Page:Chinese Merry Tales (1909).djvu/29

15] HERE was a merchant who, on account of his son having become a mandarin, also received a title, and one day he called on the local magistrate. Owing to the old age of the merchant, the magistrate addressed him as Loh Sen (老先) leaving out the word Sun (生) (the equivalent of Sen Sun (先生) in English is Mister). When the merchant heard this, he was very angry, and immediately went home. On his return, his son asked him the reason of his coming home in such a rage. He replied that the magistrate has been most insolent to him. "He should have called me Loh Sen Sun (老先生) and purposely left out the last word and called me Loh Sen. It shows plainly that he intends to insult me. I will ask him to call and shall take my revenge." His son asked him: "How will you address him?" His father replied: "I ought to address him as father and mother, but I will also leave out the last character and call him Loh Fu (老父)."

HERE was a man who married a woman of advanced age. On seeing her for the first time, he noticed her face was much wrinkled. He asked her: "What is your age?" She replied: "I am young yet, only 45." He again asked her: "Why does your horoscope state that you are 35? My opinion is that you are more than 45; you tell me the truth." She replied: "I am really 54." The husband still did not believe what she said, and questioned her many times, but could not get any reply. When night came, the husband thought of a good plan. He told his wife: "You go to sleep first, I have to look into my salt jar (缸). The rats stole a great deal of it yesterday." When his wife heard of