Erle Stanley Gardner 
The Case of the Backward Mule 

Chow Koh Koh was a Chinese philosopher who rode his mule backwards. He claimed it made no difference where he was going. All that counted was what he did along the way. Terry Clane thought this a serene and comforting way of life. He liked it so much that he bought a small statue of Chow Koh Koh riding his mule, and gave it to his fiancée as a gift. That was Clane’s mistake. Instead of a good luck symbol, it proved an omen of evil. For within a short time, Clane’s favourite young lady was up to her neck in murder. And Clane’s beloved statue of the peaceful and fatalistic Chow Koh Koh was covered with the blood of the killer’s victim!