IN
the reign of K'ang Hsi, there was a magician who carried about with
him a wooden box, in which he had a dwarf not much more than a foot
in height. When people gave him money he would open the box and bid
the little creature come out. The dwarf would then sing a song and go
in again. Arriving one day at Yeh, the magistrate there seized the
box, and taking it into his yamen asked the dwarf whence he came. At
first he dared not reply, but on being pressed told the magistrate
everything. He said he belonged to a respectable family, and that
once when returning home from school he was stupified by the
magician, who gave him some drug which made his limbs shrink, and
then took him about to exhibit to people. The magistrate was very
angry and had the magician beheaded, himself taking charge of the
dwarf. He was subsequently very anxious to get him cured, but unable
to obtain the proper prescription.
小人
康熙間，有術人攜一榼，榼中藏小人，長尺許。投以錢，則啟榼令出，唱曲而退。至掖，掖宰索榼入署，細審小人出處。初不敢言；固詰之，始自述其鄉族。蓋讀書童子，自塾中歸，為術人所迷，復投以藥，四體暴縮；彼遂攜之，以為戲具。宰怒，殺術人。留童子，欲醫之，尚未得其方也。
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