A sorcerer bewitches the cousins. The marvellous power of the magic stone brings about their recovery.

A sorcerer bewitches the cousins. The marvellous power of the magic

stone brings about their recovery.

AFTER AN UNEASY SLEEP SIAO HUNG GOT UP VERY EARLY THE NEXT

day, to go about her work. She was far too excited by her beautiful

dream to be able to give the usual care to her toilet. She barely dipped

her fingers quickly in the washbasin, carelessly pinned up her long

braids in front of the mirror, and fixed a hand towel as apron into the

belt of her skirt. Then, with a sigh she took her broom and was once

more an ordinary housemaid.

Pao Yu had also kept in his heart the memory of his first meeting of

yesterday with the pretty little new maid. He would have liked to call

her to do him this or that service, but, in the first place, he was afraid

of arousing the jealousy of the older maids, and in the second place, he

did not even know the little one's name. He got out of bed very early in

the morning feeling in a bad humor, went to the window, and remained

leaning out for a while watching the maids sweeping the courtyard.

How nicely the vain creatures had decked themselves out! There was

not one of them who had not put on powder and rouge and stuck flow‐ 

ers coquettishly in her hair. Unfortunately, he could not discover the

little new one of yesterday among them, but he definitely wanted to see

her again. He slipped quickly, into his clothes and went out into the

park. He pretended' to have come out to look at the flowers, but in

reality he was watching out furtively to the east and the west for little

Siao Hung. At last he discovered her leaning on the parapet of a pleas‐ 

ure gallery, hidden under plum blossoms and behind begonia branches,

sunk in thought. He went up to her and was just about to speak to her

when an older maid came along and told him that it was time to wash.

It was really a pity to be disturbed! So he had to leave the little one

standing there without having exchanged a word with her, and turn

back to the house.

Shortly after he had gone Pearl sent Siao Hung to Black Jade's pa‐ 

vilion. A flower vase had been broken, and she wanted to get the loan

of another one from Black Jade. As Siao Hung crossed over the Bridge

of Blue‐Green Foam on her way there, she noticed that the adjacent

hilly part of the park was fenced in and shut off by screens. This was

the part where trees and shrubs were to be planted today. Right enough,

she saw people at work everywhere digging and planting. And there, at

the edge of the drive, she caught sight of Little Yun seated, giving or‐ 

ders. She felt inclined to go over to him, but then her self‐confidence

failed her, and she stole along by a roundabout way to Black Jade's pa‐ 

vilion. As soon as she had done her errafid she slipped into her room

and threw herself dejectedly onto the couch. The other maids noticed

her depressed appearance, but they thought she was not feeling well,

and took no further notice of her.

On the following day the bastard Chia Huan had just returned from

the family school and was in Madame Cheng's sitting room busily copy‐ 

ing out the Diamond Sutra for her. She wanted a nice legible copy for

learning by heart. The bastard felt very important on account of this

commission, and was giving orders all around. One maid was to trim

and light the wax candle for him, another was to bring him tea, he

rebuked a third because she stood in his light, and so it went on inces‐ 

santly. As he was unpopular with the staff, who had little respect for

him, no one took any notice .of him except the maid Dawn, who brought

him tea.

"Do not give so many orders! You are only making yourself still

more unpopular!" she whispered to him, as she poured out his tea. He

looked at her angrily.

"I know! You are all for Pao Yu and have conspired against me!" he

said sharply.

Dawn showed her teeth and rapped his head with her fingers. "Nasty,

snappish cur!" she scolded, and was about to begin a longer sermon

when the arrival of Phoenix and Pao Yu prevented her from doing so.

The two were coming from a birthday celebration in the house of

Madame Cheng's elder brother, Marshal Wang Tzu Teng. Pao Yu's

cheeks were red from drinking wine and he felt sleepy. While his

mother was asking Madame Phoenix how the birthday celebrations had

passed off, and about the guests and the theatrical performance, he let

the maids take off his cap, overcoat, and shoes, then he nestled down on

the divan beside his mother and leaned his head wearily on her breast.

She tenderly stroked his cheeks and neck, and he in turn caressed her.

