Page:Chinese Merry Tales (1909).djvu/39

25] wind affected the nose of the boatman, who sneezed several times. The teacher stamped his feet and said: " It is bad. I have just left home and wife is thinking of the boatman."

HERE was a man, who was fond of belling falsehoods, said: "In a temple in our village there is a big drum which takes several people to surround it. If it is struck once, the sound could be heard more than 100 li away." A bystander of intelligence said: " There is an ox in our native place whose head is in Kiangnan and tail in Kiangpei, several tens of thousands of catties in weight. Is not this a curious animal?" All present did not believe this; the man then said: " If there was not such a big ox as ours, how could there be such a big piece of hide to cover the big drum? "

HERE was a mischievous boy who took a string of prayer beads and hung it onto the neck of a cat. When all the rats saw this, they congratulated the cat thus: "Mr. Cat you are wearing beads around your neck; it shows that you reverence Buddha and have become benevolent and kind. Surely you will not eat us any more." All the rats became very merry and came out to play all over the ground. When the cat saw them, he killed several of them at once. All the rats were frighhtenedfrightened [sic]; then they hid themselves. They all regretted in their hearts and said: "We thought the old cat had changed from a life of wickedness to one of benevolence and had become kind-hearted; in reality he is only shamming reform." Another rat said: "You do not know that nowadays those who do good and pray are ten times worse in their ways."