借鲁迅先生的一篇《奔月》及翻译来祝大家节日快乐。很有喜感！翻译得也好。

一

聪明的牲口确乎知道人意，刚刚望见宅门，那马便立刻放缓脚步了，并且和它背上的主人同时垂了头，一步一顿，像捣米一样。
暮霭笼罩了大宅，邻屋上都腾起浓黑的炊烟，已经是晚饭时候。家将们听得马蹄声，早已迎了出来，都在宅门外垂着手直挺挺地站着。羿〔2〕在垃圾堆边懒懒地下了马，家将们便接过缰绳和鞭子去。他刚要跨进大门，低头看看挂在腰间的满壶的簇新的箭和网里的三匹乌老鸦和一匹射碎了的小麻雀，心里就非常踌蹰。但到底硬着头皮，大踏步走进去了；箭在壶里豁朗豁朗地响着。
刚到内院，他便见嫦娥〔3〕在圆窗里探了一探头。他知道她眼睛快，一定早瞧见那几匹乌鸦的了，不觉一吓，脚步登时也一停，——但只得往里走。使女们都迎出来，给他卸了弓箭，解下网兜。他仿佛觉得她们都在苦笑。
“太太……。”他擦过手脸，走进内房去，一面叫。
嫦娥正在看着圆窗外的暮天，慢慢回过头来，似理不理的向他看了一眼，没有答应。
这种情形，羿倒久已习惯的了，至少已有一年多。他仍旧走近去，坐在对面的铺着脱毛的旧豹皮的木榻上，搔着头皮，支支梧梧地说——
“今天的运气仍旧不见佳，还是只有乌鸦……。”
“哼！”嫦娥将柳眉一扬，忽然站起来，风似的往外走，嘴里咕噜着，“又是乌鸦的炸酱面，又是乌鸦的炸酱面！你去问问去，谁家是一年到头只吃乌鸦肉的炸酱面的？我真不知道是走了什么运，竟嫁到这里来，整年的就吃乌鸦的炸酱面！”
“太太，”羿赶紧也站起，跟在后面，低声说，“不过今天倒还好，另外还射了一匹麻雀，可以给你做菜的。女辛〔4〕！”他大声地叫使女，“你把那一匹麻雀拿过来请太太看！”
野味已经拿到厨房里去了，女辛便跑去挑出来，两手捧着，送在嫦娥的眼前。
“哼！”她瞥了一眼，慢慢地伸手一捏，不高兴地说，“一团糟！不是全都粉碎了么？肉在那里？”
“是的，”羿很惶恐，“射碎的。我的弓太强，箭头太大了。”
“你不能用小一点的箭头的么？”
“我没有小的。自从我射封豕长蛇〔5〕……。”
“这是封豕长蛇么？”她说着，一面回转头去对着女辛道，“放一碗汤罢！”便又退回房里去了。
只有羿呆呆地留在堂屋里，靠壁坐下，听着厨房里柴草爆炸的声音。他回忆半年的封豕是多么大，远远望去就像一坐小土冈，如果那时不去射杀它，留到现在，足可以吃半年，又何用天天愁饭菜。还有长蛇，也可以做羹喝……。
女乙来点灯了，对面墙上挂着的彤弓，彤矢，卢弓，卢矢，弩机〔6〕，长剑，短剑，便都在昏暗的灯光中出现。羿看了一眼，就低了头，叹一口气；只见女辛搬进夜饭来，放在中间的案上，左边是五大碗白面；右边两大碗，一碗汤；中央是一大碗乌鸦肉做的炸酱。
羿吃着炸酱面，自己觉得确也不好吃；偷眼去看嫦娥，她炸酱是看也不看，只用汤泡了面，吃了半碗，又放下了。他觉得她脸上仿佛比往常黄瘦些，生怕她生了病。
到二更时，她似乎和气一些了，默坐在床沿上喝水。羿就坐在旁边的木榻上，手摩着脱毛的旧豹皮。
“唉，”他和蔼地说，“这西山的文豹，还是我们结婚以前射得的，那时多么好看，全体黄金光。”他于是回想当年的食物，熊是只吃四个掌，驼留峰，其余的就都赏给使女和家将们。后来大动物射完了，就吃野猪兔山鸡；射法又高强，要多少有多少。“唉，”他不觉叹息，“我的箭法掌太巧妙了，竟射得遍地精光。那时谁料到只剩下乌鸦做菜……。”
“哼。”嫦娥微微一笑。
“今天总还要算运气的，”羿也高兴起来，“居然猎到一只麻雀。这是远绕了三十里路才找到的。”
“你不能走得更远一点的么？！”
“对。太太。我也这样想。明天我想起得早些。倘若你醒得早，那就叫醒我。我准备再远走五十里，看看可有些獐子兔子。……但是，怕也难。当我射封豕长蛇的时候，野兽是那么多。你还该记得罢，丈母的门前就常有黑熊走过，叫我去射了好几回……。”
“是么？”嫦娥似乎不大记得。
“谁料到现在竟至于精光的呢。想起来，真不知道将来怎么过日子。我呢，倒不要紧，只要将那道士送给我的金丹吃下去，就会飞升。但是我第一先得替你打算，……所以我决计明天再走得远一点……。”
“哼。”嫦娥已经喝完水，慢慢躺下，合上眼睛了。残膏的灯火照着残妆，粉有些褪了，眼圈显得微黄，眉毛的黛色也仿佛两边不一样。但嘴唇依然红得如火；虽然并不笑，颊上也还有浅浅的酒窝。
“唉唉，这样的人，我就整年地只给她吃乌鸦的炸酱面……。”羿想着，觉得惭愧，两颊连耳根都热起来。