"How hot you are!" she said. "You have certainly drunk too much

again. Make yourself comfortable and stretch yourself out, so that you

won't feel ill!"

He followed her advice and stretched himself out behind her on the

cushions. At the same time he called Dawn and asked her to massage

him a bit. But Dawn did not want to and kept looking at the bastard ‐who

was writing near by. Pao Yu took her by the hand and tried to draw her

nearer to him.

"Dear elder sister, do look after me a little bit too!" he begged.

"Be quiet, or there will be a quarrel!" she whispered, parrying him

and withdrawing her hand, for sbe had noticed the looks of hatred

which the bastard was casting at tne spoiled favorite of the family.

Actually, Chia Huan had observed, with growing resentment, how Pao

Yu was once more claiming the general attention and putting him, the

bastard, in the shade. He was devoured with envy and this inspired

him to think of a malicious plan. With intentional awkwardness he

tipped over the bowl into which the melting wax from the candle was

flowing, in such a way that the hot wax splashed over Pao Yu's face.

When the latter uttered a loud cry of pain they all rushed over to him

and shone the lamps on his face. Then they saw to their horror that his

face was covered with a trickling layer of hot liquid wax. Filled with

consternation, Phoenix and the maids started to scrape down the wax

and to wash the injured skin with tepid water.

"Such a blockhead! And he's no longer a stupid small chick!" she

scolded, casting a threatening sidelong glance at the bastard. "He does

not yet even know how to manage lights! It just shows how badly his

mother is bringing him up!"

Her remark was the cue for Madame Cheng to send for the bastard's

mother, the secondary wife Chao, and to overwhelm her with violent re‐ 

proaches. She should kindly take more trouble with the upbringing of

her spoiled offspring, otherwise she need not expect any further con‐ 

sideration and kindly treatment. The scolded woman swallowed her

humiliation silently and went away, after having tried to help a little

with the injured boy for form's sake.

The left half of Pao Yu's face had been disfigured with ugly blisters.

It was lucky that his eye was not injured. His mother was in the greatest

consternation; she feared the reproaches of the Princess Ancestress.

She had ointment smeared on him and sent him to bed. He himself be‐ 

haved bravely and generously.

"It does not hurt much at all," he consoled her. "And when Grand‐ 

mother asks about it I will just say that I got burned through my own

carelessness."

"Then we others will have to bear reproaches for not having looked

after you well enough. In any case, it is a tiresome affair," said Phoenix.

Black Jade had not seen Pao Yu all this day. When she heard of his

accident she visited him, though it was late evening. She got a great

shock when she saw his disfigured face, which was covered all over

with ointment. Knowing her high‐strung nature, he quickly put his

hand over the injured places and asked her to go away. But she wanted

to know first if he was suffering pain, and she would not be dissuaded

from sitting a while on his bed and showing her sisterly sympathy. The

next day when he went to his grandmother he most generously took the

blame for the accident upon himself. And as Phoenix had rightly

guessed, the Ancestress vented all her displeasure on his mother and

Phoenix and the maids, who thus had to suffer, though innocent, for

the malice of the bastard.

Mother Ma happened to pay a vioit the next day. She was well known

as a sorceress and also as one who prayed professionally for the sick.

When Pao Yu was born she was his godmother and enjoyed the honor

of having him call her his adopted mother. When she saw Pao Yu's

burns she described magic circles with her fingers over them, at the

same time murmuring mysterious charms, further, she proposed to the

Princess Ancestress that she should pray for the speedy recovery of her

favorite naturally, for an appropriate remuneration.

"You must know, old Ancestress, old Bodhisattva of the house," she

said to the Princess Ancestress, "that young people of noble descent are

particularly prone to be persecuted and afflicted by invisible devils and

hobgoblins. The holy writings of Buddha teach that. These wicked

demons torment them and scratch them, make the plates and dishes

fall out of their hands when they are eatirig, make them stumble and

take false steps. These young people are exposed to the afflictions of

the wicked devils at every step during their tender yea^s, and frequently

they lose their lives by them."

"Is there, then, no effective charm against them?" asked the alarmed

Ancestress.

