the wallet of kai lung-第37节

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of　this　etiquette　deprives　the　intellectual　diversion　of　much　of　its



interest　for　both　players'；　is　no　less　true　today　than　when　the　all



knowing　H'sou　uttered　it。〃







〃They　well　saidthey　of　Shan　Tzuthat　the　people　of　Wu…whei　were



intolerably　ignorant　and　of　low　descent；〃　continued　Kai　Lung；　without



heeding　the　interruption；　〃that　although　invariably　of　a　timorous



nature；　even　to　the　extent　of　retiring　to　the　woods　on　the　approach　of



those　who　select　bowmen　for　the　Imperial　army；　all　they　require　in　a



story　is　that　it　shall　be　garnished　with　deeds　of　bloodshed　and



violence　to　the　exclusion　of　the　higher　qualities　of　well…imagined



metaphors　and　literary　style　which　alone　constitute　true　excellence。〃







〃Yet　it　has　been　said；〃　suggested　Hi　Seng；　〃that　the　inimitable　Kai



Lung　can　so　mould　a　narrative　in　the　telling　that　all　the　emotions　are



conveyed　therein　without　unduly　disturbing　the　intellects　of　the



hearers。〃







〃O　amiable　Hi　Seng；〃　replied　Kai　Lung　with　extreme　affability；



〃doubtless　you　are　the　most　expert　of　water…carriers；　and　on　a　hot　and



dusty　day；　when　the　insatiable　desire　of　all　persons　is　towards　a



draught　of　unusual　length　without　much　regard　to　its　composition；　the



sight　of　your　goat…skins　is　indeed　a　welcome　omen；　yet　when　in　the



season　of　Cold　White　Rains　you　chance　to　meet　the　belated



chair…carrier　who　has　been　reluctantly　persuaded　into　conveying



persons　beyond　the　limit　of　the　city；　the　solitary　official　watchman



who　knows　that　his　chief　is　not　at　hand；　or　a　returning　band　of　those



who　make　a　practise　of　remaining　in　the　long　narrow　rooms　until　they



are　driven　forth　at　a　certain　gong…stroke；　can　you　supply　them　with



the　smallest　portion　of　that　invigorating　rice　spirit　for　which　alone



they　crave？　From　this　simple　and　homely　illustration；　specially



conceived　to　meet　the　requirements　of　your　stunted　and　meagre



understanding；　learn　not　to　expect　both　grace　and　thorns　from　the



willow…tree。　Nevertheless；　your　very　immature　remarks　on　the　art　of



story…telling　are　in　no　degree　more　foolish　than　those　frequently



uttered　by　persons　who　make　a　living　by　such　a　practice；　in　proof　of



which　this　person　will　relate　to　the　select　and　discriminating　company



now　assembled　an　entirely　new　and　unrecorded　storythat；　indeed；　of



the　unworthy；　but　frequently　highly…rewarded　Kai　Lung　himself。〃







〃The　story　of　Kai　Lung！〃　exclaimed　Wang　Yu。　〃Why　not　the　story　of



Ting；　the　sightless　beggar；　who　has　sat　all　his　life　outside　the



Temple　of　Miraculous　Cures？　Who　is　Kai　Lung；　that　he　should　have　a



story？　Is　he　not　known　to　us　all　here？　Is　not　his　speech　that　of　this



Province；　his　food　mean；　his　arms　and　legs　unshaven？　Does　he　carry　a



sword　or　wear　silk　raiment？　Frequently　have　we　seen　him　fatigued　with



journeying；　many　times　has　he　arrived　destitute　of　money；　nor；　on



those　occasions　when　a　newly…appointed　and　unnecessarily　officious



Mandarin　has　commanded　him　to　betake　himself　elsewhere　and　struck　him



with　a　rod　has　Kai　Lung　caused　the　stick　to　turn　into　a　deadly　serpent



and　destroy　its　master；　as　did　the　just　and　dignified　Lu　Fei。　How；



then；　can　Kai　Lung　have　a　story　that　is　not　also　the　story　of　Wang　Yu



and　Hi　Seng；　and　all　others　here？〃







〃Indeed；　if　the　refined　and　enlightened　Wang　Yu　so　decides；　it　must



assuredly　be　true；〃　said　Kai　Lung　patiently；　〃yet　（since　even　trifles



serve　to　dispel　the　darker　thoughts　of　existence）　would　not　the



history　of　so　small　a　matter　as　an　opium　pipe　chain　his　intelligent



consideration？　such　a　pipe；　for　example；　as　this　person　beheld　only



today　exposed　for　sale；　the　bowl　composed　of　the　finest　red　clay；



delicately　baked　and　fashioned；　the　long　bamboo　stem　smoother　than　the



sacred　tooth　of　the　divine　Buddha；　the　spreading　support　patiently　and



cunningly　carved　with　scenes　representing　the　Seven　Joys；　and　the



Tenth　Hell　of　unbelievers。〃







〃Ah！〃　exclaimed　Wang　Yu　eagerly；　〃it　is　indeed　as　you　say；　a　Mandarin



among　masterpieces。　That　pipe；　O　most　unobserving　Kai　Lung；　is　the



work　of　this　retiring　and　superficial　person　who　is　now　addressing



you；　and；　though　the　fact　evidently　escaped　your　all…seeing　glance；



the　place　where　it　is　exposed　is　none　other　than　his　shop　of　'The



