Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/142

 The Leafmaker.

There was a man of Sung who made artificial leaves of jade for the King. The work took three years to finish; the artificer carving and paring the stalks and veins, and reproducing the very down and gloss, so that the result had all the appearance of a luxuriant cluster of bright leaves, in natural disorder, and impossible to distinguish from real ones. The man followed his art as a handicraft, receiving a regular stipend from the State. When Lieh-tzŭ heard of it he said, "Well! if when God created the world He was three years making a bunch of leaves, there would be very few leaves in the world to-day."

Therefore it is that the Sage sets store on good principles and social reformation, not on dexterity and skill.

Luck and no Luck.

There was a certain Mr. Shih, of the State of Lu, who had two sons. One was devoted to study, the other to the profession of arms. The student went to seek his fortune at the Court of the Marquis of Ch'i, who received him cordially, and appointed him tutor to his two young sons; while the soldier repaired to the State of Ch'u, where the Prince made him generalissimo of his forces, conferred large revenues upon his family, and ennobled all his relations.

Now, old Mr. Shih had a neighbour of the name of Meng, who also had two sons, whose respective professions were the same as those followed by the brothers Shih; but, alas! they were hampered in their life by poverty. Incited by the brilliant fortunes of the young men Shih, old Mr. Meng asked their father how they had managed to get on so well; and he told him exactly what had taken place. Whereupon he determined that his own two sons should follow their example, and accordingly sent the studious one to the Court of the Prince of Ch'in. But the Prince said, " At present we feudatory princes are all engaged in internecine warfare, and all our thoughts are concentrated upon military equipments, commissariats, and