"Certainly, with the help of Buddha the devils can be driven out. But

Buddha demands some good work as a counter‐offering. It is written,

moreover, in the holy writings, that in the West there is a mighty bod‐ 

hisattva of light whose special office it is to protect the children of good

people from the demons of darkness. But one has first tc conjure up this

protecting spirit and render him well disposed by means of suitable'

offerings and sacrifices."

"What, then, does he demand as an offering?"

"Oh, not so much. A couple of ounces of frankincense every day and

plenty of oil for a beautiful big altar lamp. For the lamp must not be

allowed to go out day or night. It is the symbol of the Spirit of Light."

"Very well. You shall have the money for the frankincense and the

lamp. How much oil is required?"

Mother Ma named a whole scale of the sums usually given, which

were graded according to the social position of the house concerned.

After lengthy bargaining a daily quantity of five ounces of oil was

agreed upon. Mother Ma was to receive the money for this each

month in advance from the cashier's office.

On the advice of the wise woman the Ancestress ordered, moreover,

that Pao Yu's servant should in future carry with him some thousand‐ 

piece strings of money to distribute as alms to monks and beggars when

he went out. With the assurance that Buddha would reward her charity,

the wise woman took leave of the Princess Ancestress. When making a

round of the women's quarters in the western palace she arrived at the

room of the secondary wife Chao, mother of the bastard Chia Huan.

She was sitting on the warmed kang putting slippers together. As she

glanced at the heap of brightly colored pieces of satin beside her,

Mother Ma remarked: "Ah, I could do with some new material for

covering my shoes. Perhaps the Nai nai would have some bits left over

for me?"

"Look here, there's nothing very good left, but if you do not disdain

these shabby remnants, pick out some that you like!"

While Mother Ma was rummaging through the material and making

the best pieces disappear into her roomy skirt pocket, Mrs. Chao con‐ 

tinued: "Did you deliver to the Temple of the God of Medicine the five

hundred copper pieces which I recently sent you?"

Mother Ma said that she did.

"It was terribly little," continued Mrs. Chao with a sigh. "I should

so much like to give more and oftener, but just now my hands are tied.

I certainly do not lack good will."

"Have patience. Better days will certainly come for you. Only wait

until your son is grown up! He will surely have a nice, lucrative posi‐ 

tion someday."

Mrs. Chao gave an embarrassed smile.

"Ah, please do not speak about that. I do not wish to expect much

in that direction, my son's position is so very difficult owing to Pao Yu.

The whole household revolyes around one person, namely, Pao Yu. But

I won't crawl to that woman. . . !"

She significantly stretched two fingers of her right hand up in the air.

Mother Ma understood her sign language.

"You mean the second JVai nai, Madame Phoenix?"

"Hush!" said Mrs. Chao, frightened, standing up to peep through

the curtain and make sure that nobody was listening. There was no one

outside. She sat down again, reassured.

"Yes, the autocratic way that person is allowed to rule the house is

simply unendurable," she continued in a whisper. "I have no voice in

anything; 1 am hardly a human being beside her."

"Hm. I understand, you are powerless and dare not show any op‐

position openly. Still, why not try to do so secretly? But I should not

say anything."

"Oh, please speak!" interjected Mrs. Chao eagerly. "I am burning to

deal just one blow at her secretly. If I only knew how to! I shall not

fail to show my gratitude if you will help me."

"Holy Buddha, how can I reconcile my conscience to that? I have

such a tender conscience!"

"Now, you are not usually so timid! Or are you afraid that I do not

sincerely mean what I say about my gratitude?"

A broad grin spread over Mother Ma's face.

"What, then, would you think of giving me?" she asked frankly.

"You are both clever and wise, Mother Ma, and you know better

than anyone that the whole palace, with everything belonging to it,

would fall to me, if you succeeded in getting those two, Phoenix and

Pao Yu, out of the way. In that case you could demand as much as you

wished from me."

"Hm, that is very nice. But assuming that everything goes according

to your wishes and you become the mistress, you might go back on yout

promise. I cannot undertake the business without something in writ‐ 

ing."

"If that is all you want I shall most willingly write out a promissory

note for you. It will be paid punctually later on, you can rely on that!