二

过了一夜就是第二天。
羿忽然睁开眼睛，只见一道阳光斜射在西壁上，知道时候不早了；看看嫦娥，兀自摊开了四肢沉睡着。他悄悄地披上衣服，爬下豹皮榻，[足辟]出堂前，一面洗脸，一面叫女庚去吩咐王升备马。
他因为事情忙，是早就废止了朝食〔7〕的；女乙将五个炊饼，五株葱和一包辣酱都放在网兜里，并弓箭一齐替他系在腰间。他将腰带紧了一紧，轻轻地跨出堂外面，一面告诉那正从对面进来的女庚道——
“我今天打算到远地方去寻食物去，回来也许晚一些。看太太醒后，用过早点心，有些高兴的时候，你便去禀告，说晚饭请她等一等，对不起得很。记得么？你说：对不起得很。”
他快步出门，跨上马，将站班的家将们扔在脑后，不一会便跑出村庄了。前面是天天走熟的高粱田，他毫不注意，早知道什么也没有的。加上两鞭，一径飞奔前去，一气就跑了六十里上下，望见前面有一簇很茂盛的树林，马也喘气不迭，浑身流汗，自然慢下去了。大约又走了十多里，这才接近树林，然而满眼是胡蜂，粉蝶，蚂蚁，蚱蜢，那里有一点禽兽的踪迹。他望见这一块新地方时，本以为至少总可以有一两匹狐儿兔儿的，现在才知道又是梦想。他只得绕出树林，看那后面却又是碧绿的高粱田，远处散点着几间小小的土屋。风和日暖，鸦雀无声。
“倒楣！”他尽量地大叫了一声，出出闷气。
但再前行了十多步，他即刻心花怒放了，远远地望见一间土屋外面的平地上，的确停着一匹飞禽，一步一啄，像是很大的鸽子。他慌忙拈弓搭箭，引满弦，将手一放，那箭便流星般出去了。
这是无须迟疑的，向来有发必中；他只要策马跟着箭路飞跑前去，便可以拾得猎物。谁知道他将要临近，却已有一个老婆子捧着带箭的大鸽子，大声嚷着，正对着他的马头抢过来。
“你是谁哪？怎么把我家的顶好的黑母鸡射死了？你的手怎的有这么闲哪？……”
羿的心不觉跳了一跳，赶紧勒住马。
“阿呀！鸡么？我只道是一只鹁鸪。”他惶恐地说。
“瞎了你的眼睛！看你也有四十多岁了罢。”
“是的。老太太。我去年就有四十五岁了〔8〕。”
“你真是枉长白大！连母鸡也不认识，会当作鹁鸪！你究竟是谁哪？”
“我就是夷羿。”他说着，看看自己所射的箭，是正贯了母鸡的心，当然死了，末后的两个字便说得不大响亮；一面从马上跨下来。
“夷羿？……谁呢？我不知道。”她看着他的脸，说。
“有些人是一听就知道的。尧爷的时候，我曾经射死过几匹野猪，几条蛇……。”
“哈哈，骗子！那是逢蒙〔9〕老爷和别人合伙射死的。也许有你在内罢；但你倒说是你自己了，好不识羞！”
“阿阿，老太太。逢蒙那人，不过近几年时常到我那里来走走，我并没有和他合伙，全不相干的。”
“说诳。近来常有人说，我一月就听到四五回。”
“那也好。我们且谈正经事罢。这鸡怎么办呢？”
“赔。这是我家最好的母鸡，天天生蛋。你得赔我两柄锄头，三个纺锤。”
“老太太，你瞧我这模样，是不耕不织的，那里来的锄头和纺锤。我身边又没有钱，只有五个炊饼，倒是白面做的，就拿来赔了你的鸡，还添上五株葱和一包甜辣酱。你以为怎样？……”他一只手去网兜里掏炊饼，伸出那一只手去取鸡。
老婆子看见白面的炊饼，倒有些愿意了，但是定要十五个。磋商的结果，好容易才定为十个，约好至迟明天正午送到，就用那射鸡的箭作抵押。羿这时才放了心，将死鸡塞进网兜里，跨上鞍鞒，回马就走，虽然肚饿，心里却很喜欢，他们不喝鸡汤实在已经有一年多了。
他绕出树林时，还是下午，于是赶紧加鞭向家里走；但是马力乏了，刚到走惯的高粱田近旁，已是黄昏时候。只见对面远处有人影子一闪，接着就有一枝箭忽地向他飞来。〔10〕
羿并不勒住马，任它跑着，一面却也拈弓搭箭，只一发，只听得铮的一声，箭尖正触着箭尖，在空中发出几点火花，两枝箭便向上挤成一个“人”字，又翻身落在地上了。第一箭刚刚相触，两面立刻又来了第二箭，还是铮的一声，相触在半空中。那样地射了九箭，羿的箭都用尽了；但他这时已经看清逢蒙得意地站在对面，却还有一枝箭搭在弦上正在瞄准他的咽喉。
“哈哈，我以为他早到海边摸鱼去了，原来还在这些地方干这些勾当，怪不得那老婆子有那些话……。”羿想。
那时快，对面是弓如满月，箭似流星。飕的一声，径向羿的咽喉飞过来。也许是瞄准差了一点了，却正中了他的嘴；一个筋斗，他带箭掉下马去了，马也就站住。
逢蒙见羿已死，便慢慢地[足辟]过来，微笑着去看他的死脸，当作喝一杯胜利的白干。
刚在定睛看时，只见羿张开眼，忽然直坐起来。
“你真是白来了一百多回。”他吐出箭，笑着说，“难道连我的‘啮镞法’都没有知道么？这怎么行。你闹这些小玩艺〔11〕儿是不行的，偷去的拳头打不死本人，要自己练练才好。”
“即以其人之道，反诸其人之身……。”胜者低声说。
“哈哈哈！”他一面大笑，一面站了起来，“又是引经据典。但这些话你只可以哄哄老婆子，本人面前捣什么鬼？俺向来就只是打猎，没有弄过你似的剪径的玩艺儿……。”他说着，又看看网兜里的母鸡，倒并没有压坏，便跨上马，径自走了。
“……你打了丧钟！……”远远地还送来叫骂。
“真不料有这样没出息。青青年纪，倒学会了诅咒，怪不得那老婆子会那么相信他。”羿想着，不觉在马上绝望地摇了摇头。

