Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/357

Rh upon the streets, making the town like a furnace.

However, he had promised to start that day, so he took up his stick and set off.

"I will rest at the Indigo Bridge," said he to himself, "and walk on again in the cool of the evening."

But he had spent many sleepless nights in study, and when he reached the bridge he was so tired that he sat down and fell asleep.

Then, in a dream which came to him, he saw a tall and beautiful maiden, who showed him her right foot, around which was bound a red cord.

"What does this mean?" asked Pei-Hang, who could hardly take his eyes away from her face to look at her foot.

"What does the red cord around your own foot mean?" replied the girl.

Then Pei-Hang looked at his right foot, and saw that it was tied to the girl's by the same thin red cord. So he knew that he had met his future wife.

"My mother used to say that when a boy is born, the Moon Fairy ties an invisible red