Besides this, I can give you some articles of clothing _and some pieces

of jewelry in advance."

"Yes. I agree to that."

So Mrs. Chao opened her chests and picked out some pieces of

clothing and articles of jewelry for Mother Ma, and added to this some

broken silver, and moreover 'she wrote out in Mother Ma's favor a for‐ 

mal promissory note for fifty taels. When the financial side of the mat‐ 

ter had thus heen satisfactorily settled, Mother Ma got down to work

without any more moral scruples, and without distinguishing blue from

red or black from white. She took scissors and cut out two human fig‐ 

ures from a sheet of white. paper. Mrs. Chao had to write on each of

them a set of four double cyclic signs namely, the year, month, day,

and hour of the birth of Phoenix and of Pao Yu. Then she cut from a

sheet of blue paper two sets of five figures of devils and got Mrs. Chao

to sew them carefully with needle and thread onto the first two figures.

She had barely time to explain that she would carry out the rest of the

charm at home by herself, and quickly to gather up the pieces of paper

which were sewn together, when a maid appeared to call Mrs. Chao to

a meal Mother Ma took leave hurriedly and set out for her home.

That afternoon Black Jade went to visit her sick cousin, Pao Yu. On

the veranda in front of his pavilion she found several maids busy

washing themselves, making up their faces, and painting their eye‐ 

brows. From inside came the sound of merry chatter and laughter.

Phoenix, Precious Clasp, and the three Spring girls were there enter‐ 

taining the patient with their pleasant company.

"Ah, here comes another!" they cried in chorus as Black Jade en‐ 

tered.

"You must all have been invited by letter, to arrive in such num‐ 

bers?" said Black Jade playfully,

"Have you tried the tea which I sent you recently?" Phoenix asked

her.

"Oh, I had quite forgotten it. Many thanks for the kind gift."

"It did not taste very good to me," interjected Pao Yu.

"I think it tastes good, but the color is not very special," remarked

Precious Clasp.

"It is tribute tea from Siaui," declared Phoenix "I did not like it

very much either; I think our Chinese tea is better."

Of course Black Jade had to disagree.

'1 liked it. Your stomachs must be out of order, it seems."

"If you like it, you can have more of the same kind," said Phoenix.

"Oh, yes, please. I shall send my maid for it."

"That is not necessary. I was going to send over to you tomorrow

for something in any case."

"Oh, indeed? T should very much like to know what service is de‐ 

sired of me in return for the package of tea."

"Who knows? Perhaps you will be asked to prepare to be a little

bride for our family," said Phoenix blithely.

"Marvellously witty!" remarked Precious Clasp somewhat acidly,

while the others laughed loud.

"Witty? I find the remark in very bad taste and most unfitting,"

Black Jade burst out violently. She had gone red to the roots of her

hair and one could hear herjeeth gnashing.

"Now, would you be throwing yourself away if you were to be a

bride to that member of the family there?" continued Phoenix calmly,

pointing her finger at Pao Yu. "Does his person or his origin not

please you?"

Black Jade had stood up and gone silently to the door. Precious

Clasp hurried after her and drew her back.

"How can one take offense so easily and just run off?" she said to

her. At that moment the two secondary wives, Chao and Chou, who had

also come to inquire after Pao Yu's health, entered the room. Every‐ 

one stood up politely when they appeared. Phoenix alone remained

seated and ignored them deliberately. Shortly afterwards Phoenix and

the cousins were called away to Madame Cheng's, to greet the wife of

the latter's brother, Marshal Wang Tzu Teng, who had come to visit.

The sickroom was soon empty.

"Will you at least stay with me a little while!" begged Pao Yu, when

Black Jade too was about to leave him.

"Do you hear that? Your presence is desired here," said Phoenix,

supporting his request, as she turned around and with a laugh pushed

Black Jade back into the room. Pao Yu caught her by the hand and

smiled at her in silent entreaty. Black Jade flushed and tried to dis‐ 

engage herself from him. Suddenly he let her go, grasped his head, and

uttered a loud cry of pain.

