y on their
family as well. They bought books for him, old and new, at the highest
prices, and they always supplied him liberally with money so that he
could move in aristocratic circles. They also paid his examination
expenses. So his learning increased day by day, and the fame of it
spread through the entire district. He passed one examination after
another in rapid succession, and at the age of twenty-three was
appointed mandarin of the district of Wu We. He returned from his
audience with the emperor in ceremonial robes, high on horseback.

Mosu had been born in Hanchow, so the whole town soon knew that he had
passed his examination successfully, and the townsfolk crowded
together on both sides of the street to look at him as he rode to his
father-in-law's house. Old and young, women and children gathered to
enjoy the show, and some idle loafer called out in a loud voice:

"The old beggar's son-in-law has become a mandarin!"

Mosu blushed with shame when he heard these words. Speechless and out
of sorts he seated himself in his room. But the old beggar-king in the
joy of his heart did not notice his ill humor. He had a great
festival banquet prepared, to which he invited all his neighbors and
good friends. But most of the invited guests were beggars and poor
folk, and he insisted that Mosu eat with them. With much difficulty
Mosu was induced to leave his room. Yet when he saw the guests
gathered around the table, as ragged and dirty as a horde of hungry
devils, he retired again with disdain. Little Golden Daughter, who
realized how he felt, tried to cheer him up again in a hundred and one
ways, but all in vain.

A few days later Mosu, with his wife and servants, set out for the new
district he was to govern. One goes from Hanchow to Wu We by water. So
they entered a ship and sailed out to the Yangtze-kiang. At the end of
the first day they reached a city where they anchored. The night was
clear and the moonrays glittered on the water, and Mosu sat in the
front part of the ship enjoying the moonlight. Suddenly he chanced to
think of the old beggar-king. It was true that his wife was wise and
good, but should heaven happen to bless them with children, these
children would always be the beggar's nephews and nieces, and there
was no way of preventing such a disgrace. And thus thinking a plan
occurred to him. He called Little Golden Daughter out of the cabin to
come and enjoy the moonlight, and she came out to him hap