FLEECING OF SHINO-SHIKO.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2627, 25 March 1912, Page 8

FLEECING OF SHINO-SHIKO.

Perhaps it is significant that the story of one of the oldest unco games in the world should come from China and have to do with treasure in Japan. Travellers who have bought expensive "jades" made of cleverly colored glass in the Chinese ports and have learned too late the intrinsic worth ofsome of the art treasures they gleaned in Japan will feel sympathy with the Emperor Shinoshiko, who once parted with half the jewels of his realm for a priceless gift from Japan and then didn't get even the bill of lading for his purchase. This ancient talc of a flimflam, as told by Japanese legend, centres about the misty shape of the Sacred Mountain, as do most folk tales of the island empire. It says that after Fuji-aan had been mysteriously wrought by the gods over night the fame of the holy mount spread westward, even to tha Court of the Emperor of China, Shinoshiko.

Now it happened that the Emperor Shino-shiko should have been satisfied with life, for lie had wealth, innumerable sons and all of the joys of life in the ancient days of Cathay. But, being human, he was not satisfied. He anticipated De Soto by several thousand years in the desire to find a fountain of youth: death walked ever at his elbow, a disagreeable companion. The Emperor offered bewildering rewards for the discovery of some elixir of immortality, and whenever a designing person came forward with a no'strtllll Shino-shiko eagerly gave it to a slave and then sat anxiously by while the poor wretch was decapitated to see witli his own eyes whether the sword could prevail against the prescription lor eternal life. It always did, and the Emperor grew more and more morose until, through daring voyages, the tale of the marvellous mountain in the eastern isles was brought to him. Their story had it that on top of the mountain was a spring of crystal water which was put: there by the gods that he who drank might live forever. It might be presumed that by this time the Emperor would have been sceptical, so many gold bricks had been handed to him and by him passed on to his slaves. Hut the Chinese ideographs for Shino-shiko spell easy mark and he fell for the latest importation of Japanese green goods. One Jo-Fuku, a priest of innocent demeanor, was the passer of the goods in this instance. He promised that he would, for a proper consideration, sail to the eastern isles and bring back enough of the mystic water to make the Emperor and all bis family immortal. The Emperor asked Jo-Fuku what it would cost to fetch some of this spring water from the holy mountain. Jo answered easily ♦hat in order to placate the gods of those far islands he would have to take a thousand each of the finest youths and most beautiful maidens in China and a couple of junk loads of gold and silver for good measure. Shino-shiko answered in his entbu siasm that the price for the spring water was small indeed and immediately the expedition was fitted out. Jo-Fuku, the confidence man. .sailed away with the two thousand of China's fairest children and the gold and silver and the Emperor's blessing. But ho never came back. Instead, according to legends, he established a colony in the fairest fields of Japan and thus instilled into the Japanese of future ages some modicum of his business acumen.

As for the Emperor Shino-shiko, when he realised that he had been deceived he burned all the learned books in his empire, taking pains to see to it that a learned sage was on top of each pile when the fire was applied.