will contrariwise be tantamount to throwing them away! If you want to
distribute anything among the poor, why don't you dole out cash to
them?"

"Put them by!" promptly shouted Pao-yue, after this rejoinder, "and when
evening comes, take a few cash and distribute them."

These directions given, Chang, the Taoist, retired out of the place.

Dowager lady Chia and her companions thereupon walked upstairs and sat
in the main part of the building. Lady Feng and her friends adjourned
into the eastern part, while the waiting-maids and servants remained in
the western portion, and took their turns in waiting on their
mistresses.

Before long, Chia Chen came back. "The plays," he announced, "have been
chosen by means of slips picked out before the god. The first one on the
list is the 'Record of the White Snake.'"

"Of what kind of old story does 'the record of the white snake,' treat?"
old lady Chia inquired.

"The story about Han Kao-tsu," replied Chia Chen, "killing a snake and
then ascending the throne. The second play is, 'the Bed covered with
ivory tablets.'"

"Has this been assigned the second place?" asked dowager lady Chia. "Yet
never mind; for as the gods will it thus, there is no help than not to
demur. But what about the third play?" she went on to inquire.