a lad named kong hia chiang, who lived with his parents among the mountains, understood the language of the birds. one twilight, as he sat at his books, a flock of birds alighted on a tree before his window and sang:
"kong hia chiang, on the southern plain a sheep awaits you by a heap of stones,— a fine fat wether, that the dogs have slain; you eat the flesh and we will pick the bones!"
kong hia chiang went and brought in the torn sheep and cooked it during the night. the next morning a shepherd came and said that one of his sheep was missing; he had found blood on the meadow, had followed the trail, and it had brought him to that house. kong hia chiang acknowledged that he had brought in the sheep, but declared that the dogs had killed it, and that its death and the place where it might be found had been made known to him by birds. his story was considered to be an impudent fabrication, and he was haled away to prison.
while he was awaiting his trial before the magistrate, a bird, flying eastward, perched on the wall, saw him, and piped:
"foes approach the western border, banners, bows, and spears in order, while the gate lacks watch or warder."
kong hia chiang thereupon so vehemently besought his jailer to inform the magistrate of the imminent danger of invasion through the unprotected western pass, that the jailer, though wholly incredulous, decided to test his power of comprehending the utterances of birds. he took some rice, soaked a part of it in sweetened water, and a part in brine, and then spread
the whole on the roof of a shed into which he brought kong hia chiang, and asked him if he knew why so many birds were chirruping overhead. kong hia chiang at once replied that those on the roof were hailing those that were flying past, and saying:
"call a halt; call a halt; here is rice fresh and white; half is sweet, half is salt; stop a bit; take a bite."
the jailer was at once convinced that the prisoner understood the speech of birds, and therefore hastened to the magistrate to report the warning and the test. the magistrate sent a swift courier to notify the military officers, and a scout was sent out to the west. he soon confirmed the message of kong hia chiang, and troops were dispatched to strengthen the garrison at the pass, the invaders thereby being successfully repelled. the great service rendered to the country by kong hia chiang was acknowledged by his sovereign, who afterward made use of his remarkable talent, invited him to study with the princes, and eventually raised him to a high rank among the nobles of the empire.
