head rolled on the sand.

Tian Kai Giang looked up and uttered a groan of disgust. He blew the
breath from his mouth in front of him like a rainbow, and his hair
rose on end with rage. Then he took sword in hand and said: "We three
have always served our prince bravely. We were like the same flesh and
blood. The others are dead, and it is my duty not to survive them!"

And he thrust his sword into his throat and died.

The Duke sighed incessantly, and commanded that they be given a
splendid burial. A brave hero values his honor more than his life. The
chancellor knew this, and that was why he purposely arranged to incite
the three heroes to kill themselves by means of the two peaches.

Note: Duke Ging of Tsi (Eastern Shantung) was an older
contemporary of Confucius. The chancellor Yan Dsi, who
is the reputed author of a work on philosophy, is the
same who prevented the appointment of Confucius at the
court of Tsi.

LXIII

HOW THE RIVER-GOD'S WEDDING WAS BROKEN OFF

At the time of the seven empires there lived a man by the name of
Si-Men Bau, who was a governor on the Yellow River. In this district
the river-god was held in high honor. The sorcerers and witches who
dwelt there said: "Every year the river-god looks for a bride, who
must be selected from among the people. If she be not found then wind
and rain will not come at the proper seasons, and there will be scanty
crops and floods!" And then, when a girl came of age in some wealthy
family, the sorcerers would say that she should be selected. Whereupon
her parents, who wished to protect their daughter, would bribe them
with large sums of money to look for some one else, till the sorcerers
would give in, and order the rich folk to share the expense of buying
some poor girl to be cast into the river. The remainder of the money
they would keep for themselves as their profit on the transaction. But
whoever would not pay, their daughter was chosen to be the bride of
the river-god, and was forced to accept the wedding gifts which the
sorcerers brought her. The people of the district chafed grievously
under this custom.

Now when Si-Men entered into office, he heard of this evil custom. He
had the sorcerers come before him and said: "See to it that you let me
know when the day of the river-god's wedding comes, for I myself wish
to be present to honor the god! This will please him, and in return he
will shower blessings on my people." W