the wallet of kai lung-第2节

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exceedingly　difficult　for　me　to　breathe。〃







〃Such　a　thing　cannot　be　permitted；〃　exclaimed　Lin　Yi；　with　some



indignation；　as　with　his　own　hands　he　slackened　the　rope　and；　taking



it　from　Kai　Lung's　neck；　fastened　it　around　his　ankle。　〃Now；　in　return



for　my　uninviting　confidences；　shall　not　my　senses　be　gladdened　by　a



recital　of　the　titles　and　honours　borne　by　your　distinguished　family？



Doubtless；　at　this　moment　many　Mandarins　of　the　highest　degree　are



anxiously　awaiting　your　arrival　at　Knei　Yang；　perhaps　passing　the　time



by　outdoing　one　another　in　protesting　the　number　of　taels　each　would



give　rather　than　permit　you　to　be　tormented　by　fire…brands；　or　even　to



lose　a　single　ear。〃







〃Alas！〃　replied　Kai　Lung；　〃never　was　there　a　truer　proverb　than　that



which　says；　'It　is　a　mark　of　insincerity　of　purpose　to　spend　one's



time　in　looking　for　the　sacred　Emperor　in　the　low…class　tea…shops。'　Do



Mandarins　or　the　friends　of　Mandarins　travel　in　mean　garments　and



unattended？　Indeed；　the　person　who　is　now　before　you　is　none　other



than　the　outcast　Kai　Lung；　the　story…teller；　one　of　degraded　habits



and　no　very　distinguished　or　reputable　ancestors。　His　friends　are　few；



and　mostly　of　the　criminal　class；　his　wealth　is　nor　more　than　some　six



or　eight　cash；　concealed　in　his　left　sandal；　and　his　entire



stock…in…trade　consists　of　a　few　unendurable　and　badly　told　stories；



to　which；　however；　it　is　his　presumptuous　intention　shortly　to　add　a



dignified　narrative　of　the　high…born　Lin　Yi；　setting　out　his　domestic



virtues　and　the　honour　which　he　has　reflected　upon　his　house；　his



valour　in　war；　the　destruction　of　his　enemies；　and；　above　all；　his



great　benevolence　and　the　protection　which　he　extends　to　the　poor　and



those　engaged　in　the　distinguished　arts。〃







〃The　absence　of　friends　is　unfortunate；〃　said　Lin　Yi　thoughtfully；



after　he　had　possessed　himself　of　the　coins　indicated　by　Kai　Lung；　and



also　of　a　much　larger　amount　concealed　elsewhere　among　the



story…teller's　clothing。　〃My　followers　are　mostly　outlawed　Miaotze；



who　have　been　driven　from　their　own　tribes　in　Yun　Nan　for　man…eating



and　disregarding　the　sacred　laws　of　hospitality。　They　are　somewhat



rapacious；　and　in　this　way　it　has　become　a　custom　that　they　should



have　as　their　own；　for　the　purpose　of　exchanging　for　money；　persons



such　as　yourself；　whose　insatiable　curiosity　has　led　them　to　this



place。〃







〃The　wise　and　all…knowing　Emperor　Fohy　instituted　three　degrees　of



attainment：　Being　poor；　to　obtain　justice；　being　rich；　to　escape



flattery；　and　being　human；　to　avoid　the　passions；〃　replied　Kai　Lung。



〃To　these　the　practical　and　enlightened　Kang　added　yet　another；　the



greatest：　Being　lean；　to　yield　fatness。〃







〃In　such　cases；〃　observed　the　brigand；　〃the　Miaotze　keep　an　honoured



and　very　venerable　rite；　which　chiefly　consists　in　suspending　the



offender　by　a　pigtail　from　a　low　tree；　and　placing　burning　twigs　of



hemp…palm　between　his　toes。　To　this　person　it　seems　a　foolish　and



meaningless　habit；　but　it　would　not　be　well　to　interfere　with　their



religious　observances；　however　trivial　they　may　appear。〃







〃Such　a　course　must　inevitably　end　in　great　loss；〃　suggested　Kai　Lung；



〃for　undoubtedly　there　are　many　poor　yet　honourable　persons　who　would



leave　with　them　a　bond　for　a　large　number　of　taels　and　save　the　money



with　which　to　redeem　it；　rather　than　take　part　in　a　ceremony　which　is



not　according　to　one's　own　Book　of　Rites。〃







〃They　have　already　suffered　in　that　way　on　one　or　two　occasions；〃



replied　Lin　Yi；　〃so　that　such　a　proposal；　no　matter　how　nobly



intended；　would　not　gladden　their　faces。　Yet　they　are　simple　and



docile　persons；　and　would；　without　doubt；　be　moved　to　any　feeling　you



should　desire　by　the　recital　of　one　of　your　illustrious　stories。〃







〃An　intelligent　and　discriminating　assemblage　is　more　to　a



story…teller　than　much　reward　of　cash　from　hands　that　conceal　open



mouths；〃　replied　Kai　Lung　with　great　feeling。　〃Nothing　would　confer



more　pleasurable　agitation　upon　this　unworthy　person　than　an



opportunity　of　narrating　his　entire　stock　to　them。　If　also　the



accomplished　Lin　Yi　would　bestow　renown　upon　the　occasion　by　his



