65 



m ailed, find their origin in the dragon '. The yu-hia ( ^ ^ ) 

 producedr-tfe c flying dragon, tho % Tng"^agon gave birth to the 

 phoenixes, and after tl^em the Iwan-niao (^ ,|^) and all birds, 

 in general the winged beings, were born successively. The mao-tuh 

 (% ^^. "hairy calf") produced the ying-lung (]@f|), the ying- 

 lung gave birth to the hien-ma (^ ,i|), and afterwards iheFi-lin 

 ( j^ ft- ) ^^^ ^11 quadrupeds, in general the hairy beings, Were born 

 successively. The kiai-lin (^ ^) produced the kiao-lung (!^f|), 

 the kiao-lung gave birth^to ihQkwun-keng (jS^ ^), and afterwards 

 the kien-sie (^^) and all fishes, in general the scaly beings, 

 were born successively. The kiai-fan {-f^ '/^) produced the sien- 

 lung (^ hI)' 'the sien-lung gave birth to the yuen-yuen (tC ^i 

 "original tortoise") and after/wards the ling-kwei (^^, "divine 

 power manifesting tortoise") and all tortoises, in general the 

 mailed beings were born successively". The same author says 

 that "mankind cannot see the dragons rise; wind and rain assist 

 them to ascend to a great • height" ^ 



The Ta tai li ki^ states that "the essence of the scaly animals 

 is called dragon", and that "the dragon does not ascend if there 

 is no wind". 



In the Historical Records * we read a quotation from Chwang 

 tsze^, where Confucius after having talked with Lao tsze says: 

 "As to the dragon, we cannot understand his riding on wind 

 and clouds and his ascending to the sky. To-day I saw Lao tsze; 

 is he not like the dragon?" 



According to the PH ya " <5"0°e of the animals J s so wise as / 

 the dragon. His blessing power is not a false one. He can be 



2 Ch. XVII, ^i^%\\- Cf. Ch. IX, i^jUlJ: "The ying-lung ascends 

 riding on the clouds". 



3 "^ M SS IB' compiled by Tat Teh, ^ ^. under the reign of the Emperor 



Suen of the Han dynasty (B.C. 73—49); Ch. V, -^ -^ ^ jg] , p. 76 : ^0 



4 Ch. LXIII, ^^^^?lJ1f. P-2a: M *^ f I # ^ hI ^ S 



5 dj jy. (4th cent. B. C), Section ^ jH ' <^h. III. 



6 J:^||, composed by LuH Tien, |^ {^ (1042-H02); Ch. I, ^ H , nr 1 



Verh. Kon. Akad. ». Wetensch. (Afd. Leltert.) N. R. Dl XIII, N". 2. 5 



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