e back again and fetch you." The
princess was willing, and he went away, and was gone for eighteen
years. Meanwhile the princess lived in want and affliction, for her
father remained hard and merciless. If her mother had not secretly
given her food and money, no doubt she would have starved to death
during all that time.

But the beggar found his fortune, and at length became emperor. He
returned and stood before his wife. She however, no longer recognized
him: She only knew that he was the powerful emperor.

He asked her how she were getting along.

"Why do you ask me how I am getting along?" she replied. "I am too far
beneath your notice."

"And who may your husband be!"

"My husband was a beggar. He went away to seek his fortune. That was
eighteen years ago, and he has not yet returned."

"And what have you done during all those long years?"

"I have been waiting for him to return."

"Do you wish to marry some one else, seeing that he has been missing
so long?"

"No, I will remain his wife until I die."

When the emperor saw how faithful his wife was, he told her who he
was, had her clothed in magnificent garments, and took her with him to
his imperial palace. And there they lived in splendor and happiness.

After a few days the emperor said to his wife: "We spend every day in
festivities, as though every day were New Year."

"And why should we not celebrate," answered his wife, "since we have
now become emperor and empress?"

Yet his wife was a child of ill luck. When she had been empress no
more than eighteen days, she fell sick and died. But her husband lived
for many a long year.

Note: "The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill
Luck" is a traditionally narrated fairy-tale. The dragon
is the symbol of imperial rule, and the New Year's
feasts, which old and young celebrate for weeks, is the
greatest of Chinese festivals.

VII

THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS

Long, long ago, there once lived a king and a queen who had a
daughter. One day, when the daughter went walking in the garden, a
tremendous storm suddenly came up and carried her away with it. Now
the storm had come from the bird with nine heads, who had robbed the
princess, and brought her to his cave. The king did not know whither
his daughter had disappeared, so he had proclaimed throughout the
land: "Whoever brings back the princess may have her for his bride!"

Now a youth had seen the bird as he was carry