三

还没有走完高粱田，天色已经昏黑；蓝的空中现出明星来，长庚在西方格外灿烂。马只能认着白色的田塍走，而且早已筋疲力竭，自然走得更慢了。幸而月亮却在天际渐渐吐出银白的清辉。
“讨厌！”羿听到自己的肚子里骨碌骨碌地响了一阵，便在马上焦躁了起来。“偏是谋生忙，便偏是多碰到些无聊事，白费工夫！”他将两腿在马肚子上一磕，催它快走，但马却只将后半身一扭，照旧地慢腾腾。
“嫦娥一定生气了，你看今天多么晚。”他想。“说不定要装怎样的脸给我看哩。但幸而有这一只小母鸡，可以引她高兴。我只要说：太太，这是我来回跑了二百里路才找来的。不，不好，这话似乎太逞能。”
他望见人家的灯火已在前面，一高兴便不再想下去了。马也不待鞭策，自然飞奔。圆的雪白的月亮照着前途，凉风吹脸，真是比大猎回来时还有趣。
马自然而然地停在垃圾堆边；羿一看，仿佛觉得异样，不知怎地似乎家里乱毵毵。迎出来的也只有一个赵富。
“怎的？王升呢？”他奇怪地问。
“王升到姚家找太太去了。”
“什么？太太到姚家去了么？”羿还呆坐在马上，问。
“喳……。”他一面答应着，一面去接马缰和马鞭。羿这才爬下马来，跨进门，想了一想，又回过头去问道——
“不是等不迭了，自己上饭馆去了么？”
“喳。三个饭馆，小的都去问过了，没有在。”
羿低了头，想着，往里面走，三个使女都惶惑地聚在堂前。他便很诧异，大声的问道——
“你们都在家么？姚家，太太一个人不是向来不去的么？”
她们不回答，只看看他的脸，便来给他解下弓袋和箭壶和装着小母鸡的网兜。羿忽然心惊肉跳起来，觉得嫦娥是因为气忿寻了短见了，便叫女庚去叫赵富来，要他到后园的池里树上去看一遍。但他一跨进房，便知道这推测是不确的了：房里也很乱，衣箱是开着，向床里一看，首先就看出失少了首饰箱。他这时正如头上淋了一盆冷水，金珠自然不算什么，然而那道士送给他的仙药，也就放在这首饰箱里的。
羿转了两个圆圈，才看见王升站在门外面。
“回老爷，”王升说，“太太没有到姚家去；他们今天也不打牌。”
羿看了他一眼，不开口。王升就退出去了。
“老爷叫？……”赵富上来，问。
羿将头一摇，又用手一挥，叫他也退出去。
羿又在房里转了几个圈子，走到堂前，坐下，仰头看着对面壁上的彤弓，彤矢，卢弓，卢矢，弩机，长剑，短剑，想了些时，才问那呆立在下面的使女们道——
“太太是什么时候不见的？”
“掌灯时候就不看见了，”女乙说，“可是谁也没见她走出去。”
“你们可见太太吃了那箱里的药没有？”
“那倒没有见。但她下午要我倒水喝是有的。”
羿急得站了起来，他似乎觉得，自己一个人被留在地上了。
“你们看见有什么向天上飞升的么？”他问。
“哦！”女辛想了一想，大悟似的说，“我点了灯出去的时候，的确看见一个黑影向这边飞去的，但我那时万想不到是太太……。”于是她的脸色苍白了。
“一定是了！”羿在膝上一拍，即刻站起，走出屋外去，回头问着女辛道，“那边？”
女辛用手一指，他跟着看去时，只见那边是一轮雪白的圆月，挂在空中，其中还隐约现出楼台，树木；当他还是孩子时候祖母讲给他听的月宫中的美景，他依稀记得起来了。他对着浮游在碧海里似的月亮，觉得自己的身子非常沉重。
他忽然愤怒了。从愤怒里又发了杀机，圆睁着眼睛，大声向使女们叱咤道——
“拿我的射日弓来！和三枝箭！”
女乙和女庚从堂屋中央取下那强大的弓，拂去尘埃，并三枝长箭都交在他手里。
他一手拈弓，一手捏着三枝箭，都搭上去，拉了一个满弓，正对着月亮。身子是岩石一般挺立着，眼光直射，闪闪如岩下电〔12〕，须发开张飘动，像黑色火，这一瞬息，使人仿佛想见他当年射日〔13〕的雄姿。
飕的一声，——只一声，已经连发了三枝箭，刚发便搭，一搭又发，眼睛不及看清那手法，耳朵也不及分别那声音。本来对面是虽然受了三枝箭，应该都聚在一处的，因为箭箭相衔，不差丝发。但他为必中起见，这时却将手微微一动，使箭到时分成三点，有三个伤。
使女们发一声喊，大家都看见月亮只一抖，以为要掉下来了，——但却还是安然地悬着，发出和悦的更大的光辉，似乎毫无伤损。
“呔！”羿仰天大喝一声，看了片刻；然而月亮不理他。他前进三步，月亮便退了三步；他退三步，月亮却又照数前进了。
他们都默着，各人看各人的脸。
羿懒懒地将射日弓靠在堂门上，走进屋里去。使女们也一齐跟着他。
“唉，”羿坐下，叹一口气，“那么，你们的太太就永远一个人快乐了。她竟忍心撇了我独自飞升？莫非看得我老起来了？但她上月还说：并不算老，若以老人自居，是思想的堕落。”
“这一定不是的。”女乙说，“有人说老爷还是一个战士。”
“有时看去简直好像艺术家。”女辛说。
“放屁！——不过乌老鸦的炸酱面确也不好吃，难怪她忍不住……。”
“那豹皮褥子脱毛的地方，我去剪一点靠墙的脚上的皮来补一补罢，怪不好看的。”女辛就往房里走。
“且慢，”羿说着，想了一想，“那倒不忙。我实在饿极了，还是赶快去做一盘辣子鸡，烙五斤饼来，给我吃了好睡觉。明天再去找那道士要一服仙药，吃了追上去罢。女庚，你去吩咐王升，叫他量四升白豆喂马！”

