244
GEMS OF CHINESE LITERATURE
I punished all three according to law and to the great delight of the inhabitants of the district. As for the corpse, it was that of a drowned beggar, and no one came forward to claim it. However, as the pretended wife and son had worn sackcloth and carried funeral staves, interring the body with every outward demonstration of respect, the beggar’s soul must have had a good laugh over the whole affair down in the realms below.
