Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/281

Rh server. He rushed upon the old man, who merely laughed and then turned into a beautiful white bird and flew away.

All thought of further fighting was for the time abandoned. Haki and Oku saw that it was useless for them, being only human, to fight aginstagainst [sic] Korkwi, who possessed supernatural powers, so they returned to the Empress, who decided to call on Shiku, the Fire King, for aid.

Now the Fire King lived at the South Pole, where all was snow and ice, for he burned up everything else around him. He also was a giant, with a face like marble and whose hair and beard were snow white. He was master of all fire, as Korkwi was of water, and his strength was marvelous.

The Empress sent Oku to the South Pole to ask Shiku for help, and this the Fire King at once promised to give. He then told Oku that it was he who had saved the two young generals from drowning, and Oku thanked him for coming to their rescue.

Shiku and Oku returned to the Empress, who made the Fire King Commander-in-Chief of her army. He told her to have no