The tranquil river of her eyes shines forth.
I bend and see my image reflected in them.
Could she be deceitful like the deep water?
When the pirates were coming, she begged her family to leave her, and to
fly without the risk of being delayed by her.
"It is the just punishment for my coquetry," she told them. "Fear
nothing for me, however. I am going to take a strong dose of the paste
extracted from the flowers of Nao-yang which makes one sleep. The
pirates will think I am dead, and will leave me."
The family allowed themselves to be persuaded, and departed. As to
Peaceful-light, she was asleep almost directly after taking the drug,
and she remained motionless on her bed.
The pirates, entering everywhere, at last arrived in the house and
remained struck with admiration by her beauty. The officer who was
called, at first thought her dead and was much grieved, but, touching
her hand and finding it warm and limp, he resolved to carry her away.
When the ravishers were re-embarked, the strong sea-air and the motion
of the boat revived the young girl; she awoke, and was horrified to find
herself surrounded by strangers. The one who seemed the chief spoke to
her in Chinese language in order to reassure her:
"Fear nothing. No harm will come to you. On the contrary, the highest
destiny awaits you; my Lord The Emperor designs you to the honour of
his couch."
Seeing that no one troubled her, Peaceful-light was reassured; she
resolved to wait, confident in her destiny, and knowing that she had
still, ready in her sleeve, in case of necessity, a narcotic dose strong
enough to kill her.
As soon as she landed, she was taken in great haste to the Palace. The
Emperor, greatly satisfied with her beauty, conferred on her at once the
rank of first favourite.
But all the luxury and love which surrounded her could not make her
forget her family and her country; she resolved to run away.
In order to manage it, she complained to her master how sad it was for
her never to be able to speak her own language with companions from her
country. The Emperor, happy to be able to please her, gave orders to fit
out a sea-junk, in order to go to the Chinese coast.
The day when all was ready the young girl found means of pouring into
her master's drink a dose of her narcotic. Then, when he was asleep, she
took his private seal and, going out of the room, she called the
intendant of the Palace and said to him:
"The Emperor has ordered me to go to China to fetch a magician, a member
of my family, who has great power on water and wind. Here is the seal,
proof of my mission. The ship must be almost ready."
The intendant knew that a junk had been specially prepared to go to
China; he saw the seal; what suspicion could he have? He had a palanquin
brought as quickly as possible; two hours after, the wood of the junk
groaned under the blows of the unfurling waves.
Arriving in sight of the coast, on the pretext of not frightening the
population, the young girl begged the officer who accompanied her to
send a messenger to the prefect of the town, bearing a letter that she
had prepared. The officer, without distrust, sent one of his men.
The letter of Peaceful-light showed a whole scheme to which the prefect
could but give his consent. The messenger returned, bringing to the
officer and to the men an invitation to take part in the feast that was
being prepared for them, their intentions not being bad.
Peaceful-light retired into her family, who welcomed her with a thousand
demonstrations of joy.
In the wine that was freely poured out for the strangers they had
dissolved the flowers of Nao-yang. The effects were not long in being
felt; a torpor that they attributed to the table excesses seized them
one after another. They were soon all sleeping deeply. Men arrived with
swords, glided near them, and, a signal being given, cut off their
heads.
While these events were passing in China, others still more serious were
happening in Japan. Soon after the departure of Peaceful-light, the
Emperor's brother penetrated into the room where the sovereign was left
sleeping. This brother was ambitious; he profited by the occasion,
killed the unhappy Mikado, took possession of the seals of the State,
and, calling his partisans in haste, proclaimed himself Chief of the
State. Only a part of the princes followed him; the others, filled with
indignation by the crime that had been accomplished, united their troops
to crush the usurper; civil war tore the whole of Japan to pieces.
As to Peaceful-light, by order of the authorities she received public
congratulations and gifts of land which allowed her to marry and be
happy, as she merited.
_HONG THE CURRIER_
"In the time when the Justice of Heaven was actively employed with the
affairs of the earth, one of my ancestors had an adventure to which we
owe our present fortune, and of which few men of to-day have seen the
equal."
Thus began my friend Hong; reclining on the red cushions of the big
couch, he fanned himself gracefully with an ivory fan painted all over.
