished, he inquired: "Who are you? Your clothes indicate that you
+are a member of our profession, but I have never yet seen you among
+the men of our local force. Tell me, pray, whence you come?"
+
+The other answered: "I am weary, having come a long journey, and would
+like to enjoy a pipeful of tobacco in your company. I am sure you will
+not object to that."
+
+Dung handed him a pipe and tobacco.
+
+But the other constable said: "I do not need them. Just you keep on
+smoking. It is enough for me to enjoy the odor."
+
+So they chatted awhile together, and together waded through the
+stream. And gradually they became quite confidential and the stranger
+said: "I will be quite frank with you. I am the head constable of the
+Nether World, and am subject to the Lord of the Great Mountain. You
+yourself are a constable of reputation here in the upper world. And,
+because of my skill, I have standing in the world below. Since we are
+so well suited to each other, I should like to enter into a bond of
+brotherhood with you."
+
+Dung was agreeable and asked: "But what really brings you here?"
+
+Said the other: "In your district there lives a certain Wang, who was
+formerly superintendent of the granaries, and at that time caused the
+death of an officer. This man has now accused him in the Nether World.
+The King of the Nether World cannot come to a decision in the case,
+and therefore has asked the Lord of the Great Mountain to settle it.
+The Lord of the Great Mountain has ordered that Wang's property and
+life be shortened. First his property is to be sequestered here in the
+upper world, and then his soul is to be dragged to the nether one. I
+have been sent out by the Judge of the Dead to fetch him. Yet the
+established custom is, when some one is sent for, that the constable
+has first to report to the god of the city. The god of the city then
+issues a summons, and sends one of his own spirit constables to seize
+the soul and deliver it over to me. Only then may I take it away with
+me."
+
+Dung asked him further particulars; but the other merely said: "Later
+on you will see it all for yourself."
+
+When they reached the city Dung invited his colleague to stay at his
+home, and entertained him with wine and food. But the other only
+talked and touched neither the goblet nor the chop-sticks.
+
+Said Dung: "In my haste I could not find any better meal for you. I am
+afraid it is not good enough."
+
+But his guest replied: "Oh no, I am already surfeited and satisfied! We
+spirits feed only on odors; in which respect we differ from men."
+
+It was late at night before he set out to visit the temple of the city
+god.
+
+No sooner did morning dawn than he reappeared to take farewell and
+said: "Now all is in order: I am off! In two years' time you will go
+to Taianfu, the city near the Great Mountain, and there we will meet
+again."
+
+Dung began to feel ill at ease. A few days later, in fact, came the
+news that Wang had died. The district mandarin journeyed to the dead
+man's natal village in order to express his sympathy. Among his
+followers was Dung. The inn-keeper there was a tenant of Wang's.
+
+Dung asked him: "Did anything out of the ordinary happen when Sir Wang
+died?"
+
+"It was all very strange," answered the inn-keeper, "and my mother who
+had been very busy in his house, came home and fell into a violent
+fever. She was unconscious for a day and a night, and could hardly
+breathe. She came to on the very day when the news of Sir Wang's death
+was made public, and said: 'I have been to the Nether World and I met
+him there. He had chains about his neck and several devils were
+dragging him along. I asked him what he had done, but he said: "I have
+no time to tell you now. When you return ask my wife and she will tell
+you all!"' And yesterday my mother went there and asked her. And
+Wang's wife told her with tears: 'My master was an official, but for a
+long time he did not make any head-way. He was superintendent of the
+granaries in Nanking, and in the same city was a high officer, with
+whom my master became very intimate. He always came to visit at our
+house and he and my master would talk and drink together. One day my
+master said to him: "We administrative mandarins have a large salary
+and a good income besides. You are an officer, and have even reached
+the second step in rank, yet your salary is so small that you cannot
+possibly make it do. Have you any other income aside from it?" The
+officer replied: "We are such good friends that I know I can speak
+openly to you. We officers are compelled to find some additional
+sources of revenue in order that our pockets may not be altogether
+empty. When we pay our men we make a small percentage of gains on the
+exchange; and we also carry more soldiers on our rosters than there
+actually are present. If we had to live on our salaries we would die
+of hunger!"
+
+"'When my husband heard him say this he could not rid himself of the
+idea that by disclosing these criminal proceedings the State would be
+indebted to him, and that it would surely aid his plans for
+advancement. On the other hand, he reflected that it would not be
+right to abuse his friend's confidence. With these ideas in his mind
+he retired to his inner rooms. In the courtyard stood a round
+pavilion. Lost in heavy thought, he crossed his hands behind his back,
+and for a long time walked round and round the pavilion. Finally he
+said with a sigh: "Charity begins at home; I will sacrifice my
+friend!" Then he drew up his report, in which the officer was
+indicted. An imperial order was issued, the matter was investigated,
+and the officer was condemned to death. My husband, however, was at
+once increased in rank, and from that time on advanced rapidly. And
+with the exception of myself no one ever knew anything of the matter.'
+When my mother told them of her encounter with Wang in the Nether
+World, the whole family burst into loud weeping. Four tents full of
+Buddhist and Taoist priests were sent for, who fasted and read masses
+for thirty-five days in order that Wang might be delivered. Whole
+mountains of paper money, silk and straw figures were burned, and the
+ceremonies have not as yet come to an end."
+
+When Dung heard this he was very much frightened.
+
+Two years later he received an order to journey to Taianfu in order to
+arrest some robbers there. He thought to himself: "My friend, the
+spirit, must be very powerful indeed, to have known about this trip so
+far in advance. I must inquire for him. Perhaps I will see him again."
+
+When he reached Taianfu he sought out an inn.
+
+The inn-keeper received him with the words: "Are you Master Dung, and
+have you come from the bay of Kaiutschou?"
+
+"I am the man," answered Dung, alarmed, "how do you happen to know
+me?"
+
+The inn-keeper replied: "The constable of the temple of the Great
+Mountain appeared to me last night and said: 'To-morrow a man by the
+name of Dung who is a good friend of mine is coming from the bay of
+Kaiutschou!' And then he described your appearance and your clothes to
+me exactly, and told me to make careful note of them, and when you
+came to treat you with the greatest consideration, and to take no pay
+from you, since he would repay me lavishly. So when I saw you coming
+everything was exactly as my dreams had foretold, and I knew you at
+once. I have already prepared a quiet room for you, and beg that you
+will condescend to make yourself at ease."
+
+Joyfully Dung followed him, and the inn-keeper waited on him with the
+greatest consideration, and saw that he had great plenty to eat and to
+drink.
+
+At midnight the spirit arrived. Without having opened the door, he
+stood by Dung's bedside, gave him his hand, and asked how things had
+gone with him since he had last seen him.
+
+Dung answered all his questions and thanked him into the bargain for
+appearing to the inn-keeper in a dream.
+
+He continued to live for some days at the inn. During the day he went
+walking on the Great Mountain and at night his friend came to visit
+him and talked with him, and at the same time asked him what had
+happened to Sir Wang.
+
+"His sentence has already been spoken," answered the other. "This man
+pretended to be conscientious, and traitorously brought about the
+death of his friend. Of all sins there is no greater sin than this. As
+a punishment he will be sent forth again into the world as an animal."
+Then he added: "When you reach home you must take constant care of
+your health. Fate has allowed you seventy-eight years of mortal life.
+When your time is up I will come to fetch you myself. Then I will see
+that you obtain a place as constable in the Nether World, where we can
+always be together."
+
+When he had said this, he disappeared.
+
+    Note: "The Constable" is a tale of modern origin. The
+    Lord of the Great Mountain (Taischan) is even greater
+    than Yan Wang, the God of Death. His Temple of the
+    Easterly Holy Mountain (Dung Yuo Miau), is to be found
+    in every district capital. These temples play an
+    important part in the care of the dead before interment.
+
+
+
+
+LI
+
+THE DANGEROUS REWARD
+
+
+Once upon a time a man named Hu-Wu-Bau, who lived near the Great
+Mountain, went walking there one day. And there, under a tree, he met
+a messenger in a red robe who called out to him: "The Lord of the
+Great Mountain would like to see you!" The man was much frightened,
+but dared offer no objection. The messenger bade him shut his eyes,
+and when he was allowed to open them again after a short time, he
+found himself standing before a lofty palace. He entered it to see the
+god. The latter had a meal prepared for him and said: "I only sent for
+you to-day because I had heard you intended traveling to the West. And
+in that case I should like to give you a letter to take to my
+daughter."
+
+"But where is your daughter?" asked the man.
+
+"She is married to the river-god," was the reply. "All you need to do
+is to take along the letter lying there. When you reach the middle of
+the Yellow River, beat against the side of the ship and call out:
+'Greencoat!' Then some one will appear and take the letter from you."
+
+And with these words he handed Hu-Wu-Bau the letter, and he was taken
+back again to the upper world.
+
+When he came to the Yellow River on his journey, he did what the Lord
+of the Great Mountain had told him, and cried: "Greencoat!" And sure
+enough, a girl in green garments rose from the water, took him by the
+hand and told him to close his eyes. Then she led him into the palace
+of the river-god and he delivered the letter. The river-god
+entertained him splendidly, and thanked him as best he knew how. At
+parting he said: "I am grateful that you have made this long journey
+to see me. I have nothing to give you, however, save this pair of
+green silk shoes. While you are wearing them you can keep on walking
+as long as you like and never grow weary. And they will give you the
+second sight, so that you will be able to see the spirits and gods."
+
+The man thanked him for the gift and returned to his ship. He
+continued on his journey to the West, and after a year had passed,
+came back again. When he reached the Great Mountain, he thought it
+would be fit and proper to report to the god. So he once more knocked
+against the tree and gave his name. In a moment the red-clad messenger
+appeared and led him to the Lord of the Mountain. So he reported that
+he had delivered the letter to the river-god, and how all things were
+there, and the Lord of the Mountain thanked him. During the meal which
+the god had prepared for him, he withdrew for a few moments to a quiet
+spot. Suddenly he saw his deceased father, bound and loaded with
+chains, who together with several hundred other criminals, was doing
+menial labor.
+
+Moved to tears, he asked: "O my father, why are you here?"
+
+His father replied: "During my life on earth I happened to tread on
+bread, hence I was condemned to hard labor at this spot. I have passed
+two years in this manner, yet their bitterness has been unspeakable.
+Since you are acquainted with the Lord of the Mountain, you might
+plead for me, and beg him to excuse me from this task and make me the
+field-god in our village."
+
+His son promised to do so, and went back and pleaded with the Lord of
+the Mountain as he had agreed. The latter seemed inclined to listen to
+his prayer, yet said warningly: "The quick and the dead tread
+different paths. It is not well for the dead and the living to abide
+near one another permanently."
+
+The man returned home. Yet, in about a year's time nearly all his
+children had died. In the terror of his heart he turned to the Lord of
+the Great Mountain. He beat on the tree; the red-coat came and led him
+into the palace. There he told of his misfortune and begged the god to
+protect him. The Lord of the Mountain smiled: "Did I not tell you in
+the start that the quick and the dead tread different paths, and that
+it is not well if they abide near each other permanently? Now you see
+what has happened!" Yet he sent his messenger to fetch the man's
+father. The father came and the god spake to him as follows: "I
+forgave you your offense and sent you back to your home as a
+field-god. It was your duty to bring happiness to your family.
+Instead, nearly all of your grand-children have died off. Why is
+this?"
+
+And the father said: "I had been away from home so long that I was
+overjoyed to return. Besides I had meat and drink in overflowing
+measure. So I thought of my little grand-children and called them to
+me."
+
+Then the Lord of the Great Mountain appointed another field-god for
+that village, and also gave the father another place. And from that
+time no further misfortune happened to the family of Hu-Wu-Bau.
+
+    Note: The Lord of the Great Mountain was originally
+    Huang Fe-Hu, a faithful servant of the tyrant
+    Dschou-Sin. Because of an insult offered him, he joined
+    King Wu, and when the latter overcame the tyrant, was
+    made Lord of the Mountain, and overlord of the ten
+    princes of the nether world.
+
+
+
+
+LII
+
+RETRIBUTION
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a boy named Ma, whose father taught him
+himself, at home. The window of the upper story looked out on the rear
+upon a terrace belonging to old Wang, who had a garden of
+chrysanthemums there. One day Ma rose early, and stood leaning against
+the window, watching the day dawn. And out came old Wang from his
+terrace and watered his chrysanthemums. When he had just finished and
+was going in again, along came a water-carrier, bearing two pails on
+his shoulders, who seemed to want to help him. But the old man grew
+annoyed and motioned him off. Yet the water-carrier insisted on
+mounting the terrace. So they pulled each other about on the
+terrace-edge. It had been raining, the terrace was slippery, its
+border high and narrow, and when the old man thrust back the
+water-carrier with his hand, the latter lost his balance, slipped and
+tumbled down the slope. Then the old man hastened down to pick him up;
+but the two pails had fallen on his chest and he lay there with feet
+outstretched. The old man was extremely frightened. Without uttering a
+sound, he took hold of the water-carrier's feet, and dragged him
+through the back door to the bank of the stream which flowed by the
+garden. Then he fetched the pails and set them down beside the corpse.
+After that he went home, locked the door and went to bed again.
+
+Little Ma, in spite of his youth, thought it would be better to say
+nothing about an affair of this kind, in which a human life was
+involved. He shut the window and withdrew. The sun rose higher, and
+soon he heard a clamor without: "A dead man is lying on the
+river-bank!" The constable gave notice, and in the afternoon the judge
+came up to the beating of gongs, and the inspector of the dead knelt
+down and uncovered the corpse; yet the body showed no wound. So it was
+said: "He slipped and fell to his death!" The judge questioned the
+neighbors, but the neighbors all insisted that they knew nothing of
+the matter. Thereupon the judge had the body placed in a coffin,
+sealed it with his seal, and ordered that the relatives of the
+deceased be found. And then he went his way.
+
+Nine years passed by, and young Ma had reached the age of twenty-one
+and become a baccalaureate. His father had died, and the family was
+poor. So it came about that in the same room in which he had formerly
+studied his lessons, he now gathered a few pupils about him, to
+instruct them.
+
+The time for examinations drew near. Ma had risen early, in order to
+work. He opened the window and there, in the distant alley, he saw a
+man with two pails gradually drawing nearer. When he looked more
+closely, it was the water-carrier. Greatly frightened, he thought that
+he had returned to repay old Wang. Yet he passed the old man's door
+without entering it. Then he went a few steps further to the house of
+the Lis; and there went in. The Lis were wealthy people, and since
+they were near neighbors the Mas and they were on a visiting footing.
+The matter seemed very questionable to Ma, and he got up and followed
+the water-carrier.
+
+At the door of Li's house he met an old servant who was just coming
+out and who said: "Heaven is about to send a child to our mistress! I
+must go buy incense to burn to the gods in order to show our
+gratitude!"
+
+Ma asked: "Did not a man with two pails of water on his shoulder just
+go in?"
+
+The servant said there had not, but before he had finished speaking a
+maid came from the house and said: "You need not go to buy incense,
+for I have found some. And, through the favor of heaven, the child has
+already come to us." Then Ma began to realize that the water-carrier
+had returned to be born again into the life of earth, and not to exact
+retribution. He wondered, though, for what merit of his the former
+water-carrier happened to be re-born into so wealthy a family. So he
+kept the matter in mind, and from time to time inquired as to the
+child's well-being.
+
+Seven more years went by, and the boy gradually grew up. He did not
+show much taste for learning, but he loved to keep birds. Old Wang was
+still strong and healthy. And though he was by this time more than
+eighty years old, his love for his chrysanthemums had only increased
+with age.
+
+One day Ma once more rose early, and stood leaning against his window.
+And he saw old Wang come out upon his terrace and begin to water his
+chrysanthemums. Little Li sat in the upper story of his house flying
+his pigeons. Suddenly some of the pigeons flew down on the railing of
+the flower-garden. The boy was afraid they might fly off and called
+them, but the pigeons did not move. The boy did not know what to do:
+he picked up stones and threw them at the birds. By mistake one of
+them struck old Wang. The old man started, slipped, and fell down over
+the terrace. Time passed and he did not rise. He lay there with his
+feet outstretched. The boy was very much frightened. Without uttering
+a sound he softly closed his window and went away. The sun gradually
+rose higher, and the old man's sons and grandsons all came out to look
+for him. They found him and said: "He slipped and fell to his death!"
+And they buried him as was the custom.
+
+    Note: This little tale, from the "Sin Tsi Hia," is a
+    literary masterpiece because of the exactness with which
+    the punishment follows upon the act, long after the
+    latter has been forgiven, and all chance of mishap
+    seemed to have passed.
+
+
+
+
+LIII
+
+THE GHOST WHO WAS FOILED
+
+
+There are ghosts of many kinds, but the ghosts of those who have hung
+themselves are the worst. Such ghosts are always coaxing other living
+people to hang themselves from the beams of the roof. If they succeed
+in persuading some one to hang himself, then the road to the Nether
+World is open to them, and they can once more enter into the wheel of
+transformation. The following story of such a ghost is told by persons
+worthy of belief.
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man in Tsing Tschoufu who had passed
+his military examination, and had been ordered to Tsinanfu to report
+for duty. It was at the season of rains. So it happened that evening
+came on before he could reach the town-inn where he had expected to
+pass the night. Just as the sun was setting he reached a small village
+and asked for a night's lodging. But there were only poor families in
+the village who had no room for him in their huts. So they directed
+him to an old temple which stood outside the village, and said he
+could spend the night there.
+
+The images of the gods in the temple were all decayed, so that one
+could not distinguish one from the other. Thick spider-webs covered
+the entrance, and the dust lay inches high everywhere. So the soldier
+went out into the open, where he found an old flight of steps. He
+spread out his knapsack on a stone step, tied his horse to an old
+tree, took his flask from his pocket and drank--for it had been a hot
+day. There had been a heavy rain, but it had just cleared again. The
+new moon was on the decline. The soldier closed his eyes and tried to
+sleep.
+
+Suddenly he heard a rustling sound in the temple, and a cool wind
+passed over his face and made him shudder. And he saw a woman come out
+of the temple, dressed in an old dirty red gown, and with a face as
+white as a chalk wall. She stole past quietly as though she were
+afraid of being seen. The soldier knew no fear. So he pretended to be
+asleep and did not move, but watched her with half-shut eyes. And he
+saw her draw a rope from her sleeve and disappear. Then he knew that
+she was the ghost of one who had hung herself. He got up softly and
+followed her, and, sure enough, she went into the village.
+
+When she came to a certain house she slipped into the court through a
+crack in the door. The soldier leaped over the wall after her. It was
+a house with three rooms. In the rear room a lamp was burning dimly.
+The soldier looked through the window into the room, and there was a
+young woman of about twenty sitting on the bed, sighing deeply, and
+her kerchief was wet through with tears. Beside her lay a little
+child, asleep. The woman looked up toward the beam of the ceiling. One
+moment she would weep and the next she would stroke the child. When
+the soldier looked more closely, there was the ghost sitting up on the
+beam. She had passed the rope around her neck and was hanging herself
+in dumb show. And whenever she beckoned with her hand the woman looked
+up toward her. This went on for some time.
+
+Finally the woman said: "You say it would be best for me to die. Very
+well, then, I will die; but I cannot part from my child!"
+
+And once more she burst into tears. But the ghost merely laughed and
+coaxed her again.
+
+So the woman said determinedly: "It is enough. I will die!"
+
+With these words she opened her chest of clothes, put on new garments,
+and painted her face before the mirror. Then she drew up a bench and
+climbed up on it. She undid her girdle and knotted it to the beam. She
+had already stretched forth her neck and was about to leap from the
+bench, when the child suddenly awoke and began to cry. The woman
+climbed down again and soothed and quieted her child, and while she
+was petting it she wept, so that the tears fell from her eyes like a
+string of pearls. The ghost frowned and hissed, for it feared to lose
+its prey. In a short time the child had fallen asleep again, and the
+woman once more began to look aloft. Then she rose, again climbed on
+the bench, and was about to lay the noose about her neck when the
+soldier began to call out loudly and drum on the window-pane. Then he
+broke it and climbed into the room. The woman fell to the ground and
+the ghost disappeared. The soldier recalled the woman to
+consciousness, and then he saw something hanging down from the beam,
+like a cord without an end. Knowing that it belonged to the ghost of
+the hanged woman he took and kept it.
+
+Then he said to the woman: "Take good care of your child! You have
+but one life to lose in this world!"
+
+And with that he went out.
+
+Then it occurred to him that his horse and his baggage were still in
+the temple. And he went there to get them. When he came out of the
+village there was the ghost, waiting for him in the road.
+
+The ghost bowed and said: "I have been looking for a substitute for
+many years, and to-day, when it seemed as though I should really get
+one, you came along and spoiled my chances. So there is nothing more
+for me to do. Yet there is something which I left behind me in my
+hurry. You surely must have found it, and I will ask you to return it
+to me. If I only have this one thing, my not having found a substitute
+will not worry me."
+
+Then the soldier showed her the rope and said with a laugh: "Is this
+the thing you mean? Why, if I were to give it back to you then some
+one is sure to hang themselves. And that I could not allow."
+
+With these words he wound the rope around his arm, drove her off and
+said: "Now be off with you!"
+
+But then the ghost grew angry. Her face turned greenish-black, her
+hair fell in wild disorder down her neck, her eyes grew bloodshot, and
+her tongue hung far out of her mouth. She stretched forth both hands
+and tried to seize the soldier, but he struck out at her with his
+clenched fist. By mistake he hit himself in the nose and it began to
+bleed. Then he sprinkled a few drops of blood in her direction and,
+since the ghosts cannot endure human blood, she ceased her attack,
+moved off a few paces and began to abuse him. This she did for some
+time, until the cock in the village began to crow. Then the ghost
+disappeared.
+
+In the meantime the farmer-folk of the village had come to thank the
+soldier. It seems that after he had left the woman her husband had
+come home, and asked his wife what had happened. And then for the
+first time he had learned what had occurred. So they all set out
+together along the road in order to look for the soldier outside the
+village. When they found him he was still beating the air with his
+fists and talking wildly. So they called out to him and he told them
+what had taken place. The rope could still be seen on his bare arm;
+yet it had grown fast to it, and surrounded it in the shape of a red
+ring of flesh.
+
+The day was just dawning, so the soldier swung himself into his saddle
+and rode away.
+
+    Note: This tale has been handed down traditionally, and
+    is given as told among the people.
+
+
+
+
+LIV
+
+THE PUNISHMENT OF GREED
+
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man south of the Yangtze-kiang. He had
+taken a position as a teacher in Sutschoufu, on the border of
+Shantung. But when he got there he found that the schoolhouse had not
+yet been completed. Yet a two-story building in the neighborhood had
+been rented, in which the teacher was to live and hold school in the
+meantime. This house stood outside the village, not far from the river
+bank. A broad plain, overgrown with tangled brush, stretched out from
+it on every side. The teacher was pleased with the view.
+
+Well, one evening he was standing in the door of his house watching
+the sun go down. The smoke that rose from the village chimneys
+gradually merged with the twilight shadows. All the noises of the day
+had died away. Suddenly, off in the distance, along the river bank, he
+beheld a fiery gleam. He hurried away at once in order to see what it
+might be. And there, on the bank, he found a wooden coffin, from which
+came the radiance he had noticed. Thought the teacher to himself: "The
+jewels with which they adorn the dead on their journey shine by night.
+Perhaps there are gems in the coffin!" And greed awoke in his heart,
+and he forgot that a coffin is a resting-place of the dead and should
+be respected. He took up a large stone, broke the cover of the coffin,
+and bent over to look more closely. And there in the coffin lay a
+youth. His face was as white as paper, he wore a mourning turban on
+his head, his body was wrapped in hempen garments, and he wore straw
+sandals on his feet. The teacher was greatly frightened and turned to
+go away. But the corpse had already raised itself to a sitting
+posture. Then the teacher's fear got the better of him, and he began
+to run. And the corpse climbed out of its coffin and ran after him.
+Fortunately the house was not far away. The teacher ran as fast as he
+could, flew up the steps and locked the door after him. Gradually he
+caught his breath again. Outside there was not a sound to be heard. So
+he thought that perhaps the corpse had not followed him all the way.
+He opened the window and peered down. The corpse was leaning against
+the wall of the house. Suddenly it saw that the window had been
+opened, and with one leap it bounded up and in through it. Overcome by
+terror, the teacher fell down the stairs of the house, and rolled
+unconscious to the bottom of the flight. And when he did so the
+corpse fell down on the floor of the room above.
+
+At the time the school children had all long since gone home. And the
+owner of the house lived in another dwelling, so that no one knew
+anything about what had happened. On the following morning the
+children came to school as usual. They found the door locked, and when
+they called no one answered. Then they broke down the door and found
+their teacher lying unconscious on the ground. They sprinkled him with
+ginger, but it took a long time before he woke from his coma. When
+they asked he told them all that had occurred. Then they all went
+upstairs and took away the corpse. It was taken outside the village
+limits and burned, and the bones which remained were once more laid in
+the coffin. But the teacher said, with a sigh: "Because of a moment's
+greed, I nearly lost my life!" He resigned his position, returned home
+and never, through all the days of his life, did he speak of gain
+again.
+
+    Note: The corpse wears a mourning turban and is dressed
+    in mourning. According to local tradition, young people
+    who die before their parents, are laid in their coffins
+    clad in mourning, so that even in death they may do
+    their duty and be able to mourn their parents when the
+    latter shall have died. The tale is taken from the Su
+    Tsi Hia.
+
+
+
+
+LV
+
+THE NIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELD
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a merchant, who was wandering toward
+Shantung with his wares, along the road from the South. At about the
+second watch of the night, a heavy storm blew up from the North. And
+he chanced to see an inn at one side of the road, whose lights were
+just being lit. He went in to get something to drink and order
+lodgings for the night, but the folk at the inn raised objections. Yet
+an old man among them took pity on his unhappy situation and said: "We
+have just prepared a meal for warriors who have come a long distance,
+and we have no wine left to serve you. But there is a little side room
+here which is still free, and there you may stay overnight." With
+these words he led him into it. But the merchant could not sleep
+because of his hunger and thirst. Outside he could hear the noise of
+men and horses. And since all these proceedings did not seem quite
+natural to him, he got up and looked through a crack in the door. And
+he saw that the whole inn was filled with soldiers, who were sitting
+on the ground, eating and drinking, and talking about campaigns of
+which he had never heard. After a time they began calling to each
+other: "The general is coming!" And far off in the distance could be
+heard the cries of his bodyguard. All the soldiers hurried out to
+receive him. Then the merchant saw a procession with many paper
+lanterns, and riding in their midst a man of martial appearance with a
+long beard. He dismounted, entered the inn, and took his place at the
+head of the board. The soldiers mounted guard at the door, awaiting
+his commands, and the inn-keeper served food and drink, to which the
+general did full justice.
+
+When he had finished his officers entered, and he said to them: "You
+have now been underway for some time. Go back to your men. I shall
+rest a little myself. It will be time enough to beat the assembly when
+the order to advance is given."
+
+The officers received his commands and withdrew. Then the general
+called out: "Send Asti in!" and a young officer entered from the left
+side of the house. The people of the inn locked the gates and withdrew
+for the night, while Asti conducted the long-haired general to a door
+at the left, through a crack of which shone the light of a lamp. The
+merchant stole from his room and looked through the crack in the door.
+Within the room was a bed of bamboo, without covers or pillows. The
+lamp stood on the ground. The long-bearded general took hold of his
+head. It came off and he placed it on the bed. Then Asti took hold of
+his arms. These also came off and were carefully placed beside the
+head. Then the old general threw himself down on the bed crosswise,
+and Asti took hold of his body, which came apart below the thighs, and
+the two legs fell to the ground. Then the lamp went out. Overcome by
+terror the merchant hurried back to his room as fast as he could,
+holding his sleeves before his eyes, and laid down on his bed, where
+he tossed about sleepless all night.
+
+At last he heard a cock crow in the distance. He was shivering. He
+took his sleeves from his face and saw that dawn was stealing along
+the sky. And when he looked about him, there he was lying in the
+middle of a thick clump of brush. Round about him was a wilderness,
+not a house, not even a grave was to be seen anywhere. In spite of
+being chilled, he ran about three miles till he came to the nearest
+inn. The inn-keeper opened the door and asked him with astonishment
+where he came from at that early hour. So the merchant told him his
+experiences and inquired as to the sort of place at which he had spent
+the night. The inn-keeper shook his head: "The whole neighborhood is
+covered with old battlefields," was his reply, "and all sorts of
+supernatural things take place on them after dark."
+
+    Note: This tale is taken from the Sin Tsi Hia.
