Chinese Tales

• A spirit of the Wu-Lian mountain
• The two handsome scholars
• King Lui of Huai Nan
• The golden nugget
• She died

A spirit of the Wu-Lian mountain

The monster lifted him up in the air and carried him away. When they passed by a Buddhist temple in the hills, the scholar saw the figure of a god in golden armour at a distance in the clouds. The figure looked exactly like the image of Weto which was in the tower of the Buddhist temple. In its right hand figure in the clouds held an iron mace, while its left pointed toward the monster, and it looked at it with anger.

Then the monster let the scholar fall, right on top of the tower, and disappeared. It seemed that Weto had come to the scholar's aid, for his whole family used to celebrate Buddha and meditate at that temple.

When the sun rose the priest came and saw the scholar on his tower. He piled up hay and straw on the ground so that he could jump down without hurting himself. Then he took the scholar home. Yet where the monster had seized his hair, the hair remained stiff and unyielding. It did not improve till half a year had gone by.

[This legend comes from Dschungschong, west of the gulf of Kiautschou. The tower is named Weto (Sanskrit, Veda), for a legendary Boddhisatva of heaven. His picture, with drawn sword, may be found at the entrance of Buddhist temples.]

The two handsome scholars

Once there were two scholars, Liu Tschen and Yuan Dschau. Both were young and handsome. One spring day they went together into the hills of Tian Tai to gather healing herbs. There they came to a little valley where peach-trees blossomed lavishly on either side. In the middle of the valley was a cave where two maidens stood under the blossoming trees, one of them clad in red garments, the other in green. They were beautiful beyond all telling. They beckoned to the scholars with their hands.

"We have been waiting for you!" they said, led them into the cave and served them with tea and wine.

"I am meant for Liu," said the maiden in the red gown, "and my sister is for Yuan!"

Soon they were married. Every day the two scholars gazed at the flowers or played chess and forgot the mundane world completely. They only noticed that at times the peach-blossoms on the trees before the cave opened, and at others that they fell from the boughs. And, at times, unexpectedly, they felt cold or warm, and had to change the clothing they were wearing. And they marvelled that it should be so.

Then, one day, they were overcome by homesickness. Their wives were already aware of it. "When our men have been seized with home sickness, we may hold them no longer," said they.

Next day they prepared a farewell banquet, gave the scholars magic wine to take along with them and said:

"We will meet again. Now go your way!"

The scholars bade them farewell with tears.

When they reached home the gates and doors had long since vanished, and the people of the village were all strangers to them. They crowded about the scholars and asked who they might be.

"We are Liu Tschen and Yuan Dschau. A few days ago we went into the hills to pick herbs!"

With that a servant came hastening up and looked at them with great joy and cried to Liu Tschen: "Yes, you are really my master! Since you went away and we had no news of any kind about you, some seventy years or more have passed."

Then he drew the scholar Liu through a high gateway, ornamented with bosses and a ring in a lion's mouth, as is the custom in the dwellings of those of high estate. And when he entered the hall, an old lady with white hair and bent back, leaning on a cane, came forward and asked: " What man is this?"

"Our master has returned again," replied the servant. And then, turning to Liu he added: "That is the mistress. She is nearly a hundred years old, but fortunately is still strong and in good health."

Tears of joy and sadness filled the old lady's eyes.

"Since you went away among the immortals, I had thought that we should never see each other again in this life," said she. "What great good fortune that you should have returned after all!"

And before she had ended, the whole family, men and women, came streaming up and welcomed him in a great throng outside the hall. And his wife pointed out this one and that and said: "That is so and so, and this is so and so!"

When the scholar had disappeared there had been only a tiny boy in his home, but a few years old. And he was now an old man of eighty. He had served the empire in a high office, and had already retired to enjoy his old age in the ancestral gardens. There were three grand-children, all celebrated ministers. There were more than ten great-grand-children, and five of them had already passed their examinations for the doctorate. There were some twenty great-great-grandchildren, and the oldest of them had just returned home after having passed his induction examinations for the magistracy with honour. And the little ones, who were carried in their parents' arms, were not to be counted. The grand-children, who were away, busy with their duties, all asked for leave and returned home when they heard that their ancestor had returned. And the girl grand-children, who had married into other families, also came.

This filled Liu with joy, and he had a family banquet prepared in the hall, and all his descendants, with their wives and husbands sat about him in a circle. He himself and his wife, a whitehaired, wrinkled old lady, sat in their midst at the upper end. The scholar himself still looked like a youth of twenty years, so that all the young people in the circle looked around and laughed.

Then the scholar said: "I have a means of driving away old age!"

