the wallet of kai lung-第27节

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although　his　motive　in　exposing　the　emptiness　of　Kai　Lung's　stories



may　not　be　Heaven…sentinasmuch　as　Kai　Lung　provides　us　with　such



matter　as　he　himself　purveys；　only　at　a　much　more　moderate　priceyet



his　words　are　well　considered；　and　must　therefore　be　regarded。〃







〃O　Yan…hi　Pung；〃　replied　Kai　Lung；　hearing　the　name　from　those　who



stood　about　him；　and　moving　towards　the　aged　person；　who　stood



meanwhile　leaning　upon　his　staff；　and　looking　from　side　to　side　with



quickly　moving　eyelids　in　a　manner　very　offensive　towards　the



story…teller；　〃your　just　remark　shows　you　to　be　a　person　of



exceptional　wisdom；　even　as　your　well…bowed　legs　prove　you　to　be　one



of　great　bodily　strength；　for　justice　is　ever　obvious　and　wisdom



hidden；　and　they　who　build　structures　for　endurance　discard　the



straight　and　upright　and　insist　upon　such　an　arch　as　you　so



symmetrically　exemplify。〃







Speaking　in　this　conciliatory　manner；　Kai　Lung　came　up　to　Yan…hi　Pung；



and　taking　between　his　fingers　a　disc　of　thick　polished　crystal；　which



the　aged　and　short…sighted　chant…writer　used　for　the　purpose　of



magnifying　and　bringing　nearer　the　letters　upon　which　he　was　engaged；



and　which　hung　around　his　neck　by　an　embroidered　cord；　the



story…teller　held　it　aloft；　crying　aloud：







〃Observe　closely；　and　presently　it　will　be　revealed　and　made　clear　how



the　apparently　very　conflicting　words　of　the　wise　Yan…hi　Pung；　and



those　of　this　unassuming　but　nevertheless　conscientious　person　who　is



now　addressing　you；　are；　in　reality；　as　one　great　truth。〃







With　this　assurance　Kai　Lung　moved　the　crystal　somewhat；　so　that　it



engaged　the　sun's　rays；　and　concentrated　them　upon　the　uncovered　crown



of　the　unsuspecting　and　still　objectionably…engaged　person　before　him。



Without　a　moment's　pause；　Yan…hi　Pung　leapt　high　into　the　air；



repeatedly　pressing　his　hand　to　the　spot　thus　selected　and　crying



aloud：







〃Evil　dragons　and　thunderbolts！　but　the　touch　was　as　hot　as　a　scar



left　by　the　uncut　nail　of　the　sublime　Buddha！〃







〃Yet　the　crystal〃　remarked　Kai　Lung　composedly；　passing　it　into　the



hands　of　those　who　stood　near。







〃Is　as　cool　as　the　innermost　leaves　of　the　riverside　sycamore；〃　they



declared。







Kai　Lung　said　nothing　further；　but　raised　both　his　hands　above　his



head；　as　if　demanding　their　judgement。　Thereupon　a　loud　shout　went　up



on　his　behalf；　for　the　greater　part　of　them　loved　to　see　the　manner　in



which　he　brushed　aside　those　who　would　oppose　him；　and　the　sight　of



the　aged　person　Yan…hi　Pung　leaping　far　into　the　air　had　caused　them



to　become　exceptionally　amused；　and；　in　consequence；　very　amiably



disposed　towards　the　one　who　had　afforded　them　the　entertainment。







〃The　story　of　Sen　Heng；〃　began　Kai　Lung；　when　the　discussion　had



terminated　in　the　manner　already　recorded；　〃concerns　itself　with　one



who　possessed　an　unsuspecting　and　ingenious　nature；　which　ill…fitted



him　to　take　an　ordinary　part　in　the　everyday　affairs　of　life；　no



matter　how　engaging　such　a　character　rendered　him　among　his　friends



and　relations。　Having　at　an　early　age　been　entrusted　with　a　burden　of



rice　and　other　produce　from　his　father's　fields　to　dispose　of　in　the



best　possible　manner　at　a　neighbouring　mart；　and　having　completed　the



transaction　in　a　manner　extremely　advantageous　to　those　with　whom　he



trafficked　but　very　intolerable　to　the　one　who　had　sent　him；　it　at



once　became　apparent　that　some　other　means　of　gaining　a　livelihood



must　be　discovered　for　him。







〃'Beyond　all　doubt；'　said　his　father；　after　considering　the　matter　for



a　period；　'it　is　a　case　in　which　one　should　be　governed　by　the　wise



advice　and　example　of　the　Mandarin　Poo…chow。'







〃'Illustrious　sire；'　exclaimed　Sen　Heng；　who　chanced　to　be　present；



'the　illiterate　person　who　stands　before　you　is　entirely　unacquainted



with　the　one　to　whom　you　have　referred；　nevertheless；　he　will；　as　you



suggest；　at　once　set　forth；　and　journeying　with　all　speed　to　the　abode



of　the　estimable　Poo…chow；　solicit　his　experience　and　advice。'