+
+
+
+
+LVI
+
+THE KINGDOM OF THE OGRES
+
+
+In the land of Annam there once dwelt a man named Su, who sailed the
+seas as a merchant. Once his ship was suddenly driven on a distant
+shore by a great storm. It was a land of hills broken by ravines and
+green with luxuriant foliage, yet he could see something along the
+hills which looked like human dwellings. So he took some food with him
+and went ashore. No sooner had he entered the hills than he could see
+at either hand the entrances to caves, one close beside the other,
+like a row of beehives. So he stopped and looked into one of the
+openings. And in it sat two ogres, with teeth like spears and eyes
+like fiery lamps. They were just devouring a deer. The merchant was
+terrified by this sight and turned to flee; but the ogres had already
+noticed him and they caught him and dragged him into their cave. Then
+they talked to each other with animal sounds, and were about to tear
+his clothes from his body and devour him. But the merchant hurriedly
+took a bag of bread and dried meat out and offered it to them. They
+divided it, ate it up and it seemed to taste good to them. Then they
+once more went through the bag; but he gestured with his hand to show
+them that he had no more.
+
+Then he said: "Let me go! Aboard my ship I have frying-pans and
+cooking-pots, vinegar and spices. With these I could prepare your
+food."
+
+The ogres did not understand what he was saying, however, and were
+still ferocious. So he tried to make them understand in dumb show, and
+finally they seemed to get an idea of his meaning. So they went to the
+ship with him, and he brought his cooking gear to the cave, collected
+brush-wood, made a fire and cooked the remains of the deer. When it
+was done to a turn he gave them some of it to eat, and the two
+creatures devoured it with the greatest satisfaction. Then they left
+the cave and closed the opening with a great rock. In a short space of
+time they returned with another deer they had caught. The merchant
+skinned it, fetched fresh water, washed the meat and cooked several
+kettles full of it. Suddenly in came a whole herd of ogres, who
+devoured all he had cooked, and became quite animated over their
+eating. They all kept pointing to the kettle which seemed too small to
+them. When three or four days had passed, one of the ogres dragged in
+an enormous cooking-pot on his back, which was thenceforth used
+exclusively.
+
+Now the ogres crowded about the merchant, bringing him wolves and deer
+and antelopes, which he had to cook for them, and when the meat was
+done they would call him to eat it with them.
+
+Thus a few weeks passed and they gradually came to have such
+confidence in him that they let him run about freely. And the merchant
+listened to the sounds which they uttered, and learned to understand
+them. In fact, before very long he was able to speak the language of
+the ogres himself. This pleased the latter greatly, and they brought
+him a young ogre girl and made her his wife. She gave him valuables
+and fruit to win his confidence, and in course of time they grew much
+attached to each other.
+
+One day the ogres all rose very early, and each one of them hung a
+string of radiant pearls about his neck. They ordered the merchant to
+be sure and cook a great quantity of meat. The merchant asked his wife
+what it all meant.
+
+"This will be a day of high festival," answered she, "we have invited
+the great king to a banquet."
+
+But to the other ogres she said: "The merchant has no string of
+pearls!"
+
+Then each of the ogres gave him five pearls and his wife added ten, so
+that he had fifty pearls in all. These his wife threaded and hung the
+pearl necklace about his neck, and there was not one of the pearls
+which was not worth at least several hundred ounces of silver.
+
+Then the merchant cooked the meat, and having done so left the cave
+with the whole herd in order to receive the great king. They came to a
+broad cave, in the middle of which stood a huge block of stone, as
+smooth and even as a table. Round it were stone seats. The place of
+honor was covered with a leopard-skin, and the rest of the seats with
+deerskins. Several dozen ogres were sitting around the cave in rank
+and file.
+
+Suddenly a tremendous storm blew up, whirling around the dust in
+columns, and a monster appeared who had the figure of an ogre. The
+ogres all crowded out of the cave in a high state of excitement to
+receive him. The great king ran into the cave, sat down with his legs
+outstretched, and glanced about him with eyes as round as an eagle's.
+The whole herd followed him into the cave, and stood at either hand of
+him, looking up to him and folding their arms across their breasts in
+the form of a cross in order to do him honor.
+
+The great king nodded, looked around and asked: "Are all the folk of
+the Wo-Me hills present?"
+
+The entire herd declared that they were.
+
+Then he saw the merchant and asked: "From whence does he hail?"
+
+His wife answered for him, and all spoke with praise of his art as a
+cook. A couple of ogres brought in the cooked meat and spread it out
+on the table. Then the great king ate of it till he could eat no more,
+praised it with his mouth full, and said that in the future they were
+always to furnish him with food of this kind.
+
+Then he looked at the merchant and asked: "Why is your necklace so
+short?"
+
+With these words he took ten pearls from his own necklace, pearls as
+large and round as bullets of a blunderbuss. The merchant's wife
+quickly took them on his behalf and hung them around his neck; and the
+merchant crossed his arms like the ogres and spoke his thanks. Then
+the great king went off again, flying away like lightning on the
+storm.
+
+In the course of time heaven sent the merchant children, two boys and
+a girl. They all had a human form and did not resemble their mother.
+Gradually the children learned to speak and their father taught them
+the language of men. They grew up, and were soon so strong that they
+could run across the hills as though on level ground.
+
+One day the merchant's wife had gone out with one of the boys and the
+girl and had been absent for half-a-day. The north wind was blowing
+briskly, and in the merchant's heart there awoke a longing for his old
+home. He took his son by the hand and went down to the sea-shore.
+There his old ship was still lying, so he climbed into it with his
+boy, and in a day and a night was back in Annam again.
+
+When he reached home he loosened two of his pearls from his chain,
+and sold them for a great quantity of gold, so that he could keep
+house in handsome style. He gave his son the name of Panther, and when
+the boy was fourteen years of age he could lift thirty hundred weight
+with ease. Yet he was rough by nature and fond of fighting. The
+general of Annam, astonished at his bravery, appointed him a colonel,
+and in putting down a revolt his services were so meritorious that he
+was already a general of the second rank when but eighteen.
+
+At about this time another merchant was also driven ashore by a storm
+on the island of Wo-Me. When he reached land he saw a youth who asked
+him with astonishment: "Are you not from the Middle Kingdom?"
+
+The merchant told him how he had come to be driven ashore on the
+island, and the youth led him to a little cave in a secret valley.
+Then he brought deer-flesh for him to eat, and talked with him. He
+told him that his father had also come from Annam, and it turned out
+that his father was an old acquaintance of the man to whom he was
+talking.
+
+"We will have to wait until the wind blows from the North," said the
+youth, "then I will come and escort you. And I will give you a message
+of greeting to take to my father and brother."
+
+"Why do you not go along yourself and hunt up your father?" asked the
+merchant.
+
+"My mother does not come from the Middle Kingdom," replied the youth.
+"She is different in speech and appearance, so it cannot well be."
+
+One day the wind blew strongly from the North, and the youth came and
+escorted the merchant to his ship, and ordered him, at parting, not to
+forget a single one of his words.
+
+When the merchant returned to Annam, he went to the palace of
+Panther, the general, and told him all that had happened. When Panther
+listened to him telling about his brother, he sobbed with bitter
+grief. Then he secured leave of absence and sailed out to sea with two
+soldiers. Suddenly a typhoon arose, which lashed the waves until they
+spurted sky-high. The ship turned turtle, and Panther fell into the
+sea. He was seized by a creature and flung up on a strand where there
+seemed to be dwellings. The creature who had seized him looked like an
+ogre, so Panther addressed him in the ogre tongue. The ogre,
+surprised, asked him who he was, and Panther told him his whole story.
+
+The ogre was pleased and said: "Wo-Me is my old home, but it lies
+about eight thousand miles away from here. This is the kingdom of the
+poison dragons."
+
+Then the ogre fetched a ship and had Panther seat himself in it, while
+he himself pushed the ship before him through the water so that it
+clove the waves like an arrow. It took a whole night, but in the
+morning a shoreline appeared to the North, and there on the strand
+stood a youth on look-out. Panther recognized his brother. He stepped
+ashore and they clasped hands and wept. Then Panther turned around to
+thank the ogre, but the latter had already disappeared.
+
+Panther now asked after his mother and sister and was told that both
+were well and happy, so he wanted to go to them with his brother. But
+the latter told him to wait, and went off alone. Not long after he
+came back with their mother and sister. And when they saw Panther,
+both wept with emotion. Panther now begged them to return with him to
+Annam.
+
+But his mother replied: "I fear that if I went, people would mock me
+because of my figure."
+
+"I am a high officer," replied Panther, "and people would not dare to
+insult you."
+
+So they all went down to the ship together with him. A favorable wind
+filled their sails and they sped home swiftly as an arrow flies. On
+the third day they reached land. But the people whom they encountered
+were all seized with terror and ran away. Then Panther took off his
+mantle and divided it among the three so that they could dress
+themselves.
+
+When they reached home and the mother saw her husband again, she at
+once began to scold him violently because he had said not a word to
+her when he went away. The members of his family, who all came to
+greet the wife of the master of the house, did so with fear and
+trembling. But Panther advised his mother to learn the language of the
+Middle Kingdom, dress in silks, and accustom herself to human food.
+This she agreed to do; yet she and her daughter had men's clothing
+made for them. The brother and sister gradually grew more fair of
+complexion, and looked like the people of the Middle Kingdom.
+Panther's brother was named Leopard, and his sister Ogrechild. Both
+possessed great bodily strength.
+
+But Panther was not pleased to think that his brother was so
+uneducated, so he had him study. Leopard was highly gifted; he
+understood a book at first reading; yet he felt no inclination to
+become a man of learning. To shoot and to ride was what he best loved
+to do. So he rose to high rank as a professional soldier, and finally
+married the daughter of a distinguished official.
+
+It was long before Ogrechild found a husband, because all suitors were
+afraid of their mother-in-law to be. But Ogrechild finally married one
+of her brother's subordinates. She could draw the strongest bow, and
+strike the tiniest bird at a distance of a hundred paces. Her arrow
+never fell to earth without having scored a hit. When her husband went
+out to battle she always accompanied him, and that he finally became a
+general was largely due to her. Leopard was already a field marshal at
+the age of thirty, and his mother accompanied him on his campaigns.
+When a dangerous enemy drew near, she buckled on armor, and took a
+knife in her hand to meet him in place of her son. And among the
+enemies who encountered her there was not a single one who did not
+flee from her in terror. Because of her courage the emperor bestowed
+upon her the title of "The Superwoman."
+
+    Note: The ogres here mentioned are the primitive
+    inhabitants of the Island of Ceylon, also called
+    Rakshas, who appear in legend as man-devouring monsters.
+
+
+
+
+LVII
+
+THE MAIDEN WHO WAS STOLEN AWAY
+
+
+In the western portion of the old capital city of Lo Yang there was a
+ruined cloister, in which stood an enormous pagoda, several hundred
+stories high. Three or four people could still find room to stand on
+its very top.
+
+Not far from it there lived a beautiful maiden, and one very hot
+summer's day she was sitting in the courtyard of her home, trying to
+keep cool. And as she sat there a sudden cyclone came up and carried
+her off. When she opened her eyes, there she was on top of the pagoda,
+and beside her stood a young man in the dress of a student.
+
+He was very polite and affable, and said to her: "It seems as though
+heaven had meant to bring us together, and if you promise to marry me,
+we will be very happy." But to this the maiden would not agree. So the
+student said that until she changed her mind she would have to remain
+on the pagoda-top. Then he produced bread and wine for her to satisfy
+her hunger and thirst, and disappeared.
+
+Thereafter he appeared each day and asked her whether she had changed
+her mind, and each day she told him she had not. When he went away he
+always carefully closed the openings in the pagoda-top with stones,
+and he had also removed some of the steps of the stairs, so that she
+could not climb down. And when he came to the pagoda-top he always
+brought her food and drink, and he also presented her with rouge and
+powder, dresses and mandarin-coats and all sorts of jewelry. He told
+her he had bought them in the market place. And he also hung up a
+great carbuncle-stone so that the pagoda-top was bright by night as
+well as by day. The maiden had all that heart could wish, and yet she
+was not happy.
+
+But one day when he went away he forgot to lock the window. The maiden
+spied on him without his knowing it, and saw that from a youth he
+turned himself into an ogre, with hair as red as madder and a face as
+black as coal. His eyeballs bulged out of their sockets, and his mouth
+looked like a dish full of blood. Crooked white fangs thrust
+themselves from his lips, and two wings grew from his shoulders.
+Spreading them, he flew down to earth and at once turned into a man
+again.
+
+The maiden was seized with terror and burst into tears. Looking down
+from her pagoda she saw a wanderer passing below. She called out, but
+the pagoda was so high that her voice did not carry down to him. She
+beckoned with her hand, but the wanderer did not look up. Then she
+could think of nothing else to do but to throw down the old clothes
+she had formerly worn. They fluttered through the air to the ground.
+
+The wanderer picked up the clothes. Then he looked up at the pagoda,
+and quite up at the very top he saw a tiny figure which looked like
+that of a girl; yet he could not make out her features. For a long
+time he wondered who it might be, but in vain. Then he saw a light.
+
+"My neighbor's daughter," said he to himself, "was carried away by a
+magic storm. Is it possible that she may be up there?"
+
+So he took the clothes with him and showed them to the maiden's
+parents, and when they saw them they burst into tears.
+
+But the maiden had a brother, who was stronger and braver than any one
+for miles around. When the tale had been told him he took a heavy ax
+and went to the pagoda. There he hid himself in the tall grass and
+waited for what would happen. When the sun was just going down, along
+came a youth, tramping the hill. Suddenly he turned into an ogre,
+spread his wings and was about to fly. But the brother flung his ax at
+him and struck him on the arm. He began to roar loudly, and then fled
+to the western hills. But when the brother saw that it was impossible
+to climb the pagoda, he went back and enlisted the aid of several
+neighbors. With them he returned the following morning and they
+climbed up into the pagoda. Most of the steps of the stairway were in
+good condition for the ogre had only destroyed those at the top. But
+they were able to get up with a ladder, and then the brother fetched
+down his sister and brought her safely home again.
+
+And that was the end of the enchantment.
+
+    Note: In this tale the ogre is a Yakscha or a Fe Tian Ya
+    Tscha.
+
+
+
+
+LVIII
+
+THE FLYING OGRE
+
+
+There once lived in Sianfu an old Buddhist monk, who loved to wander
+in lonely places. In the course of his wanderings he once came to the
+Kuku-Nor, and there he saw a tree which was a thousand feet high and
+many cords in breadth. It was hollow inside and one could see the sky
+shining down into it from above.
+
+When he had gone on a few miles, he saw in the distance a girl in a
+red coat, barefoot, and with unbound hair, who was running as fast as
+the wind. In a moment she stood before him.
+
+"Take pity on me and save my life!" said she to him.
+
+When the monk asked her what was the trouble, she replied: "A man is
+pursuing me. If you will tell him you have not seen me, I will be
+grateful to you all my life long!"
+
+With that she ran up to the hollow tree and crawled into it.
+
+When the monk had gone a little further, he met one who rode an
+armored steed. He wore a garment of gold, a bow was slung across his
+shoulders, and a sword hung at his side. His horse ran with the speed
+of lightning, and covered a couple of miles with every step. Whether
+it ran in the air or on the ground, its speed was the same.
+
+"Have you seen the girl in the red coat?" asked the stranger. And when
+the monk replied that he had seen nothing, the other continued:
+"Bonze, you should not lie! This girl is not a human being, but a
+flying ogre. Of flying ogres there are thousands of varieties, who
+bring ruin to people everywhere. I have already slain a countless
+number of them, and have pretty well done away with them. But this one
+is the worst of all. Last night the Lord of the Heavens gave me a
+triple command, and that is the reason I have hurried down from the
+skies. There are eight thousand of us under way in all directions to
+catch this monster. If you do not tell the truth, monk, then you are
+sinning against heaven itself!"
+
+Upon that the monk did not dare deceive him, but pointed to the hollow
+tree. The messenger of the skies dismounted, stepped into the tree and
+looked about him. Then he once more mounted his horse, which carried
+him up the hollow trunk and out at the end of the tree. The monk
+looked up and could see a small, red flame come out of the tree-top.
+It was followed by the messenger of the skies. Both rose up to the
+clouds and disappeared. After a time there fell a rain of blood. The
+ogre had probably been hit by an arrow or captured.
+
+Afterward the monk told the tale to the scholar who wrote it down.
+
+    Note: This flying ogre is also of the Yakscha tribe.
+
+
+
+
+LIX
+
+BLACK ARTS
+
+
+The wild people who dwell in the South-West are masters of many black
+arts. They often lure men of the Middle Kingdom to their country by
+promising them their daughters in marriage, but their promises are not
+to be trusted. Once there was the son of a poor family, who agreed to
+labor for three years for one of the wild men in order to become his
+son-in-law. At the end of that time the wedding was celebrated, and
+the couple were given a little house for a home. But no sooner had
+they entered it than the wife warned her husband to be on his guard,
+since her parents did not like him, and would seek to do him harm. In
+accordance with the custom she entered the house first with a lighted
+lantern, but when the bridegroom followed her she had disappeared. And
+thus it went, day by day. During the daytime she was there, but when
+evening came she disappeared.
+
+And one day, not long after they had been married, his wife said to
+him: "To-morrow morning my mother celebrates her birthday, and you
+must go to congratulate her. They will offer you tea and food. The tea
+you may drink, but be sure not to touch any of the food. Keep this in
+mind!"
+
+So the following day the wife and husband went to her mother's home
+and offered their congratulations. Her parents seemed highly pleased,
+and served them with tea and sweets. The son-in-law drank, but ate
+nothing, though his wife's parents, with kind words and friendly
+gestures, kept urging him to help himself. At last the son-in-law did
+not know what to do, and thought that surely they could mean him no
+ill. And seeing the fresh caught eels and crabs on the plate before
+him, he ate a little of them. His wife gave him a reproachful glance,
+and he offered some excuse for taking his leave.
+
+But his mother-in-law said: "This is my birthday. You simply must
+taste my birthday noodles!"
+
+With that she placed a great dish before him, filled with noodles that
+looked like threads of silver, mingled with fat meat, and spiced with
+fragrant mushrooms. During all the time he had been living in the
+country the son-in-law had never yet seen such an appetizing dish. Its
+pleasant odor rose temptingly to his nostrils, and he could not resist
+raising his chop-sticks. His wife glanced over at him, but he
+pretended that he did not see her.
+
+She coughed significantly, but he acted as though he did not hear.
+Finally she trod on his foot under the table; and then he regained
+control of himself.
+
+He had not as yet eaten half of the food and said: "My hunger is
+satisfied."
+
+Then he took leave, and went off with his wife.
+
+"This is a serious matter," said the latter. "You would not listen to
+my words, and now you will surely have to die!"
+
+But still he did not believe her, until he suddenly felt terrible
+pains, which soon grew unbearable, so that he fell to the ground
+unconscious. His wife at once hung him up by the feet from the beam of
+the roof, and put a panful of glowing charcoal under his body, and a
+great jar of water, into which she had poured sesame oil, in front of
+the fire, directly below his mouth. And when the fire had heated him
+thoroughly, he suddenly opened his mouth--and can you imagine what
+came out of it? A squirming, crawling mass of poisonous worms,
+centipedes, toads and tadpoles, who all fell into the jar of water.
+Then his wife untied him, carried him to bed, and gave him wine
+mingled with realgar to drink. Then he recovered.
+
+"What you ate in the belief that they were eels and crabs," said his
+wife, "were nothing but toads and tadpoles, and the birthday noodles
+were poisonous worms and centipedes. But you must continue to be
+careful. My parents know that you have not died, and they will think
+up other evil plans."
+
+A few days later his father-in-law said to him: "There is a large tree
+growing on the precipice which juts over the cave. In it is the nest
+of the phenix. You are still young and able to climb, so go there
+quickly and fetch me the eggs!"
+
+His son-in-law went home and told his wife.
+
+"Take long bamboo poles," said she, "and tie them together, and fasten
+a curved sword at the top. And take these nine loaves of bread and
+these hens' eggs, there are seven times seven of them. Carry them
+along with you in a basket. When you come to the spot you will see a
+large nest up in the branches. Do not climb the tree, but chop it down
+with the curved sword. Then throw away your poles, and run for dear
+life. Should a monster appear and follow you, throw him the loaves of
+bread, three loaves at a time, and finally throw down the eggs on the
+ground and make for home as quickly as you can. In this way you may
+escape the danger which threatens you."
+
+The man noted all she said exactly and went. And sure enough he saw
+the bird's nest--it was as large as a round pavilion. Then he tied his
+curved sword to the poles, chopped at the tree with all his strength,
+laid down his poles on the ground and never looked around but ran for
+dear life. Suddenly he heard the roaring of a thunder-storm rising
+above him. When he looked up he saw a great dragon, many fathoms long
+and some ten feet across. His eyes gleamed like two lamps and he was
+spitting fire and flame from his maw. He had stretched out two feelers
+and was feeling along the ground. Then the man swiftly flung the
+loaves into the air. The dragon caught them, and it took a little time
+before he had devoured them. But no sooner had the man gained a few
+steps than the dragon once more came flying after him. Then he flung
+him more loaves and when the loaves came to an end, he turned over his
+basket so that the eggs rolled over the ground. The dragon had not yet
+satisfied his hunger and opened his greedy jaws wide. When he suddenly
+caught sight of the eggs, he descended from the air, and since the
+eggs were scattered round about, it took some time before he had
+sucked them all. In the meantime the man succeeded in escaping to his
+home.
+
+When he entered the door and saw his wife, he said to her, amid sobs:
+"It was all I could do to escape, and I am lucky not to be in the
+dragon's stomach! If this sort of thing keeps up much longer I am
+bound to die!"
+
+With these words he kneeled and begged his wife pitifully to save his
+life.
+
+"Where is your home?" asked his wife.
+
+"My home is about a hundred miles away from here, in the Middle
+Kingdom, and my old mother is still living. The only thing that
+worries me is that we are so poor."
+
+His wife said: "I will flee with you, and we will find your mother.
+And waste no regrets on your poverty."
+
+With that she gathered up all the house held in the way of pearls and
+precious stones, put them in a bag and had her husband tie it around
+his waist. Then she also gave him an umbrella, and in the middle of
+the night they climbed the wall with the aid of a ladder, and stole
+away.
+
+His wife had also said to him: "Take the umbrella on your back and run
+as fast as ever you can! Do not open it, and do not look around! I
+will follow you in secret."
+
+So he turned North and ran with all his might and main. He had been
+running for a day and a night, had covered nearly a hundred miles, and
+passed the boundaries of the wild people's country, when his legs gave
+out and he grew hungry. Before him lay a mountain village. He stopped
+at the village gate to rest, drew some food from his pocket and began
+to eat. And he looked around without being able to see his wife.
+
+Said he to himself: "Perhaps she has deceived me after all, and is not
+coming with me!"
+
+After he had finished eating, he took a drink from a spring, and
+painfully dragged himself further. When the heat of the day was
+greatest a violent mountain rain suddenly began to fall. In his haste
+he forgot what his wife had told him and opened his umbrella. And out
+fell his wife upon the ground.
+
+She reproached him: "Once more you have not listened to my advice. Now
+the damage has been done!"
+
+Quickly she told him to go to the village, and there to buy a white
+cock, seven black tea-cups, and half a length of red nettlecloth.
+
+"Do not be sparing of the silver pieces in your pocket!" she cried
+after him as he went off.
+
+He went to the village, attended to everything, and came back. The
+woman tore the cloth apart, made a coat of it and put it on. No sooner
+had they walked a few miles before they could see a red cloud rising
+up in the South, like a flying bird.
+
+"That is my mother," said the woman.
+
+In a moment the cloud was overhead. Then the woman took the black
+tea-cups and threw them at it. Seven she threw and seven fell to earth
+again. And then they could hear the mother in the cloud weeping and
+scolding, and thereupon the cloud disappeared.
+
+They went on for about four hours. Then they heard a sound like the
+noise of silk being torn, and could see a cloud as black as ink, which
+was rushing up against the wind.
+
+"Alas, that is my father!" said the woman. "This is a matter of life
+and death, for he will not let us be! Because of my love for you I
+will now have to disobey the holiest of laws!"
+
+With these words she quickly seized the white cock, separated its head
+from its body, and flung the head into the air. At once the black
+cloud dissolved, and her father's body, the head severed from the
+trunk, fell down by the edge of the road. Then the woman wept
+bitterly, and when she had wept her fill they buried the corpse.
+Thereupon they went together to her husband's home, where they found
+his old mother still living. They then undid the bag of pearls and
+jewels, bought a piece of good ground, built a fine house, and became
+wealthy and respected members of the community.
+
+    Note: Realgar: The Chinese believe that realgar is a
+    mithridate and tonic.
+
+
+
+
+HISTORIC LEGENDS
+
+
+
+
+LX
+
+THE SORCERER OF THE WHITE LOTUS LODGE
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a sorcerer who belonged to the White Lotus
+Lodge. He knew how to deceive the multitude with his black arts, and
+many who wished to learn the secret of his enchantments became his
+pupils.
+
+One day the sorcerer wished to go out. He placed a bowl which he
+covered with another bowl in the hall of his house, and ordered his
+pupils to watch it. But he warned them against uncovering the bowl to
+see what might be in it.
+
+No sooner had he gone than the pupils uncovered the bowl and saw that
+it was filled with clear water. And floating on the water was a little
+ship made of straw, with real masts and sails. They were surprised and
+pushed it with their fingers till it upset. Then they quickly righted
+it again and once more covered the bowl. By that time the sorcerer was
+already standing among them. He was angry and scolded them, saying:
+"Why did you disobey my command?"
+
+His pupils rose and denied that they had done so.
+
+But the sorcerer answered: "Did not my ship turn turtle at sea, and
+yet you try to deceive me?"
+
+On another evening he lit a giant candle in his room, and ordered his
+pupils to watch it lest it be blown out by the wind. It must have been
+at the second watch of the night and the sorcerer had not yet come
+back. The pupils grew tired and sleepy, so they went to bed and
+gradually fell asleep. When they woke up again the candle had gone
+out. So they rose quickly and re-lit it. But the sorcerer was already
+in the room, and again he scolded them.
+
+"Truly we did not sleep! How could the light have gone out?"
+
+Angrily the sorcerer replied: "You let me walk fifteen miles in the
+dark, and still you can talk such nonsense!"
+
+Then his pupils were very much frightened.
+
+In the course of time one of his pupils insulted the sorcerer. The
+latter made note of the insult, but said nothing. Soon after he told
+the pupil to feed the swine, and no sooner had he entered the sty than
+his master turned him into a pig. The sorcerer then at once called in
+a butcher, sold the pig to the man, and he went the way of all pigs
+who go to the butcher.
+
+One day this pupil's father turned up to ask after his son, for he had
+not come back to his home for a long time. The sorcerer told him that
+his son had left him long ago. The father returned home and inquired
+everywhere for his son without success. But one of his son's
+fellow-pupils, who knew of the matter, informed the father. So the
+father complained to the district mandarin. The latter, however,
+feared that the sorcerer might make himself invisible. He did not dare
+to have him arrested, but informed his superior and begged for a
+thousand well-armed soldiers. These surrounded the sorcerer's home and
+seized him, together with his wife and child. All three were put into
+wooden cages to be transported to the capital.
+
+The road wound through the mountains, and in the midst of the hills up
+came a giant as large as a tree, with eyes like saucers, a mouth like
+a plate, and teeth a foot long. The soldiers stood there trembling and
+did not dare to move.
+
+Said the sorcerer: "That is a mountain spirit. My wife will be able to
+drive him off."
+
+They did as he suggested, unchained the woman, and she took a spear
+and went to meet the giant. The latter was angered, and he swallowed
+her, tooth and nail. This frightened the rest all the more.
+
+The sorcerer said: "Well, if he has done away with my wife, then it is
+my son's turn!"
+
+So they let the son out of his cage. But the giant swallowed him in
+the same way. The rest all looked on without knowing what to do.
+
+The sorcerer then wept with rage and said: "First he destroys my wife,
+and then my son. If only he might be punished for it! But I am the
+only one who can punish him!"
+
+And, sure enough, they took him out of his cage, too, gave him a
+sword, and sent him out against the giant. The sorcerer and the giant
+fought with each other for a time, and at last the giant seized the
+sorcerer, thrust him into his maw, stretched his neck and swallowed
+him. Then he went his way contentedly.
+
+And now when it was too late, the soldiers realized that the sorcerer
+had tricked them.
+
+    Note: The Lodge of the White Lotus is one of the secret
+    revolutionary societies of China. It harks back to Tung
+    Tian Giau Dschu as its founder. Compare note to No. 18.
+    The "mountain spirit," of course, is an optical illusion
+    called up by the sorcerer, by means of which he frees
+    his family and himself from the soldiers.
