pounced upon Hao Shou's amiable white cow. There was no more sleep in Two Roads Meeting Village that night. And no wonder.
Now the village called Two Roads Meeting was much like any other village, in that it housed some extremely wise men—men who knew everything about practically everything. These men gathered and wagged their beards much. Some of them said: "It is a sign, an omen. Hao Shou's son, born in the midst of last night's disturbances, will gain his fortune by the agency of animals. With the help of animals he, undoubtedly, will become King. . . . He may even become mayor of our excellent village." Other wise men, however, said to the first: "Do you fellows live in a well? (You don't know much of the world.) To be sure it is an omen—but mei chi (a bad one). The son of Hao Shou will be done to death by animals. Mark our words." Then the old men of the two parties fell to fighting and forgot all about Meng Hu, son of Hao Shou, the innocent cause.
Having lost his pig, his cow, and many of
