even higher than the tall Pagoda on the hillside. When all his cord
was let out, he would pick up two sharp stones, and, handing them to
Honeysuckle, would say, "Now, daughter, cut the string, and the wind
will carry away the sins that are written down on the scraps of paper."
"But, Daddy, the kite is so pretty. Mayn't we keep our sins a little
longer?" she would innocently ask.
"No, child; it is dangerous to hold on to one's sins. Virtue is the
foundation of happiness," he would reply sternly, choking back his
laughter at her question. "Make haste and cut the cord."
So Honeysuckle, always obedient--at least with her father--would saw
the string in two between the sharp stones, and with a childish cry of
despair would watch her favourite kite, blown by the wind, sail farther
and farther away, until at last, straining her eyes, she could see it
sink slowly to the earth in some far-distant meadow.
"Now laugh and be happy," Mr. Min would say, "for your sins are all
gone. See that you don't get a new supply of them."
Honeysuckle was also fond of seeing the Punch and Judy show, for,
you must know, this old-fashioned amusement for children was enjoyed
by little folks in China, perhaps three thousand years before your
great-grandfather was born. It is even said that the great Emperor, Mu,
when he saw these little dancing images for the first time, was greatly
enraged at seeing one of them making eyes at his favourite wife. He
ordered the showman to be put to death, and it was with difficulty the
poor fellow persuaded his Majesty that the dancing puppets were not
really alive at all, but only images of cloth and clay.
No wonder then Honeysuckle liked to see Punch and Judy if the Son of
Heaven himself had been deceived by their queer antics into thinking
them real people of flesh and blood.
But we must hurry on with our story, or some of our readers will be
asking, "But where is Dr. Dog? Are you never coming to the hero of this
tale?" One day when Honeysuckle was sitting inside a shady pavilion that
overlooked a tiny fish-pond, she was suddenly seized with a violent
attack of colic. Frantic with pain, she told a servant to summon her
father, and then without further ado, she fell over in a faint upon the
ground.
When Mr. Min reached his daughter's side, she was still unconscious.
After sending for the family physician to come post haste, he got his
daughter to bed, but although she recovered from her fainting fit, the
extreme pain continued until the poor girl was almost dead from
exhaustion.
Now, when the learned doctor arrived and peered at her from under his
gigantic spectacles, he could not discover the cause of her trouble.
However, like some of our western medical men, he did not confess his
ignorance, but proceeded to prescribe a huge dose of boiling water, to
be followed a little later by a compound of pulverized deer's horn and
dried toadskin.
Poor Honeysuckle lay in agony for three days, all the time growing
weaker and weaker from loss of sleep. Every great doctor in the district
had been summoned for consultation; two had come from Changsha, the
chief city of the province, but all to no avail. It was one of those
cases that seem to be beyond the power of even the most learned
physicians. In the hope of receiving the great reward offered by the
desperate father, these wise men searched from cover to cover in the
great Chinese Cyclopedia of Medicine, trying in vain to find a method of
treating the unhappy maiden. There was even thought of calling in a
certain foreign physician from England, who was in a distant city, and
was supposed, on account of some marvellous cures he had brought to
pass, to be in direct league with the devil. However, the city
magistrate would not allow Mr. Min to call in this outsider, for fear
trouble might be stirred up among the people.
Mr. Min sent out a proclamation in every direction, describing his
daughter's illness, and offering to bestow on her a handsome dowry and
give her in marriage to whoever should be the means of bringing her back
to health and happiness. He then sat at her bedside and waited, feeling
that he had done all that was in his power. There were many answers to
his invitation. Physicians, old and young, came from every part of the
Empire to try their skill, and when they had seen poor Honeysuckle and
also the huge pile of silver shoes her father offered as a wedding gift,
they all fought with might and main for her life; some having been
attracted by her great beauty and excellent reputation, others by the
tremendous reward.
But, alas for poor Honeysuckle! Not one of all those wise men could cure
her! One day, when she was feeling a slight change for the better, she
called her father, and, clasping his hand with her tiny one said, "Were
it not for your love I would give up this hard fight and pass over into
the dark wood; or, as my old grandmother says, fly up into the Western
Heavens. For your sake, because I am your only child, and especially
because you have no son, I have struggled hard to live, but now I feel
that the next attack of that dreadful pain will carry me away. And oh,
I do not want to die!"
