the wallet of kai lung-第21部分

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that　point　the　gentle　forest　breath　bore　him　away。















CHAPTER　II







THE　STORY　OF　YUNG　CHANG







Narrated　by　Kai　Lung；　in　the　open　space　of　the　tea…shop　of　The



Celestial　Principles；　at　Wu…whei。







〃Ho；　illustrious　passers…by！〃　said　Kai　Lung；　the　story…teller；　as　he



spread　out　his　embroidered　mat　under　the　mulberry…tree。　〃It　is　indeed



unlikely　that　you　would　condescend　to　stop　and　listen　to　the　foolish



words　of　such　an　insignificant　and　altogether　deformed　person　as



myself。　Nevertheless；　if　you　will　but　retard　your　elegant　footsteps



for　a　few　moments；　this　exceedingly　unprepossessing　individual　will



endeavour　to　entertain　you　with　the　recital　of　the　adventures　of　the



noble　Yung　Chang；　as　recorded　by　the　celebrated　Pe…ku…hi。〃







Thus　adjured；　the　more　leisurely…minded　drew　near　to　hear　the　history



of　Yung　Chang。　There　was　Sing　You　the　fruit…seller；　and　Li　Ton…ti　the



wood…carver；　Hi　Seng　left　his　clients　to　cry　in　vain　for　water；　and



Wang　Yu；　the　idle　pipe…maker；　closed　his　shop　of　〃The　Fountain　of



Beauty〃；　and　hung　on　the　shutter　the　gilt　dragon　to　keep　away



customers　in　his　absence。　These；　together　with　a　few　more　shopkeepers



and　a　dozen　or　so　loafers；　constituted　a　respectable　audience　by　the



time　Kai　Lung　was　ready。







〃It　would　be　more　seemly　if　this　ill…conditioned　person　who　is　now



addressing　such　a　distinguished　assembly　were　to　reward　his　fine　and



noble…looking　hearers　for　their　trouble；〃　apologized　the　story…teller。



〃But；　as　the　Book　of　Verses　says；　'The　meaner　the　slave；　the　greater



the　lord'；　and　it　is；　therefore；　not　unlikely　that　this　majestic



concourse　will　reward　the　despicable　efforts　of　their　servant　by



handfuls　of　coins　till　the　air　appears　as　though　filled　with　swarms　of



locusts　in　the　season　of　much　heat。　In　particular；　there　is　among　this



august　crowd　of　Mandarins　one　Wang　Yu；　who　has　departed　on　three



previous　occasions　without　bestowing　the　reward　of　a　single　cash。　If



the　feeble　and　covetous…minded　Wang　Yu　will　place　within　this　very



ordinary　bowl　the　price　of　one　of　his　exceedingly　ill…made　pipes；　this



unworthy　person　will　proceed。〃







〃Vast　chasms　can　be　filled；　but　the　heart　of　man　never；〃　quoted　the



pipe…maker　in　retort。　〃Oh；　most　incapable　of　story…tellers；　have　you



not　on　two　separate　occasions　slept　beneath　my　utterly　inadequate　roof



without　payment？〃







But　he；　nevertheless；　deposited　three　cash　in　the　bowl；　and　drew



nearer　among　the　front　row　of　the　listeners。







〃It　was　during　the　reign　of　the　enlightened　Emperor　Tsing　Nung；〃　began



Kai　Lung；　without　further　introduction；　〃that　there　lived　at　a　village



