Note 125 — XCIII. HIS FATHER’S GHOST.

Chinese dice are the exact counterpart of our own, except that the ace and the four are coloured red: the ace because the combination of black and white would be unlucky, and the four because this number once turned up in response to the call of an Emperor of the T‘ang dynasty, who particularly wanted a four to win him the partie. All letters, despatches, and such documents, have invariably something red about them, this being the lucky colour, and to the Chinese, emblematic of prosperity and joy. return to text