the rivers to overflowing. Ch'ih Sung-tzu was then honoured as the God
of Rain, and his images show him holding the mystic bowl. He resides
in the K'un-lun Mountains, and has many extraordinary peculiarities,
such as the power to go through water without getting wet, to pass
through fire without being burned, and to float in space.

This Rain-god also assumes the form of a silkworm chrysalis in
another account. He is there believed to possess a concubine who has
a black face, holds a serpent in each hand, and has other serpents,
red and green, reposing on her right and left ears respectively;
also a mysterious bird, with only one leg, the _shang yang_, which
can change its height at will and drink the seas dry. The following
legend is related of this bird.

The One-legged Bird

At the time when Hsuean-ming Ta-jen instructed Fei Lien in the secrets
of magic, the latter saw a wonderful bird which drew in water with its
beak and blew it out again in the shape of rain. Fei lien tamed it,
and would take it about in his sleeve.

Later on a one-legged bird was seen in the palace of the Prince of
Ch'i walking up and down and hopping in front of the throne. Being
much puzzled, the Prince sent a messenger to Lu to inquire of Confucius
concerning this strange behaviour. "This bird is a _shang yang_" said
Confucius; "its appearance is a sign of rain. In former times the
children used to amuse themselves by hopping on one foot, knitting
their eyebrows, and saying: 'It will rain, because the _shang yang_
is disporting himself.' Since this bird has gone to Ch'i, heavy rain
will fall, and the people should be told to dig channels and repair
the dykes, for the whole country will be inundated." Not only Ch'i, but
all the adjacent kingdoms were flooded; all sustained grievous damage
except Ch'i, where the necessary precautions had been taken. This
caused Duke Ching to exclaim: "Alas! how few listen to the words of
the sages!"

Ma Yuean-shuai

Ma Yuean-shuai is a three-eyed monster condemned by Ju Lai to
reincarnation for excessive cruelty in the extermination of evil
spirits. In order to obey this command he entered the womb of Ma
Chin-mu in the form of five globes of fire. Being a precocious youth,
he could fight when only three days old, and killed the Dragon-king
of the Eastern Sea. From his instructor he received a spiritual work
dealing with wind, thunder, snakes, etc., and a triangular piece of
stone which he could at w