return to them. They met the (representatives of the) cats, because they devoured the rats and mice (which injured the fruits) of the fields, and (those of) the tigers, because they devoured the (wild) boars (which destroyed them). They met them and made offerings to them. They offered also to (the ancient Inventors of) the dykes and water-channels;—(all these were) provisions for the husbandry[1].
11. They said,—
"May the ground no sliding show,
Water in its channels flow,
Insects to keep quiet know;
Only in the fens weeds grow!"
They presented their offerings in skin caps and white robes;—in white robes to escort the closing year (to its grave). They wore sashes of dolychos cloth, and carried staffs of hazel,—as being reduced forms of mourning. In the kâ, were expressed the
highest sentiments of benevolence and righteousness.
- ↑ This and the other paragraphs down to 13 about the kâ sacrifice are not in the expurgated copies. It is difficult to understand what it really was. What is said of it leads us to think of it as a Chinese Saturnalia at the end of the year, when all the crops had been gathered in, and the people abandoned themselves to license and revel under the form of sacrificial services. "The Father of Husbandry" was probably Shǎn Nǎng, the successor of Fû-hsî; see vol. iii, pp. 371, 372. "The Superintendents of Husbandry" would be Hâu Kî and others, though Hâu Kî appears in the Shih as really the father of agriculture. "The overseer" occurs in the Shih (vol. iii, p. 371 et al.) as "the surveyor of the fields." The commentators, so far as I have read, are very chary of giving us any information about the offerings to "the cats and tigers." Kiang Kâo-hsî says, "They met the cats and tigers, that is, their spirits (迎貓虎，卽其神也)."
