the wallet of kai lung-第25部分

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the　teeth　of　the　tiger　are　the　instruments　with　which　it　accomplishes



its　vengeful　purpose；　there　reside　the　essential　principles　of　its



inimitable　courage。　Let　the　person　who　seeks　instruction　in　the



matter；　therefore；　do　as　follows：　taking　the　teeth　of　a　full…grown



tiger　as　soon　as　it　is　slain；　and　before　the　essences　have　time　to



return　into　the　body；　he　shall　grind　them　to　a　powder；　and　mixing　the



powder　with　a　portion　of　rice；　consume　it。　After　seven　days　he　must



repeat　the　observance；　and　yet　again　a　third　time；　after　another



similar　lapse。　Let　him；　then；　return　for　further　guidance；　for　the



present　the　matter　interests　this　person　no　further。〃　At　these　words



the　youth　departed；　filled　with　a　new　and　inspired　hope；　for　the



wisdom　of　the　sagacious　Poo…chow　was　a　matter　which　did　not　admit　of



any　doubt　whatever；　and　he　had　spoken　with　well…defined　certainty　of



the　success　of　the　experiment。　Nevertheless；　after　several　days



industriously　spent　in　endeavouring　to　obtain　by　purchase　the　teeth　of



a　newly…slain　tiger；　the　details　of　the　undertaking　began　to　assume　a



new　and　entirely　unforeseen　aspect；　for　those　whom　he　approached　as



being　the　most　likely　to　possess　what　he　required　either　became　very



immoderately　and　disagreeably　amused　at　the　nature　of　the　request；　or



regarded　it　as　a　new　and　ill…judged　form　of　ridicule；　which　they



prepared　to　avenge　by　blows　and　by　base　remarks　of　the　most　personal



variety。　At　length　it　became　unavoidably　obvious　to　the　youth　that　if



he　was　to　obtain　the　articles　in　question　it　would　first　be　necessary



that　he　should　become　adept　in　the　art　of　slaying　tigers；　for　in　no



other　way　were　the　required　conditions　likely　to　be　present。　Although



the　prospect　was　one　which　did　not　greatly　tend　to　allure　him；　yet　he



did　not　regard　it　with　the　utterly　incapable　emotions　which　would　have



been　present　on　an　earlier　occasion；　for　the　habit　of　continually



guarding　himself　from　the　onslaughts　of　those　who　received　his　inquiry



in　an　attitude　of　narrow…minded　distrust　had　inspired　him　with　a



new…found　valour；　while　his　amiable　and　unrestrained　manner　of　life



increased　his　bodily　vigour　in　every　degree。　First　perfecting　himself



in　the　use　of　the　bow　and　arrow；　therefore；　he　betook　himself　to　a



wild　and　very　extensive　forest；　and　there　concealed　himself　among　the



upper　foliage　of　a　tall　tree　standing　by　the　side　of　a　pool　of　water。



On　the　second　night　of　his　watch；　the　youth　perceived　a　large　but



somewhat　ill…conditioned　tiger　approaching　the　pool　for　the　purpose　of



quenching　its　thirst；　whereupon　he　tremblingly　fitted　an　arrow　to　his



bowstring；　and　profiting　by　the　instruction　he　had　received；　succeeded



in　piercing　the　creature　to　the　heart。　After　fulfilling　the　observance



laid　upon　him　by　the　discriminating　Poo…chow；　the　youth　determined　to



remain　in　the　forest；　and　sustain　himself　upon　such　food　as　fell　to



his　weapons；　until　the　time　arrived　when　he　should　carry　out　the　rite



for　the　last　time。　At　the　end　of　seven　days；　so　subtle　had　he　become



in　all　kinds　of　hunting；　and　so　strengthened　by　the　meat　and　herbs



upon　which　he　existed；　that　he　disdained　to　avail　himself　of　the



shelter　of　a　tree；　but　standing　openly　by　the　side　of　the　water；　he



engaged　the　attention　of　the　first　tiger　which　came　to　drink；　and



discharged　arrow　after　arrow　into　its　body　with　unfailing　power　and



precision。　So　entrancing；　indeed；　had　the　pursuit　become　that　the　next



seven　days　lengthened　out　into　the　apparent　period　of　as　many　moons；



in　such　a　leisurely　manner　did　they　rise　and　fall。　On　the　appointed



day；　without　waiting　for　the　evening　to　arrive；　the　youth　set　out　with



the　first　appearance　of　light；　and　penetrated　into　the　most



inaccessible　jungles；　crying　aloud　words　of　taunt…laden　challenge　to



all　the　beasts　therein；　and　accusing　the　ancestors　of　their　race　of



ever　imaginable　variety　of　evil　behaviour。　Yet　so　great　had　become　the



renown　of　the　one　who　stood　forth；　and　so　widely　had　the　warning　voice



been　passed　from　tree　to　tree；　preparing　all　who　dwelt　in　the　forest



against　his　anger；　that　not　even　the　fiercest　replied　openly；　though



low　growls　and　mutterings　proceeded　from　every　cave　within　a



bow…shot's　distance　around。　Wearying　quickly　of　such　feeble　and



timorous　demonstrations；　the　youth　rushed　into　the　cave　from　which　the



loudest　murmurs　proceeded；　and　there　discovered　a　tiger　of　unnatural



size；　surrounded　by　the　bones　of　innumerable　ones　whom　it　had



devoured；　for　from　time　to　time　its　ravages　became　so　great　and



unbearable；　that　armies　were　raised　in　the　neighbouring　villages　and



sent　to　destroy　it；　but　more　than　a　few　stragglers　never　returned。



