The Wallet of Kai Lung Read online

  CONSTANCY

  About the walls and gates of Canton Are many pleasing and entertaining maidens; Indeed, in the eyes of their friends and of the passers-by Some of them are exceptionally adorable. The person who is inscribing these lines, however, Sees before him, as it were, an assemblage of deformed and un-prepossessing hags, Venerable in age and inconsiderable in appearance; For the dignified and majestic image of Mian is ever before him, Making all others very inferior.

  Within the houses and streets of Canton Hang many bright lanterns. The ordinary person who has occasion to walk by night Professes to find them highly lustrous. But there is one who thinks contrary facts, And when he goes forth he carries two long curved poles To prevent him from stumbling among the dark and hidden places; For he has gazed into the brilliant and pellucid orbs of Mian, And all other lights are dull and practically opaque.

  In various parts of the literary quarter of Canton Reside such as spend their time in inward contemplation. In spite of their generally uninviting exteriors Their reflexions are often of a very profound order. Yet the unpopular and persistently-abused Ling Would unhesitatingly prefer his own thoughts to theirs, For what makes this person's thoughts far more pleasing Is that they are invariably connected with the virtuous and ornamental Mian.

  Becoming very amiably disposed after this agreeable occupation, Lingsurveyed himself at the disc of polished metal, and observed withsurprise and shame the rough and uninviting condition of his person. Hehad, indeed, although it was not until some time later that he becameaware of the circumstance, slept for five days without interruption, andit need not therefore be a matter of wonder or of reproach to him thathis smooth surfaces had become covered with short hair. Reviling himselfbitterly for the appearance which he conceived he must have exhibitedwhen he conducted his business, and to which he now in part attributedhis ill-success, Ling went forth without delay, and quickly discoveringone of those who remove hair publicly for a very small sum, he placedhimself in the chair, and directed that his face, arms, and legs shouldbe denuded after the manner affected by the ones who make a practice ofobserving the most recent customs.

  "Did the illustrious individual who is now conferring distinction onthis really worn-out chair by occupying it express himself in favour ofhaving the face entirely denuded?" demanded the one who conducted theoperation; for these persons have become famous for their elegant andpersistent ability to discourse, and frequently assume ignorance inorder that they themselves may make reply, and not for the purposeof gaining knowledge. "Now, in the objectionable opinion of thisunintelligent person, who has a presumptuous habit of offering hisvery undesirable advice, a slight covering on the upper lip, delicatelyarranged and somewhat fiercely pointed at the extremities, wouldbestow an appearance of--how shall this illiterate person explainhimself?--dignity?--matured reflexion?--doubtless the accomplishednobleman before me will understand what is intended with a moreknife-like accuracy than this person can describe it--but confer thathighly desirable effect upon the face of which at present it is entirelydestitute... 'Entirely denuded?' Then without fail it shall certainly beso, O incomparable personage... Does the versatile Mandarin now presentprofess any concern as to the condition of the rice plants?... Indeed,the remark is an inspired one; the subject is totally devoid of interestto a person of intelligence ... A remarkable and gravity-removing eventtranspired within the notice of this unassuming person recently. Adiscriminating individual had purchased from him a portion of his justlyrenowned Thrice-extracted Essence of Celestial Herb Oil--a preparationwhich in this experienced person's opinion, indeed, would greatlyrelieve the undoubted afflictions from which the one before him isevidently suffering--when after once anointing himself--"

  A lengthy period containing no words caused Ling, who had in themeantime closed his eyes and lost Canton and all else in delicatethoughts of Mian, to look up. That which met his attention on doing sofilled him with an intelligent wonder, for the person before him held inhis hand what had the appearance of a tuft of bright yellow hair, whichshone in the light of the sun with a most engaging splendour, but whichhe nevertheless regarded with a most undignified expression of confusionand awe.

  "Illustrious demon," he cried at length, kow-towing very respectfully,"have the extreme amiableness to be of a benevolent disposition, and donot take an unworthy and entirely unremunerative revenge upon thisvery unimportant person for failing to detect and honour you from thebeginning."

  "Such words indicate nothing beyond an excess of hemp spirit," answeredLing, with signs of displeasure. "To gain my explicit esteem, make mesmooth without delay, and do not exhibit before me the lock of hairwhich, from its colour and appearance, has evidently adorned the head ofone of those maidens whose duty it is to quench the thirst of travellersin the long narrow rooms of this city."

  "Majestic and anonymous spirit," said the other, with extreme reverence,and an entire absence of the appearance of one who had gazed intotoo many vessels, "if such be your plainly-expressed desire, thissuperficial person will at once proceed to make smooth your peach-likeskin, and with a carefulness inspired by the certainty that the mostunimportant wound would give forth liquid fire, in which he wouldundoubtedly perish. Nevertheless, he desires to make it evident thatthis hair is from the head of no maiden, being, indeed, the uneventermination of your own sacred pigtail, which this excessivelyself-confident slave took the inexcusable liberty of removing, and whichchanged in this manner within his hand in order to administer a fitreproof for his intolerable presumption."

  Impressed by the mien and unquestionable earnestness of the remover ofhair, Ling took the matter which had occasioned these various emotionsin his hand and examined it. His amazement was still greater when heperceived that--in spite of the fact that it presented every appearanceof having been cut from his own person--none of the qualities of hairremained in it; it was hard and wire-like, possessing, indeed, both thenature and the appearance of a metal.

  As he gazed fixedly and with astonishment, there came back intothe remembrance of Ling certain obscure and little-understood factsconnected with the limitless wealth possessed by the Yellow Emperor--ofwhich the great gold life-like image in the Temple of Internal Symmetryat Peking alone bears witness now--and of his lost secret. Many veryforcible prophecies and omens in his own earlier life, of whichthe rendering and accomplishment had hitherto seemed to be dark andincomplete, passed before him, and various matters which Mian hadrelated to him concerning the habits and speech of the magician tookdefinite form within his mind. Deeply impressed by the exact manner inwhich all these circumstances fitted together, one into another, Lingrewarded the person before him greatly beyond his expectation, andhurried without delay to his own chamber.