CHINESE FOLKLORE AND SOME WESTERN ANALOGIES. 599 



Finally, yielding to the tears and entreaties of the sick man's family, 

 he consented to having the Taoist ceremony performed. The young 

 girl was greatly struck by this coincidence, and in the depths of her 

 heart was touched by the profound love she had inspired. The youth 

 revived, thanks to the exorcism, but was grieved no longer to see her 

 »)y whose side he had l)een so entirely happy. He only awaited from 

 that moment an opportunity to meet her again. 



One day he learned that she was going to the temple. He arose in 

 the early morning to go and watch in a spot where the carriage would 

 pass. A-Pao came, toward midday, and at sight of the young man 

 deigned to raise the curtain a little so as to see him; she even sent a 

 maid to inquire his name. On reaching home Seng fell ill as ))efore, 

 with this melancholy difference, that his soul could not as on the first 

 time go forth and dwell with A-Pao. 



One afternoon, seeing one of the children of the househokl playing 

 by his pillow with a dead parrot,. he thought if only his soul could 

 enter the parrot's body he might in this way fly to his beloved's cham- 

 l)er. Hardly had this thought occurred to him than the parrot started 

 up alive, took its flight and reached the room of the young girl, who 

 eagerly caught it without its making the least resistance. When she 

 was going to put a ring around its leg, it cried out: " Do not chain me; 

 I am Seng!" 



'■"Your great love has made a deep impression on my heart,'" said the 

 young girl, with joyous surprise. "But we are no longer of the same 

 species; how can we ever fulflll our vows?" 



"The happiness of being near you is enough for me," replied the 

 parrot; "I ask no more." 



He ate out of no hand but that of the girl. When she siit down, he 

 perched on her knee; when she went to bed, he slept by her side. 

 A-Pao loved him tenderly; too much, indeed, to want to have him 

 remain a parrot. She sent her servant to inquire after the condition 

 of her lover's body; they said that his breast was still warm. 



"If you could become a man again," said A-Pao, caressing the par- 

 rot, '"I will swear to give myself to you." 



The parrot appeared to reflect a minute and suddenly took flight, 

 carrying off in his beak one of the young girl's slippers. He flew 

 straight away in spite of his mistress's call. 



Seng's family who were all in tears standing around the Ijody were 

 surprised to see it suddenly move and sit up at the very momeiKt. when 

 a parrot came in by the window and fell dead on a mat in the chamber. 



A-Pao seeing her dear bird disappear, sent an old serving woman 

 quickly to witness the changing of the soul which she knew would 

 take place, and to reclaim her slipper. 



'"The slipper is a promise," said Seng; ""I shall k.-ep it until th.' day 

 when that promise is made good." 



