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1、CHAPTER1ZhenShi-yinmakestheStone’sacquaintanceinadreamAndJiaYu-cunfindsthatpovertyisnotincompatiblewithromanticfeelingGENTLEREADER,What,youmayask,wastheoriginofthisbook?Thoughtheanswertothisquestionmayatfirstseemtoborderontheabsurd,reflectionwillshowthatthereisa
2、gooddealmoreinitthanmeetstheeye.Longago,whenthegoddessNǚ-wawasrepairingthesky,shemelteddownagreatquantityofrockand,ontheIncredibleCragsoftheGreatFableMountains,mouldedtheamalgamintothirty-sixthousand,fivehundredandonelargebuildingblocks,eachmeasuringseventy-twof
3、eetbyahundredandforty-fourfeetsquare.Sheusedthirty-sixthousandfivehundredoftheseblocksinthecourseofherbuildingoperations,leavingasingleoddblockunused,whichlay,allonitsown,atthefootofGreensicknessPeakintheaforementionedmountains.Nowthisblockofstone,havingundergon
4、ethemeltingandmouldingofagoddess,possessedmagicpowers.ItcouldmoveaboutatwillandcouldgroworshrinktoanysizeitwantedObservingthatalltheotherblockshadbeenusedforcelestialrepairsandthatitwastheonlyonetohavebeenrejectedasunworthy,itbecamefilledwithshameandresentmentan
5、dpasseditsdaysinsorrowandlamentation.Oneday,inthemidstofitslamentings,itsawamonkandaTaoistapproachingfromagreatdistance,eachofthemremarkableforcertaineccentricitiesofmannerandappearance.WhentheyarrivedatthefootofGreensicknessPeak,theysatdownonthegroundandbeganto
6、talk.Themonk,catchingsightofalustrous,translucentstone—itwasinfacttherejectedbuildingblockwhichhadnowshrunkitselftothesizeofafan-pendantandlookedveryattractiveinitsnewshape—tookituponthepalmofhishandandaddresseditwithasmile:‘Ha,Iseeyouhavemagicalproperties!Butno
7、thingtorecommendyou.Ishallhavetocutafewwordsonyousothatanyoneseeingyouwillknowatoncethatyouaresomethingspecial.AfterthatIshalltakeyoutoacertainbrilliantsuccessfulpoeticalcultivatedaristocraticelegantdelectableluxuriousopulentlocalityonalittletrip.’Thestonewasdel
8、ighted.‘Whatwordswillyoucut?Whereisthisplaceyouwilltakemeto?Ibegtobeenlightened.’‘Donotask,’repliedthemonkwithalaugh.‘Youwillknowsoonenoughwhenthetimecomes.’Andwithth
