Feb., 1912. Jade. 265 



relief (one tenth of a Chinese inch high). The text to this illustration 

 recalls the story of Ts'ai Yung (133-192 a. d.) * of the Han dynasty 

 who was once invited to a party, and on reaching the house, heard the 

 sound of a lute played inside. It was a tune to a war-song expressing 

 a desire for murder. Ts'ai, for fear of being killed, at once returned. 

 The host and his guests pursued him, and when questioned, Ts'ai gave 

 the reason for his retreat. The guests said: "When you approached, 

 we seized the lute, as we noticed on a tree in the courtyard a mantis 

 trying to catch a cicada; three times the mantis had reached it, and 

 three times it failed in its attack. We feared that the mantis might 

 miss the cicada (and therefore played the warlike tune)." Ts'ai was 

 thus set at ease. The author of the Ku yii t'u p'u adds that the sig- 

 nificance of this story escapes him, but supposes that the application 

 of this design to the buckle is derived from it, the meaning underlying 

 it being "murder." This may be correct in general, though I do not 

 believe that the design in question must be traced back to just that 

 particular story. 



This story as well as this design are the outcome of popular notions 

 regarding the mantis which is looked upon as a formidable warrior and 

 endowed with great courage. The habits of the mantis are well known: 

 the so-called flower-mantis in tropical regions resembles the flowers of 

 certain plants, and in these flowers it lurks awaiting smaller insects 

 upon which it feeds. What we term the "praying" attitude of the 

 mantis in which its knees are bent and the front-legs supported on a 

 stem, is nothing but this lying in ambush for other insects. Good 

 observers of nature, the ancient Chinese were very familiar with its 

 peculiar traits; they called it "the insect-killer" (sha ch'ung) or "the 

 heavenly horse" (t'ien ma) from its speed, and greatly admired its 

 bravery. 2 Its eagerness to catch cicadas is repeatedly emphasized, and 

 above all, immortalized by the famous story of the philosopher Chuang- 

 tse. 



"When Chuang-tse was wandering in the park at Tiao-ling, he saw a 

 strange bird which came from the south. Its wings were seven feet across. 

 Its eyes were an inch in circumference. And it flew close past Chuang- 

 tse 's head to alight in a chestnut grove. 'What manner of bird is this?' 

 cried Chuang-tse. 'With strong wings it does not fly away. With 

 large eyes it does not see.' So he picked up his skirts and strode towards 

 it with his crossbow, anxious to get a shot. Just then he saw a cicada 

 enjoying itself in the shade, forgetful of all else. And he saw a mantis 

 spring and seize it, forgetting in the act its own body, which the strange 



1 Giles, Biographical Dictionary, p. 753. 



2 Compare the Chinese drawing of the mantis in Fig. 169. • 



