Drawing about her shoulders the yellow sash that denoted alliance
with royalty, the Princess Woo, without a moment's hesitation,
walked straight through the palace gateway, past the wondering
guards, and into the boundaries of the archery court.
Here the young Prince Kaou, an indolent and lazy lad of about her
own age, was cruelly goading on his trained crickets to a
ferocious fight within their gilded bamboo cage, while, just at
hand, the slaves were preparing his bow and arrows for his daily
archery practice.
Now, among the rulers of China there are three classes of
privileged targets--the skin of the bear for the emperor himself,
the skin of the deer for the princes of the blood, and the skin
of the tiger for the nobles of the court; and thus, side by side,
in the Imperial Archery School at Chang-an, hung the three
targets.
The girl with the royal sash and the determined face walked
straight up to the Prince Kaou. The boy left off goading his
fighting crickets, and looked in astonishment at this strange and
highly audacious girl, who dared to enter a place from which all
women were excluded. Before the guards could interfere, she
spoke.
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