Page 426 - Chinese Porcelain Vol II, Galland

KEEN-LUNG.
430

THE TWIN SISTERS.
"
Sir John Davis, iii Chinese Novels," published in 1822,
forms the motive on the beaker
gives this tale, which, perhaps,
(No. 332), and may be of interest to those readers who possess
the first volume of this work. Briefly told, the story runs as
follows: "Early in the reign of an emperor, of the Ming
there dwelt, in the of the of
dynasty, city province Hoo-kwang,
a merchant named Siaou-kiang, who had the misfortune to live
on indifferent terms with his wife. . . . As the father and
very
and
mother were extremely plain very stupid, so, on the con-
their two were very handsome and
trary, daughters particularly
clever. After ten years of age they began to resemble fair
flowers glittering in the dew, or fragrant herbs agitated by the
breeze ; and their beauty every day increased, until, having
reached the age of fourteen or fifteen, no one could behold
them without emotion. Instead of seeing that such charming
could command as husbands men of rank
girls young superior
to their own, the stupid father and mother wrangled over the
selection of sons-in-law of a most undesirable nature. Finally,
unknown to each other, the father came to terms with two of
these youths and the mother with another two. So that in the
run four other families became involved in the
long quarrel,
which had to be submitted to the chief magistrate for settle-
ment. This dignitary summoned all the parties concerned to
appear before him, and was greatly surprised to find that such
plain-looking parents could have such beautiful daughters, and
came to the conclusion that ' to choose them husbands from
among these four would be like searching for a hero among
dwarfs. How can I select one I did not think that so
possibly !
much and such ill-fortune could be combined.'
beauty The law,
however, had to be complied with ; so he ordered the father's
favourites to kneel on the left side, the mother's on the
right,
and the two in the front. the latter, he told
girls Addressing
them to show their preference by turning themselves to the
left or ' but remember that in this movement is
right ; slight
involved the welfare of whole life, and choice should
your your
therefore be a good one.' Shocked at the uncouth appearance
of the four suitors, the closed their
girls eyes and cried, turning
neither to the left or the right; so, after a time, the judge said