Page:Chinese Fairy Book (Richard Wilhelm).djvu/25

Rh Then the oldest son-in-law began: "I will make a start with my verse. Here it is:

The second one continued: "And I say: But the third son-in-law stuttered, and found nothing to say. And when all of them insisted, he broke out in rough tones of voice:

The other two sons-in-law clapped their hands and began to laugh loudly.

"Why the four lines do not rhyme at all," said they, "and, besides they do not make sense. A leaden bullet is no bird, the stable-boy does his work outside, would you call him into the room? Nonsense, nonsense! Drink!"

Yet before they had finished speaking, the third daughter raised the curtain of the women's room, and stepped out. She was angry, yet she could not suppress a smile.

"How so do our lines not make sense?" said she. "Listen a moment, and I'll explain them to you: In the sky our leaden bullet will shoot your phenixphoenix [sic] and