+
+
+
+
+LXI
+
+THE THREE EVILS
+
+
+Once upon a time, in the old days, there lived a young man by the name
+of Dschou Tschu. He was of more than ordinary strength, and no one
+could withstand him. He was also wild and undisciplined, and wherever
+he was, quarrels and brawls arose. Yet the village elders never
+ventured to punish him seriously. He wore a high hat on his head,
+adorned with two pheasants' wings. His garments were woven of
+embroidered silk, and at his side hung the Dragonspring sword. He was
+given to play and to drinking, and his hand was inclined to take that
+which belonged to others. Whoever offended him had reason to dread the
+consequences, and he always mixed into disputes in which others were
+engaged. Thus he kept it up for years, and was a pest throughout the
+neighborhood.
+
+Then a new mandarin came to that district. When he had arrived, he
+first went quietly about the country and listened to the people's
+complaints. And they told him that there were three great evils in
+that district.
+
+Then he clothed himself in coarse garments, and wept before Dschou
+Tschu's door. Dschou Tschu was just coming from the tavern, where he
+had been drinking. He was slapping his sword and singing in a loud
+voice.
+
+When he reached his house he asked: "Who is weeping here so
+pitifully?"
+
+And the mandarin replied: "I am weeping because of the people's
+distress."
+
+Then Dschou Tschu saw him and broke out into loud laughter.
+
+"You are mistaken, my friend," said he. "Revolt is seething round
+about us like boiling water in a kettle. But here, in our little
+corner of the land, all is quiet and peaceful. The harvest has been
+abundant, corn is plentiful, and all go happily about their work. When
+you talk to me about distress I have to think of the man who groans
+without being sick. And who are you, tell me that, who instead of
+grieving for yourself, are grieving for others? And what are you doing
+before my door?"
+
+"I am the new mandarin," replied the other. "Since I left my litter I
+have been looking about in the neighborhood. I find the people are
+honest and simple in their way of life, and every one has sufficient
+to wear and to eat. This is all just as you state. Yet, strange to
+say, when the elders come together, they always sigh and complain. And
+if they are asked why, they answer: 'There are three great evils in
+our district!' I have come to ask you to do away with two of them, as
+to the third, perhaps I had better remain silent. And this is the
+reason I weep before your door."
+
+"Well, what are these evils?" answered Dschou Tschu. "Speak freely,
+and tell me openly all that you know!"
+
+"The first evil," said the mandarin, "is the evil dragon at the long
+bridge, who causes the water to rise so that man and beast are drowned
+in the river. The second evil is the tiger with the white forehead,
+who dwells in the hills. And the third evil, Dschou Tschu--is
+yourself!"
+
+Then the blush of shame mounted to the man's cheek, and he bowed and
+said: "You have come here from afar to be the mandarin of this
+district, and yet you feel such sympathy for the people? I was born in
+this place and yet I have only made our elders grieve. What sort of a
+creature must I be? I beg that you will return home again. I will see
+to it that matters improve!"
+
+Then he ran without stopping to the hills, and hunted the tiger out of
+his cave. The latter leaped into the air so that the whole forest was
+shaken as though by a storm. Then he came rushing up, roaring, and
+stretching out his claws savagely to seize his enemy. Dschou Tschu
+stepped back a pace, and the tiger lit on the ground directly in front
+of him. Then he thrust the tiger's neck to the ground with his left
+hand, and beat him without stopping with his right, until he lay dead
+on the earth. Dschou Tschu loaded the tiger on his back and went home.
+
+Then he went to the long bridge. He undressed, took his sword in his
+hand, and thus dived into the water. No sooner had he disappeared,
+than there was a boiling and hissing, and the waves began to foam and
+billow. It sounded like the mad beating of thousands of hoofs. After a
+time a stream of blood shot up from the depths, and the water of the
+river turned red. Then Dschou Tschu, holding the dragon in his hand,
+rose out of the waves.
+
+He went to the mandarin and reported, with a bow: "I have cut off the
+dragon's head, and have also done away with the tiger. Thus I have
+happily accomplished your command. And now I shall wander away so that
+you may be rid of the third evil as well. Lord, watch over my country,
+and tell the elders that they need sorrow no more!"
+
+When he had said this he enlisted as a soldier. In combat against the
+robbers he gained a great reputation and once, when the latter were
+pressing him hard, and he saw that he could not save himself, he bowed
+to the East and said: "The day has come at last when I can atone for
+my sin with my life!" Then he offered his neck to the sword and died.
+
+    Note: A legendary tale rather than a folk-story, with a
+    fine moral.
+
+
+
+
+LXII
+
+HOW THREE HEROES CAME BY THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF TWO PEACHES
+
+
+At the beginning of his reign Duke Ging of Tsi loved to draw heroes
+about him. Among those whom he attached to him were three of quite
+extraordinary bravery. The first was named Gung Sun Dsia, the second
+Tian Kai Giang, the third Gu I Dsi. All three were highly honored by
+the prince, but the honor paid them made them presumptuous, they kept
+the court in a turmoil, and overstepped the bounds of respect which
+lie between a prince and his servants.
+
+At the time Yan Dsi was chancellor of Tsi. The duke consulted him as
+to what would be best to do. And the chancellor advised him to give a
+great court banquet and invite all his courtiers. On the table, the
+choicest dish of all, stood a platter holding four magnificent
+peaches.
+
+Then, in accordance with his chancellor's advice, the Duke rose and
+said: "Here are some magnificent peaches, but I cannot give one to
+each of you. Only those most worthy may eat of them. I myself reign
+over the land, and am the first among the princes of the empire. I
+have been successful in holding my possessions and power, and that is
+my merit. Hence one of the peaches falls to me. Yan Dsi sits here as
+my chancellor. He regulates communications with foreign lands and
+keeps the peace among the people. He has made my kingdom powerful
+among the kingdoms of the earth. That is his merit, and hence the
+second peach falls to him. Now there are but two peaches left; yet I
+cannot tell which ones among you are the worthiest. You may rise
+yourselves and tell us of your merits. But whoever has performed no
+great deeds, let him hold his tongue!"
+
+Then Gung Sun Dsia beat upon his sword, rose up and said: "I am the
+prince's captain general. In the South I besieged the kingdom of Lu,
+in the West I conquered the kingdom of Dsin, in the North I captured
+the army of Yan. All the princes of the East come to the Duke's court
+and acknowledge the overlordship of Tsi. That is my merit. I do not
+know whether it deserves a peach."
+
+The Duke replied: "Great is your merit! A peach is your just due!"
+
+Then Tian Kai Giang rose, beat on the table, and cried: "I have fought
+a hundred battles in the army of the prince. I have slain the enemy's
+general-in-chief, and captured the enemy's flag. I have extended the
+borders of the Duke's land till the size of his realm has been
+increased by a thousand miles. How is it with my merit?"
+
+The Duke said: "Great is your merit! A peach is your just due!"
+
+Then Gu I Dsi arose; his eyes started from their sockets, and he
+shouted with a loud voice: "Once, when the Duke was crossing the
+Yellow River, wind and waters rose. A river-dragon snapped up one of
+the steeds of the chariot and tore it away. The ferry-boat rocked like
+a sieve and was about to capsize. Then I took my sword and leaped into
+the stream. I fought with the dragon in the midst of the foaming
+waves. And by reason of my strength I managed to kill him, though my
+eyes stood out of my head with my exertions. Then I came to the
+surface with the dragon's head in one hand, and holding the rein of
+the rescued horse in the other, and I had saved my prince from
+drowning. Whenever our country was at war with neighboring states, I
+refused no service. I commanded the van, I fought in single combat.
+Never did I turn my back on the foe. Once the prince's chariot stuck
+fast in the swamp, and the enemy hurried up on all sides. I pulled the
+chariot out, and drove off the hostile mercenaries. Since I have been
+in the prince's service I have saved his life more than once. I grant
+that my merit is not to be compared with that of the prince and that
+of the chancellor, yet it is greater than that of my two companions.
+Both have received peaches, while I must do without. This means that
+real merit is not rewarded, and that the Duke looks on me with
+disfavor. And in such case how may I ever show myself at court again!"
+
+With these words he drew his sword and killed himself.
+
+Then Gung Sun Dsia rose, bowed twice, and said with a sigh: "Both my
+merit and that of Tian Kai Giang does not compare with Gu I Dsi's and
+yet the peaches were given us. We have been rewarded beyond our
+deserts, and such reward is shameful. Hence it is better to die than
+to live dishonored!"
+
+He took his sword and swung it, and his own head rolled on the sand.
+
+Tian Kai Giang looked up and uttered a groan of disgust. He blew the
+breath from his mouth in front of him like a rainbow, and his hair
+rose on end with rage. Then he took sword in hand and said: "We three
+have always served our prince bravely. We were like the same flesh and
+blood. The others are dead, and it is my duty not to survive them!"
+
+And he thrust his sword into his throat and died.
+
+The Duke sighed incessantly, and commanded that they be given a
+splendid burial. A brave hero values his honor more than his life. The
+chancellor knew this, and that was why he purposely arranged to incite
+the three heroes to kill themselves by means of the two peaches.
+
+    Note: Duke Ging of Tsi (Eastern Shantung) was an older
+    contemporary of Confucius. The chancellor Yan Dsi, who
+    is the reputed author of a work on philosophy, is the
+    same who prevented the appointment of Confucius at the
+    court of Tsi.
+
+
+
+
+LXIII
+
+HOW THE RIVER-GOD'S WEDDING WAS BROKEN OFF
+
+
+At the time of the seven empires there lived a man by the name of
+Si-Men Bau, who was a governor on the Yellow River. In this district
+the river-god was held in high honor. The sorcerers and witches who
+dwelt there said: "Every year the river-god looks for a bride, who
+must be selected from among the people. If she be not found then wind
+and rain will not come at the proper seasons, and there will be scanty
+crops and floods!" And then, when a girl came of age in some wealthy
+family, the sorcerers would say that she should be selected. Whereupon
+her parents, who wished to protect their daughter, would bribe them
+with large sums of money to look for some one else, till the sorcerers
+would give in, and order the rich folk to share the expense of buying
+some poor girl to be cast into the river. The remainder of the money
+they would keep for themselves as their profit on the transaction. But
+whoever would not pay, their daughter was chosen to be the bride of
+the river-god, and was forced to accept the wedding gifts which the
+sorcerers brought her. The people of the district chafed grievously
+under this custom.
+
+Now when Si-Men entered into office, he heard of this evil custom. He
+had the sorcerers come before him and said: "See to it that you let me
+know when the day of the river-god's wedding comes, for I myself wish
+to be present to honor the god! This will please him, and in return he
+will shower blessings on my people." With that he dismissed them. And
+the sorcerers were full of praise for his piety.
+
+So when the day arrived they gave him notice. Si-Men dressed himself
+in his robes of ceremony, entered his chariot and drove to the river
+in festival procession. The elders of the people, as well as the
+sorcerers and the witches were all there. And from far and near men,
+women and children had flocked together in order to see the show. The
+sorcerers placed the river-bride on a couch, adorned her with her
+bridal jewels, and kettledrums, snaredrums and merry airs vied with
+each other in joyful sound.
+
+They were about to thrust the couch into the stream, and the girl's
+parents said farewell to her amid tears. But Si-Men bade them wait and
+said: "Do not be in such a hurry! I have appeared in person to escort
+the bride, hence everything must be done solemnly and in order. First
+some one must go to the river-god's castle, and let him know that he
+may come himself and fetch his bride."
+
+And with these words he looked at a witch and said: "You may go!" The
+witch hesitated, but he ordered his servants to seize her and thrust
+her into the stream. After which about an hour went by.
+
+"That woman did not understand her business," continued Si-Men, "or
+else she would have been back long ago!" And with that he looked at
+one of the sorcerers and added: "Do you go and do better!" The
+sorcerer paled with fear, but Si-Men had him seized and cast into the
+river. Again half-an-hour went by.
+
+Then Si-Men pretended to be uneasy. "Both of them have made a botch of
+their errand," said he, "and are causing the bride to wait in vain!"
+Once more he looked at a sorcerer and said: "Do you go and hunt them
+up!" But the sorcerer flung himself on the ground and begged for
+mercy. And all the rest of the sorcerers and witches knelt to him in a
+row, and pleaded for grace. And they took an oath that they would
+never again seek a bride for the river-god.
+
+Then Si-Men held his hand, and sent the girl back to her home, and the
+evil custom was at an end forever.
+
+    Note: Si-Men Bau was an historical personage, who lived
+    five centuries before Christ.
+
+
+
+
+LXIV
+
+DSCHANG LIANG
+
+
+Dschang Liang was a native of one of those states which had been
+destroyed by the Emperor Tsin Schi Huang. And Dschang Liang determined
+to do a deed for his dead king's sake, and to that end gathered
+followers with whom to slay Tsin Schi Huang.
+
+Once Tsin Schi Huang was making a progress through the country. When
+he came to the plain of Bo Lang, Dschang Liang armed his people with
+iron maces in order to kill him. But Tsin Schi Huang always had two
+traveling coaches which were exactly alike in appearance. In one of
+them he sat himself, while in the other was seated another person.
+Dschang Liang and his followers met the decoy wagon, and Dschang Liang
+was forced to flee from the Emperor's rage. He came to a ruined
+bridge. An icy wind was blowing, and the snowflakes were whirling
+through the air. There he met an old, old man wearing a black turban
+and a yellow gown. The old man let one of his shoes fall into the
+water, looked at Dschang Liang and said: "Fetch it out, little one!"
+
+Dschang Liang controlled himself, fetched out the shoe and brought it
+to the old man. The latter stretched out his foot to allow Dschang
+Liang to put it on, which he did in a respectful manner. This pleased
+the old man and he said: "Little one, something may be made of you!
+Come here to-morrow morning early, and I will have something for you."
+
+The following morning at break of dawn, Dschang Liang appeared. But
+the old man was already there and reproached him: "You are too late.
+To-day I will tell you nothing. To-morrow you must come earlier."
+
+So it went on for three days, and Dschang Liang's patience was not
+exhausted. Then the old man was satisfied, brought forth the Book of
+Hidden Complements, and gave it to him. "You must read it," said he,
+"and then you will be able to rule a great emperor. When your task is
+completed, seek me at the foot of the Gu Tschong Mountain. There you
+will find a yellow stone, and I will be by that yellow stone."
+
+Dschang Liang took the book and aided the ancestor of the Han dynasty
+to conquer the empire. The emperor made him a count. From that time
+forward Dschang Liang ate no human food and concentrated in spirit. He
+kept company with the four whitebeards of the Shang Mountain, and with
+them shared the sunset roses in the clouds. Once he met two boys who
+were singing and dancing:
+
+    "Green the garments you should wear,
+    If to heaven's gate you'd fare;
+    There the Golden Mother greet,
+    Bow before the Wood Lord's feet!"
+
+When Dschang Liang heard this, he bowed before the youths, and said to
+his friends: "Those are angel children of the King Father of the East.
+The Golden Mother is the Queen of the West. The Lord of Wood is the
+King Father of the East. They are the two primal powers, the parents
+of all that is male and female, the root and fountain of heaven and
+earth, to whom all that has life is indebted for its creation and
+nourishment. The Lord of Wood is the master of all the male saints,
+the Golden Mother is the mistress of all the female saints. Whoever
+would gain immortality, must first greet the Golden Mother and then
+bow before the King Father. Then he may rise up to the three Pure Ones
+and stand in the presence of the Highest. The song of the angel
+children shows the manner in which the hidden knowledge may be
+acquired."
+
+At about that time the emperor was induced to have some of his
+faithful servants slain. Then Dschang Liang left his service and went
+to the Gu Tschong Mountain. There he found the old man by the yellow
+stone, gained the hidden knowledge, returned home, and feigning
+illness loosed his soul from his body and disappeared.
+
+Later, when the rebellion of the "Red Eyebrows" broke out, his tomb
+was opened. But all that was found within it was a yellow stone.
+Dschang Liang was wandering with Laotsze in the invisible world.
+
+Once his grandson Dschang Dau Ling went to Kunlun Mountain, in order
+to visit the Queen Mother of the West. There he met Dschang Liang.
+Dschang Dau Ling gained power over demons and spirits, and became the
+first Taoist pope. And the secret of his power has been handed down in
+his family from generation to generation.
+
+    Note: "In a yellow robe," is an indication of Taoism:
+    compare with No. 38. "The Book of Hidden Complements"
+    (Yin Fu Ging). Compare with Lia Dsi, Introduction.
+
+
+
+
+LXV
+
+OLD DRAGONBEARD
+
+
+At the time of the last emperor of the Sui dynasty, the power was in
+the hands of the emperor's uncle, Yang Su. He was proud and
+extravagant. In his halls stood choruses of singers and bands of
+dancing girls, and serving-maids stood ready to obey his least sign.
+When the great lords of the empire came to visit him he remained
+comfortably seated on his couch while he received them.
+
+In those days there lived a bold hero named Li Dsing. He came to see
+Yang Su in humble clothes in order to bring him a plan for the
+quieting of the empire.
+
+He made a low bow to which Yang Su did not reply, and then he said:
+"The empire is about to be troubled by dissension and heroes are
+everywhere taking up arms. You are the highest servant of the imperial
+house. It should be your duty to gather the bravest around the throne.
+And you should not rebuff people by your haughtiness!"
+
+When Yang Su heard him speak in this fashion he collected himself,
+rose from his place, and spoke to him in a friendly manner.
+
+Li Dsing handed him a memorial, and Yang Su entered into talk with him
+concerning all sorts of things. A serving-maid of extraordinary beauty
+stood beside them. She held a red flabrum in her hand, and kept her
+eyes fixed on Li Dsing. The latter at length took his leave and
+returned to his inn.
+
+Later in the day some one knocked at his door. He looked out, and
+there, before the door, stood a person turbaned and gowned in purple,
+and carrying a bag slung from a stick across his shoulder.
+
+Li Dsing asked who it was and received the answer: "I am the
+fan-bearer of Yang Su!"
+
+With that she entered the room, threw back her mantle and took off her
+turban. Li Dsing saw that she was a maiden of eighteen or nineteen.
+
+She bowed to him, and when he had replied to her greeting she began:
+"I have dwelt in the house of Yang Su for a long time and have seen
+many famous people, but none who could equal you. I will serve you
+wherever you go!"
+
+Li Dsing answered: "The minister is powerful. I am afraid that we will
+plunge ourselves into misfortune."
+
+"He is a living corpse, in whom the breath of life grows scant," said
+the fan-bearer, "and we need not fear him."
+
+He asked her name, and she said it was Dschang, and that she was the
+oldest among her brothers and sisters.
+
+And when he looked at her, and considered her courageous behavior and
+her sensible words, he realized that she was a girl of heroic cast,
+and they agreed to marry and make their escape from the city in
+secret. The fan-bearer put on men's clothes, and they mounted horses
+and rode away. They had determined to go to Taiyuanfu.
+
+On the following day they stopped at an inn. They had their room put
+in order and made a fire on the hearth to cook their meal. The
+fan-bearer was combing her hair. It was so long that it swept the
+ground, and so shining that you could see your face in it. Li Dsing
+had just left the room to groom the horses. Suddenly a man who had a
+long curling mustache like a dragon made his appearance. He came along
+riding on a lame mule, threw down his leather bag on the ground in
+front of the hearth, took a pillow, made himself comfortable on a
+couch, and watched the fan-bearer as she combed her hair. Li Dsing saw
+him and grew angry; but the fan-bearer had at once seen through the
+stranger. She motioned Li Dsing to control himself, quickly finished
+combing her hair and tied it in a knot.
+
+Then she greeted the guest and asked his name.
+
+He told her that he was named Dschang.
+
+"Why, my name is also Dschang," said she, "so we must be relatives!"
+
+Thereupon she bowed to him as her elder brother.
+
+"How many are there of you brothers?" she then inquired.
+
+"I am the third," he answered, "and you?"
+
+"I am the oldest sister."
+
+"How fortunate that I should have found a sister to-day," said the
+stranger, highly pleased.
+
+Then the fan-bearer called to Li Dsing through the door and said:
+"Come in! I wish to present my third brother to you!"
+
+Then Li Dsing came in and greeted him.
+
+They sat down beside each other and the stranger asked: "What have you
+to eat?"
+
+"A leg of mutton," was the answer.
+
+"I am quite hungry," said the stranger.
+
+So Li Dsing went to the market and brought bread and wine. The
+stranger drew out his dagger, cut the meat, and they all ate in
+company. When they had finished he fed the rest of the meat to his
+mule.
+
+Then he said: "Sir Li, you seem to be a moneyless knight. How did you
+happen to meet my sister?"
+
+Li Dsing told him how it had occurred.
+
+"And where do you wish to go now?"
+
+"To Taiyuanfu," was the answer.
+
+Said the stranger: "You do not seem to be an ordinary fellow. Have you
+heard anything regarding a hero who is supposed to be in this
+neighborhood?"
+
+Li Dsing answered: "Yes, indeed, I know of one, whom heaven seems
+destined to rule."
+
+"And who might he be?" inquired the other.
+
+"He is the son of Duke Li Yuan of Tang, and he is no more than twenty
+years of age."
+
+"Could you present him to me some time?" asked the stranger.
+
+And when Li Dsing has assured him he could, he continued: "The
+astrologers say that a special sign has been noticed in the air above
+Taiyuanfu. Perhaps it is caused by the very man. To-morrow you may
+await me at the Fenyang Bridge!"
+
+With these words he mounted his mule and rode away, and he rode so
+swiftly that he seemed to be flying.
+
+The fan-bearer said to him: "He is not a pleasant customer to deal
+with. I noticed that at first he had no good intentions. That is why I
+united him to us by bonds of relationship."
+
+Then they set out together for Taiyuanfu, and at the appointed place,
+sure enough, they met Dragonbeard. Li Dsing had an old friend, a
+companion of the Prince of Tang.
+
+He presented the stranger to this friend, named Liu Wendsing, saying:
+"This stranger is able to foretell the future from the lines of the
+face, and would like to see the prince."
+
+Thereupon Liu Wendsing took him in to the prince. The prince was
+clothed in a simple indoor robe, but there was something impressive
+about him, which made him remarked among all others. When the stranger
+saw him, he fell into a profound silence, and his face turned gray.
+After he had drunk a few flagons of wine he took his leave.
+
+"That man is a true ruler," he told Li Dsing. "I am almost certain of
+the fact, but to be sure my friend must also see him."
+
+Then he arranged to meet Li Dsing on a certain day at a certain inn.
+
+"When you see this mule before the door, together with a very lean
+jackass, then you may be certain I am there with my friend."
+
+On the day set Li Dsing went there and, sure enough he saw the mule
+and the jackass before the door. He gathered up his robe and descended
+to the upper story of the inn. There sat old Dragonbeard and a Taoist
+priest over their wine. When the former saw Li Dsing he was much
+pleased, bade him sit down and offered him wine. After they had
+pledged each other, all three returned to Liu Wendsing. He was engaged
+in a game of chess with the prince. The prince rose with respect and
+asked them to be seated.
+
+As soon as the Taoist priest saw his radiant and heroic countenance he
+was disconcerted, and greeted him with a low bow, saying: "The game is
+up!"
+
+When they took their leave Dragonbeard said to Li Dsing: "Go on to
+Sianfu, and when the time has come, ask for me at such and such a
+place."
+
+And with that he went away snorting.
+
+Li Dsing and the fan-bearer packed up their belongings, left Taiyuanfu
+and traveled on toward the West. At that time Yang Su died, and great
+disturbance arose throughout the empire.
+
+In the course of a few days Li Dsing and his wife reached the
+meeting-place appointed by Dragonbeard. They knocked at a little
+wooden door, and out came a servant, who led them through long
+passages. When they emerged magnificent buildings arose before them,
+in front of which stood a crowd of slave girls. Then they entered a
+hall in which the most valuable dowry that could be imagined had been
+piled up: mirrors, clothes, jewelry, all more beautiful than earth is
+wont to show. Handsome slave girls led them to the bath, and when they
+had changed their garments their friend was announced. He stepped in
+clad in silks and fox-pelts, and looking almost like a dragon or a
+tiger. He greeted his guests with pleasure and also called in his
+wife, who was of exceptional loveliness. A festive banquet was served,
+and all four sat down to it. The table was covered with the most
+expensive viands, so rare that they did not even know their names.
+Flagons and dishes and all the utensils were made of gold and jade,
+and ornamented with pearls and precious stones. Two companies of girl
+musicians alternately blew flutes and chalameaus. They sang and
+danced, and it seemed to the visitors that they had been transported
+to the palace of the Lady of the Moon. The rainbow garments fluttered,
+and the dancing girls were beautiful beyond all the beauty of earth.
+
+After they had banqueted, Dragonbeard commanded his servitors to bring
+in couches upon which embroidered silken covers had been spread. And
+after they had seen everything worth seeing, he presented them with a
+book and a key.
+
+Then he said: "In this book are listed the valuables and the riches
+which I possess. I make you a wedding-present of them. Nothing great
+may be undertaken without wealth, and it is my duty to endow my sister
+properly. My original intention had been to take the Middle Kingdom in
+hand and do something with it. But since a ruler has already arisen to
+reign over it, what is there to keep me in this country? For Prince
+Tang of Taiyuanfu is a real hero, and will have restored order within
+a few years' time. You must both of you aid him, and you will be
+certain to rise to high honors. You, my sister, are not alone
+beautiful, but you have also the right way of looking at things. None
+other than yourself would have been able to recognize the true worth
+of Li Dsing, and none other than Li Dsing would have had the good
+fortune to encounter you. You will share the honors which will be your
+husband's portion, and your name will be recorded in history. The
+treasures which I bestow upon you, you are to use to help the true
+ruler. Bear this in mind! And in ten years' time a glow will rise far
+away to the South-east, and it shall be a sign that I have reached my
+goal. Then you may pour a libation of wine in the direction of the
+South-east, to wish me good fortune!"
+
+Then, one after another, he had his servitors and slave-girls greet
+Li Dsing and the fan-bearer, and said to them: "This is your master
+and your mistress!"
+
+When he had spoken these words, he took his wife's hand, they mounted
+three steeds which were held ready, and rode away.
+
+Li Dsing and his wife now established themselves in the house, and
+found themselves possessed of countless wealth. They followed Prince
+Tang, who restored order to the empire, and aided him with their
+money. Thus the great work was accomplished, and after peace had been
+restored throughout the empire, Li Dsing was made Duke of We, and the
+fan-bearer became a duchess.
+
+Some ten years later the duke was informed that in the empire beyond
+the sea a thousand ships had landed an army of a hundred thousand
+armored soldiers. These had conquered the country, killed its prince,
+and set up their leader as its king. And order now reigned in that
+empire.
+
+Then the duke knew that Dragonbeard had accomplished his aim. He told
+his wife, and they robed themselves in robes of ceremony and offered
+wine in order to wish him good fortune. And they saw a radiant crimson
+ray flash up on the South-eastern horizon. No doubt Dragonbeard had
+sent it in answer. And both of them were very happy.
+
+    Note: Yang Su died in the year 606 A.D. The Li Dsing of
+    this tale has nothing in common with Li Dsing, the
+    father of Notscha (No. 18). He lived as a historical
+    personage, 571-649 A.D. Li Yuan was the founder of the
+    Tang dynasty, 565-635 A.D. His famous son, to whom he
+    owed the throne, the "Prince of Tang," was named Li Schi
+    Min. His father abdicated in 618 in his favor. This tale
+    is not, of course, historical, but legendary. Compare
+    with the introduction of the following one.
+
+
+
+
+LXVI
+
+HOW MOLO STOLE THE LOVELY ROSE-RED
+
+
+At the time when the Tang dynasty reigned over the Middle Kingdom,
+there were master swordsmen of various kinds. Those who came first
+were the saints of the sword. They were able to take different shapes
+at will, and their swords were like strokes of lightning. Before their
+opponents knew they had been struck their heads had already fallen.
+Yet these master swordsmen were men of lofty mind, and did not lightly
+mingle in the quarrels of the world. The second kind of master
+swordsmen were the sword heroes. It was their custom to slay the
+unjust, and to come to the aid of the oppressed. They wore a hidden
+dagger at their side and carried a leather bag at their belt. By magic
+means they were able to turn human heads into flowing water. They
+could fly over roofs and walk up and down walls, and they came and
+went and left no trace. The swordsmen of the lowest sort were the mere
+bought slayers. They hired themselves out to those who wished to do
+away with their enemies. And death was an everyday matter to them.
+
+Old Dragonbeard must have been a master swordsman standing midway
+between those of the first and of the second order. Molo, however, of
+whom this story tells, was a sword hero.
+
+At that time there lived a young man named Tsui, whose father was a
+high official and the friend of the prince. And the father once sent
+his son to visit his princely friend, who was ill. The son was young,
+handsome and gifted. He went to carry out his father's instructions.