And he drew out his magic wine and gave his wife some of it to drink. And when she had taken three glasses, her white hair gradually turned black again, her wrinkles disappeared, and she sat beside her husband, a handsome young woman. Then his son and the older grand-children came up and all asked for a drink of the wine. And whichever of them drank only so much as a drop of it was turned from an old man into a youth. The news was spread and came to the emperor's ears. The emperor wanted to call Liu to his court, but he declined with many thanks. Yet he sent the emperor some of his magic wine as a gift. This pleased the emperor greatly, and he gave Liu a tablet of honour, with the inscription:

"The Common Home of Five Generations."

Besides this he sent him three signs which he had written with his own imperial brush, signifying, "Joy in longevity."

As to the other of the two scholars, Yuan Dschau, he was not so fortunate. When he came home he found that his wife and child had long since died, and his grand-children and great-grand-children were mostly useless people. So he did not remain long, but returned to the hills. Yet Liu Tschen remained for some years with his family, then taking his wife with him, went again to the Tai Hills and was seen no more.

[This tale is placed in the reign of the Emperor Ming Di (58-75 CE). Its motive is that of the legend of the Seven Sleepers, and is often found in Chinese fairy tales.]

King Lui of Huai Nan

King Lui of Huai Nan was a learned man of the Han dynasty. Because they were related, the emperor had given him a kingdom in fee. The king cultivated the society of scholars, could interpret signs and foretell the future. Together with his scholars he had compiled a book which bears his name.

One day eight aged men came to see him. They all had white beards and white hair. The gate-keeper announced them to the king. The king wished to try them, so he sent back the gate-keeper to put difficulties in the way of their entrance.

Accordingly the gate-keeper said to them: "Our king is striving to learn the art of immortal life. You gentlemen are old and feeble. How can you be of aid to him? It is unnecessary for you to pay him a visit."

The eight old men smiled and said: "Oh, and are we too old to suit you? Well, then we will make ourselves young!" And before they had finished speaking they had turned themselves into boys of fourteen and fifteen, with silk black hair and faces like peach-blossoms.

The gate-keeper was frightened, and at once informed the king of what had happened. When the king heard it, he did not even take time to slip into his shoes, but hurried out barefoot to receive them. He led them into his palace, had rugs of brocade spread for them and beds of ivory set up, fragrant herbs burned and tables of gold and precious stones set in front of them. Then he bowed before and told them how glad he was that they had come.

The eight boys changed into old men again and said:

"Do you wish us to teach you, king? Each one of us is master of a particular art:

One of us can call up wind and rain, cause clouds and mists to gather, rivers to flow and mountains to heave themselves up, if he wills it so.

The second can cause high mountains to split asunder and check great streams in their course. He can tame tigers and panthers and soothe serpents and dragons. Spirits and gods do his bidding.

The third can send out doubles, transform himself into other shapes, make himself invisible, cause whole armies to disappear, and turn day into night.

The fourth can walk through the air and clouds, can stroll on the surface of the waves, pass through walls and rocks and cover a thousand miles in a single breath.

The fifth can enter fire without burning, and into water without drowning. The winter frost cannot chill him, and the summer heat cannot burn him.

The sixth can create and transform living creatures, if he feels inclined. He can form birds and beasts, grasses and trees. He can transplace houses and castles.

The seventh can bake lime so that it turns to gold, and cook lead so that it turns to silver; he can mingle water and stone so that the bubbles effervesce and turn into pearls.

The eighth can ride on dragons and cranes to the eight poles of the world, converse with the immortals, and stand in the presence of the Great Pure One."

The king kept them beside him from morning to night, entertained them and had them show him what they could do. And, true enough, they could do everything just as they had said. And now the king began to distil the elixir of life with their aid. He had finished, but not yet imbibed it when a misfortune overtook his family. His son had been playing with a courtier and the latter had heedlessly wounded him. Fearing that the prince might punish him, he joined other discontented persons and excited a revolt. And the emperor, when he heard of it, sent one of his captains to judge between the king and the rebels.

The eight aged men spoke: "It is now time to go. This misfortune has been sent you from heaven, king! Had it not befallen you, you would not have been able to resolve to leave the splendours and glories of this world"

They led him on to a mountain. There they ascended into the skies in bright daylight. The footprints of the eight aged men and of the king were imprinted in the rock of the mountain, and may be seen there still. Before they had left the castle, however, they had set what was left of the elixir of life out in the courtyard. Hens and hounds picked and licked it up, and all flew up into the skies. In Huai Nan to this very day the crowing of cocks and the barking of hounds may be heard up in the skies, and it is said that these are the creatures who followed the king at the time.

One of the king's servants, however, followed him to an island in the sea. From there he was sent back, and he told that the king himself had not yet ascended to the skies, but had only become immortal and was wandering about the world.

