ver the town,
and a terrible conflagration broke out, the whole place being ablaze
in a few minutes.

At this juncture there appeared in the sky the Princess Lung Chi,
daughter of Wang-mu Niang-niang; forthwith she spread over the
city her shroud of mist and dew, and the fire was extinguished by a
heavy downpour of rain. All the mysterious mechanisms of Lo Hsuean
lost their efficacy, and the magician took to his heels down the
side of the mountain. There he was met by Li, the Pagoda-bearer,
[28] who threw his golden pagoda into the air. The pagoda fell on Lo
Hsuean's head and broke his skull.

C'ih Ching-tzu

Of the various fire-gods, Ch'ih Ching-tzu, the principle of spiritual
fire, is one of the five spirits representing the Five Elements. He
is Fire personified, which has its birth in the south, on Mount
Shih-t'ang. He himself and everything connected with him--his skin,
hair, beard, trousers, cloak of leaves, etc.--are all of the colour of
fire, though he is sometimes represented with a blue cap resembling
the blue tip of a flame. He appeared in the presence of Huang Lao
in a fire-cloud. He it was who obtained fire from the wood of the
mulberry-tree, and the heat of this fire, joined with the moisture
of water, developed the germs of terrestrial beings.

The Red Emperor

Chu Jung, though also otherwise personified, is generally regarded as
having been a legendary emperor who made his first appearance in the
time of Hsien Yuan (2698-2598 B.C.). In his youth he asked Kuang-shou
Lao-jen, 'Old Longevity,' to grant him immortality. "The time has
not yet come," replied Old Longevity; "before it does you have to
become an emperor. I will give you the means of reaching the end you
desire. Give orders that after you are dead you are to be buried on
the southern slope of the sacred mountain Heng Shan; there you will
learn the doctrine of Ch'ih Ching-tzu and will become immortal."

The Emperor Hsien Yuean, having abdicated the throne, sent for Chu Jung,
and bestowed upon him the crown. Chu Jung, having become emperor,
taught the people the use of fire and the advantages to be derived
therefrom. In those early times the forests were filled with venomous
reptiles and savage animals; he ordered the peasants to set fire to the
brushwood to drive away these dangerous neighbours and keep them at a
distance. He also taught his subjects the art of purifying, forging,
and welding metals by the action of fire. He was nicknam