er taught them
the language of men. They grew up, and were soon so strong that they
could run across the hills as though on level ground.

One day the merchant's wife had gone out with one of the boys and the
girl and had been absent for half-a-day. The north wind was blowing
briskly, and in the merchant's heart there awoke a longing for his old
home. He took his son by the hand and went down to the sea-shore.
There his old ship was still lying, so he climbed into it with his
boy, and in a day and a night was back in Annam again.

When he reached home he loosened two of his pearls from his chain,
and sold them for a great quantity of gold, so that he could keep
house in handsome style. He gave his son the name of Panther, and when
the boy was fourteen years of age he could lift thirty hundred weight
with ease. Yet he was rough by nature and fond of fighting. The
general of Annam, astonished at his bravery, appointed him a colonel,
and in putting down a revolt his services were so meritorious that he
was already a general of the second rank when but eighteen.

At about this time another merchant was also driven ashore by a storm
on the island of Wo-Me. When he reached land he saw a youth who asked
him with astonishment: "Are you not from the Middle Kingdom?"

The merchant told him how he had come to be driven ashore on the
island, and the youth led him to a little cave in a secret valley.
Then he brought deer-flesh for him to eat, and talked with him. He
told him that his father had also come from Annam, and it turned out
that his father was an old acquaintance of the man to whom he was
talking.

"We will have to wait until the wind blows from the North," said the
youth, "then I will come and escort you. And I will give you a message
of greeting to take to my father and brother."

"Why do you not go along yourself and hunt up your father?" asked the
merchant.

"My mother does not come from the Middle Kingdom," replied the youth.
"She is different in speech and appearance, so it cannot well be."

One day the wind blew strongly from the North, and the youth came and
escorted the merchant to his ship, and ordered him, at parting, not to
forget a single one of his words.

When the merchant returned to Annam, he went to the palace of
Panther, the general, and told him all that had happened. When Panther
listened to him telling about his brother, he sobbed with bitter
grief. Then he secured leave of absence and sail