+When he entered the prince's palace, there stood three beautiful
+slave girls, who piled rosy peaches into a golden bowl, poured sugar
+over them and presented them to him. After he had eaten he took his
+leave, and his princely host ordered one of the slave girls, Rose-Red
+by name, to escort him to the gate. As they went along the young man
+kept looking back at her. And she smiled at him and made signs with
+her fingers. First she would stretch out three fingers, then she would
+turn her hand around three times, and finally she would point to a
+little mirror which she wore on her breast. When they parted she
+whispered to him: "Do not forget me!"
+
+When the young man reached home his thoughts were all in confusion.
+And he sat down absent-mindedly like a wooden rooster. Now it happened
+that he had an old servant named Molo, who was an extraordinary being.
+
+"What is the trouble, master," said he. "Why are you so sad? Do you
+not want to tell your old slave about it?"
+
+So the boy told him what had occurred, and also mentioned the signs
+the girl had made to him in secret.
+
+Said Molo: "When she stretched out three fingers, it meant that she is
+quartered in the third court of the palace. When she turned round her
+hand three times, it meant the sum of three times five fingers, which
+is fifteen. When she pointed at the little mirror, she meant to say
+that on the fifteenth, when the moon is round as a mirror, at
+midnight, you are to go for her."
+
+Then the young man was roused from his confused thoughts, and was so
+happy he could hardly control himself.
+
+But soon he grew sad again and said: "The prince's palace is shut off
+as though by an ocean. How would it be possible to win into it?"
+
+"Nothing easier," said Molo. "On the fifteenth we will take two
+pieces of dark silk and wrap ourselves up in them, and thus I will
+carry you there. Yet there is a wild dog on guard at the slave girl's
+court, who is strong as a tiger and watchful as a god. No one can pass
+by him, so he must be killed."
+
+When the appointed day had come, the servant said: "There is no one
+else in the world who can kill this dog but myself!"
+
+Full of joy the youth gave him meat and wine, and the old man took a
+chain-hammer and disappeared with it.
+
+And after no more time had elapsed than it takes to eat a meal he was
+back again and said: "The dog is dead, and there is nothing further to
+hinder us!"
+
+At midnight they wrapped themselves in dark silk, and the old man
+carried the youth over the tenfold walls which surrounded the palace.
+They reached the third gateway and the gate stood ajar. Then they saw
+the glow of a little lamp, and heard Rose-Red sigh deeply. The entire
+court was silent and deserted. The youth raised the curtain and
+stepped into the room. Long and searchingly Rose-Red looked at him,
+then seized his hand.
+
+"I knew that you were intelligent, and would understand my sign
+language. But what magic power have you at your disposal, that you
+were able to get here?"
+
+The youth told her in detail how Molo had helped him.
+
+"And where is Molo?" she asked.
+
+"Outside, before the curtain," was his answer.
+
+Then she called him in and gave him wine to drink from a jade goblet
+and said: "I am of good family and have come here from far away. Force
+alone has made me a slave in this palace. I long to leave it. For
+though I have jasper chop-sticks with which to eat, and drink my wine
+from golden flagons, though silk and satin rustle around me and jewels
+of every kind are at my disposal, all these are but so many chains and
+fetters to hold me here. Dear Molo, you are endowed with magic powers.
+I beg you to save me in my distress! If you do, I will be glad to
+serve your master as a slave, and will never forget the favor you do
+me."
+
+The youth looked at Molo. Molo was quite willing. First he asked
+permission to carry away Rose-Red's gear and jewels in sacks and bags.
+Three times he went away and returned until he had finished. Then he
+took his master and Rose-Red upon his back, and flew away with them
+over the steep walls. None of the watchmen of the prince's palace
+noticed anything out of the way. At home the youth hid Rose-Red in a
+distant room.
+
+When the prince discovered that one of his slave-girls was missing,
+and that one of his wild dogs had been killed, he said: "That must
+have been some powerful sword hero!" And he gave strict orders that
+the matter should not be mentioned, and that investigations should be
+made in secret.
+
+Two years passed, and the youth no longer thought of any danger.
+Hence, when the flowers began to bloom in the spring, Rose-Red went
+driving in a small wagon outside the city, near the river. And there
+one of the prince's servants saw her, and informed his master. The
+latter sent for the youth, who, since he could not conceal the matter,
+told him the whole story exactly as it had happened.
+
+Said the prince: "The whole blame rests on Rose-Red. I do not reproach
+you. Yet since she is now your wife I will let the whole matter rest.
+But Molo will have to suffer for it!"
+
+  [Illustration: "THEN HE TOOK HIS MASTER AND ROSE-RED UPON HIS BACK
+    AND FLEW WITH THEM OVER THE STEEP WALLS."
+                                                  --_Page 234_]
+
+So he ordered a hundred armored soldiers, with bows and swords, to
+surround the house of the youth, and under all circumstances to take
+Molo captive. But Molo drew his dagger and flew up the high wall.
+Thence he looked about him like a hawk. The arrows flew as thick as
+rain, but not one hit him. And in a moment he had disappeared, no one
+knew where.
+
+Yet ten years later one of his former master's servants ran across him
+in the South, where he was selling medicine. And he looked exactly as
+he had looked ten years before.
+
+    Note: This fairy-tale has many features in common with
+    the fairy-tales of India, noticeably the use of the sign
+    language, which the hero himself does not understand,
+    but which is understood by his companion.
+
+
+
+
+LXVII
+
+THE GOLDEN CANISTER
+
+
+In the days of the Tang dynasty there lived a certain count in the
+camp at Ludschou. He had a slave who could play the lute admirably,
+and was also so well versed in reading and writing that the count
+employed her to indite his confidential letters.
+
+Once there was a great feast held in the camp. Said the slave-girl:
+"The large kettledrum sounds so sad to-day; some misfortune must
+surely have happened to the kettledrummer!"
+
+The count sent for the kettledrummer and questioned him.
+
+"My wife has died," he replied, "yet I did not venture to ask for
+leave of absence. That is why, in spite of me, my kettledrum sounded
+so sad."
+
+The count allowed him to go home.
+
+At that time there was much strife and jealousy among the counts along
+the Yellow River. The emperor wished to put an end to their
+dissensions by allying them to each other by marriages. Thus the
+daughter of the Count of Ludschou had married the son of the old Count
+of Webo. But this did not much improve matters. The old Count of Webo
+had lung trouble, and when the hot season came it always grew worse,
+and he would say: "Yes, if I only had Ludschou! It is cooler and I
+might feel better there!"
+
+So he gathered three thousand warriors around him, gave them good pay,
+questioned the oracle with regard to a lucky day, and set out to take
+Ludschou by force.
+
+The Count of Ludschou heard of it. He worried day and night, but could
+see no way out of his difficulties. One night, when the water-clock
+had already been set up, and the gate of the camp had been locked, he
+walked about the courtyard, leaning on his staff. Only his slave-girl
+followed him.
+
+"Lord," said she, "it is now more than a month since sleep and
+appetite have abandoned you! You live sad and lonely, wrapped up in
+your grief. Unless I am greatly deceived it is on account of Webo."
+
+"It is a matter of life and death," answered the count, "of which you
+women understand nothing."
+
+"I am no more than a slave-girl," said she, "and yet I have been able
+to guess the cause of your grief."
+
+The count realized that there was meaning in her words and replied:
+"You are in truth an extraordinary girl. It is a fact that I am
+quietly reflecting on some way of escape."
+
+The slave-girl said: "That is easily done! You need not give it a
+thought, master! I will go to Webo and see how things are. This is the
+first watch of the night. If I go now, I can be back by the fifth
+watch."
+
+"Should you not succeed," said the count, "you merely bring misfortune
+upon me the more quickly."
+
+"A failure is out of the question," answered the slave-girl.
+
+Then she went to her room and prepared for her journey. She combed her
+raven hair, tied it in a knot on the top of her head, and fastened it
+with a golden pin. Then she put on a short garment embroidered with
+purple, and shoes woven of dark silk. In her breast she hid a dagger
+with dragon-lines graved on it, and upon her forehead she wrote the
+name of the Great God. Then she bowed before the count and
+disappeared.
+
+The count poured wine for himself and waited for her, and when the
+morning horn was blown, the slave-girl floated down before him as
+light as a leaf.
+
+"Did all go well?" asked the count.
+
+"I have done no discredit to my mission," replied the girl.
+
+"Did you kill any one?"
+
+"No, I did not have to go to such lengths. Yet I took the golden
+canister at the head of Webo's couch along as a pledge."
+
+The count asked what her experience had been, and she began to tell
+her story:
+
+"I set out when the drums were beating their first tattoo and reached
+Webo three hours before midnight. When I stepped through the gate, I
+could see the sentries asleep in their guard-rooms. They snored so
+that it sounded like thunder. The camp sentinels were pacing their
+beats, and I went in through the left entrance into the room in which
+the Count of Webo slept. There lay your relative on his back behind
+the curtain, plunged in sweet slumber. A costly sword showed from
+beneath his pillow; and beside it stood an open canister of gold. In
+the canister were various slips. On one of them was set down his age
+and the day of his birth, on another the name of the Great Bear God.
+Grains of incense and pearls were scattered over it. The candles in
+the room burned dimly, and the incense in the censers was paling to
+ash. The slave-girls lay huddled up, round about, asleep. I could have
+drawn out their hair-pins and raised their robes and they would not
+have awakened. Your relative's life was in my hand, but I could not
+bring myself to kill him. So I took the golden canister and returned.
+The water-clock marked the third hour when I had finished my journey.
+Now you must have a swift horse saddled quickly, and must send a man
+to Webo to take back the golden canister. Then the Lord of Webo will
+come to his senses, and will give up his plans of conquest."
+
+The Count of Ludschou at once ordered an officer to ride to Webo as
+swiftly as possible. He rode all day long and half the night and
+finally arrived. In Webo every one was excited because of the loss of
+the golden canister. They were searching the whole camp rigorously.
+The messenger knocked at the gate with his riding-whip, and insisted
+on seeing the Lord of Webo. Since he came at so unusual an hour the
+Lord of Webo guessed that he was bringing important information, and
+left his room to receive the messenger. The latter handed him a letter
+which said: "Last night a stranger from Webo came to us. He informed
+us that with his own hands he had taken a golden canister from beside
+your bed. I have not ventured to keep it and hence am sending it back
+to you by messenger." When the Lord of Webo saw the golden canister he
+was much frightened. He took the messenger into his own room, treated
+him to a splendid meal, and rewarded him generously.
+
+On the following day he sent the messenger back again, and gave him
+thirty thousand bales of silk and a team of four horses along as a
+present for his master. He also wrote a letter to the Count of
+Ludschou:
+
+"My life was in your hand. I thank you for having spared me, regret my
+evil intentions and will improve. From this time forward peace and
+friendship shall ever unite us, and I will let no thought to the
+contrary enter my mind. The citizen soldiery I have gathered I will
+use only as a protection against robbers. I have already disarmed the
+men and sent them back to their work in the fields."
+
+And thenceforward the heartiest friendship existed between the two
+relatives North and South of the Yellow River.
+
+One day the slave-girl came and wished to take leave of her master.
+
+"In my former existence," said the slave-girl, "I was a man. I was a
+physician and helped the sick. Once upon a time I gave a little child
+a poison to drink by mistake instead of a healing draught, and the
+child died. This led the Lord of Death to punish me, and I came to
+earth again in the shape of a slave-girl. Yet I remembered my former
+life, tried to do well in my new surroundings, and even found a rare
+teacher who taught me the swordsman's art. Already I have served you
+for nineteen years. I went to Webo for you in order to repay your
+kindness. And I have succeeded in shaping matters so that you are
+living at peace with your relatives again, and thus have saved the
+lives of thousands of people. For a weak woman this is a real service,
+sufficient to absolve me of my original fault. Now I shall retire from
+the world and dwell among the silent hills, in order to labor for
+sanctity with a clean heart. Perhaps I may thus succeed in returning
+to my former condition of life. So I beg of you to let me depart!"
+
+The count saw that it would not be right to detain her any longer. So
+he prepared a great banquet, invited a number of guests to the
+farewell meal, and many a famous knight sat down to the board. And all
+honored her with toasts and poems.
+
+The count could no longer hide his emotion, and the slave-girl also
+bowed before him and wept. Then she secretly left the banquet-hall,
+and no human being ever discovered whither she had gone.
+
+    Note: This motive of the intelligent slave-girl also
+    occurs in the story of the three empires. "On her
+    forehead she wrote the name of the Great God": Regarding
+    this god, Tai I, the Great One, compare annotation to
+    No. 18. The God of the Great Bear, i.e., of the
+    constellation. The letters which are exchanged are quite
+    as noticeable for what is implied between the lines, as
+    for what is actually set down.
+
+
+
+
+LXVIII
+
+YANG GUI FE
+
+
+The favorite wife of the emperor Ming Huang of the Tang dynasty was
+the celebrated Yang Gui Fe. She so enchanted him by her beauty that he
+did whatever she wished him to do. But she brought her cousin to the
+court, a gambler and a drinker, and because of him the people began to
+murmur against the emperor. Finally a revolt broke out, and the
+emperor was obliged to flee. He fled with his entire court to the land
+of the four rivers.
+
+But when they reached a certain pass his own soldiers mutinied. They
+shouted that Yang Gui Fe's cousin was to blame for all, and that he
+must die or they would go no further. The emperor did not know what to
+do. At last the cousin was delivered up to the soldiers and was slain.
+But still they were not satisfied.
+
+"As long as Yang Gui Fe is alive she will do all in her power to
+punish us for the death of her cousin, so she must die as well!"
+
+Sobbing, she fled to the emperor. He wept bitterly and endeavored to
+protect her; but the soldiers grew more and more violent. Finally she
+was hung from a pear-tree by a eunuch.
+
+The emperor longed so greatly for Yang Gui Fe that he ceased to eat,
+and could no longer sleep. Then one of his eunuchs told him of a man
+named Yang Shi Wu, who was able to call up the spirits of the
+departed. The emperor sent for him and Yang Shi Wu appeared.
+
+That very evening he recited his magic incantations, and his soul left
+its body to go in search of Yang Gui Fe. First he went to the Nether
+World, where the shades of the departed dwell. Yet no matter how much
+he looked and asked he could find no trace of her. Then he ascended to
+the highest heaven, where sun, moon and stars make their rounds, and
+looked for her in empty space. Yet she was not to be found there,
+either. So he came back and told the emperor of his experience. The
+emperor was dissatisfied and said: "Yang Gui Fe's beauty was divine.
+How can it be possible that she had no soul!"
+
+The magician answered: "Between hill and valley and amid the silent
+ravines dwell the blessed. I will go back once more and search for her
+there."
+
+So he wandered about on the five holy hills, by the four great rivers
+and through the islands of the sea. He went everywhere, and finally
+came to fairyland.
+
+The fairy said: "Yang Gui Fe has become a blessed spirit and dwells in
+the great south palace!"
+
+So the magician went there and knocked on the door. A maiden came out
+and asked what he wanted, and he told her that the emperor had sent
+him to look for her mistress. She let him in. The way led through
+broad gardens filled with flowers of jade and trees of coral, giving
+forth the sweetest of odors. Finally they reached a high tower, and
+the maiden raised the curtain hanging before a door. The magician
+kneeled and looked up. And there he saw Yang Gui Fe sitting on a
+throne, adorned with an emerald headdress and furs of yellow swans'
+down. Her face glowed with rosy color, yet her forehead was wrinkled
+with care.
+
+She said: "Well do I know the emperor longs for me! But for me there
+is no path leading back to the world of men! Before my birth I was a
+blessed sky-fairy, and the emperor was a blessed spirit as well. Even
+then we loved each other dearly. Then, when the emperor was sent down
+to earth by the Lord of the Heavens, I, too, descended to earth and
+found him there among men. In twelve years' time we will meet again.
+Once, on the evening of the seventh day, when we stood looking up at
+the Weaving Maiden and the Herd Boy, we swore eternal love. The
+emperor had a ring, which he broke in two. One half he gave to me, the
+other he kept himself. Take this half of mine, bring it to the
+emperor, and tell him not to forget the words we said to each other in
+secret that evening. And tell him not to grieve too greatly because of
+me!"
+
+With that she gave him the ring, with difficulty suppressing her
+sobs. The magician brought back the ring with him. At sight of it the
+emperor's grief broke out anew.
+
+He said: "What we said to each other that evening no one else has ever
+learned! And now you bring me back her ring! By that sign I know that
+your words are true and that my beloved has really become a blessed
+spirit."
+
+Then he kept the ring and rewarded the magician lavishly.
+
+    Note: The emperor Ming Huang of the Tang dynasty ruled
+    from 713 to 756 A.D. The introduction to the tale is
+    historical. The "land of the four rivers" is Setchuan.
+
+
+
+
+LXIX
+
+THE MONK OF THE YANGTZE-KIANG
+
+
+Buddhism took its rise in southern India, on the island of Ceylon. It
+was there that the son of a Brahminic king lived, who had left his
+home in his youth, and had renounced all wishes and all sensation.
+With the greatest renunciation of self he did penance so that all
+living creatures might be saved. In the course of time he gained the
+hidden knowledge and was called Buddha.
+
+In the days of the Emperor Ming Di, of the dynasty of the Eastern
+Hans, a golden glow was seen in the West, a glow which flashed and
+shone without interruption.
+
+One night the emperor dreamed that he saw a golden saint, twenty feet
+in height, barefoot, his head shaven, and clothed in Indian garb
+enter his room, who said to him: "I am the saint from the West! My
+gospel must be spread in the East!"
+
+When the ruler awoke he wondered about this dream, and sent out
+messengers to the lands of the West in order to find out what it
+meant.
+
+Thus it was that the gospel of Buddha came to China, and continued to
+gain in influence up to the time of the Tang dynasty. At that time,
+from emperors and kings down to the peasants in the villages, the wise
+and the ignorant alike were filled with reverence for Buddha. But
+under the last two dynasties his gospel came to be more and more
+neglected. In these days the Buddhist monks run to the houses of the
+rich, read their sutras and pray for pay. And one hears nothing of the
+great saints of the days gone by.
+
+At the time of the Emperor Tai Dsung, of the Tang dynasty, it once
+happened that a great drought reigned in the land, so that the emperor
+and all his officials erected altars everywhere in order to plead for
+rain.
+
+Then the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea talked with the Dragon of the
+Milky Way and said: "To-day they are praying for rain on earth below.
+The Lord of the Heavens has granted the prayer of the King of Tang.
+To-morrow you must let three inches of rain fall!"
+
+"No, I must let only two inches of rain fall," said the old dragon.
+
+So the two dragons made a wager, and the one who lost promised as a
+punishment to turn into a mud salamander.
+
+The following day the Highest Lord suddenly issued an order saying
+that the Dragon of the Milky Way was to instruct the wind and cloud
+spirits to send down three inches of rain upon the earth. To
+contradict this command was out of the question.
+
+But the old dragon thought to himself: "It seems that the Dragon-King
+had a better idea of what was going to happen than I had, yet it is
+altogether too humiliating to have to turn into a mud salamander!" So
+he let only two inches of rain fall, and reported back to the heavenly
+court that the command had been carried out.
+
+Yet the Emperor Tai Dsung then offered a prayer of thanks to heaven.
+In it he said: "The precious fluid was bestowed upon us to the extent
+of two inches of depth. We beg submissively that more may be sent
+down, so that the parched crops may recover!"
+
+When the Lord of the Heavens read this prayer he was very angry and
+said: "The criminal Dragon of the Milky Way has dared diminish the
+rain which I had ordered. He cannot be suffered to continue his guilty
+life. So We Dschong, who is a general among men on earth, shall behead
+him, as an example for all living beings."
+
+In the evening the Emperor Tai Dsung had a dream. He saw a giant enter
+his room, who pleaded with hardly restrained tears: "Save me, O
+Emperor! Because of my own accord I diminished the rainfall, the Lord
+of the Heavens, in his anger, has commanded that We Dschong behead me
+to-morrow at noon. If you will only prevent We Dschong from falling
+asleep at that time, and pray that I may be saved, misfortune once
+more may pass me by!"
+
+The emperor promised, and the other bowed and left him.
+
+The following day the emperor sent for We Dschong. They drank tea
+together and played chess.
+
+Toward noon We Dschong suddenly grew tired and sleepy; but he did not
+dare take his leave. The emperor, however, since one of his pawns had
+been taken, fixed his gaze for a moment on the chess-board and
+pondered, and before he knew it We Dschong was already snoring with a
+noise like a distant thunder. The emperor was much frightened, and
+hastily called out to him; but he did not awake. Then he had two
+eunuchs shake him, but a long time passed before he could be aroused.
+
+"How did you come to fall asleep so suddenly!" asked the emperor.
+
+"I dreamed," replied We Dschong, "that the Highest God had commanded
+me to behead the old dragon. I have just hewn off his head, and my arm
+still aches from the exertion."
+
+And before he had even finished speaking a dragon's head, as large as
+a bushel-measure, suddenly fell down out of the air. The emperor was
+terribly frightened and rose.
+
+"I have sinned against the old dragon," said he. Then he retired to
+the inner chambers of his palace and was confused in mind. He remained
+lying on his couch, closed his eyes, said not a word, and breathed but
+faintly.
+
+Suddenly he saw two persons in purple robes who had a summons in their
+hands. They spoke to him as follows: "The old Dragon of the Milky Way
+has complained against the emperor in the Nether World. We beg that
+you will have the chariot harnessed!"
+
+Instinctively the emperor followed them, and in the courtyard there
+stood his chariot before the castle, ready and waiting. The emperor
+entered it, and off they went flying through the air. In a moment they
+had reached the city of the dead. When he entered he saw the Lord of
+the High Mountain sitting in the midst of the city, with the ten
+princes of the Nether World in rows at his right and left. They all
+rose, bowed to him and bade him be seated.
+
+Then the Lord of the High Mountain said: "The old Dragon of the Milky
+Way has really committed a deed which deserved punishment. Yet Your
+Majesty has promised to beg the Highest God to spare him, which prayer
+would probably have saved the old dragon's life. And that this matter
+was neglected over the chess-board might well be accounted a mistake.
+Now the old dragon complains to me without ceasing. When I think of
+how he has striven to gain sainthood for more than a thousand years,
+and must now fall back into the cycle of transformations, I am really
+depressed. It is for this reason I have called together the princes of
+the ten pits of the Nether World, to find a way out of the difficulty,
+and have invited Your Majesty to come here to discuss the matter. In
+heaven, on earth and in the Nether World only the gospel of Buddha has
+no limits. Hence, when you return to earth great sacrifices should be
+made to the three and thirty lords of the heavens. Three thousand six
+hundred holy priests of Buddha must read the sutras in order to
+deliver the old dragon so that he may rise again to the skies, and
+keep his original form. But the writings and readings of men will not
+be enough to ensure this. It will be necessary to go to the Western
+Heavens and thence bring words of truth."
+
+This the emperor agreed to, and the Lord of the Great Mountain and the
+ten princes of the Nether World rose and said as they bowed to him:
+"We beg that you will now return!"
+
+Suddenly Tai Dsung opened his eyes again, and there he was lying on
+his imperial couch. Then he made public the fact that he was at fault,
+and had the holiest among the priests of Buddha sent for to fetch the
+sutras from the Western Heavens. And it was Huan Dschuang, the Monk of
+the Yangtze-kiang, who in obedience to this order, appeared at court.
+
+The name of this Huan Dschuang had originally been Tschen. His father
+had passed the highest examinations during the reign of the preceding
+emperor, and had been intrusted with the office of district mandarin
+on the Yangtze-kiang. He set out with his wife for this new district,
+but when their ship reached the Yellow River it fell in with a band of
+robbers. Their captain slew the whole retinue, threw father Tschen
+into the river, took his wife and the document appointing him
+mandarin, went to the district capital under an assumed name and took
+charge of it. All the serving-men whom he took along were members of
+his robber-band. Tschen's wife, however, together with her little boy,
+he imprisoned in a tower room. And all the servants who attended her
+were in the confidence of the robbers.
+
+Now below the tower was a little pond, and in this pond rose a spring
+which flowed beneath the walls to the Yellow River. So one day
+Tschen's wife took a little basket of bamboo, pasted up the cracks and
+laid her little boy in the basket. Then she cut her finger, wrote down
+the day and hour of the boy's birth on a strip of silk paper with the
+blood, and added that the boy must come and rescue her when he had
+reached the age of twelve. She placed the strip of silk paper beside
+the boy in the basket, and at night, when no one was about, she put
+the basket in the pond. The current carried it away to the
+Yangtze-kiang, and once there it drifted on as far as the monastery on
+the Golden Hill, which is an island lying in the middle of the river.
+There a priest who had come to draw water found it. He fished it out
+and took it to the monastery.
+
+When the abbot saw what had been written in blood, he ordered his
+priests and novices to say nothing about it to any one. And he brought
+up the boy in the monastery.
+
+When the latter had reached the age of five, he was taught to read the
+holy books. The boy was more intelligent than any of his
+fellow-students, soon grasped the meaning of the sacred writings, and
+entered more and more deeply into their secrets. So he was allowed to
+take the vows, and when his head had been shaven was named: "The Monk
+of the Yangtze-kiang."
+
+By the time he was twelve he was as large and strong as a grown man.
+The abbot, who knew of the duty he still had to perform, had him
+called to a quiet room. There he drew forth the letter written in
+blood and gave it to him.
+
+When the monk had read it he flung himself down on the ground and wept
+bitterly. Thereupon he thanked the abbot for all that the latter had
+done for him. He set out for the city in which his mother dwelt, ran
+around the yamen of the mandarin, beat upon the wooden fish and cried:
+"Deliverance from all suffering! Deliverance from all suffering!"
+
+After the robber who had slain his father had slipped into the post he
+held by false pretences, he had taken care to strengthen his position
+by making powerful friends. He even allowed Tschen's wife, who had now
+been a prisoner for some ten years, a little more liberty.
+
+On that day official business had kept him abroad. The woman was
+sitting at home, and when she heard the wooden fish beaten so
+insistently before the door and heard the words of deliverance, the
+voice of her heart cried out in her. She sent out the serving-maid to
+call in the priest. He came in by the back door, and when she saw that
+he resembled his father in every feature, she could no longer restrain
+herself, but burst into tears. Then the monk of the Yangtze-kiang
+realized that this was his mother and he took the bloody writing out
+and gave it to her.
+
+She stroked it and said amid sobs: "My father is a high official, who
+has retired from affairs and dwells in the capital. But I have been
+unable to write to him, because this robber guarded me so closely. So
+I kept alive as well as I could, waiting for you to come. Now hurry to
+the capital for the sake of your father's memory, and if his honor is
+made clear then I can die in peace. But you must hasten so that no one
+finds out about it."
+
+The monk then went off quickly. First he went back to his cloister to
+bid farewell to his abbot; and then he set out for Sianfu, the
+capital.
+
+Yet by that time his grandfather had already died. But one of his
+uncles, who was known at court, was still living. He took soldiers and
+soon made an end of the robbers. But the monk's mother had died in the
+meantime.
+
+From that time on, the Monk of the Yangtze-kiang lived in a pagoda in
+Sianfu, and was known as Huan Dschuang. When the emperor issued the
+order calling the priests of Buddha to court, he was some twenty years
+of age. He came into the emperor's presence, and the latter honored
+him as a great teacher. Then he set out for India.
+
+He was absent for seventeen years. When he returned he brought three
+collections of books with him, and each collection comprised
+five-hundred and forty rolls of manuscript. With these he once more
+entered the presence of the emperor. The emperor was overjoyed, and
+with his own hand wrote a preface of the holy teachings, in which he
+recorded all that had happened. Then the great sacrifice was held to
+deliver the old Dragon of the Milky Way.
+
+    Note: The emperor Tai Dsung is Li Schi Min, the Prince
+    of Tang mentioned in No. 65. He was the most glorious
+    and splendid of all Chinese rulers. The "Dragon-King of
+    the Eastern Sea" has appeared frequently in these
+    fairy-tales. As regards the "Lord of the High Mountain,"
+    and the ten princes of the Nether World, comp. Nos. 38
+    and 50. The Highest Lord is Yu Huang, the Lord of Jade
+    or of Nephrite. Huan Dschuang was originally known as
+    Tschen. Regarding his father's fate subsequent to his
+    being drowned, and that of his sons in the spirit-world
+    see No. 24. The "bamboo basket" is a Moses motive which
+    occurs in other Chinese fairy-tales. "The Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang" is, literally, (in Chinese, Giang Liu Ho
+    Schang) "The monk washed ashore by the stream." "Wooden
+    fish": A hollow piece of wood in the form of a fish,
+    which is beaten by the Buddhists as sign of
+    watchfulness. Three collections of books--the Tripitaka.
+    As regards one of the legendary companions of Huan
+    Dschuang on his journey, see No. 74.
