Now here is something still further from Confucianism; something prophetic of later Taoist developments, though it still contains Laotse’s thought, and—­be it said—­deep wisdom.

Fan Tsu Hua was a bully and a charlatan, who by his trickery had won such hold over the king of Tsin that anyone he might recommend was surely advanced to office, and anyone he cried down would lose his all.  So it was said he had magic to make the rich poor and the poor rich.  He had many disciples, who were the terror of the peaceably disposed.

One day they saw an old weak man approaching, ’with weather-beaten face and clothes of no particular cut.’  A chance for sport not to be neglected, they thought; and began to hustle him about in their usual fashion, ’slapping him on the back, and what not.’  But he—­Shang Ch’iu K’ai was his name—­seemed only full of joy and serenity, and heeded nothing.  Growing tired of their fun at last, they would make an end of it; and led him to the top of a high cliff.  “Whoever dares throw himself over,” said one of them, “will find a hundred ounces of silver,” which certainly he had not had with him at the top, and none of them had put there.

It was a wonder; and still more a wonder his being unhurt; but you can make chance account for most things, and they meant to get rid of him.  So they brought him to the banks of the river, saying:  “A pearl of great price is here, to be had for the diving.”  In he went without a word, and disappeared duly; and so, thought they, their fun had come to a happy end.  But no:  as they turned to go, up he came, serene and smiling, and scrambled out.  “Well; did you find the pearl?” they asked.  “Oh yes,” said Shang; “it was just as your honors said.”  He showed it to them; and it was indeed a pearl of great price.

Here was something beyond them; the old man, clearly, was a favorite of Fortune; Fan their master himself must deal with him.  So they sent word ahead, and brought him to the palace of Fan.  Who understood well the limitations of quack magic:  if he was to be beaten at these tricks, where would his influence be?  So he heaped up riches in the courtyard, and made a great fire all round.—­“Anyone can have those things,” he announced, “who will go in and get them.”  Shang quietly walked through the flames, and came out with his arms full; not a hair of his head was singed.

And now they were filled with consternation; they had been making a mock of Tao these years; and here evidently was a real Master of Tao, come to expose them.—­“Sir,” they said, “we did not know that you posessed the Secret, and were playing you tricks.  We insulted you, unaware that you were a divine man.  But you have leaped from the cliff, dived into the Yellow River, and walked through the flames without injury; you have shown us our stupidity, blindness, and deafness.  We pray you to forgive us, and to reveal to us the Secret.”