Re-forming again, they rushed on at full speed,
Charging madly the troops led by Old Centipede; *
The carnage was dreadful, cut, parry, and thrust.
And many a brave Centipede bit the dust.

They next put the Hornets and Wasps to the rout;
Dead bodies on all sides were scattered about.

The Scorpions bravely defended the corse,

And three times repulsed the ferocious Frog Horse ;
Each Scorpion making good use of his tail—

Their courage, alas! was of little avail;

Every charge of the Frogs in their ranks left great gaps;
One by one they went down some rapacious Frog's chaps.
Overpowered at length, they all turned tail and fled,
And left on the ground many wounded and dead;
These the Frogs ate at leisure, and soon swallowed all,
Including the bier, corpse, coffin and pall;

Then retired to their pool, which they quickly regained,
And once more o'er the battle-field deep silence reigned.
Not a vestige, when dawn first appeared in the east,
Remained of the Funeral, Battle, or Feast.

*. Probably the "royal centipede" is here

meant.

THE INSECTS' PROPHECY,

OR

THE DEATH OF KING PA.*

Closely pressed by his foes in the darkness of night, Faint and weary King Pa still continued his flight; His troops had been scattered and slain in the strife, He, alone, and a fugitive, fled for his life.

He reached the Black River and paused there to rest,
Looking hopelessly out on its dark turgid breast;
When, chancing to cast round his eyes, he espied
A boat safely moored to a bush near his side.

* Han Hsin, the general by whom the troops of King Pa, E, were defeated, is said previously to have written the prophecy-with honey-probably anticipating such result as the above from the well-known superstition of his opponent. The insects were naturally attracted to the stone by the honey, and unconsciously formed with

He leaped in the boat and, propelled by an oar,
The frail bark was soon far away from the shore;
Here at least he was safe, for his foes would not dream
He was, thanks to the boat,-far away down the
stream.

He felt safe when once out on the river's broad face, He could drift off unseen, leaving no sign or trace; Being weary and sleepy he lay down and slept, While noiselessly on with the tide the boat swept.

As if led there by fate-dawn scarcely had broke,
When the boat neared an island, King Pa too awoke ;-
Gazed round for a moment, then seizing an oar,
He rapidly guided the boat to the shore.

He leaped on the bank, no mortal was near,

But what made King Pa's ruddy face blanch with fear ; On a large rock before him these words caught his

eye;

"At the mouth of the Black River King Pa will die!"

their bodies the living words of the prophecy EŚ Z , Pa-wang wu-chiang-sang (by rights the character k'ou "mouth" should follow after chiang), as seen by King Pa, which playing on his superstitious fears induced him to commit suicide. Some say he did so by cutting his throat.

It is said that King Pa was so strong that he could blow the tiles off the roof of a house (力吹房上).