Plainly　recognizing　that　a　just　and　inevitable　vengeance　had　overtaken



it；　the　tiger　made　only　a　very　inferior　exhibition　of　resistance；　and



the　youth；　having　first　stunned　it　with　a　blow　of　his　closed　hand；



seized　it　by　the　middle；　and　repeatedly　dashed　its　head　against　the



rocky　sides　of　its　retreat。　He　then　performed　for　the　third　time　the



ceremony　enjoined　by　the　Mandarin；　and　having　cast　upon　the　cringing



and　despicable　forms　concealed　in　the　surrounding　woods　and　caves　a



look　of　dignified　and　ineffable　contempt；　set　out　upon　his　homeward



journey；　and　in　the　space　of　three　days'　time　reached　the　town　of　the



versatile　Poo…chow。　〃Behold；〃　exclaimed　that　person；　when；　lifting　up



his　eyes；　he　saw　the　youth　approaching　laden　with　the　skins　of　the



tigers　and　other　spoils；　〃now　at　least　the　youths　and　maidens　of　your



native　village　will　no　longer　withdraw　themselves　from　the　company　of



so　undoubtedly　heroic　a　person。〃　〃Illustrious　Mandarin；〃　replied　the



other；　casting　both　his　weapons　and　his　trophies　before　his　inspired



adviser's　feet；　〃what　has　this　person　to　do　with　the　little　ones　of



either　sex？　Give　him　rather　the　foremost　place　in　your　ever…victorious



company　of　bowmen；　so　that　he　may　repay　in　part　the　undoubted　debt



under　which　he　henceforth　exists。〃　This　proposal　found　favour　with　the



pure…minded　Poo…chow；　so　that　in　course　of　time　the　unassuming　youth



who　had　come　supplicating　his　advice　became　the　valiant　commander　of



his　army；　and　the　one　eventually　chosen　to　present　plighting　gifts　to



his　only　daughter。'







〃When　the　father　had　completed　the　narrative　of　how　the　faint…hearted



youth　became　in　the　end　a　courageous　and　resourceful　leader　of　bowmen；



Sen　looked　up；　and　not　in　any　degree　understanding　the　purpose　of　the



story；　or　why　it　had　been　set　forth　before　him；　exclaimed：







〃'Undoubtedly　the　counsel　of　the　graceful　and　intelligent　Mandarin



Poo…chow　was　of　inestimable　service　in　the　case　recorded；　and　this



person　would　gladly　adopt　it　as　his　guide　for　the　future；　on　the



chance　of　it　leading　to　a　similar　honourable　career；　but　alas！　there



are　no　tigers　to　be　found　throughout　this　Province。'







〃'It　is　a　loss　which　those　who　are　engaged　in　commerce　in　the　city　of



Hankow　strive　to　supply　adequately；'　replied　his　father；　who　had　an



assured　feeling　that　it　would　be　of　no　avail　to　endeavour　to　show　Sen



that　the　story　which　he　had　just　related　was　one　setting　forth　a



definite　precept　rather　than　fixing　an　exact　manner　of　behaviour。　'For



that　reason；'　he　continued；　'this　person　has　concluded　an　arrangement



by　which　you　will　journey　to　that　place；　and　there　enter　into　the



house　of　commerce　of　an　expert　and　conscientious　vendor　of　moving



contrivances。　Among　so　rapacious　and　keen…witted　a　class　of　persons　as



they　of　Hankow；　it　is　exceedingly　unlikely　that　your　amiable



disposition　will　involve　any　individual　one　in　an　unavoidably　serious



loss；　and　even　should　such　an　unforeseen　event　come　to　pass；　there



will；　at　least；　be　the　undeniable　satisfaction　of　the　thought　that　the



unfortunate　occurrence　will　in　no　way　affect　the　prosperity　of　those



to　whom　you　are　bound　by　the　natural　ties　of　affection。'







〃'Benevolent　and　virtuous…minded　father；'　replied　Sen　gently；　but



speaking　with　an　inspired　conviction；　'from　his　earliest　infancy　this



unassuming　one　has　been　instructed　in　an　inviolable　regard　for　the



Five　General　Principles　of　Fidelity　to　the　Emperor；　Respect　for



Parents；　Harmony　between　Husband　and　Wife；　Agreement　among　Brothers；



and　Constancy　in　Friendship。　It　will　be　entirely　unnecessary　to　inform



so　pious…minded　a　person　as　the　one　now　being　addressed　that　no　evil



can　attend　the　footsteps　of　an　individual　who　courteously　observes



these　enactments。'







〃'Without　doubt　it　is　so　arranged　by　the　protecting　Deities；'　replied



the　father；　'yet　it　is　an　exceedingly　desirable　thing　for　those　who



are　responsible　in　the　matter　that　the　footsteps　to　which　reference



has　been　made　should　not　linger　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　village；



but　should；　with　all　possible　speed；　turn　in　the　direction　of　Hankow。'







〃In　this　manner　it　came　to　pass　that　Sen　Heng　set　forth　on　the



following　day；　and　coming　without　delay　to　the　great　and　powerful　city



of　Hankow；　sought　out　the　house　of　commerce　known　as　'The　Pure　Gilt



Dragon　of　Exceptional　Symmetry'；　where　the　versatile　King…y…Yang



engaged　in　the　entrancing　occupation　of　contriving　moving　figures；　and



other　devices　of　an　ingenious　and　mirth…provoking　character；　which　he



entrusted　into　the　hands　of　numerous　persons　to　sell　throughout　the



Province。　From　this　cause；　although　enjoying　a　very　agreeable



recompense　from　the　sale　of　the　objects；　the　greatly　perturbed



King…y…Yang　suffered　continual　inter