Page:Chinese Merry Tales (1909).djvu/40

Chinese Merry Tales HERE were two relatives, one of them hasty and the other slow in their tempers. One day they met on the road. The relative with slow temper bowed low to the ground to the relative with quick temper and said: "In the first moon we view the lanterns (逛燈) and feast on dumplings (元宵). During the fifth moon festival rice puddings are presented to me (粽子), during the festival of the autumnal equinox moon cakes and fruits are presented to me. At various times I have accepted many good things, but 1 have not yet returned your compliments. Really I feel very sorry." After repeating all these words, he then straightened his back. Alas! the relative with hasty temper could not stand this boredom, and had already moved away. The man with the slow temper looked and found him gone; then he asked: "When did my relative go away?" The bystanders replied: "He left after you said that you viewed the lanterns. He has now been away half a day."

MAN who was walking among the mountains, met a tiger, and at once climbed a tree. The tiger was at the foot of the tree and wanted to climb up to attack him. He was in great terror and jumped down from the tree. Fortunately he fell just on the back of the tiger and, as he could not do otherwise, he rode on him. He held the tiger's waist with his legs and allowed the tiger to go at his will. Those who saw him did not know what was the matter and said one to another: "Look at that man riding on a tiger. When he is riding on top he looks like a genii. How easy he rides." When the man heard this he cried aloud: "You all seem to think that I look very grand and dignified; you don't know my thoughts within. I wish to dismount and I cannot. No one can tell how much I suffer."