es," said they; but wished first to hear the diagnosis.--
"You," he said to kung-hu, "have strong mental powers, but are
weak in character; so, though fruitful in plans, you are weak in
decision." "You," he said to Chi-ying, "are stong of will,
though stupid; so there is a narrowness in your aims and a want
of foresight. Now if I can effect an exchange of hearts between
you, the good will be equally balanced in both."

They agreed at once: Kung-hu, with the weaker will, was to get
the smaller mental powers to match it; Chi-ying was to get a
mentality equal to his firm will. We should think Kung-hu got
very much the worst of the bargain; but he, and Dr. Pien-chiao,
and Liehtse, and perhaps Chinamen generally, thought and would
think nothing of the kind. To them, to have balanced faculties
was far better than to have an intellect too big for one's
will-power; because such balance would afford a firm basis from
which will and intellect might go forward in progress harmoniously.
So Pien-chiao put both under a strong anaesthetic, took out their
hearts, and made the exchange (the heart being, with the Chinese,
the seat of mentality); and after that the health of both was
perfect.--You may laugh; but after all there is a grandeur in
the recognition implied, that the intellect is not the man,
but only one of his possessions. The story is profoundly
characteristic: like Ah Sin's smile in the poem, "childlike and
bland"; but hiding wonderful depths of philosophy beneath.

Laotse showed his deep Occult wisdom when he said that the Man of
Tao "does difficult things while they are still easy." Liehtse
tells you the story of the Assitant to the Keeper of the Wild
Beasts at Loyang. His name was Lian yang, and his fame went
abroad for having a wonderful way with the creatures in his
charge. Hsuan Wang, the Chow king, heard of it; and sent orders
to the Chief Keeper to get the secret from Liang, lest it should
die with him.--"How is it," said the Keeper, "that when you feed
them, the tigers, wolves, eagles, and ospreys all are tame and
tractable? That they roam at large in the park, yet never claw
and bite one another? That they propagate their species
freely, as if they were wild? His Majesty bids you reveal to
me the secret."

A touch of nature here: all zoologists know how difficult it is
to get wild beasts to breed in captivity.

Lian Yang answered: "I am only a humble servant, and have really
no secret to t