一九二六年十二月作。

〔1〕本篇最初发表于一九二七年一月二十五日北京《莽原》半月刊第二卷第二期。
〔2〕羿亦称夷羿，我国古代传说中善射的英雄。据古书记载，帝□时有羿，尧时和夏代太康时也有羿，他们都以善射著称，而事迹又往往混为一人。《尚书·五子之歌》替代孔颖达疏引贾逵等人的话，以为“‘羿’是善射之号，非复人之名字”；这样，传说中的羿大概是集古代许多善射者的事迹于一身的人物。
〔3〕嫦娥古代神话中人物。关于嫦娥奔月的神话，据《淮南子·览冥训》：“羿请不死之药于西王母，姮娥窃以奔月。”高诱注：“姮娥，羿妻。羿请不死之药于西王母，未及服之；姮娥盗食之，得仙，奔入月中，为月精也。”按嫦娥原作姮娥，汉代人因避文帝（刘恒）讳改为嫦娥。
〔4〕女辛商王以十干（天干）为庙号，王室以外，也有用十干为名的；这里的女辛以及下面的女乙、女庚等，都是作者虚拟的人名。
〔5〕羿射封豕长蛇的传说，据《淮南子·本经训》：“尧之时，……封豨、修蛇皆为民害。尧乃使羿，……断修蛇于洞庭，禽封豨于桑林。”封豨，大野猪；修蛇，长蛇。
〔6〕彤弓彤矢红色的弓和矢。卢弓卢矢，黑色的弓和矢。弩机，是弩上发矢的机括，一称弩牙。
〔7〕废止朝食过去有一些人为了“健康不老”，提倡节食。蒋维乔曾据日本美岛近一郎的著作“辑述”而成《废止朝食论》一书，一九一五年六月上海商务印书馆出版。
〔8〕这里“去年就有四十五岁了”的话以及下文好几处，都与当时高长虹诽谤鲁迅的事件有关。高长虹，山西盂县人，狂飙社主要成员之一；是当时一个思想上带有虚无主义和无政府主义色彩的青年作者。他在一九二四年十二月认识鲁迅后，曾得到鲁迅很多指导和帮助；他的第一本创作散文和诗的合集《心的探险》，即由鲁迅选辑并编入《乌合丛书》。鲁迅在一九二五年编辑《莽原》周刊时，他是该刊经常的撰稿者之一；但至一九二六年下半年，他借口《莽原》半月刊的编者韦素园（当时鲁迅已离开北京到厦门大学任教，《莽原》自一九二六年起改为半月刊）压下了向培良的一篇稿子，即对韦素园等进行人身攻击，并对鲁迅表示不满；但另一方面他又利用鲁迅的名字进行招摇撞骗，如登在当年八月《新女性》月刊上的狂飙社（他和向培良等所组织的文艺团体）广告中，即冒称他们曾与鲁迅合办《莽原》，合编《乌合丛书》等，并暗示读者好像鲁迅也参与他们的所谓“狂飙运动”。鲁迅当时曾发表《所谓“思想界先驱者”鲁迅启事》（后收入《华盖集续编》），揭穿了这一骗局；高长虹即进而攻击鲁迅，在他所写的《走到出捌界》中不断地对鲁迅进行诽谤。这篇小说写于高长虹诽谤鲁迅的时候，其中逢蒙这个形象就含有高长虹的影子。鲁迅在一九二七年一月十一日给许广平的信中提到这篇作品时说：“那时就做了一篇小说，和他（按指高长虹）开了一些小玩笑”（见《两地书·一一二》）。小说中有些对话也是摘取高长虹所写《走到出版界》中的文句略加改动而成。如这里的“去年就有四十五岁了”以及下文的“若以老人自居，是思想的堕落”等语，都引自其中的一篇《1925北京出版界形势指掌图》：“须知年龄尊卑，是乃祖乃父们的因袭思想，在新的时代是最大的阻碍物。鲁迅去年不过四十五岁……如自谓老人，是精神的堕落！”又如下文“你真是白来了一百多回”，也是针对高长虹在这篇《指掌图》中自称与鲁迅“会面不只百次”的话而说的。 “即以其人之道，反诸其人之身”，是引自其中的《公理与正义的谈话》：“正义：我深望彼等觉悟，但恐不容易吧！公理：我即以其人之道反诸其人之身。”还有，“你打了丧钟”，是引自其中的《时代的命运》：“鲁迅先生已不着言语而敲了旧时代的丧钟。”“有人说老爷还是一个战士”，“有时看去简直好像艺术家 ”，也是从《指掌图》中引来：“他（按指鲁迅）所给与我的印象，实以此一短促的时期（按指一九二四年末）为最清新，彼此时实为一真正的艺术家的面目，过此以往，则递降而至一不很高明而却奋勇的战士的面目。”（《走到出版界》是高长虹在他所主编的《狂飙》周刊上连续发表的零星批评文字的总题，后来出版单行本。）
〔9〕逢蒙我国古代善射的人，相传他是羿的弟子。《吴越春秋·勾践阴谋外传》：“黄帝之后，楚有弧父，……习用弓矢，所射无脱；以其道传于羿，羿传逢蒙。”
〔10〕逢蒙射羿的故事，在《孟子·离娄》中有如下的记载：“逢蒙学射于羿，尽羿之道；思天下惟羿为愈己，于是杀羿。”又《列子·汤问》有关于飞卫的故事：“（飞卫）学射于甘蝇；……纪昌者，又学射于飞卫，……纪昌既尽卫之术，计天下之敌己者，一人而已；乃谋杀飞卫。相遇于野，二人交射，中路矢锋相触而坠于地，而尘不扬。飞卫之矢先穷，纪昌遗一矢，既发，飞卫以棘刺之端□（捍）之而无差焉。”
〔11〕“啮镞法”《太平御览》卷三五○引有《列子》的如下记载：“飞卫学射于甘蝇，诸法并善，唯啮法不教。卫密将矢以射蝇，蝇啮得镞矢射卫，卫绕树而走，矢亦绕树而射。”（按今本《列子》无此文。）
〔12〕闪闪如岩下电语出《世说新语·容止》；王衍称裴楷“双眸闪闪若岩下电”。
〔13〕射日《淮南子·本经训》：“尧之时，十日并出，焦禾稼，杀草木，而民无所食。……尧乃使羿，……上射十日。”高诱注：“十日并出，羿射去九。”

