the following dialog ensued.

"You graceless whelp, what have you got there devouring? Is it not
enough that you have burned me down three houses with your dog's
tricks, and be hanged to you! but you must be eating fire, and I know
not what--what have you got there, I say?"

"O father, the pig, the pig! do come and taste how nice the burned pig
eats."

The ears of Ho-ti tingled with horror. He curst his son, and he curst
himself that ever he should beget a son that should eat burned pig.

Bo-bo, whose scent was wonderfully sharpened since morning, soon raked
out another pig, and fairly rending it asunder, thrust the lesser half
by main force into the fists of Ho-ti, still shouting out, "Eat, eat,
eat the burned pig, father, only taste--O Lord"--with such like
barbarous ejaculations, cramming all the while as if he would choke.

Ho-ti trembled in every joint while he grasped the abominable thing,
wavering whether he should not put his son to death for an unnatural
young monster, when the crackling scorching his fingers, as it had
done his son's, and applying the same remedy to them, he in his turn
tasted some of its flavor, which, make what sour mouths he would for
pretense, proved not altogether displeasing to him. In conclusion (for
the manuscript here is a little tedious) both father and son fairly
sat down to the mess, and never left off till they had dispatched all
that remained of the litter.

Bo-bo was strictly enjoined not to let the secret escape, for the
neighbors would certainly have stoned them for a couple of abominable
wretches, who could think of improving upon the good meat which God
had sent them. Nevertheless strange stories got about. It was observed
that Ho-ti's cottage was burned down now more frequently than ever.
Nothing but fires from this time forward. Some would break out in
broad day, others in the night-time. As often as the sow farrowed, so
sure was the house of Ho-ti to be in a blaze; and Ho-ti himself, which
was the more remarkable, instead of chastising his son, seemed to grow
more indulgent to him than ever. At length they were watched, the
terrible mystery discovered, and father and son summoned to take their
trial at Peking, then an inconsiderable assize town. Evidence was
given, the obnoxious food itself produced in court, and verdict about
to be pronounced, when the foreman of the jury begged that some of the
burned pig, of which the culprits stood accused, might be handed into