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After these, followed a row of small characters in the 'true' style, to the effect that the cup had been an article much treasured by Wang K'ai. Next came a second row of small characters stating: 'that in the course of the fourth moon of the fifth year of Yuan Feng, of the Sung dynasty, Su Shih of Mei Shan had seen it in the 'Secret' palace. This cup, Miao Yue filled, and handed to Pao-ch'ai.
"The man of perfect faith can move heaven and earth, and fly to the six cardinal points without hindrance. His powers are not confined to walking in perilous places and passing through water and fire. If Shang Ch'iu K'ai, whose motive was greed and whose belief was false, found no obstacle in external things, how much more certainly will it be so when the motive is pure and both parties sincere?"
'How is it that you can sing that hymn? Are you sure you can? The man smiled, and in a low voice began: Lao-lu kun-fa fu chung tan ti Hsin li chiao ku-nan Yu i wei k'ai en-tien ch'ing ni Te p'ing-an. As he went on Nelly opened her eyes and mouth wider and wider, so surprised was she. 'Why, she exclaimed, when he stopped, 'I don't know it in Chinese, and she was too puzzled to say more.
"I am only old Shang Ch'iu K'ai the peasant. I heard that you, Sir, by your magic could make the poor rich. I wanted to be rich, so I came to you. I believed in you absolutely, and in all your disciples said; and so my mind was made one; I forgot my body; I saw nothing of cliffs or fire or water.
The last dynasty was overthrown in 1912. Since then a feeble republic has dragged on a precarious existence, interrupted by the very short reign of Yuan Shih K'ai.
Shang Ch'iu K'ai, whose "faith had made him whole," walked through fire. "Whoso hath faith as a grain of mustard-seed," said Jesus, can move mountains. T'ai-hsing and Wang-wu, the mountains, stood not where they stand now, but in the south of the Chi district and north of Ho-yang. I like the tale well, and shall tell it for its naive Chinesity.
One day they saw an old weak man approaching, 'with weather-beaten face and clothes of no particular cut. A chance for sport not to be neglected, they thought; and began to hustle him about in their usual fashion, 'slapping him on the back, and what not. But he Shang Ch'iu K'ai was his name seemed only full of joy and serenity, and heeded nothing.
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