Fountain　of　Beauty'；　which　you　have　on　many　occasions　endowed　with



your　honourable　presence。〃







〃Doubtless　the　carving　is　the　work　of　the　accomplished　Wang　Yu；　and



the　fitting　together；〃　replied　Kai　Lung；　〃but　the　materials　for　so



refined　and　ornamental　a　production　must　of　necessity　have　been



brought　many　thousand　li；　the　clay　perhaps　from　the　renowned　beds　of



Honan；　the　wood　from　Peking；　and　the　bamboo　from　one　of　the　great



forests　of　the　North。〃







〃For　what　reason？〃　said　Wang　Yu　proudly。　〃At　this　person's　very　door



is　a　pit　of　red　clay；　purer　and　infinitely　more　regular　than　any　to　be



found　at　Honan；　the　hard　wood　of　Wu…whei　is　extolled　among　carvers



throughout　the　Empire；　while　no　bamboo　is　straighter　or　more　smooth



than　that　which　grows　in　the　neighbouring　woods。〃







〃O　most　inconsistent　Wang　Yu！〃　cried　the　story…teller；　〃assuredly　a



very　commendable　local　pride　has　dimmed　your　usually　penetrating



eyesight。　Is　not　the　clay　pit　of　which　you　speak　that　in　which　you



fashioned　exceedingly　unsymmetrical　imitations　of　rat…pies　in　your



childhood？　How；　then；　can　it　be　equal　to　those　of　Honan；　which　you



have　never　seen？　In　the　dark　glades　of　these　woods　have　you　not　chased



the　gorgeous　butterfly；　and；　in　later　years；　the　no　less　gaily　attired



maidens　of　Wu…whei　in　the　entrancing　game　of　Kiss　in　the　Circle？　Have



not　the　bamboo…trees　to　which　you　have　referred　provided　you　with　the



ideal　material　wherewith　to　roof　over　those　cunningly…constructed　pits



into　which　it　has　ever　been　the　chief　delight　of　the　young　and



audacious　to　lure　dignified　and　unnaturally　stout　Mandarins？　All　these



things　you　have　seen　and　used　ever　since　your　mother　made　a　successful



offering　to　the　Goddess　Kum…Fa。　How；　then；　can　they　be　even　equal　to



the　products　of　remote　Honan　and　fabulous　Peking？　Assuredly　the



generally　veracious　Wang　Yu　speaks　this　time　with　closed　eyes　and



will；　upon　mature　reflexion；　eat　his　words。〃







The　silence　was　broken　by　a　very　aged　man　who　arose　from　among　the



bystanders。







〃Behold　the　length　of　this　person's　pigtail；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃the



whiteness　of　his　moustaches　and　the　venerable　appearance　of　his　beard！



There　is　no　more　aged　person　presentif；　indeed；　there　be　such　a　one



in　all　the　Province。　It　accordingly　devolves　upon　him　to　speak　in　this



matter；　which　shall　be　as　follows：　The　noble…minded　and　proficient　Kai



Lung　shall　relate　the　story　as　he　has　proposed；　and　the　garrulous　Wang



Yu　shall　twice　contribute　to　Kai　Lung's　bowl　when　it　is　passed　round；



once　for　himself　and　once　for　this　person；　in　order　they　he　may　learn



either　to　be　more　discreet　or　more　proficient　in　the　art　of　aptly



replying。〃







〃The　events　which　it　is　this　person's　presumptuous　intention　to



describe　to　this　large…hearted　and　providentially　indulgent



gathering；〃　began　Kai　Lung；　when　his　audience　had　become　settled；　and



the　wooden　bowl　had　passed　to　and　fro　among　them；　〃did　not　occupy　many



years；　although　they　were　of　a　nature　which　made　them　of　far　more



importance　than　all　the　remainder　of　his　existence；　thereby　supporting



the　sage　discernment　of　the　philosopher　Wen…weng；　who　first　made　the



observation　that　man　is　greatly　inferior　to　the　meanest　fly；　inasmuch



as　that　creature；　although　granted　only　a　day's　span　of　life；



contrives　during　that　period　to　fulfil　all　the　allotted　functions　of



existence。







〃Unutterably　to　the　astonishment　and　dismay　of　this　person　and　all



those　connected　with　him　（for　several　of　the　most　expensive　readers　of



the　future　to　be　found　in　the　Empire　had　declared　that　his　life　would



be　marked　by　great　events；　his　career　a　source　of　continual　wonder；



and　his　death　a　misfortune　to　those　who　had　dealings　with　him）　his



efforts　to　take　a　degree　at　the　public　literary　competitions　were　not



attended　with　any　adequate　success。　In　view　of　the　plainly　expressed



advice　of　his　father　it　therefore　became　desirable　that　this　person



should　turn　his　attention　to　some　other　method　of　regaining　the　esteem



of　those　upon　whom　he　was　dependent　for　all　the　necessaries　of



existence。　Not　having　the　means　wherewith　to　engage　in　any　form　of



commerce；　and　being　entirely　ignorant　of　all　matters　save　the　now



useless　details　of　attempti