transfer to him the golden tablet ; but this he refused to do, arguing that the slaughter of a dragon was simply a magician's trick, and not at all to the present purpose. He added that if the tablet was to be taken from him, it would necessitate an appeal to force between himself and his rival. The contest continued thus for some time, until at length the Prime Minister of Ch'i rose again, and solved the difficulty in the following terms :
"'The slaughter of a tiger involves physical courage, and the slaughter of a dragon is a magician's trick ; hence, neither of these acts embraces that combination of mental and physical power which we desire in the arbiter of this meeting. Now, in front of the palace there stands a sacrificial vessel which weighs about a thousand pounds. Let Duke Ai give out a theme ; and then let him who replies thereto with most clearness and accuracy, and who can, moreover, seize the aforesaid vessel, and carry it round the platform on which the eighteen representative nobles are seated, be nominated to the post of arbiter and receive the golden tablet.'
" To this plan Duke Ai assented ; and writing down a theme, bade his attendants exhibit it among the heroes of the assembled States. The theme was in rhyme, and contained these eight lines :
4 Say what supports the sky; say what supports the earth; What is the mystic number which to the universe gave birth ? Whence come the eddying waves of the river's rolling might ? Where shall we seek the primal germ of the mountain's towering
height ?
By which of the elements five is the work of Nature done ? And of all the ten thousand things that are, say which is the
wondrous one ?
Such are the questions seven which I now propound to you; And he who can answer them straight and well is the trusty man
and /rue.'
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