e living! Off with his head!" And so they
killed him, and it seemed to him that his soul fled his body. The
ox-headed demon dragged him down into the nether regions, where he
tasted all the tortures in turn. But Du Dsi Tschun remembered the
words of the ancient. And the tortures, too, seemed bearable. So he
did not scream and said not a word.

Now he was once more dragged before the prince of evil. The latter
said: "As punishment for his obstinacy this man shall come to earth
again in the shape of a woman!"

The demon dragged him to the wheel of life and he returned to earth
in the shape of a girl. He was often ill, had to take medicine
continually, and was pricked and burned with hot needles. Yet he never
uttered a sound. Gradually he grew into a beautiful maiden. But since
he never spoke, he was known as the dumb maid. A scholar finally took
him for his bride, and they lived in peace and good fellowship. And a
son came to them who, in the course of two years was already beyond
measure wise and intelligent. One day the father was carrying the son
on his arm. He spoke jestingly to his wife and said: "When I look at
you it seems to me that you are not really dumb. Won't you say one
little word to me? How delightful it would be if you were to become my
speaking rose!"

The woman remained silent. No matter how he might coax and try to make
her smile, she would return no answer.

Then his features changed: "If you will not speak to me, it is a sign
that you scorn me; and in that case your son is nothing to me,
either!" And with that he seized the boy and flung him against the
wall.

But since Du Dsi Tschun loved this little boy so dearly, he forgot the
ancient's warning, and cried out: "Oh, oh!"

And before the cry had died away Du Dsi Tschun awoke as though from a
dream and found himself seated in his former place. The ancient was
there as well. It must have been about the fifth hour of the night.
Purple flames rose wildly from the oven, and flared up to the sky. The
whole house caught fire and burned like a torch.

"You have deceived me!" cried the ancient. Then he seized him by the
hair and thrust him into the jug of water. And in a minute the fire
went out. The ancient spoke: "You overcame joy and rage, grief and
fear, hate and desire, it is true; but love you had not driven from
your soul. Had you not cried out when the child was flung against the
wall, then my elixir would have taken shape and you would have