Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/120



distinguish the dream-part of the business from the actual occurrences. "There have been only the Yellow Emperor and Confucius," he said, "who were able to distinguish dreams from the waking state; and, as both of them are dead, nobody can discover the truth of the matter. All your Majesty can do is to uphold the decision of the magistrate."

The Advantages of having no Memory.

When Yang-li Hua-tzŭ, of the State of Sung, reached the prime of life he suddenly lost his memory. If he received anything in the morning, he forgot all about it by the evening; if he gave anything away over-night, he forgot all about it by next day. Out of doors he would forget to walk; in the house he would forget to sit down. To-day he would forget what had taken place the day before; and to-morrow he would forget what had happened to-day. His family got perfectly disgusted with him, and engaged the services of a soothsayer to divine when and how he might be cured; but the effort was unsuccessful. Then they resorted to a magician, who came and prayed for the afflicted man; but no result followed. Finally they sent for a doctor; but again the attempt proved useless.

Now in the State of Lü there lived a man of letters, who, taking the initiative himself, volunteered to effect a cure. The sick man's wife and son immediately offered him half their fortune if he would only favour them with a prescription. But the scholar replied, "This is not a malady that can be cured by sortilege and divination, or affected by prayer, or attacked successfully by drugs. I shall address myself to his mind. His mind must be changed, and his thoughts diverted into another channel; if this can be accomplished, his recovery will almost surely follow." So saying, he caused Hua-tzŭ to strip naked; whereupon Hua-tzŭ begged that he might have his clothes again. Then he starved him; and Hua-tzŭ begged for food. Then he shut him up in the dark; and Hua-tzŭ begged for light. Thereupon the scholar turned joyfully to the patient's son, exclaiming, "His disease is curable! But