The Three Principle Texts of Daoism translated by ... - Bad Request

gratification. The magician, however, condemned theKing's palace as mean, the cooking as rancid, and theconcubines as too ugly to live with. So King Mu had anew building erected to please him. It was built entirelyof bricks and wood, and gorgeously decorated in red andwhite, no skill being spared in its construction. The fiveroyal treasuries were empty by the time that the newpavilion was complete. It stood six thousand feet high,over-topping Mount Chung-nan, and it was calledTouch-the-sky Pavilion. Then the King proceeded to fillit with maidens, selected from Chêng and Wei, of themost exquisite and delicate beauty. They were anointedwith fragrant perfumes, adorned with moth-eyebrows,provided with jewelled hairpins and earrings, and arrayedin the finest silks, with costly satin trains. Their faceswere powdered, and their eyebrows pencilled, theirgirdles were studded with precious stones. All manner ofsweet-scented plants filled the palace with their odours,and ravishing music of the olden time was played to thehonoured guest. Every month he was presented withfresh and costly raiment; every morning he had setbefore him some new and delicious food.The magician could not well refuse to take up his abodein this palace of delight. But he had not dwelt there verylong before he invited the King to accompany him on ajaunt. So the King clutched the magician's sleeve, andsoared up with him higher and higher into the sky, till atlast they stopped, and lo! they had reached themagician's own palace. This palace was built with beamsof gold and silver, and incrusted with pearls and jade. Ittowered high above the region of clouds and rain, and