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Difficult points in the moon theory are the red colour of the 

 ball and its 5/)2ra^shaped form. If it is a,' pearl, however, repre- 

 senting the moon or at least closely connected with it, the red 

 colour may mean the lustre of this brilliant, fiery gem, which 

 in the temple on P^u f^o shan, mentioned above, is represented 

 by a glass ball covered with gold. The red ball, carried by the 

 Dragon girl in the Hall of the Law Of the same temple (Boersch- 

 MANN, 1. 1., p. 122, nr 7) is evidently also a pearl. The spiral is 

 much used in delineating the sacred pearls of Buddhism, so ihat 

 it might have served also to design those of Taoism ; although 

 I must acknowledge that the spiral of the Buddhist pearl goes 

 upwards, while' the spiral of the dragon is flat. 



We know the close connection of dragons and pearls in both 

 religions. This connection is quite logical, for the masters of the 

 sea are, of course, the possessors and guardians of its treasures. 

 When the clouds approached and covered the moon, the ancient 

 Chinese may have thought that the dragons had seized and 

 swallowed this pearl, more brilliant than all their pearls of the sea. 



These are, however, all mere suppositions. The only facts we 

 know are: the eager attitude of the dragons, ready to grasp and 

 swallow the ball ; the ideas of the Chinese themselves as to the 

 ball being the moon or a pearl ; the existence of a kind of sacred 

 "moon-pearl"; the red colour of the ball, its emitting" flames and 

 its spiral-like form. As the three last facts are in favour of the 

 thunder theory, I should be inclined to prefer the latter. Yet I am 

 convinced that the dragons do not belch out the thunder. If their 

 trying to grasp or swallow the thunder could be explained, I 

 should immediately accept the theory concerning the thunder- 

 &piral, especially on account of the flames it emits. But I do not 

 see the reason why the god of thunder should persecute thunder 

 itself. Therefore, after having given the above facts that the 

 reader may take them into consideration, I feel obliged to say: 

 "non liquet". 



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