deceive a friend.”  So Mr Chen was prevailed upon to teach him the formula, and then Chia would have tried the art upon the immense stone washing-block [46] which was lying near at hand had not Mr Chen seized his arm and begged him not to do anything so outrageous.  Chia then picked up half a brick and laid it on the washing-block, saying to Mr Chen, “This little piece is not too much, surely?” Accordingly Mr Chen relaxed his hold and let Chia proceed; which he did by promptly ignoring the half-brick and quickly rubbing the stone on the washing-block.  Mr Chen turned pale when he saw him do this, and made a dash forward to get hold of the stone, but it was too late; the washing-block was already a solid mass of silver, and Chia quietly handed him back the stone.  “Alas! alas!” cried Mr Chen in despair, “what is to be done now?  For, having thus irregularly conferred wealth upon a mortal, Heaven will surely punish me.  Oh, if you would save me, give away one hundred coffins [47] and one hundred suits of wadded clothes.”  “My friend,” replied Chia, “my object in getting money was not to hoard it up like a miser.”  Mr Chen was delighted at this; and during the next three years Chia engaged in trade, taking care to fulfil always his promise to Mr Chen.  At the expiration of that time Mr Chen himself reappeared, and, grasping Chia’s hand, said to him, “Trustworthy and noble friend, when we last parted the Spirit of Happiness impeached me before God, [48] and my name was erased from the list of angels.  But now that you have carried out my request that sentence has been rescinded.  Go on as you have begun, without ceasing.”  Chia asked Mr Chen what office he filled in Heaven; to which the latter replied that he was only a fox who, by a sinless life, had finally attained to that clear perception of the truth which leads to immortality.  Wine was then brought, and the two friends enjoyed themselves together as of old; and even when Chia had passed the age of ninety years the fox still used to visit him from time to time.

CHAPTER XVI

Miscellaneous Legends

The Unnatural People

The Shan hai ching, or Hill and River Classic, contains descriptions of some curious people supposed to inhabit the regions on the maps represented on the nine tripod vases of the Great Yue, first emperor of the Hsia dynasty.

The Pygmies

The pygmies inhabit many mountainous regions of the Empire, but are few in number.  They are less than nine inches high, but are well formed.  They live in thatched houses that resemble ants’ nests.  When they walk out they go in companies of from six to ten, joining hands in a line for mutual protection against birds that might carry them away, or other creatures that might attack them.  Their tone of voice is too low to be distinguished by an ordinary