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Page 39
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."
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