——————————————————————————————-

The Flight to the Moon

I

It is a fact that intelligent beasts can divine the wishes of men. As soon as their gate came in sight the horse slowed down and, hanging its head at the same moment as its rider, let it jog with each step like a pestle pounding rice.

The great house was overhung with evening mist, while thick black smoke rose from the neighbours’ chimneys. It was time for supper. At the sound of hoofs, retainers had come out and were standing erect with their arms at their sides before the entrance. As Yi¹ dismounted listlessly beside the rubbish heap, they stepped forward to relieve him of his reins and whip. At the moment of crossing the threshold, he looked down at the quiverful of brand-new arrows at his waist and the three crows and one shattered sparrow in his bag, and his heart sank within him. But he strode in, putting a bold face on things, the arrows rattling in his quiver.

Reaching the inner courtyard, he saw Chang-ngo² looking out from the round window. He knew her sharp eyes must have seen the crows, and in dismay he came to a sudden stop—but he had to go on in. Serving-maids came out to greet him, unfastened his bow and quiver and took his game bag. He noticed that their smiles were rather forced.

After wiping his face and hands he entered the inner apartment, calling: “Madam.…”

Chang-ngo had been watching the sunset from the round window. She turned slowly and threw him an indifferent glance without returning his greeting.

He had been used to this treatment for some time, for over a year at least. But as usual he went on in and sat down on the old, worn leopard skin over the wooden couch opposite. Scratching his head, he muttered:

“I was out of luck again today. Nothing but crows.… .”

“Pah!”

Raising her willowy eyebrows, Chang-ngo sprang up and swept from the room, grumbling as she went: “Noodles with crow sauce again! Noodles with crow sauce again! I’d like to know who else eats nothing but noodles with crow sauce from one year to the next? How ill-fated I was to marry you and eat noodles with crow sauce the whole year round!”

“Madam!” Yi leaped to his feet and followed her. “It wasn’t so bad today,” he continued softly. “I shot a sparrow too, which can be dressed for you.… Nu-hsin!” he called to the maid. “Bring that sparrow to show your mistress.”

The game had been taken to the kitchen, but Nu-hsin ran to fetch the sparrow and held it out in both hands to Chang-ngo.

“That!” With a disdainful glance she reached slowly out to touch it. “How disgusting!” she said crossly. “You’ve smashed it to pieces! Where’s the meat?”