near　Honan　a　wealthy　and　avaricious　maker　of　idols；　named　Ti　Hung。　So



skilful　had　he　become　in　the　making　of　clay　idols　that　his　fame　had



spread　for　many　li　round；　and　idol…sellers　from　all　the　neighbouring



villages；　and　even　from　the　towns；　came　to　him　for　their　stock。　No



other　idol…maker　between　Honan　and　Nanking　employed　so　many



clay…gatherers　or　so　many　modellers；　yet；　with　all　his　riches；　his



avarice　increased　till　at　length　he　employed　men　whom　he　called



'agents'　and　'travellers'；　who　went　from　house　to　house　selling　his



idols　and　extolling　his　virtues　in　verses　composed　by　the　most



illustrious　poets　of　the　day。　He　did　this　in　order　that　he　might　turn



into　his　own　pocket　the　full　price　of　the　idols；　grudging　those　who



would　otherwise　have　sold　them　the　few　cash　which　they　would　make。



Owing　to　this　he　had　many　enemies；　and　his　army　of　travellers　made　him



still　more；　for　they　were　more　rapacious　than　the　scorpion；　and　more



obstinate　than　the　ox。　Indeed；　there　is　still　the　proverb；　'With　honey



it　is　possible　to　soften　the　heart　of　the　he…goat；　but　a　blow　from　an



iron　cleaver　is　taken　as　a　mark　of　welcome　by　an　agent　of　Ti　Hung。'　So



that　people　barred　the　doors　at　their　approach；　and　even　hung　out



signs　of　death　and　mourning。







〃Now；　among　all　his　travellers　there　was　none　more　successful；　more



abandoned；　and　more　valuable　to　Ti　Hung　than　Li　Ting。　So　depraved　was



Li　Ting　that　he　was　never　known　to　visit　the　tombs　of　his　ancestors；



indeed；　it　was　said　that　he　had　been　heard　to　mock　their　venerable



memories；　and　that　he　had　jestingly　offered　to　sell　them　to　anyone　who



should　chance　to　be　without　ancestors　of　his　own。　This　objectionable



person　would　call　at　the　houses　of　the　most　illustrious　Mandarins；　and



would　command　the　slaves　to　carry　to　their　masters　his　tablets；　on



which　were　inscribed　his　name　and　his　virtues。　Reaching　their



presence；　he　would　salute　them　with　the　greeting　of　an　equal；　'How　is



your　stomach？'　and　then　proceed　to　exhibit　samples　of　his　wares；



greatly　overrating　their　value。　'Behold！'　he　would　exclaim；　'is　not



this　elegantly…moulded　idol　worthy　of　the　place　of　honour　in　this



sumptuous　mansion　which　my　presence　defiles　to　such　an　extent　that



twelve　basins　of　rose…water　will　not　remove　the　stain？　Are　not　its



eyes　more　delicate　than　the　most　select　of　almonds？　and　is　not　its



stomach　rounder　than　the　cupolas　upon　the　high　temple　at　Peking？　Yet；



in　spite　of　its　perfections；　it　is　not　worthy　of　the　acceptance　of　so



distinguished　a　Mandarin；　and　therefore　I　will　accept　in　return　the



quarter…tael；　which；　indeed；　is　less　than　my　illustrious　master　gives



for　the　clay　alone。'







