they were beautiful beyond
all telling. They beckoned to the scholars with their hands.

"And have you come?" they asked. "We have been waiting for you
overlong!"

Then they led them into the cave and served them with tea and wine.

"I have been destined for the lord Liu," said the maiden in the red
gown; "and my sister is for the lord Yuan!"

And so they were married. Every day the two scholars gazed at the
flowers or played chess so that they forgot the mundane world
completely. They only noticed that at times the peach-blossoms on the
trees before the cave opened, and at others that they fell from the
boughs. And, at times, unexpectedly, they felt cold or warm, and had
to change the clothing they were wearing. And they marveled within
themselves that it should be so.

Then, one day, they were suddenly overcome by homesickness. Both
maidens were already aware of it.

"When our lords have once been seized with homesickness, then we may
hold them no longer," said they.

On the following day they prepared a farewell banquet, gave the
scholars magic wine to take along with them and said:

"We will see one another again. Now go your way!"

And the scholars bade them farewell with tears.

When they reached home the gates and doors had long since vanished,
and the people of the village were all strangers to them. They crowded
about the scholars and asked who they might be.

"We are Liu Tschen and Yuan Dschau. Only a few days ago we went into
the hills to pick herbs!"

With that a servant came hastening up and looked at them. At last he
fell at Liu Tschen's feet with great joy and cried: "Yes, you are
really my master! Since you went away, and we had no news of any kind
regarding you some seventy years or more have passed."

Thereupon he drew the scholar Liu through a high gateway, ornamented
with bosses and a ring in a lion's mouth, as is the custom in the
dwellings of those of high estate.

And when he entered the hall, an old lady with white hair and bent
back, leaning on a cane, came forward and asked: "What man is this?"

"Our master has returned again," replied the servant. And then,
turning to Liu he added: "That is the mistress. She is nearly a
hundred years old, but fortunately is still strong and in good
health."

Tears of joy and sadness filled the old lady's eyes.

"Since you went away among the immortals, I had thought that we should
never see each other again in this life," said she. "What