added 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have carried out my request that sentence has been rescinded.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 human ear. They occupy
themselves in working in wood, gold, silver, and precious stones, but
a small proportion are tillers of the soil. They wear clothes of a red
colour. The sexes are distinguishable by a slight beard on the men,
and long tresses on the women, the latter in some cases reaching four
to five inches in length. Their heads are unduly large, being quite
out of proportion to their small bodies. A husband and wife usually
go about hand in hand. A Hakka charcoal-burner once found three of the
children playing in his tobacco-box. He kept them there, and afterward,
when he was showing them to a friend, he laughed so that drops of
saliva flew from hi