The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 2 (107 page)

10
. A . . . fisher: the phrase alludes to a most familiar pentasyllabic quatrain of the Tang poet, Liu Zongyuan
(773–819) in his depiction of fishing in winter snow. The poem says: “O’er thousand mountains bird flights had ceased. / On countless paths human tracks vanished. / Of one boat a coir-hatt ed oldie / In cold river snow alone he fished
,
,
,
.”

11
. Breaking a plum twig: an allusion to the story of one Lu Kai
(–501 CE?) of the Northern Wei during the Three Kingdoms period, who sent with his letter a twig of plum to his good friend Fan Hua
, stationed at the northwestern frontier (of
the
present Gansu province). The poem says: “Breaking the plum I met the mailman, / Which he’d to one at the frontier bring. / There’s nothing here in River South / For me to give save one sprig of spring
,
,
,
.”

12
. Penghu: another name for Penglai.

13
. Wang Xiang:
, one of the twenty-four persons in Chinese anecdotes famous for their exemplary acts of filial piety. Because his mother was fond of eating fresh carps even in the dead of winter, Wang went to a frozen pond and lay there until two carps leaped out. See
Jin Shu
,
j
33, in
Ershiwushi
2: 1175b.

14
. Guangwu:
, first emperor (25–58 CE) of the Later Han period. This is an allusion to the episode when Guangwu came upon a river during one of his expeditions. No boats were available, but the ice in the river drifted together and that was how he and his followers went across. See
Hou Han Shu
,
j
1, pt. 1, in
Ershiwushi
1: 0648a.