human being lie in sickness, and his family be solicitous on his
account; or should any one have met with evil spirits and come across
any baleful evils, we have the means to effect a cure."

Dowager lady Chia and Madame Wang at once directed servants to go out
into the street and find out who it was. It turned out to be, in fact, a
mangy-headed bonze and a hobbling Taoist priest. What was the appearance
of the bonze?

His nose like a suspended gall; his two eyebrows so long,
His eyes, resembling radiant stars, possessed a precious glow,
His coat in tatters and his shoes of straw, without a home;
Rolling in filth, and, a worse fate, his head one mass of boils.

And the Taoist priest, what was he like?

With one leg perched high he comes, with one leg low;
His whole frame drenching wet, bespattered all with mud.
If you perchance meet him, and ask him where's his home,
"In fairyland, west of the 'Weak Water,' he'll say."

Chia Cheng ordered the servants to invite them to walk in. "On what
hill," he asked those two persons, "do you cultivate the principles of
reason?

"Worthy official!" the bonze smiled, "you must not ask too many
questions! It's because we've learnt that there are inmates of your
honourable mansion in a poor state of health that we come with the
express design of working a cure."