Chinese Literature

As days grow longer, in her quiet room

The girl embroiders many a flower in bloom, And rivals Nature with her needle now

To stitch bright blossoms on a slanting bough, With tender leaves, soft buds and tendrils rife, In all but scent completely true to life;

So many a roving butterfly and bee

Fly in to light on her embroidery.

“Just now,” said the body-guard, “the prince noticed from his sedanchair the embroidered apron your daughter is wearing. We are looking for a girl to do embroidery in the palace. Why don’t you present your daughter to the prince?”

The old man. went home and talked it over with his wife; and the next day he drew up a petition and took the girl to the palace. The prince paid for the girl, and gave her the name Hsiu-hsiu.

Some time later, when the emperor presented the prince with a flowerembroidered battle dress, Hsiu-hsiu immediately made another exactly like it. The prince was pleased, and said: “His Majesty has given me this embroidered battle dress. What rare gift can I give him in return?”

He found a piece of fine, translucent white jade in his treasury, and calling for his jade workers asked them: “What can you make out of this piece of jade?”

“A set of wine cups,” said one.

“That would be a pity,” said the prince. “How can we use such a fine piece of jade to make wine cups?”

“This piece is pointed on top and round at the bottom,” said another. “Tt can be made into the kind of doll women use when they pray for children.”

“That type of figurine is only used on the seventh of the seventh moon,” objected the prince. “It would be useless at other times.”

There was a young craftsman in the group whose name was Tsul Ning, a native of Chienkang in Shengchow. He was twenty-five years old and had served the prince for several years. Now he stepped forward with clasped hands and said: “Your Highness, this pear shape is no good. All it can be carved into is a kuanyin.”

“Good!” exclaimed the prince. “The very thing!’ He ordered Tsui to start on the job.

In less than two months, the jade kuanyin was finished; and when the prince sent it with a letter to the imperial palace, the emperor was delighted with it. Tsui’s pay was increased, and he continued to serve the prince.

Time passed, until it was spring again. One day, on his way back from a pleasure trip, Tsui went with three or four friends into a wine shop just inside Chientang Gate. They had only had a few cups when