Here Honeysuckle wept as if her heart would break, and her old father
wept too, for the more she suffered the more he loved her.
Just then her face began to turn pale. "It is coming! The pain is
coming, father! Very soon I shall be no more. Good-bye, father!
Good-bye; good----." Here her voice broke and a great sob almost broke
her father's heart. He turned away from her bedside; he could not bear
to see her suffer. He walked outside and sat down on a rustic bench; his
head fell upon his bosom, and the great salt tears trickled down his
long grey beard.
As Mr. Min sat thus overcome with grief, he was startled at hearing a
low whine. Looking up he saw, to his astonishment, a shaggy mountain dog
about the size of a Newfoundland. The huge beast looked into the old
man's eyes with so intelligent and human an expression, with such a sad
and wistful gaze, that the greybeard addressed him, saying, "Why have
you come? To cure my daughter?"
The dog replied with three short barks, wagging his tail vigorously and
turning toward the half-opened door that led into the room where the
girl lay.
By this time, willing to try any chance whatever of reviving his
daughter, Mr. Min bade the animal follow him into Honeysuckle's
apartment. Placing his forepaws upon the side of her bed, the dog looked
long and steadily at the wasted form before him and held his ear
intently for a moment over the maiden's heart. Then, with a slight cough
he deposited from his mouth into her outstretched hand, a tiny stone.
Touching her wrist with his right paw, he motioned to her to swallow the
stone.
"Yes, my dear, obey him," counselled her father, as she turned to him
inquiringly, "for good Dr. Dog has been sent to your bedside by the
mountain fairies, who have heard of your illness and who wish to invite
you back to life again."
Without further delay the sick girl, who was by this time almost burned
away by the fever, raised her hand to her lips and swallowed the tiny
charm. Wonder of wonders! No sooner had it passed her lips than a
miracle occurred. The red flush passed away from her face, the pulse
resumed its normal beat, the pains departed from her body, and she arose
from the bed well and smiling.
Flinging her arms about her father's neck, she cried out in joy, "Oh,
I am well again; well and happy; thanks to the medicine of the good
physician."
The noble dog barked three times, wild with delight at hearing these
tearful words of gratitude, bowed low, and put his nose in Honeysuckle's
outstretched hand.
Mr. Min, greatly moved by his daughter's magical recovery, turned to the
strange physician, saying, "Noble Sir, were it not for the form you have
taken, for some unknown reason, I would willingly give four times the
sum in silver that I promised for the cure of the girl, into your
possession. As it is, I suppose you have no use for silver, but remember
that so long as we live, whatever we have is yours for the asking, and
I beg of you to prolong your visit, to make this the home of your old
age--in short, remain here for ever as my guest--nay, as a member of
my family."
The dog barked thrice, as if in assent. From that day he was treated as
an equal by father and daughter. The many servants were commanded to
obey his slightest whim, to serve him with the most expensive food on
the market, to spare no expense in making him the happiest and best-fed
dog in all the world. Day after day he ran at Honeysuckle's side as she
gathered flowers in her garden, lay down before her door when she was
resting, guarded her Sedan chair when she was carried by servants into
the city. In short, they were constant companions; a stranger would have
thought they had been friends from childhood.
One day, however, just as they were returning from a journey outside her
father's compound, at the very instant when Honeysuckle was alighting
from her chair, without a moment's warning, the huge animal dashed past
the attendants, seized his beautiful mistress in his mouth, and before
anyone could stop him, bore her off to the mountains. By the time the
alarm was sounded, darkness had fallen over the valley and as the night
was cloudy no trace could be found of the dog and his fair burden.
Once more the frantic father left no stone unturned to save his
daughter. Huge rewards were offered, bands of woodmen scoured the
mountains high and low, but, alas, no sign of the girl could be found!
The unfortunate father gave up the search and began to prepare himself
for the grave. There was nothing now left in life that he cared
for--nothing but thoughts of his departed daughter. Honeysuckle was gone
for ever.
"Alas!" said he, quoting the lines of a famous poet who had fallen into
despair:
"My whiting hair would make an endless rope,
Yet would not measure all my depth of woe."