"Oh, how my head aches!" he groaned. The next moment he gave a

great leap into the air and began to run round the room like a pos‐ 

sessed person, shouting and stammering out disconnected words. Hear‐ 

ing Black Jade's and the maids' frightened cries for help, Pao Yu's

mother, the Ancestress, and their visitor, Aunt Wang, came hurrying.

They saw Pao Yu wildly brandishing a naked dagger and a fencing foil

as he jumped up and down the room roaring frantically. Shaking with

:error, the women snatched up their skirts and ran out of the pavilion

Kenng loud cries of grief. With lightning speed the awful news spread

irough both palaces that Pao Yu had gone mad, and in the course of 1%

time his father and Prince Shieh, and Prince Chen, and Chia Lien, and

many other men and women of the clan arrived at the ill‐fated spot.

In the midst of the general tumult, when all minds were concentrated

on Pao Yu, Phoenix was suddenly seen running through the park in

great bounds. She was armed with a long kitchen knife, with which

she was slashing out, here beheading a hen which happened to cross

her path, and there stabbing a dog which had come too near her. Her

rolling eyes glared with lust for blood as she now approached the group

of relatives and servants. Everyone fell back, crying out in fright, but

some brave, strong serving men and maids surrounded her, forced the

weapon from her grasp, and carried her off to her residence.

There was an excited family council. In great confusion they all

talked together. Some suggested this devil‐catcher, others that exorcist

of spirits; some were for calling a doctor, others for trying magic, and

finally it was decided to send for both doctors and magicians. But in

spite of a hundred medical endeavors and magic incantations and in

spite of thorough sprinkling with holy water, the two possessed persons

continued their ravings until their bodies were plowing like fire, and

they sank down at last exhausted on their bods. But even lying there,

they continued to babble incoherently, and during the night their rav‐ 

ings took on really terrible forms. No one dared to go near them

throughout the whole night. The next day the two were shut up in one

room in the dwelling of Pao Yu's mother, and guards were posted to

watch in turns day and night and prevent the maniacs from escaping.

But not far away the Ancestress and Madame Cheng, Prince Shieh, and

Aunt Hsueh sat together, never moved a step from the vicinity, and,

filled with a thousand fears and sobbing ceaselessly, followed the de‐ 

velopment of the condition of the two favorites of the house. When

three days and three nights had passed without any improvement, Mr.

Cheng gave up hope.

"The number of our years is determined by heaven," he said to

Prince Shieh, who kept tirelessly pulling forward new suggestions.

"With only our human strength we can do nothing. The illness of these

two defies every treatment. We must leave them to their fate!"

By this time Phoenix and Pao Yu were lying on couches in an ex‐ 

hausted and apathetic condition, and were breathing only weakly.

Everyone regarded their case as hopeless, and the ciders had decided to

make preparations for their death, which was expected at any moment.

This news caused renewed lamentation ami mourning in the women's

apartments. Only one woman was untouched by the general sorrow and,

while pretending sympathy, was quietly rejoicing. That was the second‐ 

ary wife Chao.

On the fourth day Pao Yu suddenly oj>encil his eyes and askc.d for

his things. He could not stand it here any longer, he said, and he wished

straight away to leave the house forever. The Ancestress was incon‐ 

solable and tried to dissuade him from his intention. But the secondary

wife Chao urged her to let him have his way.

"Do not be sad about it, old Tai tail" she said. "Let him put on his

clothes and go off. In any case he is no longer any good for his family.

He must be permitted to have his way or he will get another attack of

madness."

Her remark put the Ancestress into such a rage that one could hear

her teeth gnashing and see the foam dropping from the corners of her

mouth.

"May the tongue dry up in your ‐md ath, you confounded woman!"

she cursed. "You will persecute him to his death! Do not imagine that I

am blind! I know well how convenient it would be for you if he died.

I know whose fault it is that he trembles before his father like a mouse

before a cat, and that his liver is bursting through constant fear. You

would like to be rid of him. That would suit you very well! But I will

not allow it. . . ." Her voice dropped and she was overcome by a fit

of coughing. Mr. Cheng, who was standing beside her, was painfully

aware of the reproaches directed at him, and turned away muttering.

