Wang the Ninth

bout the incident as they loitered about in the evening watching the father sitting motionless and silent at his door. And in the Eastern way the tale grew until it

had originally come years before in that inconsequential way o

elieve the worst. But the men shook their heads, firm in the belief that

outer stretches which recall the sandy deserts of High Asia. On and on he had gone until at last he had come upon a group of humble dwellings made of reeds and mud and placed strategically just where the mighty stone girdle of the capital sweeps round in a giant curve to

was not majestic or even very dangerous work, but it required a certain tenacity-and great climbing powers. For it was over the wall of the city that they practised their evasion, carrying to the wine-taverns the yellow wine of the country in leather bottl

ed bottles very often and I know many tricks. Often have I heard how you cli

shrugged his shoulders. Presently because he was so persistent they had

how fear?" inquired

ive me a day to learn correctly, and I will

brick k'ang under the coat of the man who had first spoken in his favour; and on the morrow at grey dawn he went out wi

ards were about: for the men in the guard-house occasionally made a raid to justify their existence. He spoke thus becaus

. "That is not so easy even for us who have

then the second, then the third, each making the dizzy descent slowly, cautiously, their backs to the wall at the angle where the buttress juts out squarely-walking down sedately like hu

was smaller than that of a full-grown man and that the strain was great both on arms and legs. Half-way down he became a little tired and a little afraid. But with iron resolution he conquered th

full-grown I could do it with my eyes blindfolded in less than

ely. "We have done ill to take him. This courage wi

eep down in his heart-a mass as solid and as heavy as a cannon-ball. For of all things that you may say, even in the sharpest disputes, there is one which must be sedulously avoided. Between father and son this rule is iron. The father had broken the rule and so it was better for the son to carry leather bottles of wine up the city wall than to remain at his side. Beyond this the boy did not reason much although he medidated endlessly as he worked a

lmly he marched down the outer street of the suburb which led to

Wang the Ninth back again!" they exclaimed, crowding round him. "Se

im; for he was of a loyal nature and moreover had no intention of allowi

admiring his independent attitude and a certain roughness

k these many days. Had it not been for the neighbours he

his heart. In some trepidation he opened the door of his father's hu

y his father, quite motionless and covered in a

r which was so unlike his father's slow uncouth country speech. "How has this happened?" h

aned for reply, fixin

dozen times a day, and feeling at a loss what to do. He had never before been con

"If there were money for medicine it might be better. But t

marched out again and down the street to a shop with a gau

these in his hand he marched back and settled down to the task of tending his sick parent. He displayed the same phlegm he had shown in the smuggling of wine. Three times a day he drew water from the common well and lit the fire and boiled congee, and bought things as if he had been traine

the neighbours when they met him on

His father was sitting up catching at his throat and gasping for breath, a hideous sight, with his forehead so long unshaven and his queue so unkempt. The boy

him as an injustice rather than a blow. He wished others to measure it as he measured it: wished them to realize the drama. But the neighbours were sunk in sleep and when he beat on the

his head on his knees and his teeth chattering looking

t and being so considered by all. As there were no relatives, the headman of the locality came and made a rude inventory, and then reported the case to the coffin-guild who prepared a suitable coffin and sent two men with lime to pack the corpse. All th

same material on his head, and the coffin was lifted up by four men on carrier's poles; and preceded by a fellow blacksmith, who carried paper money to be burnt in imitation shoe