Page:Chinese Merry Tales (1909).djvu/63

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Chinese Merry Tales

me. I have been cheated by the monkey." He then at once ran away. Unthought of, as the tiger ran very fast, the monkey could not keep his seat and fell off. He was caught by the branches, hung up and cut into two parts. Only the monkey's head was left on the tiger's back. The tiger returned to his cave. For a half a day he was out of breath. He went back to look for the monkey's body, and saw the monkej^'s head tied up by a rope. The tiger was in great terror and said: "Fortunately I ran fast; even then the monkey's lower half was left behind."


Chapteb LXXXVII— The Voyage to Soochow. (^ ^ ®. ) (TiTHERE was a Pekinese who was on a voyage to Soochow for the first time. People told him that the natives of that place were apt to swindle him. " If you wish to purchase anything, and if they demand two taels for anything, you should only offer one tael for it. If they are conversing with you, and they speak two sentences, you should only believe one-half of what they say."

The Pekinese, after he arrived at Soochow, tested the plan of purchasing goods. When he offered one-half price for some goods, he got them. Afterwards, when he met a native, he asked for his name. The other answered that his name was Luk (meaning six). The Pekinese replied: "So you must be No. 3." He again asked him: "How many rooms do you occupy?" The other replied: "Five rooms." The Pekinese said: "So it is two and a half rooms you have." Again he asked the man: "What people have you at home?" The man answered: "I have only a wife." The Pekinese then said: "I suppose you went halves with another person and married her."