become impaired if their posterity were suffered to eclipse their fame by
new discoveries, or presumptuously amend what might appear imperfect in
their productions. It is therefore, by an edict of the Emperor Suen,
forbidden to invent anything; and by a statute of the Emperor Wu-chi it is
further provided that nothing hitherto invented shall be improved. My
predecessor in the small office I hold was deprived of it for saying that
in his judgment money ought to be made round instead of square, and I have
myself run risk of my life for seeking to combine a small file with a pair
of tweezers."

"If this is the case," said the young men, "our fatherland is not the place
for us." And they embraced their father, and departed. Of their brother
Wang-li they took no farewell, inasmuch as he was absorbed in a chess
problem. Before separating, they agreed to meet on the same spot after
thirty years, with the treasure which they doubted not to have acquired by
the exercise of their inventive faculties in foreign lands. They further
covenanted that if either had missed his reward the other should share his
possessions with him.

Fu-su repaired to the artists who cut out characters in blocks of hard
wood, to the end that books may be printed from the same. When he had
fathomed their mystery he betook himself to a brass-founder, and learned
how to cast in metal. He then sought a learned man who had travelled much,
and made himself acquainted with the Greek, Persian, and Arabic languages.
Then he cast a number of Greek characters in type, and putting them into a
bag and providing himself with some wooden letter-tablets of his own
carving, he departed to seek his fortune. After innumerable hardships and
perils he arrived in the land of Persia, and inquired for the great king.

"The great king is dead," they told him, "and his head is entirely
separated from his body. There is now no king in Persia, great or small."

"Where shall I find another great king?" demanded he.

"In the city of Alexandria," replied they, "where the Commander of the
Faithful is busy introducing the religion of the Prophet."

Fu-su passed to Alexandria, carrying his types and tablets.

As he entered the gates he remarked an enormous cloud of smoke, which
seemed to darken the whole city. Before he could inquire the reason, the
guard arrested him as a stranger, and conducted him to the presence of the
Caliph Omar.

"Know, O Caliph," said Fu-su, "that my co