[1] San Chi:—A large and beautiful mountain bird with one feather of rarest loveliness. This feather is blue, of a peculiar iridescence, and some of its long, curly fronds are white. The Chinese are superstitious about this feather and think it has healing qualities. They sometimes trap the San-Chi bird and pull its one beautiful feather, letting the bird go free. It is six years, the hunters say, until the lost feather is replaced. The San-Chi is very long lived, and its feathers are greatly valued for fans. [↑]
[2] At that time several nations were at war, and Confucius went to the king of each nation, trying to persuade him that it was better to be at peace. He went to the young King Loa-Bai first, as his was the strongest of the kingdoms. [↑]
[3] Bears’ feet are considered a great delicacy by the Chinese. [↑]
A CHINESE PRODIGAL SON
浪子歸家
I
Kong-Hwa’s father and mother were farmers. They had a pleasant home and would have been very happy together, but after Kong-Hwa was four years old, he was a bad, disobedient boy. [[168]]