+
+
+
+
+LITERARY FAIRY TALES
+
+
+
+
+LXX
+
+THE HEARTLESS HUSBAND
+
+
+In olden times Hanchow was the capital of Southern China, and for that
+reason a great number of beggars had gathered there. These beggars
+were in the habit of electing a leader, who was officially entrusted
+with the supervision of all begging in the town. It was his duty to
+see that the beggars did not molest the townsfolk, and he received a
+tenth of their income from all his beggar subjects. When it snowed or
+rained, and the beggars could not go out to beg, he had to see to it
+that they had something to eat, and he also had to conduct their
+weddings and funerals. And the beggars obeyed him in all things.
+
+Well, it happened that there was a beggar king of this sort in Hanchow
+by the name of Gin, in whose family the office had been handed down
+from father to son for seven generations. What they had taken in by
+way of beggars' pence they had lent out on interest, and so the family
+had gradually become well-to-do, and finally even rich.
+
+The old beggar-king had lost his wife at the age of fifty. But he had
+an only child, a girl who was called "Little Golden Daughter." She had
+a face of rare beauty and was the jewel of his love. She had been
+versed in the lore of books from her youth up, and could write,
+improvise poems and compose essays. She was also experienced in
+needlework, a skilled dancer and singer, and could play the flute and
+zither. The old beggar-king above all else wanted her to have a
+scholar for a husband. Yet because he was a beggar-king the
+distinguished families avoided him, and with those who were of less
+standing than himself he did not wish to have anything to do. So it
+came about that Little Golden Daughter had reached the age of eighteen
+without being betrothed.
+
+Now at that time there dwelt in Hanchow, near the Bridge of Peace, a
+scholar by the name of Mosu. He was twenty years of age, and
+universally popular because of his beauty and talent. His parents were
+both dead, and he was so poor that he could hardly manage to keep
+alive. His house and lot had long since been mortgaged or sold, and he
+lived in an abandoned temple, and many a day passed at whose end he
+went hungry to bed.
+
+A neighbor took pity on him and said to him one day: "The beggar-king
+has a child named Little Golden Daughter, who is beautiful beyond all
+telling. And the beggar-king is rich and has money, but no son to
+inherit it. If you wish to marry into his family his whole fortune
+would in the end come to you. Is that not better than dying of hunger
+as a poor scholar?"
+
+At that time Mosu was in dire extremity. Hence, when he heard these
+words he was greatly pleased. He begged the neighbor to act as a
+go-between in the matter.
+
+So the latter visited the old beggar-king and talked with him, and the
+beggar-king talked over the matter with Little Golden Daughter, and
+since Mosu came from a good family and was, in addition, talented and
+learned, and had no objection to marrying into their family, they were
+both much pleased with the prospect. So they agreed to the proposal,
+and the two were married.
+
+So Mosu became a member of the beggar-king's family. He was happy in
+his wife's beauty, always had enough to eat and good clothes to wear.
+So he thought himself lucky beyond his deserts, and lived with his
+wife in peace and happiness.
+
+The beggar-king and his daughter, to whom their low estate was a thorn
+in the flesh, admonished Mosu to be sure to study hard. They hoped
+that he would make a name for himself and thus reflect glory on their
+family as well. They bought books for him, old and new, at the highest
+prices, and they always supplied him liberally with money so that he
+could move in aristocratic circles. They also paid his examination
+expenses. So his learning increased day by day, and the fame of it
+spread through the entire district. He passed one examination after
+another in rapid succession, and at the age of twenty-three was
+appointed mandarin of the district of Wu We. He returned from his
+audience with the emperor in ceremonial robes, high on horseback.
+
+Mosu had been born in Hanchow, so the whole town soon knew that he had
+passed his examination successfully, and the townsfolk crowded
+together on both sides of the street to look at him as he rode to his
+father-in-law's house. Old and young, women and children gathered to
+enjoy the show, and some idle loafer called out in a loud voice:
+
+"The old beggar's son-in-law has become a mandarin!"
+
+Mosu blushed with shame when he heard these words. Speechless and out
+of sorts he seated himself in his room. But the old beggar-king in the
+joy of his heart did not notice his ill humor. He had a great
+festival banquet prepared, to which he invited all his neighbors and
+good friends. But most of the invited guests were beggars and poor
+folk, and he insisted that Mosu eat with them. With much difficulty
+Mosu was induced to leave his room. Yet when he saw the guests
+gathered around the table, as ragged and dirty as a horde of hungry
+devils, he retired again with disdain. Little Golden Daughter, who
+realized how he felt, tried to cheer him up again in a hundred and one
+ways, but all in vain.
+
+A few days later Mosu, with his wife and servants, set out for the new
+district he was to govern. One goes from Hanchow to Wu We by water. So
+they entered a ship and sailed out to the Yangtze-kiang. At the end of
+the first day they reached a city where they anchored. The night was
+clear and the moonrays glittered on the water, and Mosu sat in the
+front part of the ship enjoying the moonlight. Suddenly he chanced to
+think of the old beggar-king. It was true that his wife was wise and
+good, but should heaven happen to bless them with children, these
+children would always be the beggar's nephews and nieces, and there
+was no way of preventing such a disgrace. And thus thinking a plan
+occurred to him. He called Little Golden Daughter out of the cabin to
+come and enjoy the moonlight, and she came out to him happily. Men
+servants and maid servants and all the sailors had long since gone to
+sleep. He looked about him on all sides, but there was no one to be
+seen. Little Golden Daughter was standing at the front of the ship,
+thinking no evil, when a hand suddenly thrust her into the water. Then
+Mosu pretended to be frightened, and began to call out: "My wife made
+a misstep and has fallen into the water!"
+
+And when they heard his words, the servants hurried up and wanted to
+fish her out.
+
+But Mosu said: "She has already been carried away by the current, so
+you need not trouble yourselves!" Then he gave orders to set sail
+again as soon as possible.
+
+Now who would have thought that owing to a fortunate chance, Sir Hu,
+the mandarin in charge of the transportation system of the province,
+was also about to take charge of his department, and had anchored in
+the same place. He was sitting with his wife at the open window of the
+ship's cabin, enjoying the moonlight and the cool breeze.
+
+Suddenly he heard some one crying on the shore, and it sounded to him
+like a girl's voice. He quickly sent people to assist her, and they
+brought her aboard. It was Little Golden Daughter.
+
+When she had fallen into the water, she had felt something beneath her
+feet which held her up so that she did not sink. And she had been
+carried along by the current to the river-bank, where she crept out of
+the water. And then she realized that her husband, now that he had
+become distinguished, had forgotten how poor he had been, and for all
+she had not been drowned, she felt very lonely and abandoned, and
+before she knew it her tears began to flow. So when Sir Hu asked her
+what was the matter, she told him the whole story. Sir Hu comforted
+her.
+
+"You must not shed another tear," said he. "If you care to become my
+adopted daughter, we will take care of you."
+
+Little Golden Daughter bowed her thanks. But Hu's wife ordered her
+maids to bring other clothes to take the place of the wet ones, and to
+prepare a bed for her. The servants were strictly bidden to call her
+"Miss," and to say nothing of what had occurred.
+
+So the journey continued and in a few days' time Sir Hu entered upon
+his official duties. Wu We, where Mosu was district mandarin, was
+subject to his rule, and the latter made his appearance in order to
+visit his official superior. When Sir Hu saw Mosu he thought to
+himself: "What a pity that so highly gifted a man should act in so
+heartless a manner!"
+
+When a few months had passed, Sir Hu said to his subordinates: "I have
+a daughter who is very pretty and good, and would like to find a
+son-in-law to marry into my family. Do you know of any one who might
+answer?"
+
+His subordinates all knew that Mosu was young and had lost his wife.
+So they unanimously suggested him.
+
+Sir Hu replied: "I have also thought of that gentleman, but he is
+young and has risen very rapidly. I am afraid he has loftier
+ambitions, and would not care to marry into my family and become my
+son-in-law."
+
+"He was originally poor," answered his people, "and he is your
+subordinate. Should you care to show him a kindness of this sort, he
+will be sure to accept it joyfully, and will not object to marrying
+into your family."
+
+"Well, if you all believe it can be done," said Sir Hu, "then pay him
+a visit and find out what he thinks about it. But you must not say
+that I have sent you."
+
+Mosu, who was just then reflecting how he might win Sir Hu's favor,
+took up the suggestion with pleasure, and urgently begged them to act
+as his go-between in the matter, promising them a rich reward when the
+connection was established.
+
+So they went back again and reported to Sir Hu.
+
+He said: "I am much pleased that the gentleman in question does not
+disdain this marriage. But my wife and I are extremely fond of this
+daughter of ours, and we can hardly resign ourselves to giving her up.
+Sir Mosu is young and aristocratic, and our little daughter has been
+spoiled. If he were to ill-treat her, or at some future time were to
+regret having married into our family, my wife and I would be
+inconsolable. For this reason everything must be clearly understood in
+advance. Only if he positively agrees to do these things would I be
+able to receive him into my family."
+
+Mosu was informed of all these conditions, and declared himself ready
+to accept them. Then he brought gold and pearls and colored silks to
+Sir Hu's daughter as wedding gifts, and a lucky day was chosen for the
+wedding. Sir Hu charged his wife to talk to Little Golden Daughter.
+
+"Your adopted father," said she, "feels sorry for you, because you are
+lonely, and therefore has picked out a young scholar for you to
+marry."
+
+But Little Golden Daughter replied: "It is true that I am of humble
+birth, yet I know what is fitting. It chances that I agreed to cast my
+lot with Mosu for better or for worse. And though he has shown me but
+little kindness, I will marry no other man so long as he lives. I
+cannot bring myself to form another union and break my troth."
+
+And thus speaking the tears poured from her eyes. When Sir Hu's wife
+saw that nothing would alter her resolve, she told her how matters
+really stood.
+
+"Your adopted father," said she, "is indignant at Mosu's
+heartlessness. And although he will see to it that you meet again, he
+has said nothing to Mosu which would lead him to believe that you are
+not our own daughter. Therefore Mosu was delighted to marry you. But
+when the wedding is celebrated this evening, you must do thus and so,
+in order that he may taste your just anger."
+
+When she had heard all this, Little Golden Daughter dried her tears,
+and thanked her adopted parents. Then she adorned herself for the
+wedding.
+
+The same day, late at evening, Mosu came to the house wearing golden
+flowers on his hat, and a red scarf across his breast, riding on a
+gaily trapped horse, and followed by a great retinue. All his friends
+and acquaintances came with him in order to be present at the festival
+celebration.
+
+In Sir Hu's house everything had been adorned with colored cloths and
+lanterns. Mosu dismounted from his horse at the entrance of the hall.
+Here Sir Hu had spread a festival banquet to which Mosu and his
+friends were led. And when the goblet had made the rounds three times,
+serving-maids came and invited Mosu to follow them to the inner rooms.
+The bride, veiled in a red veil, was led in by two maid-servants.
+Following the injunctions of the master of the ceremony, they
+worshiped heaven and earth together, and then the parents-in-law.
+Thereupon they went into another apartment. Here brightly colored
+candles were burning, and a wedding dinner had been prepared. Mosu
+felt as happy as though he had been raised to the seventh heaven.
+
+But when he wanted to leave the room, seven or eight maids with bamboo
+canes in their hands appeared at each side of the door, and began to
+beat him without mercy. They knocked his bridal hat from his head, and
+then the blows rained down upon his back and shoulders. When Mosu
+cried for help he heard a delicate voice say: "You need not kill that
+heartless bridegroom of mine completely! Ask him to come in and greet
+me!"
+
+Then the maids stopped beating him, and gathered about the bride, who
+removed her bridal veil.
+
+Mosu bowed with lowered head and said: "But what have I done?"
+
+Yet when he raised his eyes he saw that none other than his wife,
+Little Golden Daughter, was standing before him.
+
+He started with fright and cried: "A ghost, a ghost!" But all the
+servants broke out into loud laughter.
+
+At last Sir Hu and his wife came in, and the former said: "My dear
+son-in-law, you may rest assured that my adopted daughter, who came to
+me while I was on my way to this place, is no ghost."
+
+Then Mosu hastily fell on his knees and answered: "I have sinned and
+beg for mercy!" And he kowtowed without end.
+
+"With that I have nothing to do," remarked Sir Hu, "if our little
+daughter only gets along well with you, then all will be in order."
+
+But Little Golden Daughter said: "You heartless scoundrel! In the
+beginning you were poor and needy. We took you into our family, and
+let you study so that you might become somebody, and make a name for
+yourself. But no sooner had you become a mandarin and a man of
+standing, than your love turned into enmity, and you forgot your duty
+as a husband and pushed me into the river. Fortunately, I found my
+dear adopted parents thereby. They fished me out, and made me their
+own child, otherwise I would have found a grave in the bellies of the
+fishes. How can I honorably live again with such a man as you?"
+
+With these words she began to lament loudly, and she called him one
+hard-hearted scoundrel after another.
+
+Mosu lay before her, speechless with shame, and begged her to forgive
+him.
+
+Now when Sir Hu noticed that Little Golden Daughter had sufficiently
+relieved herself by her scolding, he helped Mosu up and said to him:
+"My dear son-in-law, if you repent of your misdeed, Little Golden
+Daughter will gradually cease to be angry. Of course you are an old
+married couple; yet as you have renewed your vows this evening in my
+house, kindly do me a favor and listen to what I have to say: You,
+Mosu, are weighed with a heavy burden of guilt, and for that reason
+you must not resent your wife's being somewhat indignant, but must
+have patience with her. I will call in my wife to make peace between
+you."
+
+With these words Sir Hu went out and sent in his wife who finally,
+after a great deal of difficulty, succeeded in reconciling the two, so
+that they agreed once more to take up life as husband and wife.
+
+And they esteemed and loved each other twice as much as they had
+before. Their life was all happiness and joy. And later, when Sir Hu
+and his wife died, they mourned for them as if in truth they had been
+their own parents.
+
+    Note: "To marry into": as a rule the wife enters the
+    home of her husband's parents. But when there is no male
+    heir, it is arranged that the son-in-law continues the
+    family of his wife's parents, and lives in their home.
+    The custom is still very prevalent in Japan, but it is
+    not considered very honorable in China to enter into a
+    strange family in this way. It is characteristic that
+    Mosu, as a punishment for disdaining to "marry into" a
+    family the first time, is obliged to "marry into" a
+    second time, the family of Sir Hu.
+
+    The costume here described is still the wedding-costume
+    of China. "Little Golden Daughter" said: "You heartless
+    scoundrel!"; despite her faithfulness, in accordance
+    with Chinese custom, she is obliged to show her anger
+    over his faithlessness; this is necessary before the
+    matter can be properly adjusted, so that she may
+    "preserve her face."
+
+
+
+
+LXXI
+
+GIAUNA THE BEAUTIFUL
+
+
+Once upon a time there was a descendant of Confucius. His father had a
+friend, and this friend held an official position in the South and
+offered the young man a place as secretary. But when the latter
+reached the town where he was to have been active, he found that his
+father's friend had already died. Then he was much embarrassed, seeing
+that he did not have the means to return home again. So he was glad to
+take refuge in the Monastery of Puto, where he copied holy books for
+the abbot.
+
+About a hundred paces west of the monastery stood a deserted house.
+One day there had been a great snowfall, and as young Kung
+accidentally passed by the door of the house, he noticed a well
+dressed and prepossessing youth standing there who bowed to him and
+begged him to approach. Now young Kung was a scholar, and could
+appreciate good manners. Finding that the youth and himself had much
+in common, he took a liking to him, and followed him into the house.
+It was immaculately clean; silk curtains hung before the doors, and on
+the walls were pictures of good old masters. On a table lay a book
+entitled: "Tales of the Coral Ring." Coral Ring was the name of a
+cavern.
+
+Once upon a time there lived a monk at Puto who was exceedingly
+learned. An aged man had led him into the cave in question, where he
+had seen a number of volumes on the book stands. The aged man had
+said: "These are the histories of the various dynasties." In a second
+room were to be found the histories of all the peoples on earth. A
+third was guarded by two dogs. The aged man explained: "In this room
+are kept the secret reports of the immortals, telling the arts by
+means of which they gained eternal life. The two dogs are two
+dragons." The monk turned the pages of the books, and found that they
+were all works of ancient times, such as he had never seen before. He
+would gladly have remained in the cave, but the old man said: "That
+would not do!" and a boy led him out again. The name of that cave,
+however, was the Coral Ring, and it was described in the volume which
+lay on the table.
+
+The youth questioned Kung regarding his name and family, and the
+latter told him his whole history. The youth pitied him greatly and
+advised him to open a school.
+
+Kung answered with a sigh: "I am quite unknown in the neighborhood,
+and have no one to recommend me!"
+
+Said the youth: "If you do not consider me altogether too unworthy and
+stupid, I should like to be your pupil myself."
+
+Young Kung was overjoyed. "I should not dare to attempt to teach you,"
+he replied, "but together we might dedicate ourselves to the study of
+science." He then asked why the house had been standing empty for so
+long.
+
+The youth answered: "The owner of the house has gone to the country.
+We come from Shensi, and have taken the house for a short time. We
+only moved in a few days ago."
+
+They chatted and joked together gaily, and the young man invited Kung
+to remain overnight, ordering a small boy to light a pan of charcoal.
+
+Then he stepped rapidly into the rear room and soon returned saying:
+"My father has come."
+
+As Kung rose an aged man with a long, white beard and eyebrows stepped
+into the room and said, greeting him: "You have already declared your
+willingness to instruct my son, and I am grateful for your kindness.
+But you must be strict with him and not treat him as a friend."
+
+Then he had garments of silk, a fur cap, and shoes and socks of fur
+brought in, and begged Kung to change his clothes. Wine and food were
+then served. The cushions and covers of the tables and chairs were
+made of stuffs unknown to Kung, and their shimmering radiance blinded
+the eye. The aged man retired after a few beakers of wine, and then
+the youth showed Kung his essays. They were all written in the style
+of the old masters and not in the new-fangled eight-section form.
+
+When he was asked about this, the youth said with a smile: "I am quite
+indifferent to winning success at the state examinations!" Then he
+turned to the small boy and said: "See whether the old gentleman has
+already fallen asleep. If he has, you may quietly bring in little
+Hiang-Nu."
+
+The boy went off, and the youth took a lute from an embroidered case.
+At once a serving-maid entered, dressed in red, and surpassingly
+beautiful. The youth bade her sing "The Lament of the Beloved," and
+her melting tones moved the heart. The third watch of the night had
+passed before they retired to sleep.
+
+On the following morning all rose early and study began. The youth was
+exceptionally gifted. Whatever he had seen but once was graven in his
+memory. Hence he made surprising progress in the course of a few
+months. The old custom was followed of writing an essay every five
+days, and celebrating its completion with a little banquet. And at
+each banquet Hiang-Nu was sent for.
+
+One evening Kung could not remove his glance from Hiang-Nu. The youth
+guessed his thoughts and said to him: "You are as yet unmarried. Early
+and late I keep thinking as to how I can provide you with a charming
+life companion. Hiang-Nu is the serving-maid of my father, so I cannot
+give her to you."
+
+Said Kung: "I am grateful to you for your friendly thought. But if the
+girl you have in mind is not just as beautiful as Hiang-Nu, then I
+would rather do without."
+
+The youth laughed: "You are indeed inexperienced if you think that
+Hiang-Nu is beautiful. Your wish is easily fulfilled."
+
+Thus half a year went by and the monotonous rainy season had just
+began. Then a swelling the size of a peach developed in young Kung's
+breast, which increased over night until it was as large as a tea-cup.
+He lay on his couch groaning with pain, and unable to eat or to sleep.
+The youth was busy day and night nursing him, and even the old
+gentleman asked how he was getting along.
+
+Then the youth said: "My little sister Giauna alone is able to cure
+this illness. Please send to grandmother, and have her brought here!"
+
+The old gentleman was willing, and he sent off his boy.
+
+The next day the boy came back with the news that Giauna would come,
+together with her aunt and her cousin A-Sung.
+
+Not long after the youth led his sister into the room. She was not
+more than thirteen or fourteen years of age, enchantingly beautiful,
+and slender as a willow-tree. When the sick man saw her he forgot all
+his pain and his spirits rose.
+
+The youth said to his sister Giauna: "This is my best friend, whom I
+love as a brother! I beg of you, little sister, to cure him of his
+illness!"
+
+The maiden blushed with confusion; then she stepped up to the
+sick-bed. While she was feeling his pulse, it seemed to him as though
+she brought the fragrance of orchards with her.
+
+Said the maiden with a smile: "No wonder that this illness has
+befallen him. His heart beats far too stormily. His illness is serious
+but not incurable. Now the blood which has flowed has already
+gathered, so we will have to cut to cure."
+
+With that she took her golden armlet from her arm and laid it on the
+aching place. She pressed it down very gently, and the swelling rose a
+full inch above the armlet so that it enclosed the entire swelling.
+Then she loosed a pen-knife with a blade as thin as paper from her
+silken girdle. With one hand she held the armlet, and with the other
+she took the knife and lightly passed it around the bottom of the
+ring. Black blood gushed forth and ran over mattress and bed. But
+young Kung was so enchanted by the presence of the beautiful Giauna
+that not only did he feel no pain, but his one fear was that the whole
+affair might end too soon, and that she would disappear from his
+sight. In a moment the diseased flesh had been cut away, and Giauna
+had fresh water brought and cleansed the wound. Then she took a small
+red pellet from her mouth, and laid it on the wound, and when she
+turned around in a circle, it seemed to Kung as though she drew out
+all the inflammation in steam and flames. Once more she turned in a
+circle, and he felt his wound itch and quiver, and when she turned for
+the third time, he was completely cured.
+
+The maiden took the pellet into her mouth again and said: "Now all is
+well!" Then she hastened into the inner room. Young Kung leaped up in
+order to thank her.
+
+True, he was now cured of his illness, but his thoughts continued to
+dwell on Giauna's pretty face. He neglected his books and sat lost in
+day-dreams.
+
+His friend had noticed it and said to him: "I have at last succeeded,
+this very day, in finding an attractive life companion for you."
+
+Kung asked who she might be.
+
+"The daughter of my aunt, A-Sung. She is seventeen years of age, and
+anything but homely."
+
+"I am sure she is not as beautiful as Giauna," thought Kung. Then he
+hummed the lines of a song to himself:
+
+    "Who once has seen the sea close by,
+      All rivers shallow streams declares;
+    Who o'er Wu's hill the clouds watched fly,
+      Says nothing with that view compares."
+
+The youth smiled. "My little sister Giauna is still very young," said
+he. "Besides, she is my father's only daughter, and he would not like
+to see her marry some one from afar. But my cousin A-Sung is not
+homely either. If you do not believe me, wait until they go walking in
+the garden, and then you may take a look at them without their knowing
+it."
+
+Kung posted himself at the open window on the look-out, and sure
+enough, he saw Giauna come along leading another girl by the hand, a
+girl so beautiful that there was none other like her. Giauna and she
+seemed to be sisters, only to be told apart by a slight difference in
+age.
+
+Then young Kung was exceedingly happy and begged his friend to act for
+him in arranging the marriage, which the latter promised to do. The
+next day he came to Kung, and told him amid congratulations that
+everything was arranged. A special court was put in order for the
+young pair, and the wedding was celebrated. Young Kung felt as though
+he had married a fairy, and the two became very fond of each other.
+
+One day Kung's friend came to him in a state of great excitement and
+said: "The owner of this house is coming back, and my father now
+wishes to return to Shensi. The time for us to part draws near, and I
+am very sad!"
+
+Kung wished to accompany them, but his friend advised him to return to
+his own home.
+
+Kung mentioned the difficulties in the way, but the youth replied:
+"That need not worry you, because I will accompany you."
+
+After a time the father came, together with A-Sung, and made Kung a
+present of a hundred ounces of gold. Then the youth took Kung and his
+wife by the hand, and told them to close their eyes. As soon as they
+did so off they went through the air like a storm-wind. All Kung could
+notice was that the gale roared about his ears.
+
+When some time had passed the youth cried: "Now we have arrived!" Kung
+opened his eyes and saw his old home, and then he knew that his friend
+was not of human kind.
+
+Gaily they knocked at the door of his home. His mother opened it and
+when she saw that he had brought along so charming a wife she was
+greatly pleased. Then Kung turned around to his friend, but the latter
+had already disappeared.
+
+A-Sung served her mother-in-law with great devotion, and her beauty
+and virtue was celebrated far and near. Soon after young Kung gained
+the doctorate, and was appointed inspector of prisons in Shensi. He
+took his wife along with him, but his mother remained at home, since
+Shensi was too far for her to travel. And heaven gave A-Sung and Kung
+a little son.
+
+But Kung became involved in a dispute with a traveling censor. The
+latter complained about Kung and he was dismissed from his post.
+
+So it happened that one day he was idling about before the city, when
+he saw a handsome youth riding a black mule. When he looked more
+closely he saw that it was his old friend. They fell into each others'
+arms, laughing and weeping, and the youth led him to a village. In the
+midst of a thick grove of trees which threw a deep shade, stood a
+house whose upper stories rose to the skies. One could see at a glance
+that people of distinction lived there. Kung now inquired after sister
+Giauna, and was told that she had married. He remained over night and
+then went off to fetch his wife.
+
+In the meantime Giauna arrived. She took A-Sung's little son in her
+arms and said: "Cousin, this is a little stranger in our family!"
+
+Kung greeted her, and again thanked her for the kindness she had shown
+him in curing his illness.
+
+She answered with a smile: "Since then you have become a distinguished
+man, and the wound has long since healed. Have you still not forgotten
+your pain?"
+
+Then Giauna's husband arrived, and every one became acquainted. And
+after that they parted.
+
+One day the youth came sadly to Kung and said: "We are threatened by a
+great misfortune to-day. I do not know whether you would be willing to
+save us!"
+
+Kung did not know what it might be; but he gladly promised his aid.
+Then the youth called up the entire family and they bowed down in the
+outer court.
+
+He began: "I will tell you the truth just as it is. We are foxes. This
+day we are threatened by the danger of thunder. If you care to save
+us, then there is a hope that we may manage to stay alive; if not,
+then take your child and go, so that you are not involved in our
+danger."
+
+But Kung vowed that he would share life and death with them.
+
+Then the youth begged him to stand in the door with a sword in his
+hand, and said: "Now when the thunder begins to roll you must stand
+there and never stir."
+
+Suddenly dark clouds rose in the sky, and the heavens grew gloomy as
+if night were closing down. Kung looked about him, but the buildings
+had all disappeared, and behind him he could only see a high barrow,
+in which was a large cave whose interior was lost in darkness. In the
+midst of his fright he was surprised by a thunderbolt. A heavy rain
+poured down in streams, and a storm wind arose which rooted up the
+tallest trees. Everything glimmered before his eyes and his ears were
+deafened. But he held his sword in his hand, and stood as firm as a
+rock. Suddenly in the midst of black smoke and flashes of lightning,
+he saw a monster with a pointed beak and long claws, which was
+carrying off a human body. When he looked more closely he recognized
+by the dress that it was Giauna. He leaped up at the monster and
+struck at him with his sword, and at once Giauna fell to the ground.
+A tremendous crash of thunder shook the earth, and Kung fell down
+dead.
+
+Then the tempest cleared away, and the blue sky appeared once more.
+
+Giauna had regained consciousness, and when she saw Kung lying dead
+beside her she said amid sobs: "He died for my sake! Why should I
+continue to live?"
+
+A-Sung also came out, and together they carried him into the cave.
+Giauna told A-Sung to hold his head while her brother opened his
+mouth. She herself took hold of his chin, and brought out her little
+red pellet. She pressed it against his lips with her own, and breathed
+into his lungs. Then the breath came back to his throat with a
+rattling noise, and in a short time he was himself once more.
+
+So there was the whole family reunited again, and none of its members
+had come to harm. They gradually recovered from their fright, and were
+quite happy: when suddenly a small boy brought the news that Giauna's
+husband and his whole family had been killed by the thunder. Giauna
+broke down, weeping, and the others tried to comfort her.
+
+Finally Kung said: "It is not well to dwell too long amid the graves
+of the dead. Will you not come home with me?"
+
+Thereupon they packed up their belongings and went with him. He
+assigned a deserted garden, which he carefully walled off, to his
+friend and his family as a dwelling-place. Only when Kung and A-Sung
+came to visit them was the bolt drawn. Then Giauna and her brother
+played chess, drank tea and chatted with them like members of the same
+family.
+
+But Kung's little son had a somewhat pointed face, which resembled a
+fox's, and when he went along the street, the people would turn
+around and say: "There goes the fox-child!"
+
+    Note: "Not in the new-fangled eight-section form": Ba Gu
+    Wen Dschang, i.e., essays in eight-section form,
+    divided according to strict rules, were the customary
+    theses in the governmental examinations in China up to
+    the time of the great educational reform. To-day there
+    is a general return to the style of the old masters, the
+    free form of composition. "The danger of thunder": Three
+    times the foxes must have escaped the mortal danger of
+    thunder.
