Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/194



Who would reproach them with more than a murmured 'Adieu!' as they fly? And so when her flowery beauty, like all around, decays, She sighs and smiles unconsciously, and dreams of the bygone days."

The strains of this song were somewhat melancholy; indeed they were almost harrowing. Now the Lady Wind, if the truth must be told, was of a very flighty and frivolous disposition; and, what was worse, she was very fond of wine, and had drunk so many cups that she became quite ungovernable, and began to act in a most extravagant and silly way. When, therefore, she had listened to these two songs, she exclaimed—

"How is it that, on this auspicious occasion, when we are all enjoying ourselves, and delighting in the beautiful view, you sing such sorrowful stuff as this? Besides, the meaning is too obscure for anybody to understand; it's an insult to all the company!"

Whereupon she condemned the two unfortunate songstresses to pay forfeit by drinking a large cup of wine apiece, and said that they would have to sing again. But as she was handing them the cups, it was proved only too plainly that she had taken too many herself; her hands shook so that she could not grasp them securely, and suddenly she lost her hold of them altogether. Crash they went, and the wine flowed all over poor little Pomegranate. Now little Pomegranate was very young and very pretty, and had always been very fond of gay clothes. On this occasion she had on a bran-new embroidered crimson robe, which she was naturally very anxious to keep from wine-stains, as the slightest drop would spoil the colour; and now she was covered with it from head to foot! Unfortunately, too, she had had a little