"Our family, as you know, originally came from the town of
The-Black-chain in the province of The-Foaming-rivers. Our ancestor Hong
The-just was a currier by trade; he cut and scraped the skins that were
entrusted to him. His family was composed only of his wife, who helped
him as well as she could.
"Notwithstanding this persistent labour, they were very poor; no
furniture ornamented the three rooms in the small house that they hired
in the Street-of-the-golden-flowers.
"When the last days of the twelfth moon in that year arrived, they found
they were owing six strings of copper cash to ten different creditors.
With all they possessed, there only remained 400 cash. What were they to
do? They reflected for a long time. Hong The-just at last said to his
wife:
"'Take these 400 cash; you will be able to buy rice to live on. As to
me, as I cannot pay my debts before the first day of the first moon, I
am going to leave the town and hide myself in the mountain. My
creditors, not seeing me, will believe you when you tell them that I
have been to find money in the neighbouring town. Once the first day of
the first moon passed, as law ordains to wait till the following term,
I shall then come back, and we shall continue to live as well as we
can.'
"It was indeed the wisest thing to do. His wife made him a parcel of a
blanket and a few dry biscuits. She wept at seeing him go away quite
bent, walking with difficulty on the slippery flagstones of the street.
"The snow was falling in thick flakes and already covered the grey tiled
roofs, when Hong The-just left the city gate and directed his steps to a
cave that he knew of in a lonely valley.
"He arrived at last, and, throwing his heavy load on the ground, he
glanced around him in order to choose the place where he would sleep.
"An exclamation of stupor escaped from him when he saw, seated
motionless on a stone, a man clothed in a long sable cloak, with a cap
of the same fur, looking at him in a mournful, indifferent way.
"'How strange!' at last said Hong, laughing. 'Dare I ask your noble
name and the reason that brings you to this remote refuge? How is it
that you are not with your friends, drinking hot wine and rejoicing in
the midst of the luxuriance of the tables covered with various eatables
and brilliant lights?'
"'My name is Yang Glow-of-dawn. And you, what is your precious name?'
replied mechanically the first occupant.
"'I am called Hong The-just, and I am here to escape from my creditors.'
"'You, also?' sneered Glow-of-dawn. 'The strokes of Fate do not vary
much. As for me, I deal in European goods; my correspondents have not
settled my accounts and I am in want of nearly a hundred thousand ounces
of silver to close the year. None of my friends could advance me the
sum, and here I am, obliged to fly away from my creditors.'
"'A hundred thousand ounces!' cried The-just. 'With a sum like that I
should pass the rest of my days in plenty. Anyhow, struck by the same
misfortune, we are thus united; let us try to pass cheerfully the last
day of the year, and attempt to imagine that these humble cakes are
refined food.'
"When they were eating their pastry and drinking water from the near
torrent, Glow-of-dawn suddenly said:
"'But you, how much do you owe? I have here a few ounces of silver;
maybe you could balance your accounts with them.'
"'My debts do not exceed six strings of copper cash. But how could I
dare accept your offer?'
"'Not at all! take these ten ounces; you will pay your debts and bring
me here food and wine; that will help me to wait till the end of the
festivals.'
"The-just, reiterating his thanks, took the ingots that were offered him
and went down as quickly as possible towards the town.
"His wife, on seeing him and hearing his story, could not restrain her
joy. She hurried to go and buy provisions of all kinds. Her husband
tried to light the stove, but they had not lit a fire for a long time;
he found the chimney filled with soot and dust.
"Hong tried to sweep it with a big broom, but the masonry gave way,
filling the room with the bricks and rubbish.
"'How very annoying!' grumbled the currier. 'Now the stove is destroyed
let us take away what remains, and we will make the fire beneath the
opening in the roof!'
"When his wife returned, he was still working. She put down her basket
and helped to raise a huge stone that formed the bottom of the hearth.
What was their astonishment in seeing a chest, half-broken, from which
big ingots of gold were falling!
"'What are we to do with this?' said his wife. 'If we sell this gold,
everybody will think that we have stolen it, and we shall be put in
prison.'
