bowl in which burgeoned a sacred lily. There was water in the bowl, water surrounding the lily bulb. Too, there were stones in the bowl—blue lapis lazuli, and green jade, and yellow topaz (precious stones, as befitted a palace garden), for that is the way sacred lilies are grown—in bowls filled with water and pretty pebbles. ‘You are quite welcome to it,' reiterated the King. The Shen shook their heads half in despair. ‘It is too little,' groaned they, ‘far too little.' ‘But,' said Chieh Chung, ‘you are demons—hence magicians. Why do you not make yourselves smaller? Why not change yourselves into red hung pao shih and recline in the bowl amid the lily roots? I am sure you would make handsome rubies. Beyond a doubt, my courtiers would say "Ah" and "How lovely" and admire you greatly when they saw you. Of a certainty, you would make resplendent gems, dazzling and superb.' ‘Well,' agreed the Shen, somewhat dubiously, ‘we shall try it. If you have no more water it is the only thing we can do.' And so, in a twinkling
