The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-11-20
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A PRETTY LEGEND
The story Told by the Figures ,n,
scapes on Old Willow Pattern Chi ''na'

5 "So' N"iJ 'nousands OF yoar |
ago, when the moon was vonnn
though China was old, there iva, q
illustrious Mandarin, who had an on,1
daughter named Li-Chi, more bo,r.;
full than all the stars of heaven, H.,
father intending her to marry som'
great and rich noble like himself kan
her shut up in his country palace, sitp'
ated in the midst of Il beautiful ro.
den and walled in with a high bamJoo
fence. The gardener was a yonpc m.'
named Chang, and was so very hama
some, with his long, almond-sbanaa
eyes, his light shining skin, and hi,
pigtail of extraordinary length, tina,
the fair Li-Chi. peeping through he,
bamboo lattice and beholding him =,
work, straigbtway fell in love with
him. So one day, when he was train.
ing some roses near her window
she looked out and slyly dropped
at his feet a choice sweetmeet
in return for which he climbed tbn
lattice and stuck a rose through tba
Stats. When he that night went to SEQ
his mother, who lived on an island IN
the river, he told her of bis adventure
and bewailed that, as 4 poor and
humble gardener, he could never aspire
to marry the lordly Mandarin daugh
ter, though she loved him and he loved
her. But the mother, who was u clever
and ambitious woman, and, next to
wishing to be rich, desired of all thing;
to see her son happy, encouraged him
to WOO and marry the fair Li.Chi, #
possible. She herself reared silk,worm,
on her little island, and spun silk ir
the Mandarin's daughter; and the yer
next time that she carried this silk to
the fair lady, she took the opportunity
of secretly informing her of how be,
son w~orshipped her shadow, and kissed
the very tracks which her little totter.
ing club feet had left on the garden
walks. And so in time a plan. was ar.
ranged whereby Li-Chi was on d Ger.
tain night to elope with her lover
being sure, as her prospective step
mother impressively urged, to bring
with her a box full of her fathers gold
and jewels, in order that they might
all three live together in comfort. The
mother would hide the maiden and the
money in her hut on the island, where
none would ever dream of looking for
them; and the Mandarin should be
made to believe that a robber had
stolen the money and that his daughter
had drowned herself.
This plan was carried out in so ia:
as that the lovers succeeded in cscap-
ing unseen through the garden and to
the bridge, bearing between them, sus-
pended on a stout bamboo pole, a
casket full of good money and costly
jewels. But it SO happened that just
as they stepped upon the bridge, at the
other end of which Changes estimable
mother awaited them, the illustrious
Mandarin awakened from his sleep,
and turning his face to the open door.
way beheld to his horror his only
daughter running away with n low
born gardener and his own box Of
money! Selling Il stout whip the Man
DARN rushed after, and overtaking the
couple on the bridge, grasped Chang
by the pigtail, twisted it around his
throat and choked and beat
him until he was senseless. when
he ended by throwing him int
the river. where he Immediately
sunk. Poor Li-Chi, witnessing her
lovers cruel fate, at once sprang into
the water after him, and was also
drowned. Strange to say, the bodies
could never be found. but neal the
spot where they sunk a beautiful vii.
low tree magically upsprang, and
stretching its dropping arms above the
water, sighed day and night a mourn
full dirge for the departed lovers. In
its branches, after awhile, a couple OF
turtle doves appeared, and built nest;
and there they would bill and coo the
Iivelong day, secure from molestation'
For, of course, every body knew that
these were the souls of the unfortunate
lovers, whom the gods had thus merci-
fully transformed, and reunited in
eternal youth and happiness.
Old willow pattern china, of genu'
inc Chinese manufacture, is now much
sought after as bric-a-brac; and those
who own a piece will. perhaps, feel
more interest in it, from knowing the
legend which it illustrates. 80 VIDE