lful and insidious inquiries he learnt of an accomplished
person who made a consistent habit of cutting off limbs which had become
troublesome to their possessors either through accident or disease.
Furthermore, he was said to be of a sincere and charitable disposition,
and many persons declared that on no occasion had he been known to
make use of the helpless condition of those who visited him in order to
extort money from them.

Coming to the ill-considered conclusion that he would be able to conceal
within his own breast the true reason for the operation, Ling placed
himself before the person in question, and exhibited the matter to
him so that it would appear as though his desires were promoted by the
presence of a small but persistent sprite which had taken its abode
within his left thigh, and there resisted every effort of the most
experienced wise persons to induce it to come forth again. Satisfied
with this explanation of the necessity of the deed, the one who
undertook the matter proceeded, with Ling's assistance, to sharpen his
cutting instruments and to heat the hardening irons; but no sooner had
he made a shallow mark to indicate the lines which his knife should
take, than his subtle observation at once showed him that the facts had
been represented to him in a wrong sense, and that his visitor, indeed,
was composed of no common substance. Being of a gentle and forbearing
disposition, he did not manifest any indication of rage at the
discovery, but amiably and unassumingly pointed out that such a course
was not respectful towards himself, and that, moreover, Ling might incur
certain well-defined and highly undesirable maladies as a punishment for
the deception.

Overcome with remorse at deceiving so courteous and noble-minded
a person, Ling fully explained the circumstances to him, not even
concealing from him certain facts which related to the actions of remote
ancestors, but which, nevertheless, appeared to have influenced the
succession of events. When he had made an end of the narrative, the
other said:

"Behold now, it is truly remarked that every Mandarin has three hands
and every soldier a like number of feet, yet it is a saying which is
rather to be regarded as manifesting the deep wisdom and discrimination
of the speaker than as an actual fact which can be taken advantage of
when one is so minded--least of all by so valiant a Commander as the one
before me, who has clearly proved that in time of