“I know,” admitted Yi, discomfited. “My bow is too powerful, my arrow-heads are too large.”

“Can’t you use smaller arrows?”

“I haven’t any. When I shot the giant boar and the huge python.…”

“Is this a giant boar or a huge python?” She turned to Nu-hsin and ordered: “Use it for soup!” Then she went back to her room.

Left alone at a loss, Yi sat down with his back to the wall to listen to the crackling of firewood in the kitchen. He remembered the bulk of the giant boar which had loomed like a small hillock in the distance. If he hadn’t shot it then but left it till now, it would have kept them in meat for half a year and spared them this daily worry about food. And the huge python! What soups it could have made!

Nu-yi lit the lamp. The vermilion bow and arrows, the black bow and arrows, the crossbow, the sword and the dagger glimmered on the opposite wall in its faint rays. After one look, Yi lowered his head and sighed. Nu-hsin brought supper in and set it on the table in the middle: five large bowls of noodles on the left, two large bowls of noodles and one of soup on the right, in the centre one large bowl of crow sauce.

While eating, Yi had to admit that this was not an appetizing meal. He stole a glance at Chang-ngo. Without so much as looking at the crow sauce, she had steeped her noodles in soup, and she set down her bowl half finished. Her face struck him as paler and thinner than before—suppose she were to fall ill?

By the second watch, in a slightly better mood, she sat without a word on the edge of the bed to drink some water. Yi sat on the wooden couch next to her, stroking the old leopard skin which was losing its fur.

“Ah,” he said in a conciliatory tone. “I bagged this spotted leopard on the Western Hill before we married. It was a beauty—one glossy mass of gold.”

That reminded him of how they had lived in the old days. Of bears they ate nothing but the paws, of camels nothing but the hump, giving all the rest to the serving-maids and retainers. When the big game was finished they ate wild boars, rabbits and pheasants. He was such a fine archer, he could shoot as much as he pleased.

A sigh escaped him.

“The fact is I’m too good a shot,” he said. “That’s why the whole place is cleaned out. Who could have guessed we’d be left with nothing but crows?”

Chang-ngo gave the ghost of a smile.

“Today I was luckier than usual.” Yi’s spirits were rising. “At least I caught a sparrow. I had to go an extra thirty li to find it.”

“Can’t you go a little further still?”

“Yes, madam. That’s what I mean to do. I’ll get up earlier tomorrow morning. If you wake first, call me. I mean to go fifty li further to see if I can’t find some roebucks or rabbits.… It won’t be easy, though. Remember all the game there was when I shot the giant boar and the huge python? Black bears used to pass in front of your mother’s door, and she asked me several times to shoot them.…”

“Really?” It seemed to have slipped Chang-ngo’s memory.

“Who could have foreseen they would all disappear like this? Come to think of it, I don’t know how we’re going to manage. I’m all right. I’ve only to eat that elixir the priest gave me, and I can fly up to heaven. But first I must think of you … that’s why I’ve decided to go a little further tomorrow.…”

“Um.”

Chang-ngo finished the water. She lay down slowly and closed her eyes.

The lamp, burning low, lit up her fading make-up. Much of her powder had rubbed off, there were dark circles beneath her eyes and one of her eyebrows was blacker than the other; yet her mouth was as red as fire, and though she wasn’t smiling you could see faint dimples on her cheeks.

“Ah, no! How can I feed a woman like this on nothing but noodles and crow sauce!”

Overcome by shame, Yi flushed up to his ears.

II

Night passed, a new day dawned.

In a flash Yi opened his eyes. A sunbeam aslant the western wall told him it could not be early. He looked at Chang-ngo, who was lying stretched out fast asleep. Without a sound he threw on his clothes, slipped down from his leopard skin couch and tiptoed into the hall. As he washed his face he told Nu-keng to order Wang Sheng to saddle his horse.

Having so much to do, he had long since given up breakfast. Nu-yi put five baked cakes, five stalks of leek and a package of paprika in his game bag, fastening this firmly to his waist with his bow and arrows. He tightened his belt and strode lightly out of the hall, telling Nu-keng whom he met:

“I mean to go further today to look for game. I may be a little late getting back. When your mistress has had her breakfast and is in good spirits, give her my apologies and ask her to wait for me for supper. Don’t forget—my apologies!”

He walked swiftly out, swung into the saddle and flashed past the retainers ranged on either side. Very soon he was out of the village. In front were the kaoliang fields through which he passed every day. These he ignored, having learned long ago that there was nothing here. With two cracks of his whip he galloped forward, covering sixty li without a pause. In front was a dense forest, and since his horse was winded and in a lather it naturally slowed down. Another ten li and they were in the forest, yet Yi could see nothing but wasps, butterflies, ants and locusts—not a trace of birds or beasts. The first sight of this unexplored territory had raised hopes of catching at least a couple of foxes or rabbits but now he knew that had been an idle dream. He made his way out and saw another stretch of green kaoliang fields ahead, with one or two mud cottages in the distance. The breeze was balmy, the sun warm; neither crow nor sparrow could be heard.

“Confound it!” he bellowed to relieve his feelings.

A dozen paces further on, however, and his heart leaped with joy. On the flat ground outside a mud hut in the distance there was actually a fowl. Stopping to peck at every step, it looked like a large pigeon. He seized his bow and fitted an arrow to it, drew it to its full extent and then let go. His shaft sped through the air like a shooting star.

