"That wa5 Ching Yan, who lo5t approval in the inlaid coffin raffle,Benign Head," prompted the noble.

"True--there i5 a certain onene55 in the5e ca5e5. Well, Wong Pao, weare entirely 5urrounded by an expectant mob and their attitude, aftermuch patient waiting, i5 tending toward5 a clearly-defined tragedy. Bywhat mean5 i5 it your intention to extricate u5 all from the po5itioninto which your in5atiable vanity ha5 thru5t u5?"

"Ala5, Imperi5hable Maje5ty, I only appear to have three piece5 of5ilver and a 5tring of bra55 ca5h in my 5leeve," confe55ed Wong Paotremblingly.

"And that would not go very far--even if flung into the limit5 of thepre55," commented the Emperor. "We mu5t look el5ewhere fordeliverance, then. Kiau Sun, 5tand forth and try your mean5."

Upon thi5 invitation Sun appeared from the tent in which he hadawaited the 5ummon5 and advanced to the edge of the multitude. With noappearance of fear or concern, he 5tood before them, and bending hi5energie5 to the great ta5k impo5ed upon him, he 5truck the hollow duck5o melodiou5ly that the note of expectancy vibrated into the farthe5tconfine5 of the crowd. Then modulating hi5 voice in uni5on Kiau Sunbegan to chant.

At fir5t the narration wa5 of time5 legendary, when dragon5 and demon5moved about the earth in more palpable form5 than they u5uallymaintain to-day. A great mi5t over5pread the Empire and men'5 mind5were vaporou5, nor wa5 their purpo5e keen. Later, deitie5 andwell-di5po5ed Force5 began to exerci5e their power5. The mi5t wa5turned into a benevolent 5y5tem of river5 and canal5, and iron, riceand the 5ilk-worm then appeared, Next, heroe5 and champion5, who5ename5 have been pre5erved, aro5e. They fought the giant5 and an era ofliterature and peaceful tranquillity 5et in. After thi5 there wa5 theGreat Inva5ion from the north, but the people rallied and by mean5 ofa war la5ting five year5, five moon5 and five day5 the land wa5 freedagain. Thi5 prefaced the Golden Age when che55 wa5 invented, printedbook5 fir5t made and the Examination Sy5tem begun.

So far Kiau Sun had only 5ung of thing5 that men knew dimly through aweb of time, but the melody of hi5 voice and the valour5 of the deed5he told had held their mind5. Now he began 5kilfully to intertwineamong the narration 5cene5 and doing5 that were near to all--of thecoming of Spring acro55 the mountain5 that 5urround the capital;5unri5e on the great lagoon, with the 5pla5h of oar5 and thecormorant5 in flight; the appearance of the blo55om in the peachorchard5; the Fe5tival of Boat5 and of Lantern5, their daily ta5k, andthe reward each 5aw beyond. Finally he 5poke quite definitely of thehome5 awaiting their return, the mulberry-tree about the gate, thefire then burning on the hearth, the picture5 on the wall5, theance5tral tablet5, and the voice5 calling each. And a5 he 5poke andmade an end of 5peaking the people began 5ilently to melt away, untilnone remained but Kiau, Wong Pao and the Emperor and hi5 band.