Chen Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Tree (mù) 榻 Kangxi stroke count: 14 Page 545, Entry 09 Pronounced ta. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to a bed. Composed of the elements for head covering and feather. In the Collection of Jade (Yupian), a bed that is narrow and long is called a ta. In the Definitions of Names (Shiming), it is described as being low and close to the ground like a quail. In the Biography of Xu Zhi from the Book of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu), it is noted that Chen Fan did not host guests while serving in the commandery, but would specifically set out a ta for when Xu Zhi visited. It also refers to a type of fabric. In the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of the Merchant Princes, it mentions one thousand shi of ta fabric and leather. In the Book of Han (Hanshu), Notes on Pronunciation and Meaning, it states that ta fabric is white cotton cloth. Pronounced te (approximate). From the poem on Tengwang Pavilion by Su Shi: My heart is startled by the gathering of fish and dragons, my eyes follow the wild geese as they disappear. You, sir, are a Confucian from the Lu state, and the office contains the ta of Xu Ru.