〃'Unless　a　more　serious　loss　should　be　occasioned；'　replied　the　father



coldly；　'there　is　no　necessity　to　adopt　so　extreme　a　course。　The



benevolent　Mandarin　in　question　existed　at　a　remote　period　of　the



Thang　dynasty；　and　the　incident　to　which　an　allusion　has　been　made



arose　in　the　following　way：　To　the　public　court　of　the　enlightened



Poo…chow　there　came　one　day　a　youth　of　very　inferior　appearance　and



hesitating　manner；　who　besought　his　explicit　advice；　saying：　〃The



degraded　and　unprepossessing　being　before　you；　O　select　and　venerable



Mandarin；　is　by　nature　and　attainments　a　person　of　the　utmost　timidity



and　fearfulness。　From　this　cause　life　itself　has　become　a　detestable



observance　in　his　eyes；　for　those　who　should　be　his　companions　of　both



sexes　hold　him　in　undisguised　contempt；　making　various　unendurable



allusions　to　the　colour　and　nature　of　his　internal　organs　whenever　he



would　endeavour　to　join　them。　Instruct　him；　therefore；　the　manner　in



which　this　cowardice　may　be　removed；　and　no　service　in　return　will　be



esteemed　too　great。〃　〃There　is　a　remedy；〃　replied　the　benevolent



Mandarin；　without　any　hesitation　whatever；　〃which　if　properly　carried



out　is　efficacious　beyond　the　possibility　of　failure。　Certain



component　parts　of　your　body　are　lacking；　and　before　the　desired



result　can　be　obtained　these　must　be　supplied　from　without。　Of　all



courageous　things　the　tiger　is　the　most　fearless；　and　in　consequence



it　combines　all　those　ingredients　which　you　require；　furthermore；　as



the　teeth　of　the　tiger　are　the　instruments　with　which　it　accomplishes



its　vengeful　purpose；　there　reside　the　essential　principles　of　its



inimitable　courage。　Let　the　person　who　seeks　instruction　in　the



matter；　therefore；　do　as　follows：　taking　the　teeth　of　a　full…grown



tiger　as　soon　as　it　is　slain；　and　before　the　essences　have　time　to



return　into　the　body；　he　shall　grind　them　to　a　powder；　and　mixing　the



powder　with　a　portion　of　rice；　consume　it。　After　seven　days　he　must



repeat　the　observance；　and　yet　again　a　third　time；　after　another



similar　lapse。　Let　him；　then；　return　for　further　guidance；　for　the



present　the　matter　interests　this　person　no　further。〃　At　these　words



the　youth　departed；　filled　with　a　new　and　inspired　hope；　for　the



wisdom　of　the　sagacious　Poo…chow　was　a　matter　which　did　not　admit　of



any　doubt　whatever；　and　he　had　spoken　with　well…defined　certainty　of



the　success　of　the　experiment。　Nevertheless；　after　several　days



industriously　spent　in　endeavouring　to　obtain　by　purchase　the　teeth　of



a　newly…slain　tiger；　the　details　of　the　undertaking　began　to　assume　a



new　and　entirely　unforeseen　aspect；　for　those　whom　he　approached　as



being　the　most　likely　to　possess　what　he　required　either　became　very



immoderately　and　disagreeably　amused　at　the　nature　of　the　request；　or



regarded　it　as　a　new　and　ill…judged　form　of　ridicule；　which　they



prepared　to　avenge　by　blows　and　by　base　remarks　of　the　most　personal



variety。　At　length　it　became　unavoidably　obvious　to　the　youth　that　if



he　was　to　obtain　the　articles　in　question　it　would　first　be　necessary



that　he　should　become　adept　in　the　art　of　slaying　tigers；　for　in　no



other　way　were　the　required　conditions　likely　to　be　present。　Although



the　prospect　was　one　which　did　not　greatly　tend　to　allure　him；　yet　he



did　not　regard　it　with　the　utterly　incapable　emotions　which　would　have



been　present　on　an　earlier　occasion；　for　the　habit　of　continually



guarding　himself　from　the　onslaughts　of　those　who　received　his　inquiry



in　an　attitude　of　narrow…minded　distrust　had　inspired　him　with　a



new…found　valour；　while　his　amiable　and　unrestrained　manner　of　life



increased　his　bodily　vigour　in　every　degree。　First　perfecting　himself



in　the　use　of　the　bow　and　arrow；　therefore；　he　betook　himself　to　a



wild　and　very　extensive　forest；　and　there　concealed　himself　among　the



upper　foliage　of　a　tall　tree　standing　by　the　side　of　a　pool　of　water。



On　the　second　night　of　his　watch；　the　youth　perceived　a　large　but



somewhat　ill…conditioned　tiger　approaching　the　pool　for　the　purpose　of



quenching　its　thirst；　whereupon　he　tremblingly　fitted　an　arrow　to　his



bowstring；　and　profiting　by　the　instruction　he　had　received；　succeeded



in　piercing　the　creature　to　the　heart。　After　fulfilling　the　observance



laid　upon　him　by　the　discriminating　Poo…chow；　the　youth　determined　to



remain　in　the　forest；　and　sustain　himself　upon　such　food　as　fell　to



his　weapons；　until　the　t