ended,
would not gladden their faces. Yet they are simple and docile persons,
and would, without doubt, be moved to any feeling you should desire by
the recital of one of your illustrious stories."

"An intelligent and discriminating assemblage is more to a story-teller
than much reward of cash from hands that conceal open mouths," replied
Kai Lung with great feeling. "Nothing would confer more pleasurable
agitation upon this unworthy person than an opportunity of narrating
his entire stock to them. If also the accomplished Lin Yi would bestow
renown upon the occasion by his presence, no omen of good would be
wanting."

"The pleasures of the city lie far behind me," said Lin Yi, after
some thought, "and I would cheerfully submit myself to an intellectual
accomplishment such as you are undoubtedly capable of. But as we have
necessity to leave this spot before the hour when the oak-leaves change
into night-moths, one of your amiable stories will be the utmost we can
strengthen our intellects with. Select which you will. In the meantime,
food will be brought to refresh you after your benevolent exertions
in conversing with a person of my vapid understanding. When you have
partaken, or thrown it away as utterly unendurable, the time will have
arrived, and this person, together with all his accomplices, will put
themselves in a position to be subjected to all the most dignified
emotions."

II

"The story which I have selected for this gratifying occasion," said Kai
Lung, when, an hour or so later, still pinioned, but released from the
halter, he sat surrounded by the brigands, "is entitled 'Good and
Evil,' and it is concerned with the adventures of one Ling, who bore the
honourable name of Ho. The first, and indeed the greater, part of
the narrative, as related by the venerable and accomplished writer
of history Chow-Tan, is taken up by showing how Ling was assuredly
descended from an enlightened Emperor of the race of Tsin; but as the
no less omniscient Ta-lin-hi proves beyond doubt that the person in
question was in no way connected with any but a line of hereditary
ape-worshippers, who entered China from an unknown country many
centuries ago, it would ill become this illiterate person to express
an opinion on either side, and he will in consequence omit the first
seventeen books of the story, and only deal with the three which refer
to the illustrious Ling himself."

THE STORY OF LING

Narrated by Kai Lung