+
+
+
+
+LXXII
+
+THE FROG PRINCESS
+
+
+There where the Yangtze-kiang has come about half-way on its course to
+the sea, the Frog King is worshiped with great devotion. He has a
+temple there and frogs by the thousand are to be found in the
+neighborhood, some of them of enormous size. Those who incur the wrath
+of the god are apt to have strange visitations in their homes. Frogs
+hop about on tables and beds, and in extreme cases they even creep up
+the smooth walls of the room without falling. There are various kinds
+of omens, but all indicate that some misfortune threatens the house in
+question. Then the people living in it become terrified, slaughter a
+cow and offer it as a sacrifice. Thus the god is mollified and nothing
+further happens.
+
+In that part of the country there once lived a youth named Sia
+Kung-Schong. He was handsome and intelligent. When he was some six or
+seven years of age, a serving-maid dressed in green entered his home.
+She said that she was a messenger from the Frog King, and declared
+that the Frog King wished to have his daughter marry young Sia. Old
+Sia was an honest man, not very bright, and since this did not suit
+him, he declined the offer on the plea that his son was still too
+young to marry. In spite of this, however, he did not dare look about
+for another mate for him.
+
+Then a few years passed and the boy gradually grew up. A marriage
+between him and a certain Mistress Giang was decided upon.
+
+But the Frog King sent word to Mistress Giang: "Young Sia is my
+son-in-law. How dare you undertake to lay claim to what does not
+belong to you!" Then Father Giang was frightened, and took back his
+promise.
+
+This made Old Sia very sad. He prepared a sacrifice and went to his
+temple to pray. He explained that he felt unworthy of becoming the
+relation of a god. When he had finished praying a multitude of
+enormous maggots made their appearance in the sacrificial meat and
+wine, and crawled around. He poured them out, begged forgiveness, and
+returned home filled with evil forebodings. He did not know what more
+he could do, and had to let things take their course.
+
+One day young Sia went out into the street. A messenger stepped up to
+him and told him, on the part of the Frog King that the latter
+urgently requested Sia to come to him. There was no help for it; he
+had to follow the messenger. He led him through a red gateway into
+some magnificent, high-ceilinged rooms. In the great hall sat an
+ancient man who might have been some eighty years of age. Sia cast
+himself down on the ground before him in homage. The old man bade him
+rise, and assigned him a place at the table. Soon a number of girls
+and women came crowding in to look at him. Then the old man turned to
+them and said: "Go to the room of the bride and tell her that the
+bridegroom has arrived!"
+
+Quickly a couple of maids ran away, and shortly after an old woman
+came from the inner apartments, leading a maiden by the hand, who
+might have been sixteen years of age, and was incomparably beautiful.
+The old man pointed to her and said: "This is my tenth little
+daughter. It seemed to me that you would make a good pair. But your
+father has scorned us because of our difference in race. Yet one's
+marriage is a matter that is of life-long importance. Our parents can
+determine it only in part. In the end it rests mainly with one's
+self."
+
+Sia looked steadily at the girl, and a fondness for her grew in his
+heart. He sat there in silence. The old man continued: "I knew very
+well that the young gentleman would agree. Go on ahead of us, and we
+will bring you your bride!"
+
+Sia said he would, and hurried to inform his father. His father did
+not know what to do in his excitement. He suggested an excuse and
+wanted to send Sia back to decline his bride with thanks. But this Sia
+was not willing to do. While they were arguing the matter, the bride's
+carriage was already at the door. It was surrounded by a crowd of
+greencoats, and the lady entered the house, and bowed politely to her
+parents-in-law. When the latter saw her they were both pleased, and
+the wedding was announced for that very evening.
+
+The new couple lived in peace and good understanding. And after they
+had been married their divine parents-in-law often came to their
+house. When they appeared dressed in red, it meant that some good
+fortune was to befall them; when they came dressed in white, it
+signified that they were sure to make some gain. Thus, in the course
+of time, the family became wealthy.
+
+But since they had become related to the gods the rooms, courtyards
+and all other places were always crowded with frogs. And no one
+ventured to harm them. Sia Kung-Schong alone was young and showed no
+consideration. When he was in good spirits he did not bother them, but
+when he got out of sorts he knew no mercy, and purposely stepped on
+them and killed them.
+
+In general his young wife was modest and obedient; yet she easily lost
+her temper. She could not approve her husband's conduct. But Sia would
+not do her the favor to give up his brutal habit. So she scolded him
+because of it and he grew angry.
+
+"Do you imagine," he told her, "that because your parents can visit
+human beings with misfortune, that a real man would be afraid of a
+frog?"
+
+His wife carefully avoided uttering the word "frog," hence his speech
+angered her and she said: "Since I have dwelt in your house your
+fields have yielded larger crops, and you have obtained the highest
+selling prices. And that is something after all. But now, when young
+and old, you are comfortably established, you wish to act like the
+fledgling owl, who picks out his own mother's eyes as soon as he is
+able to fly!"
+
+Sia then grew still more angry and answered: "These gifts have been
+unwelcome to me for a long time, for I consider them unclean. I could
+never consent to leave such property to sons and grandsons. It would
+be better if we parted at once!"
+
+So he bade his wife leave the house, and before his parents knew
+anything about it, she was gone. His parents scolded him and told him
+to go at once and bring her back. But he was filled with rage, and
+would not give in to them.
+
+That same night he and his mother fell sick. They felt weak and could
+not eat. The father, much worried, went to the temple to beg for
+pardon. And he prayed so earnestly that his wife and son recovered in
+three days' time. And the Frog Princess also returned, and they lived
+together happily and contented as before.
+
+But the young woman sat in the house all day long, occupied solely
+with her ornaments and her rouge, and did not concern herself with
+sewing and stitching. So Sia Kung-Schong's mother still had to look
+out for her son's clothes.
+
+One day his mother was angry and said: "My son has a wife, and yet I
+have to do all the work! In other homes the daughter-in-law serves her
+mother-in-law. But in our house the mother-in-law must serve the
+daughter-in-law."
+
+This the princess accidentally heard. In she came, much excited, and
+began: "Have I ever omitted, as is right and proper, to visit you
+morning and evening? My only fault is that I will not burden myself
+with all this toil for the sake of saving a trifling sum of money!"
+The mother answered not a word, but wept bitterly and in silence
+because of the insult offered her.
+
+Her son came along and noticed that his mother had been weeping. He
+insisted on knowing the reason, and found out what had happened.
+Angrily he reproached his wife. She raised objections and did not wish
+to admit that she had been in the wrong. Finally Sia said: "It is
+better to have no wife at all than one who gives her mother-in-law no
+pleasure. What can the old frog do to me after all, if I anger him,
+save call misfortunes upon me and take my life!" So he once more drove
+his wife out of the house.
+
+The princess left her home and went away. The following day fire broke
+out in the house, and spread to several other buildings. Tables,
+beds, everything was burned.
+
+Sia, in a rage because of the fire, went to the temple to complain:
+"To bring up a daughter in such a way that she does not please her
+parents-in-law shows that there is no discipline in a house. And now
+you even encourage her in her faults. It is said the gods are most
+just. Are there gods who teach men to fear their wives? Incidentally,
+the whole quarrel rests on me alone. My parents had nothing to do with
+it. If I was to be punished by the ax and cord, well and good. You
+could have carried out the punishment yourself. But this you did not
+do. So now I will burn your own house in order to satisfy my own sense
+of justice!"
+
+With these words he began piling up brush-wood before the temple,
+struck sparks and wanted to set it ablaze. The neighbors came
+streaming up, and pleaded with him. So he swallowed his rage and went
+home.
+
+When his parents heard of it, they grew pale with a great fear. But at
+night the god appeared to the people of a neighboring village, and
+ordered them to rebuild the house of his son-in-law. When day began to
+dawn they dragged up building-wood and the workmen all came in throngs
+to build for Sia. No matter what he said he could not prevent them.
+All day long hundreds of workmen were busy. And in the course of a few
+days all the rooms had been rebuilt, and all the utensils, curtains
+and furniture were there as before. And when the work had been
+completed the princess also returned. She climbed the stairs to the
+great room, and acknowledged her fault with many tender and loving
+words. Then she turned to Sia Kung-Schong, and smiled at him
+sideways. Instead of resentment joy now filled the whole house. And
+after that time the princess was especially peaceable. Two whole years
+passed without an angry word being said.
+
+But the princess had a great dislike for snakes. Once, by way of a
+joke, young Sia put a small snake into a parcel, which he gave her and
+told her to open. She turned pale and reproached him. Then
+Sia-Kung-Schong also took his jest seriously, and angry words passed.
+
+At last the princess said: "This time I will not wait for you to turn
+me out. Now we are finally done with one another!" And with that she
+walked out of the door.
+
+Father Sia grew very much alarmed, beat his son himself with his
+staff, and begged the god to be kind and forgive. Fortunately there
+were no evil consequences. All was quiet and not a sound was heard.
+
+Thus more than a year passed. Sia-Kung-Schong longed for the princess
+and took himself seriously to task. He would creep in secret to the
+temple of the god, and lament because he had lost the princess. But no
+voice answered him. And soon afterward he even heard that the god had
+betrothed his daughter to another man. Then he grew hopeless at heart,
+and thought of finding another wife for himself. Yet no matter how he
+searched he could find none who equalled the princess. This only
+increased his longing for her, and he went to the home of the Yuans,
+to a member of which family it was said she had been promised. There
+they had already painted the walls, and swept the courtyard, and all
+was in readiness to receive the bridal carriage. Sia was overcome with
+remorse and discontent. He no longer ate, and fell ill. His parents
+were quite stunned by the anxiety they felt on his account, and were
+incapable of helpful thought.
+
+Suddenly while he was lying there only half-conscious, he felt some
+one stroke him, and heard a voice say: "And how goes it with our real
+husband, who insisted on turning out his wife?"
+
+He opened his eyes and it was the princess.
+
+Full of joy he leaped up and said: "How is it you have come back to
+me?" The princess answered: "To tell the truth, according to your own
+habit of treating people badly, I should have followed my father's
+advice and taken another husband. And, as a matter of fact, the
+wedding gifts of the Yuan family have been lying in my home for a long
+time. But I thought and thought and could not bring myself to do so.
+The wedding was to have been this evening and my father thought it
+shameful to have the wedding gifts carried back. So I took the things
+myself and placed them before the Yuan's door. When I went out my
+father ran out beside me: 'You insane girl,' he said, 'so you will not
+listen to what I say! If you are ill-treated by Sia in the future I
+wash my hands of it. Even if they kill you you shall not come home to
+me again!'"
+
+Moved by her faithfulness the tears rolled from Sia's eyes. The
+servants, full of joy, hurried to the parents to acquaint them with
+the good news. And when they heard it they did not wait for the young
+people to come to them, but hastened themselves to their son's rooms,
+took the princess by the hand and wept. Young Sia, too, had become
+more settled by this time, and was no longer so mischievous. So he and
+his wife grew to love each other more sincerely day by day.
+
+Once the princess said to him: "Formerly, when you always treated me
+so badly, I feared that we would not keep company into our old age.
+So I never asked heaven to send us a child. But now that all has
+changed, and I will beg the gods for a son."
+
+And, sure enough, before long Sia's parents-in-law appeared in the
+house clad in red garments, and shortly after heaven sent the happy
+pair two sons instead of one.
+
+From that time on their intercourse with the Frog-King was never
+interrupted. When some one among the people had angered the god, he
+first tried to induce young Sia to speak for him, and sent his wife
+and daughter to the Frog Princess to implore her aid. And if the
+princess laughed, then all would be well.
+
+The Sia family has many descendants, whom the people call "the little
+frog men." Those who are near them do not venture to call them by this
+name, but those standing further off do so.
+
+    Note: "Little frog men," Wa Dsi, is the derogatory name
+    which the North Chinese give the Chinese of the South on
+    occasion.
+
+
+
+
+LXXIII
+
+ROSE OF EVENING
+
+
+On the fifth day of the fifth month the festival of the Dragon Junk is
+held along the Yangtze-kiang. A dragon is hollowed out of wood,
+painted with an armor of scales, and adorned with gold and bright
+colors. A carved red railing surrounds this ship, and its sails and
+flags are made of silks and brocade. The after part of the vessel is
+called the dragon's tail. It rises ten feet above the water, and a
+board which floats in the water is tied to it by means of a cloth.
+Upon this board sit boys who turn somersaults, stand on their heads,
+and perform all sorts of tricks. Yet, being so close to the water
+their danger is very great. It is the custom, therefore, when a boy is
+hired for this purpose, to give his parents money before he is
+trained. Then, if he falls into the water and is drowned, no one has
+him on their conscience. Farther South the custom differs in so much
+that instead of boys, beautiful girls are chosen for this purpose.
+
+In Dschen-Giang there once lived a widow named Dsiang, who had a son
+called Aduan. When he was no more than seven years of age he was
+extraordinarily skilful, and no other boy could equal him. And his
+reputation increasing as he grew, he earned more and more money. So it
+happened that he was still called upon at the Dragon Junk Festival
+when he was already sixteen.
+
+But one day he fell into the water below the Gold Island and was
+drowned. He was the only son of his mother, and she sorrowed over him,
+and that was the end of it.
+
+Yet Aduan did not know that he had been drowned. He met two men who
+took him along with them, and he saw a new world in the midst of the
+waters of the Yellow River. When he looked around, the waves of the
+river towered steeply about him like walls, and a palace was visible,
+in which sat a man wearing armor and a helmet. His two companions said
+to him: "That is the Prince of the Dragon's Cave!" and bade him kneel.
+
+The Prince of the Dragon's Cave seemed to be of a mild and kindly
+disposition and said: "We can make use of such a skilful lad. He may
+take part in the dance of the willow branches!"
+
+So he was brought to a spot surrounded by extensive buildings. He
+entered, and was greeted by a crowd of boys who were all about
+fourteen years of age.
+
+An old woman came in and they all called out: "This is Mother Hia!"
+And she sat down and had Aduan show his tricks. Then she taught him
+the dance of the flying thunders of Tsian-Tang River, and the music
+that calms the winds on the sea of Dung-Ting. When the cymbals and
+kettledrums reechoed through all the courts, they deafened the ear.
+Then, again, all the courts would fall silent. Mother Hia thought that
+Aduan would not be able to grasp everything the very first time; so
+she taught him with great patience. But Aduan had understood
+everything from the first, and that pleased old Mother Hia. "This
+boy," said she, "equals our own Rose of Evening!"
+
+The following day the Prince of the Dragon's Cave held a review of his
+dancers. When all the dancers had assembled, the dance of the Ogres
+was danced first. Those who performed it all wore devil-masks and
+garments of scales. They beat upon enormous cymbals, and their
+kettledrums were so large that four men could just about span them.
+Their sound was like the sound of a mighty thunder, and the noise was
+so great that nothing else could be heard. When the dance began,
+tremendous waves spouted up to the very skies, and then fell down
+again like star-glimmer which scatters in the air.
+
+The Prince of the Dragon Cave hastily bade the dance cease, and had
+the dancers of the nightingale round step forth. These were all lovely
+young girls of sixteen. They made a delicate music with flutes, so
+that the breeze blew and the roaring of the waves was stilled in a
+moment. The water gradually became as quiet as a crystal world,
+transparent to its lowest depths. When the nightingale dancers had
+finished, they withdrew and posted themselves in the western
+courtyard.
+
+Then came the turn of the swallow dancers. These were all little
+girls. One among them, who was about fifteen years of age, danced the
+dance of the giving of flowers with flying sleeves and waving locks.
+And as their garments fluttered, many-colored flowers dropped from
+their folds, and were caught up by the wind and whirled about the
+whole courtyard. When the dance had ended, this dancer also went off
+with the rest of the girls to the western courtyard. Aduan looked at
+her from out the corner of his eye, and fell deeply in love with her.
+He asked his comrades who she might be and they told him she was named
+"Rose of Evening."
+
+But the willow-spray dancers were now called out. The Prince of the
+Dragon Cave was especially desirous of testing Aduan. So Aduan danced
+alone, and he danced with joy or defiance according to the music. When
+he looked up and when he looked down his glances held the beat of the
+measure. The Dragon Prince, enchanted with his skill, presented him
+with a garment of five colors, and gave him a carbuncle set in golden
+threads of fish-beard for a hair-jewel. Aduan bowed his thanks for the
+gift, and then also hastened to the western courtyard. There all the
+dancers stood in rank and file. Aduan could only look at Rose of
+Evening from a distance, but still Rose of Evening returned his
+glances.
+
+After a time Aduan gradually slipped to the end of his file and Rose
+of Evening also drew near to him, so that they stood only a few feet
+away from each other. But the strict rules allowed no confusion in the
+ranks, so they could only gaze and let their souls go out to each
+other.
+
+Now the butterfly dance followed the others. This was danced by the
+boys and girls together, and the pairs were equal in size, age and the
+color of their garments. When all the dances had ended, the dancers
+marched out with the goose-step. The willow-spray dancers followed the
+swallow dancers, and Aduan hastened in advance of his company, while
+Rose of Evening lingered along after hers. She turned her head, and
+when she spied Aduan she purposely let a coral pin fall from her hair.
+Aduan hastily hid it in his sleeve.
+
+When he had returned, he was sick with longing, and could neither eat
+nor sleep. Mother Hia brought him all sorts of dainties, looked after
+him three or four times a day, and stroked his forehead with loving
+care. But his illness did not yield in the least. Mother Hia was
+unhappy, and yet helpless.
+
+"The birthday of the King of the Wu River is at hand," said she. "What
+is to be done?"
+
+In the twilight there came a boy, who sat down on the edge of Aduan's
+bed and chatted with him. He belonged to the butterfly dancers, said
+he, and asked casually: "Are you sick because of Rose of Evening?"
+Aduan, frightened, asked him how he came to guess it. The other boy
+said, with a smile: "Well, because Rose of Evening is in the same case
+as yourself."
+
+Disconcerted, Aduan sat up and begged the boy to advise him. "Are you
+able to walk?" asked the latter. "If I exert myself," said Aduan, "I
+think I could manage it."
+
+So the boy led him to the South. There he opened a gate and they
+turned the corner, to the West. Once more the doors of the gate flew
+open, and now Aduan saw a lotus field about twenty acres in size. The
+lotus flowers were all growing on level earth, and their leaves were
+as large as mats and their flowers like umbrellas. The fallen blossoms
+covered the ground beneath the stalks to the depth of a foot or more.
+The boy led Aduan in and said, "Now first of all sit down for a little
+while!" Then he went away.
+
+After a time a beautiful girl thrust aside the lotus flowers and came
+into the open. It was Rose of Evening. They looked at each other with
+happy timidity, and each told how each had longed for the other. And
+they also told each other of their former life. Then they weighted the
+lotus-leaves with stones so that they made a cozy retreat, in which
+they could be together, and promised to meet each other there every
+evening. And then they parted.
+
+Aduan came back and his illness left him. From that time on he met
+Rose of Evening every day in the lotus field.
+
+After a few days had passed they had to accompany the Prince of the
+Dragon Cave to the birthday festival of the King of the Wu River. The
+festival came to an end, and all the dancers returned home. Only, the
+King had kept back Rose of Evening and one of the nightingale dancers
+to teach the girls in his castle.
+
+Months passed and no news came from Rose of Evening, so that Aduan
+went about full of longing and despair. Now Mother Hia went every day
+to the castle of the god of the Wu River. So Aduan told her that Rose
+of Evening was his cousin, and entreated her to take him along with
+her so that he could at least see her a single time. So she took him
+along, and let him stay at the lodge-house of the river-god for a few
+days. But the indwellers of the castle were so strictly watched that
+he could not see Rose of Evening even a single time. Sadly Aduan went
+back again.
+
+Another month passed and Aduan, filled with gloomy thoughts, wished
+that death might be his portion.
+
+One day Mother Hia came to him full of pity, and began to sympathize
+with him. "What a shame," said she, "that Rose of Evening has cast
+herself into the river!"
+
+Aduan was extremely frightened, and his tears flowed resistlessly. He
+tore his beautiful garments, took his gold and his pearls, and went
+out with the sole idea of following his beloved in death. Yet the
+waters of the river stood up before him like walls, and no matter how
+often he ran against them, head down, they always flung him back.
+
+He did not dare return, since he feared he might be questioned about
+his festival garments, and severely punished because he had ruined
+them. So he stood there and knew not what to do, while the
+perspiration ran down to his ankles. Suddenly, at the foot of the
+water-wall he saw a tall tree. Like a monkey he climbed up to its very
+top, and then, with all his might, he shot into the waves.
+
+And then, without being wet, he found himself suddenly swimming on
+the surface of the river. Unexpectedly the world of men rose up once
+more before his dazzled eyes. He swam to the shore, and as he walked
+along the river-bank, his thoughts went back to his old mother. He
+took a ship and traveled home.
+
+When he reached the village, it seemed to him as though all the houses
+in it belonged to another world. The following morning he entered his
+mother's house, and as he did so, heard a girl's voice beneath the
+window saying: "Your son has come back again!" The voice sounded like
+the voice of Rose of Evening, and when she came to greet him at his
+mother's side, sure enough, it was Rose of Evening herself.
+
+And in that hour the joy of these two who were so fond of each other
+overcame all their sorrow. But in the mother's mind sorrow and doubt,
+terror and joy mingled in constant succession in a thousand different
+ways.
+
+When Rose of Evening had been in the palace of the river-king, and had
+come to realize that she would never see Aduan again, she determined
+to die, and flung herself into the waters of the stream. But she was
+carried to the surface, and the waves carried and cradled her till a
+ship came by and took her aboard. They asked whence she came. Now Rose
+of Evening had originally been a celebrated singing girl of Wu, who
+had fallen into the river and whose body had never been found. So she
+thought to herself that, after all, she could not return to her old
+life again. So she answered: "Madame Dsiang, in Dschen-Giang is my
+mother-in-law." Then the travelers took passage for her in a ship
+which brought her to the place she had mentioned. The widow Dsiang
+first said she must be mistaken, but the girl insisted that there was
+no mistake, and told Aduan's mother her whole story. Yet, though the
+latter was charmed by her surpassing loveliness, she feared that Rose
+of Evening was too young to live a widow's life. But the girl was
+respectful and industrious, and when she saw that poverty ruled in her
+new home, she took her pearls and sold them for a high price. Aduan's
+old mother was greatly pleased to see how seriously the girl took her
+duties.
+
+Now that Aduan had returned again Rose of Evening could not control
+her joy. And even Aduan's old mother cherished the hope that, after
+all, perhaps her son had not died. She secretly dug up her son's
+grave, yet all his bones were still lying in it. So she questioned
+Aduan. And then, for the first time, the latter realized that he was a
+departed spirit. Then he feared that Rose of Evening might regard him
+with disgust because he was no longer a human being. So he ordered his
+mother on no account to speak of it, and this his mother promised.
+Then she spread the report in the village that the body which had been
+found in the river had not been that of her son at all. Yet she could
+not rid herself of the fear that, since Aduan was a departed spirit,
+heaven might refuse to send him a child.
+
+In spite of her fear, however, she was able to hold a grandson in her
+arms in course of time. When she looked at him, he was no different
+from other children, and then her cup of joy was filled to
+overflowing.
+
+Rose of Evening gradually became aware of the fact that Aduan was not
+really a human being. "Why did you not tell me at once?" said she.
+"Departed spirits who wear the garments of the dragon castle, surround
+themselves with a soul-casing so heavy in texture that they can no
+longer be distinguished from the living. And if one can obtain the
+lime made of dragon-horn which is in the castle, then the bones may be
+glued together in such wise that flesh and blood will grow over them
+again. What a pity that we could not obtain the lime while we were
+there!"
+
+Aduan sold his pearl, for which a merchant from foreign parts gave him
+an enormous sum. Thus his family grew very wealthy. Once, on his
+mother's birthday, he danced with his wife and sang, in order to
+please her. The news reached the castle of the Dragon Prince and he
+thought to carry off Rose of Evening by force. But Aduan, alarmed,
+went to the Prince, and declared that both he and his wife were
+departed spirits. They examined him and since he cast no shadow, his
+word was taken, and he was not robbed of Rose of Evening.
+
+    Note: "Rose of Evening" is one of the most idyllic of
+    Chinese art fairy-tales. The idea that the departed
+    spirit throws no shadow has analogies in Norse and other
+    European fairy-tales.
+
+
+
+
+LXXIV
+
+THE APE SUN WU KUNG
+
+
+Far, far away to the East, in the midst of the Great Sea there is an
+island called the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. And on this mountain
+there is a high rock. Now this rock, from the very beginning of the
+world, had absorbed all the hidden seed power of heaven and earth and
+sun and moon, which endowed it with supernatural creative gifts. One
+day the rock burst, and out came an egg of stone. And out of this
+stone egg a stone ape was hatched by magic power. When he broke the
+shell he bowed to all sides. Then he gradually learned to walk and to
+leap, and two streams of golden radiance broke from his eyes which
+shot up to the highest of the castles of heaven, so that the Lord of
+the Heavens was frightened. So he sent out the two gods,
+Thousandmile-Eye and Fine-Ear, to find out what had happened. The two
+gods came back and reported: "The rays shine from the eyes of the
+stone ape who was hatched out of the egg which came from the magic
+rock. There is no reason for uneasiness."
+
+Little by little the ape grew up, ran and leaped about, drank from the
+springs in the valleys, ate the flowers and fruits, and time went by
+in unconstrained play.
+
+One day, during the summer, when he was seeking coolness, together
+with the other apes on the island, they went to the valley to bathe.
+There they saw a waterfall which plunged down a high cliff. Said the
+apes to each other: "Whoever can force his way through the waterfall,
+without suffering injury, shall be our king." The stone ape at once
+leaped into the air with joy and cried: "I will pass through!" Then he
+closed his eyes, bent down low and leaped through the roar and foam of
+the waters. When he opened his eyes once more he saw an iron bridge,
+which was shut off from the outer world by the waterfall as though by
+a curtain.
+
+At its entrance stood a tablet of stone on which were graven the
+words: "This is the heavenly cave behind the water-curtain on the
+Blessed Island of Flowers and Fruits." Filled with joy, the stone ape
+leaped out again through the waterfall and told the other apes what he
+had found. They received the news with great content, and begged the
+stone ape to take them there. So the tribe of apes leaped through the
+water on the iron bridge, and then crowded into the cave castle where
+they found a hearth with a profusion of pots, cups and platters. But
+all were made of stone. Then the apes paid homage to the stone ape as
+their king, and he was given the name of Handsome King of the Apes. He
+appointed long-tailed, ring-tailed and other monkeys to be his
+officials and counselors, servants and retainers, and they led a
+blissful life on the Mountain, sleeping by night in their cave castle,
+keeping away from birds and beasts, and their king enjoyed untroubled
+happiness. In this way some three hundred years went by.
+
+One day, when the King of the Apes sat with his subjects at a merry
+meal, he suddenly began to weep. Frightened, the apes asked him why he
+so suddenly grew sad amid all his bliss. Said the King: "It is true
+that we are not subject to the law and rule of man, that birds and
+beasts do not dare attack us, yet little by little we grow old and
+weak, and some day the hour will strike when Death, the Ancient, will
+drag us off! Then we are gone in a moment, and can no longer dwell
+upon earth!" When the apes heard these words, they hid their faces and
+sobbed. But an old ape, whose arms were connected in such a way that
+he could add the length of one to that of the other, stepped forth
+from the ranks. In a loud tone of voice he said: "That you have hit
+upon this thought, O King, shows the desire to search for truth has
+awakened you! Among all living creatures, there are but three kinds
+who are exempt from Death's power: the Buddhas, the blessed spirits
+and the gods. Whoever attains one of these three grades escapes the
+rod of re-birth, and lives as long as the Heavens themselves."
+
+The King of the Apes said: "Where do these three kinds of beings
+live?" And the old ape replied: "They live in caves and on holy
+mountains in the great world of mortals." The King was pleased when he
+heard this, and told his apes that he was going to seek out gods and
+sainted spirits in order to learn the road to immortality from them.
+The apes dragged up peaches and other fruits and sweet wine to
+celebrate the parting banquet, and all made merry together.
+
+On the following morning the Handsome King of the Apes rose very
+early, built him a raft of old pine trees and took a bamboo staff for
+a pole. Then he climbed on the raft, quite alone, and poled his way
+through the Great Sea. Wind and waves were favorable and he reached
+Asia. There he went ashore. On the strand he met a fisherman. He at
+once stepped up to him, knocked him down, tore off his clothes and put
+them on himself. Then he wandered around and visited all famous spots,
+went into the market-places, the densely populated cities, learned how
+to conduct himself properly, and how to speak and act like a well-bred
+human being. Yet his heart was set on learning the teaching of the
+Buddhas, the blessed spirits and the holy gods. But the people of the
+country in which he was were only concerned with honors and wealth.