"'We have only one thing to do,' replied Hong. 'Let us entrust our
fortune to my companion in the cave; he is a good man. We shall save
him, and he will make our money prosper; I will hurry and tell him.'
"When Hong arrived, it was nearly nightfall; Yang was standing under
flakes of snow at the entrance of the grotto; he received him with
reproaches:
"'You have come so late that my eyes are sore in looking out for you in
vain!'
"'Do not abuse me, Old Uncle; drink this wine and eat these cakes that
are still warm, and I will tell you what delayed me.'
"And while Glow-of-dawn ate and drank, the other told him of his
adventure and of his intentions about the treasure.
"Surprised and touched, the merchant did not know how to express his
wonder and gratitude. They talked over the best way of proceeding to
bring the gold and settle the business.
"Then, by the glimmer of a bad lantern, they returned to the town and
entered the merchant's house. There the currier washed himself, did his
hair, and clothed himself in rich garments. A sedan-chair was waiting
for him, followed by sturdy servants; he went away....
"The next day Glow-of-dawn's creditors presented themselves at the house
of their debtor. He was standing at the entrance, and bowed in wishing
them a thousand times happiness. They entered; tea was brought in by
busy servants. They at last discussed the settlement of their yearly
accounts. The master of the house found out that he owed 180,000 ounces
of silver.
"'We have been informed that larger sums of silver are due to you, but
you know the custom; you must settle everything to-day. In order to save
you, we are content to make an estimate of your wealth, your goods and
lands.'
"'Do not give yourselves such a trouble,' replied the merchant, laughing
and waving his hand. 'I thought you would be relentless, so I have been
to speak to my elder brother, who has an immense fortune; he has put at
my disposal several hundred thousand ounces. But here! I hear the cry of
the bearers; it must be him with the chests of white metal.'
"The major domo came hurrying in, carrying high in the air the huge red
card with the names and surnames written in black.
"'The venerable Old Great Uncle The-just has arrived!'
"'Allow me?' said Yang, getting up, and going towards the door, of which
both sides were open. Hong entered. They made each other a thousand
affectionate greetings, as all brothers do who are animated with right
feelings.
"'Dear elder brother! here are the gentlemen who have come for the
settlement of my accounts about which I spoke to you.'
"'Gentlemen!' and the currier bowed, not without a certain grace that
his new fortune had already given him. 'Well! how much is the total
amount? I have brought you ten thousand ounces of gold, which is nearly
350,000 ounces of silver. Will you have enough?'
"While he was speaking, bearers were trooping in, and laid down on the
ground heavy chests, the lids of which being raised, one could see the
bars of precious metal.
"The merchants, thunderstruck by all these riches and generosity,
remained silent for a moment; then they bowed low and bade the currier
sit in the place of honour.
"Many delicate and exquisite dishes were brought in of which The-just
did not even know the names; sweet wines were handed round in small
transparent china cups.
"At last the secretaries counted the ingots, and they all returned home
paid. When every one had retired, Glow-of-dawn knelt before the currier
and, striking the earth with his forehead, he said:
"'Now you are my elder brother. You have rescued me, and I henceforth
wish you to live here. My house, my properties, everything I possess
belongs to you. Your wife is my sister-in-law.'
"The currier hurried to raise him up and, much moved, said:
"'I do not forget that it is you who saved me when you were still in
misfortune. Your good genius has rewarded you. I am only the instrument
of Fate.'"
_AUTUMN-MOON_
In the town of Sou-tcheou a young man lived called
Lake-of-the-Immortals; he was wise and generous. His business consisted
in going to fetch goods from neighbouring towns, which he afterwards
brought back to his native city. He was thus obliged to be absent for
lengthy periods, during which he left his house to the care of an elder
brother, a celebrated scholar, who was married, and whom he tenderly
loved.
Once he had been by the Grand Canal as far as Chen-kiang; the goods he
was going to take not being ready, he waited, and to while away the time
he visited the Golden Island, whose temples with yellow-tiled roofs show
in the verdure above the yellow water of the river, nearly opposite to
the town; he passed the night there, as visitors did usually.
When he had just fallen asleep, he saw in a dream a young girl, fourteen
or fifteen years old, her visage regular and pure.