With no hesitation, for he never missed his quarry, he spurred after the arrow to retrieve the game. But as he approached it an old woman hurried towards the horse. She had picked up the large pigeon transfixed by his arrow and was shouting:

“Who are you? Why have you shot my best black laying hen? Have you nothing better to do? …”

Yi’s heart missed a beat. He pulled up short.

“What! A hen?” he echoed nervously. “I thought it was a wood pigeon.”

“Are you blind? You must be over forty too.”

“Yes, ma’am. Forty-five last year.”

“No fool like an old fool, they say. Imagine mistaking a hen for a wood pigeon! Who are you anyway?”

“I am Yi.” While saying this he saw that his arrow had pierced the hen’s heart, killing it outright. So his voice trailed away on his name as he dismounted.

“Never heard of him!” She peered into his face.

“There are those who know my name. In the days of good King Yao I shot wild boars and serpents.…”

“Oh, you liar! Those were shot by Lord Feng Meng³and some others. Maybe you helped. But how can you boast of doing it all yourself? For shame!”

“Why, ma’am, that fellow Feng Meng has just taken to calling on me during the last few years. We never worked together. He had no part in it.”

“Liar! Everybody says so. I hear it four or five times a month.”

“All right. Let’s come down to business. What about this hen?”

“You must make it up! She was my best: she laid me an egg every day. You’ll have to give me two hoes and three spindles in exchange.”

“Look at me, ma’am—I neither farm nor spin. Where would I get hoes or spindles? I’ve no money on me either, only five baked cakes—but they’re made of white flour. I’ll give you these for your hen with five stalks of leek and a package of paprika into the bargain. What do you say? …”

Taking the cakes from his bag with one hand, he picked up the hen with the other.

The old woman was not averse to taking cakes of white flour, but insisted on having fifteen. After haggling for some time they agreed on ten, and Yi promised to bring the rest over by noon the next day at the latest, leaving the arrow there as security. Then, his mind at rest, he stuffed the dead hen in his bag, sprang into his saddle and headed home. Though famished, he was happy. It was over a year since they had last tasted chicken soup.

It was afternoon when he emerged from the forest, and he plied his whip hard in his eagerness to get home. His horse was exhausted, though, and they did not reach the familiar kaoliang fields till dusk. He glimpsed a shadowy figure some way off, and almost at once an arrow sang through the air towards him.

Without reining in his horse, which was trotting along, Yi fitted an arrow to his bow and let fly. Zing! Two arrowheads collided, sparks flew into the air and the two shafts thrust up to form an inverted V before toppling over and falling to the ground. No sooner had the first two met than both men loosed their second, which again collided in mid-air. They did this nine times, till Yi’s supply was exhausted; and now he could see Feng Meng opposite, gloating as he aimed another arrow at his throat.

“Well, well!” thought Yi. “I imagined he was fishing at the seaside, but he’s been hanging about to play dirty tricks like this. Now I understand the old woman talking as she did.…”

In a flash, his enemy’s bow arched like a full moon and the arrow whistled through the air towards Yi’s throat. Perhaps the aim was at fault, for it struck him full in the mouth. He tumbled over, transfixed, and fell to the ground. His horse stood motionless.

Seeing Yi was dead, Feng Meng tiptoed slowly over. Smiling as if drinking to his victory, he gazed at the face of the corpse.

As he stared long and hard, Yi opened his eyes and sat up.

“You’ve learned nothing in a hundred visits or more to me.” He spat out the arrow and laughed. “Don’t you know my skill in ‘biting the arrow’? That’s too bad! These tricks of yours won’t get you anywhere. You can’t kill your boxing master with blows learned from him. You must work out something of your own.”

“I was trying to ‘pay you out in your own coin’ …” mumbled the victor.

Yi stood up, laughing heartily. “You’re always quoting some adage. Maybe you can impress old women that way, but you can’t impose on me. I’ve always stuck to hunting, never taken to highway robbery like you.…”

Relieved to see that the hen in his bag was not crushed, he remounted and rode away.

“Curse you .…” An oath carried after him.

“To think he should stoop so low .… Such a young fellow, and yet he’s picked up swearing. No wonder that old woman was taken in.”

Yi shook his head sadly as he rode along.

III

Before he came to the end of the kaoliang fields, night had fallen. Stars appeared in the dark blue sky, and in the west the evening star shone with unusual brilliance. The horse picked its way along the white ridges between the fields, so weary that its pace was slower than ever. Fortunately, at the horizon the moon began to shed its silver light.

“Confound it!” Yi, whose belly was rumbling now, lost patience. “The harder I try to make a living, the more tiresome things happen to waste my time.” He spurred his horse, but it simply twitched its rump and jogged on as slowly as before.

“It’s so late, Chang-ngo is sure to be angry,” he thought. “She may fly into a temper. Thank goodness I’ve this little hen to make her happy. I’ll tell her: ‘Madam, I went two hundred li there and back to find you this.’ No, that’s no good: sounds too boastful.”

Now to his joy he saw lights ahead and stopped worrying. And without any urging the horse broke into a canter. A round, snow-white moon lit up the path before him and a cool wind soothed his cheeks—this was better than coming home from a great hunt!

The horse stopped of its own accord beside the rubbish heap. Yi saw at a glance that something was amiss. The whole house was in confusion. Chao Fu alone came out to meet him.

“What’s happened? Where’s Wang Sheng?” he demanded.