presence；　no　omen　of　good　would　be　wanting。〃







〃The　pleasures　of　the　city　lie　far　behind　me；〃　said　Lin　Yi；　after　some



thought；　〃and　I　would　cheerfully　submit　myself　to　an　intellectual



accomplishment　such　as　you　are　undoubtedly　capable　of。　But　as　we　have



necessity　to　leave　this　spot　before　the　hour　when　the　oak…leaves



change　into　night…moths；　one　of　your　amiable　stories　will　be　the



utmost　we　can　strengthen　our　intellects　with。　Select　which　you　will。



In　the　meantime；　food　will　be　brought　to　refresh　you　after　your



benevolent　exertions　in　conversing　with　a　person　of　my　vapid



understanding。　When　you　have　partaken；　or　thrown　it　away　as　utterly



unendurable；　the　time　will　have　arrived；　and　this　person；　together



with　all　his　accomplices；　will　put　themselves　in　a　position　to　be



subjected　to　all　the　most　dignified　emotions。〃











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II







〃THE　story　which　I　have　selected　for　this　gratifying　occasion；〃　said



Kai　Lung；　when；　an　hour　or　so　later；　still　pinioned；　but　released　from



the　halter；　he　sat　surrounded　by　the　brigands；　〃is　entitled　'Good　and



Evil'；　and　it　is　concerned　with　the　adventures　of　one　Ling；　who　bore



the　honourable　name　of　Ho。　The　first；　and　indeed　the　greater；　part　of



the　narrative；　as　related　by　the　venerable　and　accomplished　writer　of



history　Chow…Tan；　is　taken　up　by　showing　how　Ling　was　assuredly



descended　from　an　enlightened　Emperor　of　the　race　of　Tsin；　but　as　the



no　less　omniscient　Ta…lin…hi　proves　beyond　doubt　that　the　person　in



question　was　in　no　way　connected　with　any　but　a　line　of　hereditary



ape…worshippers；　who　entered　China　from　an　unknown　country　many



centuries　ago；　it　would　ill　become　this　illiterate　person　to　express



an　opinion　on　either　side；　and　he　will　in　consequence　omit　the　first



seventeen　books　of　the　story；　and　only　deal　with　the　three　which　refer



to　the　illustrious　Ling　himself。〃











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　STORY　OF　LING







　　　　Narrated　by　Kai　Lung　when　a　prisoner　in　the　camp　of　Lin　Yi。







Ling　was　the　youngest　of　three　sons；　and　from　his　youth　upwards　proved



to　be　of　a　mild　and　studious　disposition。　Most　of　his　time　was　spent



in　reading　the　sacred　books；　and　at　an　early　age　he　found　the　worship



of　apes　to　be　repulsive　to　his　gentle　nature；　and　resolved　to　break



through　the　venerable　traditions　of　his　family　by　devoting　his　time　to



literary　pursuits；　and　presenting　himself　for　the　public　examinations



at　Canton。　In　this　his　resolution　was　strengthened　by　a　rumour　that　an



army　of　bowmen　was　shortly　to　be　raised　from　the　Province　in　which　he



lived；　so　that　if　he　remained　he　would　inevitably　be　forced　into　an



occupation　which　was　even　more　distasteful　to　him　than　the　one　he　was



leaving。







Having　arrived　at　Canton；　Ling's　first　care　was　to　obtain　particulars



of　the　examinations；　which　he　clearly　perceived；　from　the　unusual



activity　displayed　on　all　sides；　to　be　near　at　hand。　On　inquiring　from



passers…by；　he　received　very　conflicting　information；　for　the　persons



to　whom　he　spoke　were　themselves　entered　for　the　competition；　and



therefore　naturally　misled　him　in　order　to　increase　their　own　chances



of　success。　Perceiving　this；　Ling　determined　to　apply　at　once；



although　the　light　was　past；　to　a　Mandarin　who　was　concerned　in　the



examinations；　lest　by　delay　he　should　lose　his　chance　for　the　year。







〃It　is　an　unfortunate　event　that　so　distinguished　a　person　should　have



selected　this　day　and　hour　on　which　to　overwhelm　us　with　his　affable



politeness！〃　exclaimed　the　porter　at　the　gate　of　the　Yamen；　when　Ling



had　explained　his　reason　for　going。　〃On　such　a　day；　in　the　reign　of



the　virtuous　Emperor　Hoo　Chow；　a　very　benevolent　and　unassuming



ancestor　of　my　good　lord　the　Mandarin　was　destroyed　by　treachery；　and



ever　since　his　family　has　observed　the　occasion　by　fasting　and　no



music。　This　person　would　certainly　be　punished　with　death　if　he



entered　the　inner　room　from　any　cause。〃







At　these　words；　Ling；　who　had　been　simply　brought　up；　and　chiefly　in



the　society　of　apes；　was　going　away　with　many　expressions　of



self…reproach　at　selecting　such　a　time；　when　the　gate…keeper　called



him　back。







〃I　am　overwhelmed　with　confusion　at　the　position　in　which　I　find



myself；〃　he　r