eat price is here, to be had for the
diving." In he went without a word, and disappeared duly; and
so, thought they, their fun had come to a happy end. But no: as
they turned to go, up he came, serene and smiling, and scrambled
out. "Well; did you find the pearl?" they asked. "Oh yes,"
said Shang; "it was just as your honors said." He showed it to
them; and it was indeed a pearl of great price.

Here was something beyond them; the old man, clearly, was a
favorite of Fortune; Fan their master himself must deal with
him. So they sent word ahead, and brought him to the palace of
Fan. Who understood well the limitations of quack magic: if he
was to be beaten at these tricks, where would his influence be?
So he heaped up riches in the courtyard, and made a great fire
all round.--"Anyone can have those things," he announced, "who
will go in and get them." Shang quietly walked through the
flames, and came out with his arms full; not a hair of his head
was singed.

And now they were filled with consternation; they had been
making a mock of Tao these years; and here evidently was a real
Master of Tao, come to expose them.--"Sir," they said, "we did
not know that you posessed the Secret, and were playing you
tricks. We insulted you, unaware that you were a divine man.
But you have leaped from the cliff, dived into the Yellow River,
and walked through the flames without injury; you have shown us
our stupidity, blindness, and deafness. We pray you to forgive
us, and to reveal to us the Secret."

He looked at them in blank amazement.--"What is this you are
telling me?" said he. "I am only old Shang Ch'iu K'ai the
peasant. I heard that you, Sir, by your magic could make the
poor rich. I wanted to be rich, so I came to you. I believed in
you absolutely, and in all your disciples said; and so my mind
was made one; I forgot my body; I saw nothing of cliffs or fire
or water. But now you say you were decieving me, my soul returns
to its perplexity, and my eyes and ears to their sight and
hearing. What terrible dangers I have escaped! My limbs freeze
with horror to think of them."

Tsai Wo, continues Liehtse, told this story to Confucius.--"Is
this so strange to you?" said the latter. "The man of perfect
faith can move heaven and earth, and fly to the six cardinal
points without hindrance. His powers are not confined to walking
in perilous places and passing through water and fire. If Shang
Ch'iu K'ai, whose