Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/118



people would pity him, and condole with him upon his arduous life. But the old fellow would reply, "A man's life is passed under two separate conditions—day and night. By day I am a slave, and miserable enough; but by night I am a prince, and happy beyond all comparison. So, after all, what reason have I for grumbling at my lot?"

Now Mr. Yin, his master, was careful and troubled about many things, and the affairs of his wealthy establishment occasioned him constant anxiety; so that when night came round he also fell asleep, exhausted and knocked up. And night after night he dreamt that he was a slave—an overworked runner, always on his legs, doing everything that one can think of, being scolded and sworn at, and beaten with a stick—in fact, there was no hardship that did not fall upon him. The wretched man would sob and whimper in his sleep all night, and it was not till morning dawned that he was silent. At last he fell sick, and took counsel of a friend. "Your position in life," said his friend, "is one of sufficient splendour, and you have greater riches than you want; you surpass your neighbours far and away. And yet you dream that you're a slave! Well, this is nothing more than compensation; it is a proper adjustment of the good and ill that must befall every man in life; it is no more than the common destiny. Do you want your waking and sleeping experiences to be both pleasant? No, no; that is more than you have any right to expect."

Then Mr. Yin thought over what his friend had said, and, in accordance with it, treated his servants with greater kindness, and eased their tasks; while he abstained from undue worry and anxiety about his own affairs, and soon found his malady much relieved.

Which was the Dream?

As a man of the State of Chêng was gathering fuel in the fields, he met with a startled deer. Throwing himself in its way, he struck at it, killing it on the spot; then, fearing lest it might be found, he made haste and concealed the carcass in