Several long years passed by; years of sorrow for the ageing man, pining
for his departed daughter. One beautiful October day he was sitting in
the very same pavilion where he had so often sat with his darling. His
head was bowed forward on his breast, his forehead was lined with grief.
A rustling of leaves attracted his attention. He looked up. Standing
directly in front of him was Dr. Dog, and lo, riding on his back,
clinging to the animal's shaggy hair, was Honeysuckle, his long-lost
daughter; while standing near by were three of the handsomest boys he
had ever set eyes upon!
"Ah, my daughter! My darling daughter, where have you been all these
years?" cried the delighted father, pressing the girl to his aching
breast. "Have you suffered many a cruel pain since you were snatched
away so suddenly? Has your life been filled with sorrow?"
"Only at the thought of your grief," she replied, tenderly, stroking
his forehead with her slender fingers; "only at the thought of your
suffering; only at the thought of how I should like to see you every day
and tell you that my husband was kind and good to me. For you must know,
dear father, this is no mere animal that stands beside you. This Dr.
Dog, who cured me and claimed me as his bride because of your promise,
is a great magician. He can change himself at will into a thousand
shapes. He chooses to come here in the form of a mountain beast so that
no one may penetrate the secret of his distant palace."
"Then he is your husband?" faltered the old man, gazing at the animal
with a new expression on his wrinkled face.
"Yes; my kind and noble husband, the father of my three sons, your
grandchildren, whom we have brought to pay you a visit."
"And where do you live?"
"In a wonderful cave in the heart of the great mountains; a beautiful
cave whose walls and floors are covered with crystals, and encrusted
with sparkling gems. The chairs and tables are set with jewels; the
rooms are lighted by a thousand glittering diamonds. Oh, it is lovelier
than the palace of the Son of Heaven himself! We feed of the flesh of
wild deer and mountain goats, and fish from the clearest mountain
stream. We drink cold water out of golden goblets, without first boiling
it, for it is purity itself. We breathe fragrant air that blows through
forests of pine and hemlock. We live only to love each other and our
children, and oh, we are so happy! And you, father, you must come back
with us to the great mountains and live there with us the rest of your
days, which, the gods grant, may be very many."
[Illustration: "CLINGING TO THE ANIMAL'S SHAGGY HAIR WAS HONEYSUCKLE"]
The old man pressed his daughter once more to his breast and fondled the
children, who clambered over him rejoicing at the discovery of a
grandfather they had never seen before.
From Dr. Dog and his fair Honeysuckle are sprung, it is said, the
well-known race of people called the Yus, who even now inhabit the
mountainous regions of the Canton and Hunan provinces. It is not for
this reason, however, that we have told the story here, but because we
felt sure every reader would like to learn the secret of the dog that
cured a sick girl and won her for his bride.
HOW FOOTBINDING STARTED
[Illustration]
In the very beginning of all things, when the gods were creating the
world, at last the time came to separate the earth from the heavens.
This was hard work, and if it had not been for the coolness and skill of
a young goddess all would have failed. This goddess was named Lu-o. She
had been idly watching the growth of the planet, when, to her horror,
she saw the newly made ball slipping slowly from its place. In another
second it would have shot down into the bottomless pit. Quick as a flash
Lu-o stopped it with her magic wand and held it firmly until the chief
god came dashing up to the rescue.
But this was not all. When men and women were put on the earth Lu-o
helped them greatly by setting an example of purity and kindness. Every
one loved her and pointed her out as the one who was always willing to
do a good deed. After she had left the world and gone into the land of
the gods, beautiful statues of her were set up in many temples to keep
her image always before the eyes of sinful people. The greatest of these
was in the capital city. Thus, when sorrowful women wished to offer up
their prayers to some virtuous goddess they would go to a temple of Lu-o
and pour out their hearts before her shrine.
At one time the wicked Chow-sin, last ruler of the Yins, went to pray in
the city Temple. There his royal eyes were captivated by the sight of a
wonderful face, the beauty of which was so great that he fell in love
with it at once, telling his ministers that he wished he might take this
goddess, who was no other than Lu-o, for one of his wives.