On the second night he had the same dream. Surprised, he awoke; it was
no dream; the young girl was there, near to him. At a glance he saw she
was no human being; he hastened to get up and, saluting, to ask her the
ordinary questions.
"My name is Autumn-moon," she replied. "My father was a celebrated
magician. When I died, he worked out my future destiny and wrote it down
with powerful incantations; this charm has been put into my coffin, so
that the inferior authorities should not make any mistake. It was
written that, thirty years after my death, I should be called again to
life and marry Lake-of-the-Immortals. There you are, and I have come to
know my husband."
As she said the last words she slowly vanished in the night. The next
day, as the young man, disturbed and preoccupied by this strange
adventure, was sitting in his room, thinking of her, she appeared
suddenly before his eyes and said:
"Come quickly! something important for you is going to happen at the
prefect's palace. We have not a minute to lose."
Lake-of-the-Immortals questioned her, but she would not answer. Then
they both crossed the river and walked as fast as they could up to the
yamen.
As they arrived at the gate, four soldiers, dragging a prisoner, were on
the point of entering. Lake-of-the-Immortals recognised his elder
brother in the person of the prisoner; he drew near, threw himself on
his neck, and pressed him to his heart.
"How is it that you are here? why this arrest? And you, soldiers, where
do you take him?"
"We have orders: what means this interference?" And they pushed the
young man aside. Lake-of-the-Immortals was of a violent temper and had a
strong affection for his brother; he could not let him go, and answered
to the brutality of the soldiers by such a tempest of thumping and
kicking that these honest but prudent soldiers asked no more and fled.
"What have you done?" said Autumn-moon. "Hitting soldiers is serious; we
must fly."
And all three, running, arrived at the beach, jumped into a small boat,
and rowed with all their strength.
When day appeared, they were safely lodged in a small inn, several lis
from Chen-kiang. Lake-of-the-Immortals, exhausted, went to sleep
immediately. When he awoke, his two companions had disappeared. He asked
the innkeeper; nobody had seen them go out.
Distressed and sad, the young man did not dare to show himself outside.
He remained solitary in his room. When twilight came, his door opened
and a woman entered:
"I bring you a message from Autumn-moon; she has been arrested. If you
wish to see her, you must follow me; I will show you the way."
"And my brother? do you know anything?"
"Your brother is safe in Sou-tcheou now. But come and follow me."
They started and soon arrived before a wall, which they got over by
helping one another. Through a window giving on the yard they fell in,
the lover perceived Autumn-moon on a bed. Two soldiers were trying to
tease her, saying:
"What is the use of resisting us, as you will be executed to-morrow
morning?"
Lake-of-the-Immortals did not hear any more; he rushed into the room,
threw himself on the soldiers, tore a sword from them, and laid them on
the ground. Before the wretched men had time to make a gesture of
defence, he carried away the girl and flew.
At this moment he started violently, and found himself in his same room
in the Golden Island. A servant entered, bringing the breakfast he had
ordered when arriving for the first time, the night before, on the
island.
As he was asking himself the meaning of such a vivid dream, he heard a
noise in the courtyard. Going out, he saw several men surrounding the
body of a girl stretched before his door.
"Where does she come from?" asked some one.
"We have never seen her!" said another.
Lake-of-the-Immortals came nearer; it was the body, seemingly senseless,
of Autumn-moon. He had her brought immediately into his room. A doctor
who had been called declared she was still alive, but needed very
careful nursing.
When she awoke at last she smiled feebly to the young man.
"No, it is no dream," she replied to his questions. "Your brother was
called before the King of Hells; you saved him. You have saved me also
from eternal disappearance, and I am called again to life; the
prediction of my father was true."
A fortnight later she was able to get up; they started together and
arrived safely at Sou-tcheou. When they got to his brother's house, his
sister-in-law told them there had been illness in the house; her husband
had been in grave danger of death; he was quite well now.
When they were all together, Lake-of-the-Immortals told what he had seen
and done. They all listened to him in silence. The family henceforth
lived united and happy.
_THE PRINCESS NELUMBO_
Gleam-of-day was sleeping; his round face and high forehead denoted the
scholar's right intelligence.
All of a sudden he saw a man standing before his bed who appeared to be
waiting.
"What is it?" inquired the sleeper, getting up.