When the emperor heard of the matter, he regretted greatly that he had sent soldiers into the king's land and thus driven him out. He called in magicians to aid him, in the hope of meeting the eight old men himself. Yet, even though he spent great sums he was unsuccessful.

The golden nugget

On a bright, beautiful day in early spring Kim and Pao set out for a stroll together, for they were tired of the city and its noises.

"Let us go into the pine forest," said Kim lightly. "There we can forget the cares that worry us; there we can breathe the sweetness of the flowers and lie on the moss-covered ground."

"Good!" said Pao, "I, too, am tired. The forest is the place for rest."

Happily the two friends passed along the winding road, their eyes turned in longing toward the tree-tops as they drew nearer and nearer to the woods.

"For thirty days I have worked over my books," sighed Kim. "For thirty days I have not had a rest. Oh, for a breath of the pure air blowing through the greenwood."

"And I," added Pao sadly, "have worked like a slave at my counter and found it dull. It is good, indeed, to get away for some time."

Now they came to the border of the grove, crossed a little stream, and plunged headlong among the trees and shrubs. For many an hour they rambled on, talking and laughing merrily; when suddenly on passing round a clump of flower-covered bushes, they saw a lump of gold shining in the pathway directly in front of them.

"See!" said both, speaking at the same time, and pointing toward the treasure.

Kim, stooping, picked up the nugget. It was nearly as large as a lemon, and was rather heavy. "It is yours, my dear friend," said he, at the same time handing it to Pao; "yours because you saw it first."

"No, no," answered Pao, "you are wrong, friend, for you were first to speak. Now you have been rewarded you for all your faithful hours of study."

"Repaid me? Are not the wise men always saying that study brings its own reward? No, the gold is yours: I insist on it. Take it," said Kim laughingly. "May it be the nest egg you may hatch out a great fortune from."

Thus they joked for some minutes, each insisting that it belonged to the other. At last, the chunk of gold was dropped in the very spot where they had first found it, and the two comrades went away, each happy because he loved his friend better than anything else in the world. Thus they turned their backs on any chance of quarrelling, and it never occurred to them that they could easily split the nugget in half to have equal shares.

"It was not for gold that we left the city," exclaimed Kim warmly.

"No," replied his friend. "One day in this forest is worth a thousand nuggets."

"Let us go to the spring and sit down on the rocks," suggested Kim. "It is the coolest spot in the whole grove."

When they reached the spring they were sorry to find the place already occupied. A countryman was stretched at full length on the ground.

"Wake up, fellow!" cried Pao, "there is money for you near by. Up the path over there a golden apple is waiting for some man to go and pick it up."

Then they described to the unwelcome stranger the exact spot where the treasure was, and were delighted to see him set out in eager search.

For an hour they enjoyed each other's company, talking of all the hopes and ambitions of their future, and listening to the music of the birds that hopped about on the branches overhead.

At last they were startled by the angry voice of the man who had gone after the nugget. "What trick is this you have played on me, you two? Why do you make a poor man like me run his legs off for nothing on a hot day?"

"What do you mean, fellow?" asked Kim, astonished. "Did you not find the gold we told you about?"

"No," he answered in a tone of half-hidden rage, "but in its place was a monster snake which I cut in two with my blade. Now, I was first on this spot and you have no right to give me orders."

Kim said to him, "We thought we were doing you a favour. If you are blind, there's no one but yourself to blame. Come, Pao, let us go back and have a look at this wonderful snake that has been hiding in a chunk of gold."

Laughing merrily, the two companions left the countryman and turned back in search of the nugget.

"If I am not mistaken," said the student, "the gold lies beyond that fallen tree."

"Quite true; we shall soon see the dead snake."

Quickly they crossed the remaining stretch of pathway, with their eyes fixed intently on the ground. Arriving at the spot where they had left the shining treasure, what was their surprise to see, not the lump of gold, not the dead snake described by the idler, but, instead, two beautiful golden nuggets, each larger than the one they had seen at first.

Each friend picked up one of these treasures and handed it joyfully to his companion.

"At last the fairies have rewarded you for your unselfishness!" said Kim.

"Yes," answered Pao, "by granting me a chance to give you something you deserve."

She died

When she died her son too had wasted away after long years where he had been withough almost all former freedom. When at last he recovered somewhat, he said to his sister: "Through thirty years' of care through which I have worked away my prosperity, I have become interested in disorder; it seems to me to be the only way in which I can get some ridiculous comfort in the years ahead."

His sister admonished him, "Kindness always pays."

He said, innocently, "How can I recognise it if it happens?"

She sighed, "Innocence means no harm. The pay? Wherever you may be, when favours come for free."

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Literature  



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