. The mythology of all races. FlG. 53. Ho HsiEN-KU mortals presented a scroll to Hsi Wang Mu on which wereseventy-six characters written by Lao Tzu. The scroll itselfwas made of a silk fabric which had been found by one of thefairies, naturally woven. The seventy-six characters were setout in stars and the tassels were made of threads cut from therainbow. The guests were waited upon by the five daughtersof Hsi Wang Mu and were persuaded to drink deeply. Thefairy Lan Tsai-ho sang a dancing song. When the sumptuous 130 CHINESE MYTHOLOGY celebration was ended the Eight Immortals left for their ho
. The mythology of all races. FlG. 53. Ho HsiEN-KU mortals presented a scroll to Hsi Wang Mu on which wereseventy-six characters written by Lao Tzu. The scroll itselfwas made of a silk fabric which had been found by one of thefairies, naturally woven. The seventy-six characters were setout in stars and the tassels were made of threads cut from therainbow. The guests were waited upon by the five daughtersof Hsi Wang Mu and were persuaded to drink deeply. Thefairy Lan Tsai-ho sang a dancing song. When the sumptuous 130 CHINESE MYTHOLOGY celebration was ended the Eight Immortals left for their homesthoroughly intoxicated. This is one of the earliest accounts ofthe Eight Immortals. The wine which the Immortals drank is called celestialwine {t^ien-chiu). Those who drank of it became more in-telligent and quick-witted. In reality this wine was a sweet. Fig. 54. Ho Hsien-ku, Chang Kuo heavenly dew {kan-lu). The Shen I King narrates that therewas a man living on the other side of the North-west Sea whodrank five gallons of this wine dailyj and no wonder, for he issaid to have been two thousand U (about six hundred miles) inheight. There is another kind of wine which is scented, andthe drinking of which is associated with the flying of kites onthe ninth day of the ninth moon. This wine is made from thestems and leaves of the aster, which are allowed to ferment and SUPERNATURAL BEINGS 131 are said to be ripe for drinking on the ninth day of the ninthmoon of the following year. A tale is told of Fei Chang-fang,of the Han dynasty, that a disciple of his followed his advice togo to the hills to drink aster-scented wine and to fly kites on thisday. On returning home he found that all his domestic animalshad met a violent death, and he knew that if he had not fol-
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