+Not one of them seemed to care for life. Thus he went about until nine
+years had passed by unnoticed. Then he came to the strand of the
+Western Sea and it occurred to him: "No doubt there are gods and
+saints on the other side of the sea!" So he built another raft,
+floated it over the Western Sea and reached the land of the West.
+There he let his raft drift, and went ashore. After he had searched
+for many days, he suddenly saw a high mountain with deep, quiet
+valleys. As the Ape King went toward it, he heard a man singing in the
+woods, and the song sounded like one the blessed spirits might sing.
+So he hastily entered the wood to see who might be singing. There he
+met a wood-chopper at work. The Ape King bowed to him and said:
+"Venerable, divine master, I fall down and worship at your feet!" Said
+the wood-chopper: "I am only a workman; why do you call me divine
+master?" "Then, if you are no blessed god, how comes it you sing that
+divine song?" The wood-chopper laughed and said: "You are at home in
+music. The song I was singing was really taught me by a saint." "If
+you are acquainted with a saint," said the Ape King, "he surely cannot
+live far from here. I beg of you to show me the way to his dwelling."
+The wood-chopper replied: "It is not far from here. This mountain is
+known as the Mountain of the Heart. In it is a cave where dwells a
+saint who is called 'The Discerner.' The number of his disciples who
+have attained blessedness is countless. He still has some thirty to
+forty disciples gathered about him. You need only follow this path
+which leads to the South, and you cannot miss his dwelling." The Ape
+King thanked the wood-chopper and, sure enough, he came to the cave
+which the latter had described to him. The gate was locked and he did
+not venture to knock. So he leaped up into a pine tree, picked
+pine-cones and devoured the seed. Before long one of the saint's
+disciples came and opened the door and said: "What sort of a beast is
+it that is making such a noise?" The Ape King leaped down from his
+tree, bowed, and said: "I have come in search of truth. I did not
+venture to knock." Then the disciple had to laugh and said: "Our
+master was seated lost in meditation, when he told me to lead in the
+seeker after truth who stood without the gate, and here you really
+are. Well, you may come along with me!" The Ape King smoothed his
+clothes, put his hat on straight, and stepped in. A long passage led
+past magnificent buildings and quiet hidden huts to the place where
+the master was sitting upright on a seat of white marble. At his right
+and left stood his disciples, ready to serve him. The Ape King flung
+himself down on the ground and greeted the master humbly. In answer to
+his questions he told him how he had found his way to him. And when he
+was asked his name, he said: "I have no name. I am the ape who came
+out of the stone." So the master said: "Then I will give you a name. I
+name you Sun Wu Kung." The Ape King thanked him, full of joy, and
+thereafter he was called Sun Wu Kung. The master ordered his oldest
+disciple to instruct Sun Wu Kung in sweeping and cleaning, in going in
+and out, in good manners, how to labor in the field and how to water
+the gardens. In the course of time he learned to write, to burn
+incense and read the sutras. And in this way some six or seven years
+went by.
+
+One day the master ascended the seat from which he taught, and began
+to speak regarding the great truth. Sun Wu Kung understood the hidden
+meaning of his words, and commenced to jerk about and dance in his
+joy. The master reproved him: "Sun Wu Kung, you have still not laid
+aside your wild nature! What do you mean by carrying on in such an
+unfitting manner?" Sun Wu Kung bowed and answered: "I was listening
+attentively to you when the meaning of your words was disclosed to my
+heart, and without thinking I began to dance for joy. I was not giving
+way to my wild nature." Said the master: "If your spirit has really
+awakened, then I will announce the great truth to you. But there are
+three hundred and sixty ways by means of which one may reach this
+truth. Which way shall I teach you?" Said Sun Wu Kung: "Whichever you
+will, O Master!" Then the Master asked: "Shall I teach you the way of
+magic?" Said Sun Wu Kung: "What does magic teach one?" The Master
+replied: "It teaches one to raise up spirits, to question oracles, and
+to foretell fortune and misfortune." "Can one secure eternal life by
+means of it?" inquired Sun Wu Kung. "No," was the answer. "Then I will
+not learn it." "Shall I teach you the sciences?" "What are the
+sciences?" "They are the nine schools of the three faiths. You learn
+how to read the holy books, pronounce incantations, commune with the
+gods, and call the saints to you." "Can one gain eternal life by means
+of them?" "No." "Then I will not learn them." "The way of repose is a
+very good way." "What is the way of repose?" "It teaches how to live
+without nourishment, how to remain quiescent in silent purity, and sit
+lost in meditation." "Can one gain eternal life in this way?" "No."
+"Then I will not learn it." "The way of deeds is also a good way."
+"What does that teach?" "It teaches one to equalize the vital powers,
+to practise bodily exercise, to prepare the elixir of life and to hold
+one's breath." "Will it give one eternal life?" "Not so." "Then I will
+not learn it! I will not learn it!" Thereupon the Master pretended to
+be angry, leaped down from his stand, took his cane and scolded: "What
+an ape! This he will not learn, and that he will not learn! What are
+you waiting to learn, then?" With that he gave him three blows across
+the head, retired to his inner chamber, and closed the great door
+after him.
+
+The disciples were greatly excited, and overwhelmed Sun Wu Kung with
+reproaches. Yet the latter paid no attention to them, but smiled
+quietly to himself, for he had understood the riddle which the Master
+had given him to solve. And in his heart he thought: "His striking me
+over the head three times meant that I was to be ready at the third
+watch of the night. His withdrawing to his inner chamber and closing
+the great door after him, meant that I was to go in to him by the back
+door, and that he would make clear the great truth to me in secret."
+Accordingly he waited until evening, and made a pretense of lying down
+to sleep with the other disciples. But when the third watch of the
+night had come he rose softly and crept to the back door. Sure enough
+it stood ajar. He slipped in and stepped before the Master's bed. The
+Master was sleeping with his face turned toward the wall, and the ape
+did not venture to wake him, but knelt down in front of the bed. After
+a time the Master turned around and hummed a stanza to himself:
+
+    "A hard, hard grind,
+      Truth's lesson to expound.
+    One talks oneself deaf, dumb and blind,
+      Unless the right man's found."
+
+Then Sun Wu Kung replied: "I am waiting here reverentially!"
+
+The Master flung on his clothes, sat up in bed and said harshly:
+"Accursed ape! Why are you not asleep? What are you doing here?"
+
+Sun Wu Kung answered: "Yet you pointed out to me yesterday that I was
+to come to you at the third watch of the night, by the back door, in
+order to be instructed in the truth. Therefore I have ventured to
+come. If you will teach me in the fulness of your grace, I will be
+eternally grateful to you."
+
+Thought the Master to himself: "There is real intelligence in this
+ape's head, to have made him understand me so well." Then he replied:
+"Sun Wu Kung, it shall be granted you! I will speak freely with you.
+Come quite close to me, and then I will show you the way to eternal
+life."
+
+With that he murmured into his ear a divine, magical incantation to
+further the concentration of his vital powers, and explained the
+hidden knowledge word for word. Sun Wu Kung listened to him eagerly,
+and in a short time had learned it by heart. Then he thanked his
+teacher, went out again and lay down to sleep. From that time forward
+he practised the right mode of breathing, kept guard over his soul and
+spirit, and tamed the natural instincts of his heart. And while he did
+so three more years passed by. Then the task was completed.
+
+One day the Master said to him: "Three great dangers still threaten
+you. Every one who wishes to accomplish something out of the ordinary
+is exposed to them, for he is pursued by the envy of demons and
+spirits. And only those who can overcome these three great dangers
+live as long as the heavens."
+
+Then Sun Wu Kung was frightened and asked: "Is there any means of
+protection against these dangers?"
+
+Then the Master again murmured a secret incantation into his ear, by
+means of which he gained the power to transform himself seventy-two
+times.
+
+And when no more than a few days had passed Sun Wu Kung had learned
+the art.
+
+One day the Master was walking before the cave in the company of his
+disciples. He called Sun Wu Kung up to him and asked: "What progress
+have you made with your art? Can you fly already?"
+
+"Yes, indeed," said the ape.
+
+"Then let me see you do so."
+
+The ape leaped into the air to a distance of five or six feet from the
+ground. Clouds formed beneath his feet, and he was able to walk on
+them for several hundred yards. Then he was forced to drop down to
+earth again.
+
+The Master said with a smile: "I call that crawling around on the
+clouds, not floating on them, as do the gods and saints who fly over
+the whole world in a single day. I will teach you the magic
+incantation for turning somersaults on the clouds. If you turn one of
+those somersaults you advance eighteen thousand miles at a clip."
+
+Sun Wu Kung thanked him, full of joy, and from that time on he was
+able to move without limitation of space in any direction.
+
+One day Sun Wu Kung was sitting together with the other disciples
+under the pine-tree by the gate, discussing the secrets of their
+teachings. Finally they asked him to show them some of his
+transforming arts. Sun Wu Kung could not keep his secret to himself,
+and agreed to do so.
+
+With a smile he said: "Just set me a task! What do you wish me to
+change myself into?"
+
+They said: "Turn yourself into a pine-tree."
+
+So Sun Wu Kung murmured a magic incantation, turned around--and there
+stood a pine-tree before their very eyes. At this they all broke out
+into a horse-laugh. The Master heard the noise and came out of the
+gate, dragging his cane behind him.
+
+"Why are you making such a noise?" he called out to them harshly.
+
+Said they: "Sun Wu Kung has turned himself into a pine-tree, and this
+made us laugh."
+
+"Sun Wu Kung, come here!" said the Master. "Now just tell me what
+tricks you are up to? Why do you have to turn yourself into a
+pine-tree? All the work you have done means nothing more to you than a
+chance to make magic for your companions to wonder at. That shows
+that your heart is not yet under control."
+
+Humbly Sun Wu Kung begged his forgiveness.
+
+But the Master said: "I bear you no ill will, but you must go away."
+
+With tears in his eyes Sun Wu Kung asked him: "But where shall I go?"
+
+"You must go back again whence you came," said the Master. And when
+Sun Wu Kung sadly bade him farewell, he threatened him: "Your savage
+nature is sure to bring down evil upon you some time. You must tell no
+one that you are my pupil. If you so much as breathe a word about it,
+I will fetch your soul and lock it up in the nethermost hell, so that
+you cannot escape for a thousand eternities."
+
+Sun Wu Kung replied: "I will not say a word! I will not say a word!"
+
+Then he once more thanked him for all the kindness shown him, turned a
+somersault and climbed up to the clouds.
+
+Within the hour he had passed the seas, and saw the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits lying before him. Then he felt happy and at home
+again, let his cloud sink down to earth and cried: "Here I am back
+again, children!" And at once, from the valley, from behind the rocks,
+out of the grass and from amid the trees came his apes. They came
+running up by thousands, surrounded and greeted him, and inquired as
+to his adventures. Sun Wu Kung said: "I have now found the way to
+eternal life, and need fear Death the Ancient no longer." Then all the
+apes were overjoyed, and competed with each other in bringing flowers
+and fruits, peaches and wine, to welcome him. And again they honored
+Sun Wu Kung as the Handsome Ape King.
+
+Sun Wu Kung now gathered the apes about him and questioned them as to
+how they had fared during his absence.
+
+Said they: "It is well that you have come back again, great king! Not
+long ago a devil came here who wanted to take possession of our cave
+by force. We fought with him, but he dragged away many of your
+children and will probably soon return."
+
+Sun Wu Kung grew very angry and said: "What sort of a devil is this
+who dares be so impudent?"
+
+The apes answered: "He is the Devil-King of Chaos. He lives in the
+North, who knows how many miles away. We only saw him come and go amid
+clouds and mist."
+
+Sun Wu Kung said: "Wait, and I will see to him!" With that he turned a
+somersault and disappeared without a trace.
+
+In the furthest North rises a high mountain, upon whose slope is a
+cave above which is the inscription: "The Cave of the Kidneys." Before
+the door little devils were dancing. Sun Wu Kung called harshly to
+them: "Tell your Devil-King quickly that he had better give me my
+children back again!" The little devils were frightened, and delivered
+the message in the cave. Then the Devil-King reached for his sword and
+came out. But he was so large and broad that he could not even see Sun
+Wu Kung. He was clad from head to foot in black armor, and his face
+was as black as the bottom of a kettle. Sun Wu Kung shouted at him:
+"Accursed devil, where are your eyes, that you cannot see the
+venerable Sun?" Then the devil looked to the ground and saw a stone
+ape standing before him, bare-headed, dressed in red, with a yellow
+girdle and black boots. So the Devil-King laughed and said: "You are
+not even four feet high, less than thirty years of age, and
+weaponless, and yet you venture to make such a commotion." Said Sun Wu
+Kung: "I am not too small for you; and I can make myself large at
+will. You scorn me because I am without a weapon, but my two fists can
+thresh to the very skies." With that he stooped, clenched his fists
+and began to give the devil a beating. The devil was large and clumsy,
+but Sun Wu Kung leaped about nimbly. He struck him between the ribs
+and between the wind and his blows fell ever more fast and furious. In
+his despair the devil raised his great knife and aimed a blow at Sun
+Wu Kung's head. But the latter avoided the blow, and fell back on his
+magic powers of transformation. He pulled out a hair, put it in his
+mouth, chewed it, spat it out into the air and said: "Transform
+yourself!" And at once it turned into many hundreds of little apes who
+began to attack the devil. Sun Wu Kung, be it said, had eighty-four
+thousand hairs on his body, every single one of which he could
+transform. The little apes with their sharp eyes, leaped around with
+the greatest rapidity. They surrounded the Devil-King on all sides,
+tore at his clothes, and pulled at his legs, until he finally measured
+his length on the ground. Then Sun Wu Kung stepped up, tore his knife
+from his hand, and put an end to him. After that he entered the cave
+and released his captive children, the apes. The transformed hairs he
+drew to him again, and making a fire, he burned the evil cave to the
+ground. Then he gathered up those he had released, and flew back with
+them like a storm-wind to his cavern on the Mountain of Flowers and
+Fruits, joyfully greeted by all the apes.
+
+After Sun Wu Kung had obtained possession of the Devil-King's great
+knife, he exercised his apes every day. They had wooden swords and
+lances of bamboo, and played their martial music on reed pipes. He
+had them build a camp so that they would be prepared for all dangers.
+Suddenly the thought came to Sun Wu Kung: "If we go on this way,
+perhaps we may incite some human or animal king to fight with us, and
+then we would not be able to withstand him with our wooden swords and
+bamboo lances!" And to his apes he said: "What should be done?" Four
+baboons stepped forward and said: "In the capital city of the Aulai
+empire there are warriors without number. And there coppersmiths and
+steelsmiths are also to be found. How would it be if we were to buy
+steel and iron and have those smiths weld weapons for us?"
+
+A somersault and Sun Wu Kung was standing before the city moat. Said
+he to himself: "To first buy the weapons would take a great deal of
+time. I would rather make magic and take some." So he blew on the
+ground. Then a tremendous storm-wind arose which drove sand and stones
+before it, and caused all the soldiers in the city to run away in
+terror. Then Sun Wu Kung went to the armory, pulled out one of his
+hairs, turned it into thousands of little apes, cleared out the whole
+supply of weapons, and flew back home on a cloud.
+
+Then he gathered his people about him and counted them. In all they
+numbered seventy-seven thousand. They held the whole Mountain in
+terror, and all the magic beasts and spirit princes who dwelt on it.
+And these came forth from seventy-two caves and honored Sun Wu Kung as
+their head.
+
+One day the Ape King said: "Now you all have weapons; but this knife
+which I took from the Devil-King is too light, and no longer suits me.
+What should be done?"
+
+Then the four baboons stepped forward and said: "In view of your
+spirit powers, O king, you will find no weapon fit for your use on all
+the earth! Is it possible for you to walk through the water?"
+
+The Ape King answered: "All the elements are subject to me and there
+is no place where I cannot go."
+
+Then the baboons said: "The water at our cave here flows into the
+Great Sea, to the castle of the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. If
+your magic power makes it possible, you could go to the Dragon-King
+and let him give you a weapon."
+
+This suited the Ape King. He leaped on the iron bridge and murmured an
+incantation. Then he flung himself into the waves, which parted before
+him and ran on till he came to the palace of water-crystal. There he
+met a Triton who asked who he was. He mentioned his name and said: "I
+am the Dragon-King's nearest neighbor, and have come to visit him."
+The Triton took the message to the castle, and the Dragon-King of the
+Eastern Sea came out hastily to receive him. He bade him be seated and
+served him with tea.
+
+Sun Wu Kung said: "I have learned the hidden knowledge and gained the
+powers of immortality. I have drilled my apes in the art of warfare in
+order to protect our mountain; but I have no weapon I can use, and
+have therefore come to you to borrow one."
+
+The Dragon-King now had General Flounder bring him a great spear. But
+Sun Wu Kung was not satisfied with it. Then he ordered Field-Marshal
+Eel to fetch in a nine-tined fork, which weighed three thousand six
+hundred pounds. But Sun Wu Kung balanced it in his hand and said: "Too
+light! Too light! Too light!"
+
+Then the Dragon-King was frightened, and had the heaviest weapon in
+his armory brought in. It weighed seven thousand two hundred pounds.
+But this was still too light for Sun Wu Kung. The Dragon-King assured
+him that he had nothing heavier, but Sun Wu Kung would not give in and
+said: "Just look around!"
+
+Finally the Dragon-Queen and her daughter came out, and said to the
+Dragon-King: "This saint is an unpleasant customer with whom to deal.
+The great iron bar is still lying here in our sea; and not so long ago
+it shone with a red glow, which is probably a sign it is time for it
+to be taken away."
+
+Said the Dragon-King: "But that is the rod which the Great Yu used
+when he ordered the waters, and determined the depth of the seas and
+rivers. It cannot be taken away."
+
+The Dragon-Queen replied: "Just let him see it! What he then does with
+it is no concern of ours."
+
+So the Dragon-King led Sun Wu Kung to the measuring rod. The golden
+radiance that came from it could be seen some distance off. It was an
+enormous iron bar, with golden clamps on either side.
+
+Sun Wu Kung raised it with the exertion of all his strength, and then
+said: "It is too heavy, and ought to be somewhat shorter and thinner!"
+
+No sooner had he said this than the iron rod grew less. He tried it
+again, and then he noticed that it grew larger or smaller at command.
+It could be made to shrink to the size of a pin. Sun Wu Kung was
+overjoyed and beat about in the sea with the rod, which he had let
+grow large again, till the waves spurted mountain-high and the
+dragon-castle rocked on its foundations. The Dragon-King trembled with
+fright, and all his tortoises, fishes and crabs drew in their heads.
+
+Sun Wu Kung laughed, and said: "Many thanks for the handsome present!"
+Then he continued: "Now I have a weapon, it is true, but as yet I have
+no armor. Rather than hunt up two or three other households, I think
+you will be willing to provide me with a suit of mail."
+
+The Dragon-King told him that he had no armor to give him.
+
+Then the ape said: "I will not leave until you have obtained one for
+me." And once more he began to swing his rod.
+
+"Do not harm me!" said the terrified Dragon-King, "I will ask my
+brothers."
+
+And he had them beat the iron drum and strike the golden gong, and in
+a moment's time all the Dragon-King's brothers came from all the other
+seas. The Dragon-King talked to them in private and said: "This is a
+terrible fellow, and we must not rouse his anger! First he took the
+rod with the golden clamps from me, and now he also insists on having
+a suit of armor. The best thing to do would be to satisfy him at once,
+and complain of him to the Lord of the Heavens later."
+
+So the brothers brought a magic suit of golden mail, magic boots and a
+magic helmet.
+
+Then Sun Wu Kung thanked them and returned to his cave. Radiantly he
+greeted his children, who had come to meet him, and showed them the
+rod with the golden clamps. They all crowded up and wished to pick it
+up from the ground, if only a single time; but it was just as though a
+dragon-fly had attempted to overthrow a stone column, or an ant were
+trying to carry a great mountain. It would not move a hair's breadth.
+Then the apes opened their mouths and stuck out their tongues, and
+said: "Father, how is it possible for you to carry that heavy thing?"
+So he told them the secret of the rod and showed them its effects.
+Then he set his empire in order, and appointed the four baboons
+field-marshals; and the seven beast-spirits, the ox-spirit, the
+dragon-spirit, the bird-spirit, the lion-spirit and the rest also
+joined him.
+
+One day he took a nap after dinner. Before he did so he had let the
+bar shrink, and had stuck it in his ear. While he was sleeping he saw
+two men come along in his dream, who had a card on which was written
+"Sun Wu Kung." They would not allow him to resist, but fettered him
+and led his spirit away. And when they reached a great city the Ape
+King gradually came to himself. Over the city gate he saw a tablet of
+iron on which was engraved in large letters: "The Nether World."
+
+Then all was suddenly clear to him and he said: "Why, this must be the
+dwelling-place of Death! But I have long since escaped from his power,
+and how dare he have me dragged here!" The more he reflected the
+wilder he grew. He drew out the golden rod from his ear, swung it and
+let it grow large. Then he crushed the two constables to mush, burst
+his fetters, and rolled his bar before him into the city. The ten
+Princes of the Dead were frightened, bowed before him and asked: "Who
+are you?"
+
+Sun Wu Kung answered: "If you do not know me then why did you send for
+me and have me dragged to this place? I am the heaven-born saint Sun
+Wu Kung of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. And now, who are you?
+Tell me your names quickly or I will strike you!"
+
+The ten Princes of the Dead humbly gave him their names.
+
+Sun Wu Kung said: "I, the Venerable Sun, have gained the power of
+eternal life! You have nothing to say to me! Quick, let me have the
+Book of Life!"
+
+They did not dare defy him, and had the scribe bring in the Book. Sun
+Wu Kung opened it. Under the head of "Apes," No. 1350, he read: "Sun
+Wu Kung, the heaven-born stone ape. His years shall be three hundred
+and twenty-four. Then he shall die without illness."
+
+Sun Wu Kung took the brush from the table and struck out the whole ape
+family from the Book of Life, threw the Book down and said: "Now we
+are even! From this day on I will suffer no impertinences from you!"
+
+With that he cleared a way for himself out of the Nether World by
+means of his rod, and the ten Princes of the Dead did not venture to
+stay him, but only complained of him afterward to the Lord of the
+Heavens.
+
+When Sun Wu Kung had left the city he slipped and fell to the ground.
+This caused him to wake, and he noticed he had been dreaming. He
+called his four baboons to him and said: "Splendid, splendid! I was
+dragged to Death's castle and I caused considerable uproar there. I
+had them give me the Book of Life, and I struck out the mortal hour of
+all the apes!" And after that time the apes on the Mountain no longer
+died, because their names had been stricken out in the Nether World.
+
+But the Lord of the Heavens sat in his castle, and had all his
+servants assembled about him. And a saint stepped forward and
+presented the complaint of the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. And
+another stepped forward and presented the complaint of the ten Princes
+of the Dead. The Lord of the Heavens glanced through the two
+memorials. Both told of the wild, unmannerly conduct of Sun Wu Kung.
+So the Lord of the Heavens ordered a god to descend to earth and take
+him prisoner. The Evening Star came forward, however, and said: "This
+ape was born of the purest powers of heaven and earth and sun and
+moon. He has gained the hidden knowledge and has become an immortal.
+Recall, O Lord, your great love for all that which has life, and
+forgive him his sin! Issue an order that he be called up to the
+heavens, and be given a charge here, so that he may come to his
+senses. Then, if he again oversteps your commands, let him be punished
+without mercy." The Lord of the Heavens was agreeable, had the order
+issued, and told the Evening Star to take it to Sun Wu Kung. The
+Evening Star mounted a colored cloud and descended on the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits.
+
+He greeted Sun Wu Kung and said to him: "The Lord had heard of your
+actions and meant to punish you. I am the Evening Star of the Western
+Skies, and I spoke for you. Therefore he has commissioned me to take
+you to the skies, so that you may be given a charge there."
+
+Sun Wu Kung was overjoyed and answered: "I had just been thinking I
+ought to pay Heaven a visit some time, and sure enough, Old Star, here
+you have come to fetch me!"
+
+Then he had his four baboons come and said to them impressively: "See
+that you take good care of our Mountain! I am going up to the heavens
+to look around there a little!"
+
+Then he mounted a cloud together with the Evening Star and floated up.
+But he kept turning his somersaults, and advanced so quickly that the
+Evening Star on his cloud was left behind. Before he knew it he had
+reached the Southern Gate of Heaven and was about to step carelessly
+through. The gate-keeper did not wish to let him enter, but he did not
+let this stop him. In the midst of their dispute the Evening Star came
+up and explained matters, and then he was allowed to enter the
+heavenly gate. When he came to the castle of the Lord of the Heavens,
+he stood upright before it, without bowing his head.
+
+The Lord of the Heavens asked: "Then this hairy face with the pointed
+lips is Sun Wu Kung?"
+
+He replied: "Yes, I am the Venerable Sun!"
+
+All the servants of the Lord of the Heavens were shocked and said:
+"This wild ape does not even bow, and goes so far as to call himself
+the Venerable Sun. His crime deserves a thousand deaths!"
+
+But the Lord said: "He has come up from the earth below, and is not as
+yet used to our rules. We will forgive him."
+
+Then he gave orders that a charge be found for him. The marshal of the
+heavenly court reported: "There is no charge vacant anywhere, but an
+official is needed in the heavenly stables." Thereupon the Lord made
+him stablemaster of the heavenly steeds. Then the servants of the Lord
+of the Heavens told him he should give thanks for the grace bestowed
+on him. Sun Wu Kung called out aloud: "Thanks to command!" took
+possession of his certificate of appointment, and went to the stables
+in order to enter upon his new office.
+
+Sun Wu Kung attended to his duties with great zeal. The heavenly
+steeds grew sleek and fat, and the stables were filled with young
+foals. Before he knew it half a month had gone by. Then his heavenly
+friends prepared a banquet for him.
+
+While they were at table Sun Wu Kung asked accidentally:
+"Stablemaster? What sort of a title is that?"
+
+"Why, that is an official title," was the reply.
+
+"What rank has this office?"
+
+"It has no rank at all," was the answer.
+
+"Ah," said the ape, "is it so high that it outranks all other
+dignities?"
+
+"No, it is not high, it is not high at all," answered his friends.
+"It is not even set down in the official roster, but is quite a
+subordinate position. All you have to do is to attend to the steeds.
+If you see to it that they grow fat, you get a good mark; but if they
+grow thin or ill, or fall down, your punishment will be right at
+hand."
+
+Then the Ape King grew angry: "What, they treat me, the Venerable Sun,
+in such a shameful way!" and he started up. "On my Mountain I was a
+king, I was a father! What need was there for him to lure me into his
+heaven to feed horses? I'll do it no longer! I'll do it no longer!"
+
+Hola, and he had already overturned the table, drawn the rod with the
+golden clamps from his ear, let it grow large and beat a way out for
+himself to the Southern gate of Heaven. And no one dared stop him.
+
+Already he was back in his island Mountain and his people surrounded
+him and said: "You have been gone for more than ten years, great king!
+How is it you do not return to us until now?"
+
+The Ape King said: "I did not spend more than about ten days in
+Heaven. This Lord of the Heavens does not know how to treat his
+people. He made me his stablemaster, and I had to feed his horses. I
+am so ashamed that I am ready to die. But I did not put up with it,
+and now I am here once more!"
+
+His apes eagerly prepared a banquet to comfort him. While they sat at
+table two horned devil-kings came and brought him a yellow imperial
+robe as a present. Filled with joy he slipped into it, and appointed
+the two devil-kings leaders of the vanguard. They thanked him and
+began to flatter him: "With your power and wisdom, great king, why
+should you have to serve the Lord of the Heavens? To call you the
+Great Saint who is Heaven's Equal would be quite in order."
+
+The ape was pleased with this speech and said: "Good, good!" Then he
+ordered his four baboons to have a flag made quickly, on which was to
+be inscribed: "The Great Saint Who Is Heaven's Equal." And from that
+time on he had himself called by that title.
+
+When the Lord of the Heavens learned of the flight of the ape, he
+ordered Li Dsing, the pagoda-bearing god, and his third son, Notscha,
+to take the Ape King prisoner. They sallied forth at the head of a
+heavenly warrior host, laid out a camp before his cave, and sent a
+brave warrior to challenge him to single combat. But he was easily
+beaten by Sun Wu Kung and obliged to flee, and Sun Wu Kung even
+shouted after him, laughing: "What a bag of wind! And he calls himself
+a heavenly warrior! I'll not slay you. Run along quickly and send me a
+better man!"
+
+When Notscha saw this he himself hurried up to do battle.
