Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/221

 it to your heart's content." "Right you are," shouted the hero; so, without further delay, they started off, telling the servants to bring a supply of wine and eatables after them. The neighbours were greatly incensed when they saw the party arrive, but no one dared to speak. Meanwhile Chang and his friends proceeded to the summerhouse; but when they got there, and looked round, what was their astonishment to see not a single flower upon its stalk! There they lay, strewed about just as they were when Chang had cut them off; broken and bruised and spoilt. At first nobody could speak for amazement. Chang, however, soon recovered himself. "It is evident," he said, "that the old conjurer has been at his tricks again; if not, how could there be such a change in half a day? It surely can't be the fairy again!" This happy thought was speedily capped by one of the hangers-on. "The old fellow knew that your worship would come to enjoy the flowers again," said he; "and therefore he had recourse to this trick to put you out of countenance." "Well," said Chang, "if it be so, let us enjoy the fallen flowers." So saying, he spread a carpet on the ground, sat down, and laid himself out to make the most of things. He gave a couple of bottles of wine to his trusty servant Pa, and they all ate and drank till sunset, by which time they were more than half-drunk. Suddenly, however, a tremendous gust of wind arose; it swept violently across the garden, gathered up all the scattered flowers, and blew them on to their stalks again! Then, in the twinkling of an eye, every flower was transformed into a beautiful girl, a little over two feet high, each of whom, in apparent obedience to successive puffs of wind, visibly increased in size. At last they appeared in a great O