Page:Shen of the Sea.pdf/43

 the Shen were gone, and seven beautiful rubies appeared in the crystal bowl.

"&thinsp;‘How lovely,' said Chieh Chung—and deliberately winked at the cypress tree, first with one eye and then with the other. He went to a cabinet that stood in his chamber, and from the cabinet took a bottle fashioned out of fei yu (a cloudy jade). And the bottle had a wide mouth. Into it Chieh Chung poured water. Returning to the lily bowl, he quickly took therefrom the seven red hung pao shih and dropped them into the jade bottle—closing the mouth securely.

"&thinsp;‘Now,' exulted the King, ‘my city is saved. My people may walk in security and without fear. The seven water demons are in my keeping, and please Heaven may they never escape my hand.' And in his joy, King Chieh Chung ordered that ten thousand catties of rice be given to the poor.

"Weeks lengthened into months. Lengthened the months to years. Still languished the water demons in the clouded Jade bottle. Still broke the sea on Kua Hai's walls—but