Produced by Barry Abrahamsen and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RICE PAPERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RICE PAPERS BY H. L. NORRIS “EXERCISE YOUR FACULTIES OF SEEING, AND YOU WILL GET GOOD THINGS TO EAT” Chinese Proverb LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY 1905 All rights reserved ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TO THE COMMODORE AND OFFICERS OF H.M.S. “TAMAR” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THESE stories possess the merit of not being true, nor are they necessarily founded on fact; they were written during three years’ service in China, and their conception served to more or less pleasantly while away many hours. If they afford the reader as many pleasant minutes, they will have well fulfilled their purpose. To those whose ideas of a Chinaman are gathered from the good-natured, doddering idiot as he is so often represented on the stage, he is here shown in a different form, however inadequate the portrayal may be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS TO EXPLAIN 1 I. THE STORY OF FUNG WA CHUN 19 II. FENG SHUEY 51 III. THE BACKSLIDING OF LAO 79 IV. THE PUNISHMENT OF HONG 107 V. BONE OF MY BONE 129 VI. THE MELANCHOLY MAGISTRATE OF FOH LIN 155 VII. THE HUNCHBACK’S PIETY 183 VIII. HOO, THE DAUGHTER OF TAK WO 209 IX. KWA NIU’S DERBY 235 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RICE PAPERS TO EXPLAIN