manuscript. With these he once more
entered the presence of the emperor. The emperor was overjoyed, and
with his own hand wrote a preface of the holy teachings, in which he
recorded all that had happened. Then the great sacrifice was held to
deliver the old Dragon of the Milky Way.

Note: The emperor Tai Dsung is Li Schi Min, the Prince
of Tang mentioned in No. 65. He was the most glorious
and splendid of all Chinese rulers. The "Dragon-King of
the Eastern Sea" has appeared frequently in these
fairy-tales. As regards the "Lord of the High Mountain,"
and the ten princes of the Nether World, comp. Nos. 38
and 50. The Highest Lord is Yu Huang, the Lord of Jade
or of Nephrite. Huan Dschuang was originally known as
Tschen. Regarding his father's fate subsequent to his
being drowned, and that of his sons in the spirit-world
see No. 24. The "bamboo basket" is a Moses motive which
occurs in other Chinese fairy-tales. "The Monk of the
Yangtze-kiang" is, literally, (in Chinese, Giang Liu Ho
Schang) "The monk washed ashore by the stream." "Wooden
fish": A hollow piece of wood in the form of a fish,
which is beaten by the Buddhists as sign of
watchfulness. Three collections of books--the Tripitaka.
As regards one of the legendary companions of Huan
Dschuang on his journey, see No. 74.

LITERARY FAIRY TALES

LXX

THE HEARTLESS HUSBAND

In olden times Hanchow was the capital of Southern China, and for that
reason a great number of beggars had gathered there. These beggars
were in the habit of electing a leader, who was officially entrusted
with the supervision of all begging in the town. It was his duty to
see that the beggars did not molest the townsfolk, and he received a
tenth of their income from all his beggar subjects. When it snowed or
rained, and the beggars could not go out to beg, he had to see to it
that they had something to eat, and he also had to conduct their
weddings and funerals. And the beggars obeyed him in all things.

Well, it happened that there was a beggar king of this sort in Hanchow
by the name of Gin, in whose family the office had been handed down
from father to son for seven generations. What they had taken in by
way of beggars' pence they had lent out on interest, and so the family
had gradually become well-to-do, and finally even rich.

The old beggar-king had lost his wife at the age of fifty. But he ha