While the woman who had received this scolding was trying to justify

herself and to calm the enraged Ancestress, a servant arrived and an‐ 

nounced that the two coffins had been made. The Ancestress now was

beside herself. She felt as if her heart were pierced by daggers.

"Who did such a wicked thing as to order those coffins?" she cried

in a screeching voice. "Bring whoever did it straight to me that I may

have him beaten to death!"

In the midst of the tumult the sound of a wooden clapper, such as

pious Buddhists are in the habit of using at prayer, was heard from far

down the street, and a loud voice commending, in the name of the

Southern Redeemer, certain healing recipes for those possessed by the

devil became distinctly audible. The Ancestress forthwith sent servants

out the front gate to find the travelling miracle healer and bring him to

the house. It was not long before the servants came back with two very

odd‐looking individuals. One of them was a mangy‐looking bonze, the

other was a lame Taoist priest. The prominent nose of the former indi‐ 

cated boldness of character, his elongated eyes sparkled like bright

stars, the patched bast sandals which he wore left no tracks in the dust,

his grimy bald head was covered with scurf. The other walked with a

limp, for one foot was shorter than the other, and his shabby habit was

dirty and ‐stained with perspiration from top to bottom. From where

else could they have come than from the Islands of Spirits in the West‐ 

ern Sea, where the sun sets? Chia Cheng wished to submit the two

chance guests to the usual polite questioning about their person and

origin, and started by asking them on which mountain or in which

temple they had been trained in holiness. But they laughingly refused

any information.

"No superfluous questions, please! We have learned that certain in‐ 

mates of this house are lacking peace of soul, and we have come to cure

them."

"You are right. Two members of this house are possessed by wicked

demons. What, then, are your remedies?"

"Your house shelters a precious jewel which can cure the two sick

people. Why seek other remedies?"

Chia Cheng understood what they meant.

"You surely mean the stone which my child had in his mouth when

he was born. The inscription on it certainly asserts that it renders the

owner proof against the influences of wicked spirits. But so far it has

not shown its magic power."

"That is not the fault of the stone," the bonze informed him. "The

stone originally possessed magic power, but its magic has been lost

owing to the influences of the flesh and the senses. Bring the stone to ust

We will restore its magic powers by incantations."

Chia Cheng obeyed, took the stone from Pao Yu's neck, and passed it

to the monk. The monk laid it on the palm of his hand, closed his fin‐ 

gers over it, gave a long sigh, and addressed it thus in a low murmur:

"It is now fifteen years since you left your place under the green cliff.

Light and shade alternate quickly in this human world. It cannot be

helped; you must remain until your earthly destination has been ful‐ 

filled. And now I adjure you: become again what you once were, pure

and free!"

Murmuring a few more mysterious sentences, he rubbed the stone for

a while on the palm of his hand, then handed it back to Chia Cheng.

"Now it has regained its old magic power," he said. "But take care

lest it get soiled! Hang it on the balustrade in front of the invalid's bed‐ 

room until he is well again, and take care that no female except a rela‐ 

tion of his own blood touches it! Follow these instructions, and the sick

person will be cured in thirty‐three days."

Chia Cheng was about to order his servants to bring food and drink,

but the two queer fellows had already disappeared. He followed their

instructions exactly, and the health of the two cousins did in fact im‐ 

prove from day to day. It was just as if they were waking up after a

long sleep; they got back their appetites and asked for food and drLnk,

and at the end of the thirty‐three days they were completely cured.

The Princess Ancestress and Madame Cheng were immensely relieved,

and the recovery of Pao Yu caused great joy among his cousins, who

had been waiting expectantly crowded outside the door of the sickroom.

Black Jade was the first who showed her relief by crying from her

heart: "Thanks be to Buddha!" Precious Clasp said nothing but only

laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Grief of Spring wanted to know.

"I have to laugh at all the good Buddha has to do. He must make

the sick well and bring poor sinners to regeneration. He can do every‐ 

thing; one has only to call upon him. The next thing will be that he

will negotiate marriages on request."

"Shame! How can you be so wicked and frivolous!" cried Black

Jade, flushing, as, full of indignation, she ran out of the room.