Now Lu-o was terribly angry that an earthly prince should dare to make
such a remark about her. Then and there she determined to punish the
Emperor. Calling her assistant spirits, she told them of Chow-sin's
insult. Of all her servants the most cunning was one whom we shall call
Fox Sprite, because he really belonged to the fox family. Lu-o ordered
Fox Sprite to spare himself no trouble in making the wicked ruler suffer
for his impudence.
For many days, try as he would, Chow-sin, the great Son of Heaven, could
not forget the face he had seen in the temple.
"He is stark mad," laughed his courtiers behind his back, "to fall in
love with a statue."
"I must find a woman just like her," said the Emperor, "and take her to
wife."
"Why not, most Mighty One," suggested a favourite adviser, "send forth a
command throughout the length and breadth of your Empire, that no maiden
shall be taken in marriage until you have chosen yourself a wife whose
beauty shall equal that of Lu-o?"
Chow-sin was pleased with this suggestion and doubtless would have
followed it had not his Prime Minister begged him to postpone issuing
the order. "Your Imperial Highness," began the official, "since you have
been pleased once or twice to follow my counsel, I beg of you to give
ear now to what I say."
"Speak, and your words shall have my best attention," replied Chow-sin,
with a gracious wave of the hand.
"Know then, Great One, that in the southern part of your realm there
dwells a viceroy whose bravery has made him famous in battle."
"Are you speaking of Su-nan?" questioned Chow-sin, frowning, for this
Su-nan had once been a rebel.
"None other, mighty Son of Heaven. Famous is he as a soldier, but his
name is now even greater in that he is the father of the most beautiful
girl in all China. This lovely flower that has bloomed of late within
his household is still unmarried. Why not order her father to bring her
to the palace that you may wed her and place her in your royal
dwelling?"
"And are you sure of this wondrous beauty you describe so prettily?"
asked the ruler, a smile of pleasure lighting up his face.
"So sure that I will stake my head on your being satisfied."
"Enough! I command you at once to summon the viceroy and his daughter.
Add the imperial seal to the message."
The Prime Minister smilingly departed to give the order. In his heart he
was more than delighted that the Emperor had accepted his suggestion,
for Su-nan, the viceroy, had long been his chief enemy, and he planned
in this way to overthrow him. The viceroy, as he knew, was a man of
iron. He would certainly not feel honoured at the thought of having his
daughter enter the Imperial Palace as a secondary wife. Doubtless he
would refuse to obey the order and would thus bring about his own
immediate downfall.
Nor was the Prime Minister mistaken. When Su-nan received the imperial
message his heart was hot with anger against his sovereign. To be robbed
of his lovely Ta-ki, even by the throne, was, in his eyes, a terrible
disgrace. Could he have been sure that she would be made Empress it
might have been different, but with so many others sharing Chow-sin's
favour, her promotion to first place in the Great One's household was by
no means certain. Besides, she was Su-nan's favourite child, and the old
man could not bear the thought of separation from her. Rather would he
give up his life than let her go to this cruel ruler.
"No, you shall not do it," said he to Ta-ki, "not though I must die to
save you."
The beautiful girl listened to her father's words, in tears. Throwing
herself at his feet she thanked him for his mercy and promised to love
him more fondly than ever. She told him that her vanity had not been
flattered by what most girls might have thought an honour, that she
would rather have the love of one good man like her father, than share
with others the affections of a king.
After listening to his daughter, the viceroy sent a respectful answer to
the palace, thanking the Emperor for his favour, but saying he could not
give up Ta-ki. "She is unworthy of the honour you purpose doing her," he
said, in conclusion, "for, having been the apple of her father's eye,
she would not be happy to share even your most august favour with the
many others you have chosen."
[Illustration: "THROWING HERSELF AT HIS FEET SHE THANKED HIM FOR HIS
MERCY."]
When the Emperor learned of Su-nan's reply he could hardly believe his
ears. To have his command thus disobeyed was an unheard-of crime. Never
before had a subject of the Middle Kingdom offered such an insult to a
ruler. Boiling with rage, he ordered his prime minister to send forth
an army that would bring the viceroy to his senses. "Tell him if he
disobeys that he and his family, together with all they possess, shall
be destroyed."