"The prince is asking for you."
"Which prince?"
"The prince of the neighbouring territory."
Gleam-of-day, grumbling, got up, put on his court dress and followed his
guide. Palanquins were waiting; they started rapidly, and their retinue
was soon passing in the midst of innumerable pavilions and towers with
pointed roofs.
They at last stopped in the courtyard of the palace; young girls with
bright clothing were seen, and looked inquiringly at the new-comer, who
was announced with great pomp.
At last Gleam-of-day reached the audience hall. The prince was seated on
the throne; he descended the steps and welcomed his guest according to
the rites.
"You perfume this neighbourhood," he said. "Your reputation has come to
me, and I wished to know you."
The servants brought wine; they began to converse nobly and brilliantly.
At last the prince asked:
"Among the flowers, tell me which one you prefer."
"The nelumbo," he replied, without hesitating.
"The nelumbo? it is precisely my daughter's surname. What a curious
coincidence! The princess must absolutely know you."
And he made a sign to one of the attendants, who at once went out. A few
minutes after, the princess appeared. She was between sixteen and
seventeen years old. Nothing could equal her admirable beauty.
Her father ordered her to bow to the scholar and said:
"Here is my daughter Nelumbo."
Gleam-of-day, looking at her, felt troubled to the depth of his soul.
The prince spoke to him; he hardly heard, and replied awkwardly. When
the princess had retired, the conversation languished; the prince at
last rose and put an end to the interview.
During all the way back the young man was ashamed at the same time with
his emotion before the girl, as well as his rudeness towards the prince.
He was so much troubled that he ordered his retinue to go back to the
palace.
When he entered the audience hall, he threw himself to the ground before
the prince and begged to be excused for his rudeness.
"You need not excuse yourself; the sentiment that I read in your eyes is
powerful and the thought of it is not unpleasant to me."
While Gleam-of-day, happy with this encouragement, was still excusing
himself, twenty young girls came running:
"A monster has entered the palace; it is a python ten thousand feet
long. It has already devoured thirteen hundred persons; its head is like
a mountain peak."
Every one got up; the frightened guard and the courtiers ran hither and
thither, looking where they could hide themselves. The princess and her
maids-in-waiting were crying for help.
Gleam-of-day at last said to the prince:
"I have only three miserable rooms in a cottage, but you will be safe in
them. Will you fly there with your daughter?"
"Let us go as quickly as possible," replied the prince, seizing the
princess by the wrist.
They all three ran across the deserted streets. When they arrived,
Nelumbo threw herself on the bed, without being able to stop weeping.
Gleam-of-day was so moved that he suddenly awoke: everything was a
dream.
Just then he heard a scream in the next room, where his father slept;
there was a struggle, blows, and at last a sigh of satisfaction.
The door opened, and the old man was seen pushing an enormous serpent at
the end of a stick. When Gleam-of-day turned back to his bed, he found
it covered with bees; on the pillow the queen had alighted.
_THE TWO BROTHERS_
In the town of Sou-tcheou there lived two brothers. The elder, surnamed
Merchant, was very rich; the younger, named Deceived-hope, very poor.
They lived side by side, and their houses, the paternal inheritance,
were only separated by a low wall. They were both married.
This year, the harvest having been bad, Deceived-hope could not afford
the necessary rice for his family to live upon. His wife said to him:
"Let us send our son to your brother: he will be touched and will give
us something, without any doubt."
Deceived-hope hesitated, but at last decided to take this step which
hurt his pride. When the child returned from his uncle's, his hands
were empty. They questioned him:
"I told my uncle that you were without rice; he hesitated and looked at
my aunt. She then said to me: 'The two brothers live separately; their
food also is separate.'"
Deceived-hope and his wife did not say a word; they fetched the bale of
rice that was still in their corn-loft and lived thus.
Now, in the town, two or three vagabonds who knew the riches of Merchant
broke open his door one night, and tied him up as well as his wife. As
he would not show his treasure, they began burning his hands and feet.
Merchant and his wife screamed for help. Deceived-hope heard them and
got up in order to run to their house, but his wife held him back, and,
approaching the wall which separated them, cried:
"The two brothers live separately; their food also is separate."