Chap, XIII. THE GOLDEN BELL. 



281 



appeared he was a celebrated cook — the Soyer 

 of the district — and had been engaged on this 

 day to prepare a large dinner for a number of 

 visitors who had come to worship at the temple. 

 He told me he would be ready to accompany me 

 as soon as the dinner was over, and invited me 

 to be seated in the priest's room until that time. 

 As there was nothing in the temple of much 

 interest, I preferred taking a stroll amongst the 

 hills. Before I set out I made inquiry of Wang 

 and the priest whether there were any objects of 

 interest in the vicinity more particularly worth 

 my attention. I was told there was one place of 

 more than common interest, which I ought to see, 

 and at the same time several persons offered to 

 accompany me as guides. We then started off to 

 inspect the new wonder, whatever it might turn 

 out to be. 



A short distance in the rear of the temple my 

 guides halted at the edge of a little pool, which 

 was surrounded with a few willows and other 

 stunted bushes. They now pointed to the little 

 pool, and informed me this was what they had 

 brought me to see. " Is this all ? " said I, with 

 features which, no doubt, expressed astonishment ; 

 " I see nothing here but a small pond, with a 

 few water-lilies and other weeds on its surface." 

 " Oil, but there is a golden bell in that pool," they 

 replied. I laughed, and asked them if they had 

 seen it, and why they did not attempt to get it 

 out. They replied that ilone of them had seen 