+
+Said Sun Wu Kung to him: "To whom do you belong, little one? You must
+not play around here, for something might happen to you!"
+
+But Notscha cried out in a loud voice: "Accursed ape! I am Prince
+Notscha, and have been ordered to take you prisoner!" And with that he
+swung his sword in the direction of Sun Wu Kung.
+
+"Very well," said the latter, "I will stand here and never move."
+
+Then Notscha grew very angry, and turned into a three-headed god with
+six arms, in which he held six different weapons. Thus he rushed on to
+the attack.
+
+Sun Wu Kung laughed. "The little fellow knows the trick of it! But
+easy, wait a bit! I will change shape, too!"
+
+And he also turned himself into a figure with three heads and with six
+arms, and swung three gold-clamp rods. And thus they began to fight.
+Their blows rained down with such rapidity that it seemed as though
+thousands of weapons were flying through the air. After thirty rounds
+the combat had not yet been decided. Then Sun Wu Kung hit upon an
+idea. He secretly pulled out one of his hairs, turned it into his own
+shape, and let it continue the fight with Notscha. He himself,
+however, slipped behind Notscha, and gave him such a blow on the left
+arm with his rod that his knees gave way beneath him with pain, and he
+had to withdraw in defeat.
+
+So Notscha told his father Li Dsing: "This devil-ape is altogether too
+powerful! I cannot get the better of him!" There was nothing left to
+do but to return to the Heavens and admit their overthrow. The Lord of
+the Heavens bowed his head, and tried to think of some other hero whom
+he might send out.
+
+Then the Evening Star once more came forward and said: "This ape is so
+strong and so courageous, that probably not one of us here is a match
+for him. He revolted because the office of stablemaster appeared too
+lowly for him. The best thing would be to temper justice with mercy,
+let him have his way, and appoint him Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal. It will only be necessary to give him the empty title, without
+combining a charge with it, and then the matter would be settled." The
+Lord of the Heavens was satisfied with this suggestion, and once more
+sent the Evening Star to summon the new saint. When Sun Wu Kung heard
+that he had arrived, he said: "The old Evening Star is a good fellow!"
+and he had his army draw up in line to give him a festive reception.
+He himself donned his robes of ceremony and politely went out to meet
+him.
+
+Then the Evening Star told him what had taken place in the Heavens,
+and that he had his appointment as Great Saint Who Is Heaven's Equal
+with him.
+
+Thereupon the Great Saint laughed and said: "You also spoke in my
+behalf before, Old Star! And now you have again taken my part. Many
+thanks! Many thanks!"
+
+Then when they appeared together in the presence of the Lord of the
+Heavens the latter said: "The rank of Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal is very high. But now you must not cut any further capers."
+
+The Great Saint expressed his thanks, and the Lord of the Heavens
+ordered two skilled architects to build a castle for him East of the
+peach-garden of the Queen-Mother of the West. And he was led into it
+with all possible honors.
+
+Now the Saint was in his element. He had all that heart could wish
+for, and was untroubled by any work. He took his ease, walked about in
+the Heavens as he chose, and paid visits to the gods. The Three Pure
+Ones and the Four Rulers he treated with some little respect; but the
+planetary gods and the lords of the twenty-eight houses of the moon,
+and of the twelve zodiac signs, and the other stars he addressed
+familiarly with a "Hey, you!" Thus he idled day by day, without
+occupation among the clouds of the Heavens. On one occasion one of the
+wise said to the Lord of the Heavens: "The holy Sun is idle while day
+follows day. It is to be feared that some mischievous thoughts may
+occur to him, and it might be better to give him some charge."
+
+So the Lord of the Heavens summoned the Great Saint and said to him:
+"The life-giving peaches in the garden of the Queen-Mother will soon
+be ripe. I give you the charge of watching over them. Do your duty
+conscientiously!"
+
+This pleased the Saint and he expressed his thanks. Then he went to
+the garden, where the caretakers and gardeners received him on their
+knees.
+
+He asked them: "How many trees in all are there in the garden?"
+
+"Three thousand six hundred," replied the gardener. "There are
+twelve-hundred trees in the foremost row. They have red blossoms and
+bear small fruit, which ripens every three thousand years. Whoever
+eats it grows bright and healthy. The twelve hundred trees in the
+middle row have double blossoms and bear sweet fruit, which ripens
+every six thousand years. Whoever eats of it is able to float in the
+rose-dawn without aging. The twelve hundred trees in the last row bear
+red-striped fruit with small pits. They ripen every nine thousand
+years. Whoever eats their fruit lives eternally, as long as the
+Heavens themselves, and remains untouched for thousands of eons."
+
+The Saint heard all this with pleasure. He checked up the lists and
+from that time on appeared every day or so to see to things. The
+greater part of the peaches in the last row were already ripe. When he
+came to the garden, he would on each occasion send away the caretakers
+and gardeners under some pretext, leap up into the trees, and gorge
+himself to his heart's content with the peaches.
+
+At that time the Queen-Mother of the West was preparing the great
+peach banquet to which she was accustomed to invite all the gods of
+the Heavens. She sent out the fairies in their garments of seven
+colors with baskets, that they might pick the peaches. The caretaker
+said to them: "The garden has now been entrusted to the guardianship
+of the Great Saint Who is Heaven's Equal, so you will first have to
+announce yourselves to him." With that he led the seven fairies into
+the garden. There they looked everywhere for the Great Saint, but
+could not find him. So the fairies said: "We have our orders and must
+not be late. We will begin picking the peaches in the meantime!" So
+they picked several baskets full from the foremost row. In the second
+row the peaches were already scarcer. And in the last row there hung
+only a single half-ripe peach. They bent down the bough and picked it,
+and then allowed it to fly up again.
+
+Now it happened that the Great Saint, who had turned himself into a
+peach-worm, had just been taking his noon-day nap on this bough. When
+he was so rudely awakened, he appeared in his true form, seized his
+rod and was about to strike the fairies.
+
+But the fairies said: "We have been sent here by the Queen-Mother. Do
+not be angry, Great Saint!"
+
+Said the Great Saint: "And who are all those whom the Queen-Mother has
+invited?"
+
+They answered: "All the gods and saints in the Heavens, on the earth
+and under the earth."
+
+"Has she also invited me?" said the Saint.
+
+"Not that we know of," said the fairies.
+
+Then the Saint grew angry, murmured a magic incantation and said:
+"Stay! Stay! Stay!"
+
+With that the seven fairies were banned to the spot. The Saint then
+took a cloud and sailed away on it to the palace of the Queen-Mother.
+
+On the way he met the Bare-Foot God and asked him: "Where are you
+going?"
+
+"To the peach banquet," was the answer.
+
+Then the Saint lied to him, saying: "I have been commanded by the
+Lord of the Heavens to tell all the gods and saints that they are
+first to come to the Hall of Purity, in order to practise the rites,
+and then go together to the Queen-Mother."
+
+Then the Great Saint changed himself into the semblance of the
+Bare-Foot God and sailed to the palace of the Queen-Mother. There he
+let his cloud sink down and entered quite unconcerned. The meal was
+ready, yet none of the gods had as yet appeared. Suddenly the Great
+Saint caught the aroma of wine, and saw well-nigh a hundred barrels of
+the precious nectar standing in a room to one side. His mouth watered.
+He tore a few hairs out and turned them into sleep-worms. These worms
+crept into the nostrils of the cup-bearers so that they all fell
+asleep. Thereupon he enjoyed the delicious viands to the full, opened
+the barrels and drank until he was nearly stupefied. Then he said to
+himself: "This whole affair is beginning to make me feel creepy. I had
+better go home first of all and sleep a bit." And he stumbled out of
+the garden with uncertain steps. Sure enough, he missed his way, and
+came to the dwelling of Laotzse. There he regained consciousness. He
+arranged his clothing and went in. There was no one to be seen in the
+place, for at the moment Laotzse was at the God of Light's abode,
+talking to him, and with him were all his servants, listening. Since
+he found no one at home the Great Saint went as far as the inner
+chamber, where Laotzse was in the habit of brewing the elixir of life.
+Beside the stove stood five gourd containers full of the pills of life
+which had already been rolled. Said the Great Saint: "I had long since
+intended to prepare a couple of these pills. So it suits me very well
+to find them here." He poured out the contents of the gourds, and ate
+up all the pills of life. Since he had now had enough to eat and
+drink he thought to himself: "Bad, bad! The mischief I have done
+cannot well be repaired. If they catch me my life will be in danger. I
+think I had better go down to earth again and remain a king!" With
+that he made himself invisible, went out at the Western Gate of
+Heaven, and returned to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, where he
+told his people who received him the story of his adventures.
+
+When he spoke of the wine-nectar of the peach garden, his apes said:
+"Can't you go back once more and steal a few bottles of the wine, so
+that we too may taste of it and gain eternal life?"
+
+The Ape King was willing, turned a somersault, crept into the garden
+unobserved, and picked up four more barrels. Two of them he took under
+his arms and two he held in his hands. Then he disappeared with them
+without leaving a trace and brought them to his cave, where he enjoyed
+them together with his apes.
+
+In the meantime the seven fairies, whom the Great Saint had banned to
+the spot, had regained their freedom after a night and a day. They
+picked up their baskets and told the Queen-Mother what had happened to
+them. And the cup-bearers, too, came hurrying up and reported the
+destruction which some one unknown had caused among the eatables and
+drinkables. The Queen-Mother went to the Lord of the Heavens to
+complain. Shortly afterward Laotzse also came to him to tell about the
+theft of the pills of life. And the Bare-Foot God came along and
+reported that he had been deceived by the Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal; and from the Great Saint's palace the servants came running and
+said that the Saint had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Then
+the Lord of the Heavens was frightened, and said: "This whole mess is
+undoubtedly the work of that devilish ape!"
+
+Now the whole host of Heaven, together with all the star-gods, the
+time-gods and the mountain-gods was called out in order to catch the
+ape. Li Dsing once more was its commander-in-chief. He invested the
+entire Mountain, and spread out the sky-net and the earth-net, so that
+no one could escape. Then he sent his bravest heroes into battle.
+Courageously the ape withstood all attacks from early morn till
+sundown. But by that time his most faithful followers had been
+captured. That was too much for him. He pulled out a hair and turned
+it into thousands of Ape-Kings, who all hewed about them with
+golden-clamped iron rods. The heavenly host was vanquished, and the
+ape withdrew to his cave to rest.
+
+Now it happened that Guan Yin had also gone to the peach banquet in
+the garden, and had found out what Sun Wu Kung had done. When she went
+to visit the Lord of the Heavens, Li Dsing was just coming in, to
+report the great defeat which he had suffered on the Mountain of
+Flowers and Fruits. Then Guan Yin said to the Lord of the Heavens: "I
+can recommend a hero to you who will surely get the better of the ape.
+It is your grandson Yang Oerlang. He has conquered all the beast and
+bird spirits, and overthrown the elves in the grass and the brush. He
+knows what has to be done to get the better of such devils."
+
+So Yang Oerlang was brought in, and Li Dsing led him to his camp. Li
+Dsing asked Yang Oerlang how he would go about getting the better of
+the ape.
+
+Yang Oerlang laughed and said: "I think I will have to go him one
+better when it comes to changing shapes. It would be best for you to
+take away the sky-net so that our combat is not disturbed." Then he
+requested Li Dsing to post himself in the upper air with the magic
+spirit mirror in his hand, so that when the ape made himself
+invisible, he might be found again by means of the mirror. When all
+this had been arranged, Yang Oerlang went out in front of the cave
+with his spirits to give battle.
+
+The ape leaped out, and when he saw the powerful hero with the
+three-tined sword standing before him he asked: "And who may you be?"
+
+The other said: "I am Yang Oerlang, the grandson of the Lord of the
+Heavens!"
+
+Then the ape laughed and said: "Oh yes, I remember! His daughter ran
+away with a certain Sir Yang, to whom heaven gave a son. You must be
+that son!"
+
+Yang Oerlang grew furious, and advanced upon him with his spear. Then
+a hot battle began. For three hundred rounds they fought without
+decisive results. Then Yang Oerlang turned himself into a giant with a
+black face and red hair.
+
+"Not bad," said the ape, "but I can do that too!"
+
+So they continued to fight in that form. But the ape's baboons were
+much frightened. The beast and planet spirits of Yang Oerlang pressed
+the apes hard. They slew most of them and the others hid away. When
+the ape saw this his heart grew uneasy. He drew the magic
+giant-likeness in again, took his rod and fled. But Yang Oerlang
+followed hard on his heels. In his urgent need the ape thrust the rod,
+which he had turned into a needle, into his ear, turned into a
+sparrow, and flew up into the crest of a tree. Yang Oerlang who was
+following in his tracks, suddenly lost sight of him. But his keen eyes
+soon recognized that he had turned himself into a sparrow. So he flung
+away spear and crossbow, turned himself into a sparrow-hawk, and
+darted down on the sparrow. But the latter soared high into the air as
+a cormorant. Yang Oerlang shook his plumage, turned into a great
+sea-crane, and shot up into the clouds to seize the cormorant. The
+latter dropped, flew into a valley and dove beneath the waters of a
+brook in the guise of a fish. When Yang Oerlang reached the edge of
+the valley, and had lost his trail he said to himself: "This ape has
+surely turned himself into a fish or a crab! I will change my form as
+well in order to catch him." So he turned into a fish-hawk and floated
+above the surface of the water. When the ape in the water caught sight
+of the fish-hawk, he saw that he was Yang Oerlang. He swiftly swung
+around and fled, Yang Oerlang in pursuit. When the latter was no
+further away than the length of a beak, the ape turned, crept ashore
+as a water-snake and hid in the grass. Yang Oerlang, when he saw the
+water-snake creep from the water, turned into an eagle and spread his
+claws to seize the snake. But the water-snake sprang up and turned
+into the lowest of all birds, a speckled buzzard, and perched on the
+steep edge of a cliff. When Yang Oerlang saw that the ape had turned
+himself into so contemptible a creature as a buzzard, he would no
+longer play the game of changing form with him. He reappeared in his
+original form, took up his crossbow and shot at the bird. The buzzard
+slipped and fell down the side of the cliff. At its foot the ape
+turned himself into the chapel of a field-god. He opened his mouth for
+a gate, his teeth became the two wings of the door, his tongue the
+image of the god, and his eyes the windows. His tail was the only
+thing he did not know what to do with. So he let it stand up stiffly
+behind him in the shape of a flagpole. When Yang Oerlang reached the
+foot of the hill he saw the chapel, whose flagpole stood in the rear.
+Then he laughed and said: "That ape is really a devil of an ape! He
+wants to lure me into the chapel in order to bite me. But I will not
+go in. First I will break his windows for him, and then I will stamp
+down the wings of his door!" When the ape heard this he was much
+frightened. He made a bound like a tiger, and disappeared without a
+trace in the air. With a single somersault he reached Yang Oerlang's
+own temple. There he assumed Yang Oerlang's own form and stepped in.
+The spirits who were on guard were unable to recognize him. They
+received him on their knees. So the ape then seated himself on the
+god's throne, and had the prayers which had come in submitted to him.
+
+When Yang Oerlang no longer saw the ape, he rose in the air to Li
+Dsing and said: "I was vying with the ape in changing shape. Suddenly
+I could no longer find him. Take a look in the mirror!" Li Dsing took
+a look in the magic spirit mirror and then he laughed and said: "The
+ape has turned himself into your likeness, is sitting in your temple
+quite at home there, and making mischief." When Yang Oerlang heard
+this he took his three-tined spear, and hastened to his temple. The
+door-spirits were frightened and said: "But father came in only this
+very minute! How is it that another one comes now?" Yang Oerlang,
+without paying attention to them, entered the temple and aimed his
+spear at Sun Wu Kung. The latter resumed his own shape, laughed and
+said: "Young sir, you must not be angry! The god of this place is now
+Sun Wu Kung." Without uttering a word Yang Oerlang assailed him. Sun
+Wu Kung took up his rod and returned the blows. Thus they crowded out
+of the temple together, fighting, and wrapped in mists and clouds once
+more gained the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits.
+
+In the meantime Guan Yin was sitting with Laotzse, the Lord of the
+Heavens and the Queen-Mother in the great hall of Heaven, waiting for
+news. When none came she said: "I will go with Laotzse to the
+Southern Gate of Heaven and see how matters stand." And when they saw
+that the struggle had still not come to an end she said to Laotzse:
+"How would it be if we helped Yang Oerlang a little? I will shut up
+Sun Wu Kung in my vase."
+
+But Laotzse said: "Your vase is made of porcelain. Sun Wu Kung could
+smash it with his iron rod. But I have a circlet of diamonds which can
+enclose all living creatures. That we can use!" So he flung his
+circlet through the air from the heavenly gate, and struck Sun Wu Kung
+on the head with it. Since he had his hands full fighting, the latter
+could not guard himself against it, and the blow on the forehead
+caused him to slip. Yet he rose again and tried to escape. But the
+heavenly hound of Yang Oerlang bit his leg until he fell to the
+ground. Then Yang Oerlang and his followers came up and tied him with
+thongs, and thrust a hook through his collar-bone so that he could no
+longer transform himself. And Laotzse took possession of his diamond
+circlet again, and returned with Guan Yin to the hall of Heaven. Sun
+Wu Kung was now brought in in triumph, and was condemned to be
+beheaded. He was then taken to the place of execution and bound to a
+post. But all efforts to kill him by means of ax and sword, thunder
+and lightning were vain. Nothing so much as hurt a hair on his head.
+
+Said Laotzse: "It is not surprising. This ape has eaten the peaches,
+has drunk the nectar and also swallowed the pills of life. Nothing can
+harm him. The best thing would be for me to take him along and thrust
+him into my stove in order to melt the elixir of life out of him
+again. Then he will fall into dust and ashes."
+
+So Sun Wu Kung's fetters were loosed, and Laotzse took him with him,
+thrust him into his oven, and ordered the boy to keep up a hot fire.
+
+But along the edge of the oven were graven the signs of the eight
+elemental forces. And when the ape was thrust into the oven he took
+refuge beneath the sign of the wind, so that the fire could not injure
+him; and the smoke only made his eyes smart. He remained in the oven
+seven times seven days. Then Laotzse had it opened to take a look. As
+soon as Sun Wu Kung saw the light shine in, he could no longer bear to
+be shut up, but leaped out and upset the magic oven. The guards and
+attendants he threw to the ground and Laotzse himself, who tried to
+seize him, received such a push that he stuck his legs up in the air
+like an onion turned upside down. Then Sun Wu Kung took his rod out of
+his ear, and without looking where he struck, hewed everything to
+bits, so that the star-gods closed their doors and the guardians of
+the Heavens ran away. He came to the castle of the Lord of the
+Heavens, and the guardian of the gate with his steel whip was only
+just in time to hold him back. Then the thirty-six thunder gods were
+set at him, and surrounded him, though they could not seize him.
+
+The Lord of the Heavens said: "Buddha will know what is to be done.
+Send for him quickly!"
+
+So Buddha came up out of the West with Ananada and Kashiapa, his
+disciples. When he saw the turmoil he said: "First of all, let weapons
+be laid aside and lead out the Saint. I wish to speak with him!" The
+gods withdrew. Sun Wu Kung snorted and said: "Who are you, who dare to
+speak to me?" Buddha smiled and replied: "I have come out of the
+blessed West, Shakiamuni Amitofu. I have heard of the revolt you have
+raised, and am come to tame you!"
+
+Said Sun Wu Kung: "I am the stone ape who has gained the hidden
+knowledge. I am master of seventy-two transformations, and will live
+as long as Heaven itself. What has the Lord of the Heavens
+accomplished that entitles him to remain eternally on his throne? Let
+him make way for me, and I will be satisfied!"
+
+Buddha replied with a smile: "You are a beast which has gained magic
+powers. How can you expect to rule here as Lord of the Heavens? Be it
+known to you that the Lord of the Heavens has toiled for eons in
+perfecting his virtues. How many years would you have to pass before
+you could attain the dignity he has gained? And then I must ask you
+whether there is anything else you can do, aside from playing your
+tricks of transformation?"
+
+Said Sun Wu Kung: "I can turn cloud somersaults. Each one carries me
+eighteen thousand miles ahead. Surely that is enough to entitle me to
+be the Lord of the Heavens?"
+
+Buddha answered with a smile: "Let us make a wager. If you can so much
+as leave my hand with one of your somersaults, then I will beg the
+Lord of the Heavens to make way for you. But if you are not able to
+leave my hand, then you must yield yourself to my fetters."
+
+Sun Wu Kung suppressed his laughter, for he thought: "This Buddha is a
+crazy fellow! His hand is not a foot long; how could I help but leap
+out of it?" So he opened his mouth wide and said: "Agreed!"
+
+Buddha then stretched out his right hand. It resembled a small
+lotus-leaf. Sun Wu Kung leaped up into it with one bound. Then he
+said: "Go!" And with that he turned one somersault after another, so
+that he flew along like a whirlwind. And while he was flying along he
+saw five tall, reddish columns towering to the skies. Then he thought:
+"That is the end of the world! Now I will turn back and become Lord of
+the Heavens. But first I will write down my name to prove that I was
+there." He pulled out a hair, turned it into a brush, and wrote with
+great letters on the middle column: "The Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
+Equal." Then he turned his somersaults again until he had reached the
+place whence he had come. He leaped down from the Buddha's hand
+laughing and cried: "Now hurry, and see to it that the Lord of the
+Heavens clears his heavenly castle for me! I have been at the end of
+the world and have left a sign there!"
+
+Buddha scolded: "Infamous ape! How dare you claim that you have left
+my hand? Take a look and see whether or not 'The Great Saint Who Is
+Heaven's Equal,' is written on my middle finger!"
+
+Sun Wu Kung was terribly frightened, for at the first glance he saw
+that this was the truth. Yet outwardly he pretended that he was not
+convinced, said he would take another look, and tried to make use of
+the opportunity to escape. But Buddha covered him with his hand,
+shoved him out of the gate of Heaven, and formed a mountain of water,
+fire, wood, earth and metal, which he softly set down on him to hold
+him fast. A magic incantation pasted on the mountain prevented his
+escape.
+
+Here he was obliged to lie for hundreds of years, until he finally
+reformed and was released, in order to help the Monk of the
+Yangtze-kiang fetch the holy writings from out of the West. He honored
+the Monk as his master, and thenceforward was known as the Wanderer.
+Guan Yin, who had released him, gave the Monk a golden circlet. Sun Wu
+Kung was induced to put it on, and it at once grew into his flesh so
+that he could not remove it. And Guan Yin gave the Monk a magic
+formula by means of which the ring could be tightened, should the ape
+grow disobedient. But from that time on he was always polite and
+well-mannered.
+
+    Note: This tale, like "The Pilgrim's Progress," is an
+    allegory, the ape symbolizing the human heart. Yet
+    despite its allegorical character, a number of
+    mythological and fairy-tale motives are incorporated in
+    it. The ape himself suggests Hanumant, the companion of
+    Rama. Yo Huang is the Lord of the Heavens. The stone ape
+    is the stone heart of natural man. The Buddhas, blessed
+    spirits and gods, represent the ideals of Buddhism,
+    Taoism and Confucianism. Sun Wu Kung: In Chinese apes
+    are called Hu Sun, but the word Hu having an unlucky
+    meaning, the Master chooses Sun as a family name, while
+    at the same time the letter-sign is freed from the
+    radical indicating an animal. Wu Kung--"the magic
+    awaking to nothingness" (Nirwana). The different ways:
+    magic, the way of raising spirits; the sciences: The
+    three faiths are: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism; to
+    these are added six "schools": the Yin-Yang School, the
+    Mo-Di School, Medicine, War, Law, Miscellaneous, so that
+    nine directions in all are represented. Quiescence is
+    the Taoism for non-activity, while Action is the Taoism
+    for care of the body, as inaugurated by We Be Yang. The
+    Devil-King of Chaos, i.e., sensuality, whose seat is
+    supposed to be in Kidneys. "Red garments," colors, here
+    all have an allegorical meaning. Death, i.e., Yama. The
+    Evening Star is the star of metal; Sun Wu Kung also
+    personifies a metal, hence the Evening Star appears as
+    his apologist. As regards Li Dsing and Notscha see No.
+    18. As regards the Queen Mother of the West, see No. 15.
+    As regards Yang Oerlang, see No. 17. Guan Yin is
+    generally worshipped throughout China as the Feminine
+    goddess. The motive of the magic flight is found
+    frequently in fairy-tales the world over. Guan Yin is
+    often represented holding a vase, Bau Ping. Laotzse's
+    circlet or ring is the Tao. The eight elemental powers,
+    i.e., Ba Gua. Buddha: while Sun Wu Kung is equipped to
+    struggle against all external powers, he is conquered by
+    Buddha, who does not combat him, but subdues him by his
+    omnipresence. The Monk of the Yangtze-kiang is Huan
+    Dschuang, see No. 69. The circlet or ring which can be
+    made tighter when the ape does not obey, reappears in
+    Hauff's fairy-tale of "The Young Englishman," as a
+    cravat.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Archaic spelling, e.g. rimes, phenix, is preserved as printed. Variable
+spelling has been made consistent where there was a prevalence of one
+form; otherwise it is preserved as printed, e.g. Kaiutschou &
+Kiautschou, Laotzse & Laotsze.
+
+Punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation, and capitalisation
+of proper nouns, has been made consistent. Typographic errors, e.g.
+omitted or transposed letters, have been repaired.
+
+The following amendments have been made:
+
+    Page 24--repeated 'the' deleted--"... "The Wolf and the
+    Seven Kids," ..."
+
+    Page 76--(I) added to end of title for consistency with
+    the table of contents--"THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (I)"
+
+    Page 82--omitted word Lan added--"Lan Tsai Ho, who is also
+    pictured as a woman, ..."
+
+    Page 82--(II) added to end of title for consistency with
+    the table of contents--"THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II)"
+
+    Page 85--omitted word Yuan added--""We are Liu Tschen and
+    Yuan Dshau. Only a few days ago ...""
+
+    Page 289--superfluous 'the' deleted before 'Evening'--"Only,
+    the King had kept back Rose of Evening ..."
+
+Page 186--mentions the "Su Tsi Hia"--other similar references in the
+text are to the "Sin Tsi Hia" but, as the transcriber has been unable
+to confirm whether this is from the same source, it has been preserved
+as printed.
+
+Page 224--refers to a serving-maid holding a "red flabrum in her
+hand." Flabrum is a Latin word for breeze. This may be a typo for
+flagrum, a kind of scourge, but as it is impossible to be certain, it
+has been preserved as printed.
+
+Page 227--mentions a man who "descended to the upper story"--this
+should probably read "ascended to the upper story" but has been
+preserved as printed.
+
+Page 278--mentions a man "now, when young and old"--this may be an
+error for "young and bold" but has been preserved as printed.
+
+A number of the notes to the stories refer to other stories. On page
+17, there is a reference to No. 81. There is no story with this
+number, and, as the transcriber was unable to determine which story
+the author was referring to, it has been preserved as printed.
+
+The following amendments to references have also been made:
+
+    Page 17--67 amended to 68, and Fee amended to Fe--"...
+    (see No. 68, "Yang Gui Fe")."
+
+    Page 24--48 amended to 49--"... the same beast as "the
+    talking silver fox" in No. 49, ..."
+
+    Page 41--37 amended to 34--"... (comp. "Sky O'Dawn," No.
+    34); ..."
+
+    Page 52--73 amended to 74--"... occurs in the tale of Sun
+    Wu Kung (No. 74)."
+
+    Page 64--68 amended to 69--"As regards the Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang, comp. with No. 69."
+
+    Page 75--31 amended to 30--"... frequently used in the
+    preparation of the elixir of life (comp. No. 30)."
+
+    Page 83--63 amended to 51--"As regards the field-god, see
+    No. 51."
+
+    Page 137--62 amended to 63--"... the old river-god Ho Be
+    (Count of the Stream), also mentioned in No. 63, ..."
+
+    Page 142--75 amended to 74--"As regards the Dragon-King
+    of the Eastern Sea, see Nos. 18 and 74."
+
+    Page 142--45 amended to 46--"With regard to So Pi-Lo and
+    Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. 46."
+
+    Page 251--64 amended to 65--"... the Prince of Tang
+    mentioned in No. 65."
+
+    Page 251--49 amended to 50--"... and the ten princes of
+    the Nether World, comp. Nos. 38 and 50."
+
+    Page 251--73 amended to 74--"As regards one of the
+    legendary companions of Huan Dschuang on his journey,
+    see No. 74."
+
+    Page 329--68 amended to 69--"The Monk of the
+    Yangtze-kiang is Huan Dschuang, see No. 69."
+
+Illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in
+the middle of a paragraph. The frontispiece illustration and advertising
+material has been moved to follow the title page.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Chinese Fairy Book, by Various
+
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