Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/358

342 cord around his right foot, and the other end of the cord encircles the foot of the girl-baby whom he is to marry," said he.

"Quite true," said the maiden, "and to people who are awake this cord is invisible. Now I will tell you my name, that you may remember it. It is Yun-Ying."

"And I will tell you mine," began Pei-Hang, but Yun-Ying stopped him, smiling.

"Ah, I know yours, and all about you," she said.

Pei-Hang was greatly surprised, but he need not have been, for everyone in Chang-ngan knew that he was Pin-Too's wisest, handsomest, and best-loved pupil. And Yun-Ying lived close to the city, and had often seen him walking through the streets carrying his books.

When Pei-Hang awoke, he looked for the red cord around his foot, but he saw neither this nor the fair maiden.

"I wonder if she is real, or only a dream-maiden, after all," he said to himself.

But Yun-Ying was quite real; only her mother, who knew something of magic, had