〃In　this　manner　Li　Ting　disposed　of　many　idols　at　high　rates；　and



thereby　endeared　himself　so　much　to　the　avaricious　heart　of　Ti　Hung



that　he　promised　him　his　beautiful　daughter　Ning　in　marriage。







〃Ning　was　indeed　very　lovely。　Her　eyelashes　were　like　the　finest



willow　twigs　that　grow　in　the　marshes　by　the　Yang…tse…Kiang；　her



cheeks　were　fairer　than　poppies；　and　when　she　bathed　in　the　Hoang　Ho；



her　body　seemed　transparent。　Her　brow　was　finer　than　the　most　polished



jade；　while　she　seemed　to　walk；　like　a　winged　bird；　without　weight；



her　hair　floating　in　a　cloud。　Indeed；　she　was　the　most　beautiful



creature　that　has　ever　existed。〃







〃Now　may　you　grow　thin　and　shrivel　up　like　a　fallen　lemon；　but　it　is



false！〃　cried　Wang　Yu；　starting　up　suddenly　and　unexpectedly。　〃At　Chee



Chou；　at　the　shop　of　'The　Heaven…sent　Sugar…cane'；　there　lives　a



beautiful　and　virtuous　girl　who　is　more　than　all　that。　Her　eyes　are



like　the　inside　circles　on　the　peacock's　feathers；　her　teeth　are　finer



than　the　scales　on　the　Sacred　Dragon；　her〃







〃If　it　is　the　wish　of　this　illustriously…endowed　gathering　that　this



exceedingly　illiterate　paper　tiger　should　occupy　their　august　moments



with　a　description　of　the　deformities　of　the　very　ordinary　young



person　at　Chee　Chou；〃　said　Kai　Lung　imperturbably；　〃then　the　remainder



of　the　history　of　the　noble…minded　Yung　Chang　can　remain　until　an　evil



fate　has　overtaken　Wang　Yu；　as　it　assuredly　will　shortly。〃







〃A　fair　wind　raises　no　storm；〃　said　Wang　Yu　sulkily；　and　Kai　Lung



continued：







〃Such　loveliness　could　not　escape　the　evil　eye　of　Li　Ting；　and



accordingly；　as　he　grew　in　favour　with　Ti　Hung；　he　obtained　his



consent　to　the　drawing　up　of　the　marriage　contracts。　More　than　this；



he　had　already　sent　to　Ning　two　bracelets　of　the　finest　gold；　tied



together　with　a　scarlet　thread；　as　a　betrothal　present。　But；　as　the



proverb　says；　'The　good　bee　will　not　touch　the　faded　flower'；　and



Ning；　although　compelled　by　the　second　of　the　Five　Great　Principles　to



respect　her　father；　was　unable　to　regard　the　marriage　with　anything



but　abhorrence。　Perhaps　this　was　not　altogether　the　fault　of　Li　Ting；



for　on　the　evening　of　the　day　on　which　she　had　received　his　present；



she　walked　in　the　rice　fields；　and　sitting　down　at　the　foot　of　a



funereal　cypress；　whose　highest　branches　pierced　the　Middle　Air；　she



cried　aloud：







〃'I　cannot　control　my　bitterness。　Of　what　use　is　it　that　I　should　be



called　the　〃White　Pigeon　among　Golden　Lilies〃；　if　my　beauty　is　but　for



the　hog…like　eyes　of　the　exceedingly　objectionable　Li　Ting？　Ah；　Yung



Chang；　my　unfortunate　lover！　what　evil　spirit　pursues　you　that　you



cannot　pass　your　examination　for　the　second　degree？　My　noble…minded



but　ambitious　boy；　why　were　you　not　content　with　an　agricultural　or



even　a　manufacturing　career　and　happiness？　By　aspiring　to　a　literary



degree；　you　have　placed　a　barrier　wider　than　the　Whang　Hai　between



us。'







〃'As　the　earth　seems　small　to　the　soaring　swallow；　so　shall



insuperable　obstacles　be　overcome　by　the　heart　worn　smooth　with　a



fixed　purpose；'　said　a　voice　beside　her；　and　Yung　Chang　stepped　from



behind　the　cypress　tree；　where　he　had　been　waiting　for　Ning。　'O　one



more　symmetrical　than　the　chrysanthemum；'　he　continued；　'I　shall　yet；



with　the　aid　of　my　ancestors；　pass　the　second　degree；　and　even　obtain



a　position　of　high　trust　in　the　public　office　at　Peking。'







〃'And　in　the　meantime；'　pouted　Ning；　'I　shall　have　partaken　of　the



wedding…cake　of　the　utterly　unpresentable　Li　Ting。'　And　she　exhibited



the　bracelets　which　she　had　that　day　received。







〃'Alas！'　said　Yung　Chang；　'there　are　times　when　one　is　tempted　to



doubt　even　the　most　efficacious　and　violent　means。　I　had　hoped　that　by



this　time　Li　Ting　would　have　come　to　a　sudden　and　most　unseemly　end；



for　I　have　drawn　up　and　affixed　in　the　most　conspicuous　places



notifications　of　his　character；　similar　to　the　one　here。'







〃Ning　turned；　and　beheld　fastened　to　the　trunk　of　the　cypress　an



exceedingly　elegantly　written　and　composed　notic