Delighted at the success of his plot against Su-nan, the Prime Minister
sent a regiment of soldiers to bring the rebel to terms. In the meantime
the friends of the daring viceroy had not been idle. Hearing of the
danger threatening their ruler, who had become a general favourite,
hundreds of men offered him their aid against the army of Chow-sin. Thus
when the Emperor's banners were seen approaching and the war drums were
heard rolling in the distance, the rebels, with a great shout, dashed
forth to do battle for their leader. In the fight that took place the
Imperial soldiers were forced to run.
When the Emperor heard of this defeat he was hot with anger. He called
together his advisers and commanded that an army, double the size of the
first one, should be sent to Su-nan's country to destroy the fields and
villages of the people who had risen up against him. "Spare not one of
them," he shouted, "for they are traitors to the Dragon Throne."
Once more the viceroy's friends resolved to support him, even to the
death. Ta-ki, his daughter, went apart from the other members of the
family, weeping most bitterly that she had brought such sorrow upon
them. "Rather would I go into the palace and be the lowest among
Chow-sin's women than to be the cause of all this grief," she cried,
in desperation.
But her father soothed her, saying, "Be of good cheer, Ta-ki. The
Emperor's army, though it be twice as large as mine, shall not overcome
us. Right is on our side. The gods of battle will help those who fight
for justice."
One week later a second battle was fought, and the struggle was so close
that none could foresee the result. The Imperial army was commanded by
the oldest nobles in the kingdom, those most skilled in warfare, while
the viceroy's men were young and poorly drilled. Moreover, the members
of the Dragon Army had been promised double pay if they should
accomplish the wishes of their sovereign, while Su-nan's soldiers knew
only too well that they would be put to the sword if they should be
defeated.
Just as the clash of arms was at its highest, the sound of gongs was
heard upon a distant hill. The government troops were amazed at seeing
fresh companies marching to the rescue of their foe. With a wild cry of
disappointment they turned and fled from the field. These unexpected
reinforcements turned out to be women whom Ta-ki had persuaded to dress
up as soldiers and go with her for the purpose of frightening the enemy.
Thus for a second time was Su-nan victorious.
During the following year several battles occurred that counted for
little, except that in each of them many of Su-nan's followers were
killed. At last one of the viceroy's best friends came to him, saying,
"Noble lord, it is useless to continue the struggle. I fear you must
give up the fight. You have lost more than half your supporters; the
remaining bowmen are either sick or wounded and can be of little use.
The Emperor, moreover, is even now raising a new army from the distant
provinces, and will soon send against us a force ten times as great as
any we have yet seen. There being no hope of victory, further fighting
would be folly. Lead, therefore, your daughter to the palace. Throw
yourself upon the mercy of the throne. You must accept cheerfully the
fate the gods have suffered you to bear."
Ta-ki, chancing to overhear this conversation, rushed in and begged her
father to hold out no longer, but to deliver her up to the greed of the
wicked Chow-sin.
With a sigh, the viceroy yielded to their wishes. The next day he
despatched a messenger to the Emperor, promising to bring Ta-ki at once
to the capital.
Now we must not forget Fox Sprite, the demon, who had been commanded by
the good goddess Lu-o to bring a dreadful punishment upon the Emperor.
Through all the years of strife between Chow-sin and the rebels, Fox
Sprite had been waiting patiently for his chance. He knew well that some
day, sooner or later, there would come an hour when Chow-sin would be at
his mercy. When the time came, therefore, for Ta-ki to go to the palace,
Fox Sprite felt that at last his chance had come. The beautiful maiden
for whom Chow-sin had given up so many hundreds of his soldiers, would
clearly have great power over the Emperor. She must be made to help
in the punishment of her wicked husband. So Fox Sprite made himself
invisible and travelled with the viceroy's party as it went from central
China to the capital.
On the last night of their journey Su-nan and his daughter stopped for
rest and food at a large inn. No sooner had the girl gone to her room
for the night than Fox Sprite followed her. Then he made himself
visible. At first she was frightened to see so strange a being in her
room, but when Fox Sprite told her he was a servant of the great
goddess, Lu-o, she was comforted, for she knew that Lu-o was the friend
of women and children.