“He’s gone to the Yao family to look for our mistress.” “What? Has your mistress gone to the Yao family?” Yi was too taken aback to dismount.

“Yes, sir.” Chao took the reins and whip.

Then Yi got down from his horse and crossed the threshold. After a moment’s thought he turned to ask:

“Are you sure she didn’t grow tired of waiting and go to a restaurant?”

“No, sir. I’ve asked in all three restaurants. She isn’t there.”

His head lowered in thought, Yi entered the house. The three maids were standing nervously in front of the hall. He cried out in amazement:

“What! All of you here? Your mistress never goes alone to the Yao family.”

They looked at him in silence, then took off his bow, the quiver and the bag holding the small hen. Yi had a moment of panic. Suppose, in anger, Chang-ngo had killed herself? He sent Nu-keng for Chao Fu, and told him to search the pond in the back and the trees. Once in their room, though, he knew his guess had been wrong. The place was in utter disorder, all the chests were open and one glance behind the bed showed that the jewel-case was missing. He felt as if doused with cold water. Gold and pearls meant nothing to him, but the elixir given him by the priest had been in that case too.

After walking twice round the room, he noticed Wang Sheng at the door.

“Please, sir, our mistress isn’t with the Yaos. They’re not playing mah-jong today.”

Yi looked at him and said nothing. Wang Sheng withdrew.

“Did you call me, sir?” asked Chao Fu, coming in.

Yi shook his head and waved him away.

He walked round and round the room, then went to the hall and sat down. Looking up he could see on the opposite wall the vermilion bow and arrows, the black bow and arrows, the crossbow, the sword and the dagger. After some reflection, he asked the maids who were standing there woodenly:

“What time did your mistress disappear?”

“She wasn’t here when I brought in the lamp,” said Nu-yi. “But no one saw her go out.”

“Did you see her take the medicine in that case?”

“No, sir. But she did ask me for some water this afternoon.”

Yi stood up in consternation. He suspected that he had been left alone on earth!

“Did you see anything flying to heaven?” he asked.

“Oh!” Nu-hsin was struck by a thought. “When I came out after lighting the lamp, I did see a black shadow flying this way. I never dreamed it was our mistress.…” Her face turned pale.

“It must have been!” Yi clapped his knee and sprang up. He started out, turning back to ask Nu-hsin: “Which way did the shadow go?”

Nu-hsin pointed with one finger. But all he could see in that direction was the round, snow-white moon, with its hazy pavilions and trees, suspended in the sky. When he was a child his grandmother had told him of the lovely landscape of the moon; he still had a vague recollection of her description. As he watched the moon floating in a sapphire sea, his own limbs seemed very heavy.

Fury took possession of him. And in his fury he felt the urge to kill. With eyes starting from his head, he roared at the maids:

“Bring my bow! The one with which I shot the suns! And three arrows!”

Nu-yi and Nu-keng took down the huge bow in the middle of the hall and dusted it. Together with three long arrows they handed it to him.

Holding the bow in one hand, with the other he fitted the three arrows to the string. He drew the bow to the full, aiming straight at the moon. Standing there firm as a rock, his eyes darting lightning, his beard and hair flying in the wind like black tongues of flame, for one instant he looked again the hero who, long ago, had shot the suns.

There was a whistle, one only. The three shafts left the string, one after the other, too fast for eye to see or ear to hear. They should have struck the moon in the same place, for they followed each other without a hair’s breadth between them. But to be sure of reaching his mark he had given each a slightly different direction, so that the arrows struck three different points, inflicting three wounds.

The maids gave a cry. They saw the moon quiver and thought it must surely fall—but still it hung there peacefully, shedding a calm, even brighter light, as if completely unscathed.

Yi threw back his head to hurl an oath at the sky. He watched and waited. But the moon paid no attention. He took three paces forward, and the moon fell back three paces. He took three paces back, and the moon moved forward.

They looked at each other in silence.

Listlessly, he leaned his bow against the door of the ball. He went inside. The maids followed him.

He sat down and sighed. “Well, your mistress will be happy on her own for ever after. How could she have the heart to leave me and fly up there alone? Did she find me too old? But only last month she said: ‘You’re not old. It’s a sign of mental weakness to think of yourself as old.…”

“That couldn’t be it,” said Nu-yi. “Folk still describe you as a warrior, sir.”

“Sometimes you seem like an artist,” put in Nu-hsin.

“Nonsense! The fact is, those noodles with crow sauce were uneatable. I can’t blame her for not being able to stomach them.…”

“That leopard skin is worn out on one side. I’ll cut a piece of the leg facing the wall to mend it. That will look better.” Nu-hsin walked inside.

“Wait a bit!” said Yi and reflected. “There’s no hurry for that. I’m famished. Make haste and cook me a dish of chicken with paprika, and make five catties of flapjacks. After that I can go to bed. Tomorrow I’m going to ask that priest for another elixir, so that I can follow her. Tell Wang Sheng, Nu-keng, to give my horse four measures of beans!”

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1. Yi or Hon Yi was a heroic archer in ancient Chinese legends.

2. A goddess in ancient Chinese mythology, supposed to be Yi’s wife. She took some drug of immortality and flew to the moon to become a goddess there.

3. Yi’s pupil and another good archer. This is a thrust at Kan Chang-hung, a young writer who was Lu Hsun’s pupil but later attacked him in his articles. The story of Feng Meng shooting Yi suggests Kan’s attack on Lu Hsun.s