Page:A history of Chinese literature - Giles.djvu/447

 for one," said the King, " at whose door there are no aggrieved spirits of disembodied patients." The lictors went off, but at the house of every doctor they visited there were crowds of wailing ghosts hanging about. At last they found a doctor at whose door there was only a single shade, and cried out, "This man is evidently the skilful one we are in search of." On inquiry, how- ever, they discovered that he had only started practice the day before.

A general was hard pressed in battle and on the point of giving way, when suddenly a spirit soldier came to his rescue and enabled him to win a great victory. Prostrating himself on the ground, he asked the spirit's name. " I am the God of the Target," re- plied the spirit. " And how have I merited your god- ship's kind assistance?" inquired the general. "I am grateful to you," answered the spirit, " because in your days of practice you never once hit me."

A portrait-painter, who was doing very little business, was advised by a friend to paint a picture of himself and his wife, and to hang it out in the street as an advertise- ment. This he did, and shortly afterwards his father-in- law came along. Gazing at the picture for some time, the latter at length asked, "Who is that woman?" " Why, that is your daughter," replied the artist. " What- ever is she doing," again inquired her father, "sitting there with that stranger ? "

A man who had been condemned to wear the cangue^ or wooden collar, was seen by some of his friends. "What have you been doing," they asked, "to deserve this?" "Oh, nothing," he replied; "I only picked up an old piece of rope." "And are you to be punished thus severely," they said, " for merely picking up an

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