Part 5

The widow's son knew he had heard without price the wisdom for which his two friends would each have to pay two puns of gold, so he quietly turned the elephant and returned home.

"I will buy your words of wisdom, if you will sell them," said the judge to the widow's son.

"For two puns of gold I will sell them," answered the widow's son.

"Two puns of gold will I give thee," said the judge.

"'If you wish to know others, sleep. If you wish to see, go and look,'" said the widow's son, when he had in his possession the two puns of gold.

The judge, desiring to test the truth of the words, as he understood them, called unto him his four wives, and said, "I am not well. Give me water to drink, and fan me." Soon he seemed to be asleep, and his wives talked thus together in low voices:

"It is not pleasant to be the wife of this foolish man," said the first.

"I like another man better," said the second.

"I wish I could steal his goods and flee while he sleeps," said the third.

"I would like to make him a savory dish with poison in it to kill him," said the fourth.

Then the judge sprang up and cruelly punished his wives and put them in chains.

And upon another day, the judge arose early and went out to see how his slaves worked. Under the house, hunting for something, he saw a man.

"What do you seek?" asked the judge.

"I have just stolen from the judge all of his silver, and, in trying to get it through a small opening, I broke my finger-nail. If I do not find it, the judge will die and all his possessions will be destroyed, for, as thou knowest, ever is it thus, if a finger-nail falls near a house."

When the man had found the broken nail, the judge said, "I, who stand here, am the judge. I will but take from you the silver which you have stolen and no punishment shall be yours, because of the truth which you have told." Then the judge said to himself, "The two puns of gold was a small price to pay for the wisdom which I have obtained."

20: A fabulous "City of Wisdom."

21: A pun--about 3 lbs. avoir.

A Wise Philosopher

As a rich trader journeyed to another province, he rested by the road under a tree, and, as he sat there, a poor young man approached and asked that he might accompany him.

"Come," said the trader, and, as they journeyed, they came to a place where there were many stones, indeed there was naught else to be seen.

"Here are there no stones," said the poor young man.

"You are right, here are no stones," replied the trader.

Soon they reached the shade of a large forest, and the young man said,

"Here are no trees."

"You are right, here are no trees," the trader assented.

When they reached a large village, the poor young man said,

"Here are no people."

"You are right," spake the trader, but he wondered what manner of man might he be who knows nothing and has neither eyes nor ears. However, as he returned home and the poor young man begged to accompany him, he agreed and took him with him.

And, as they approached the trader's home his daughter called, "O father, what have you brought?"

"Nothing but this foolish young man," answered the trader.

"Why do you call him a fool?" asked the daughter. "By his appearance and manner I would judge he were the god of wisdom come down in man's form."

"I can see no wisdom in one who, when he can see but stones, says, 'There are no stones here,' or, when he is in the forest, says, 'Here are no trees,' or, when in the midst of a populous village, says, 'There is no man here,'" replied the trader.

"He meant, where the stones were all about, that none were precious; where the forest was, that there was no teak, no wood good for man's use; and, where the village was, there were no people, as the people had all fallen away from the religion of Buddha, living but as beasts and making no merit for the future life," argued the daughter.

"If you esteem him so highly, take him for your husband," said the trader.

"If your daughter will have me as her husband, ever will I endeavor to make the path on which she treads smooth and beautiful for her feet," cried the poor young man.

They were married and lived happily, and, upon a time, the head chow summoned the trader to come watch his house during the night. Greatly was the trader troubled. "I shall die this night," cried the trader.

"Why shall you die, my father?" asked the son-in-law, in great concern.

"The chow has called me to watch this night and for some time past he has killed all who have watched for him; an evil spirit has possessed him and he loves to punish with death the watchmen, for, he falsely says they sleep and he has them killed but to satisfy the spirit in him," answered the trader.

"I will watch in thy stead," said the son-in-law. And fearlessly did he go to the chow's, and, when midnight was come and the chow descended secretly to see if the watchman slept, lo, the young man prayed aloud for the god of wisdom to come teach him what to do. The chow, hearing the sound of voices, listened, and heard one voice say, "The brave and the strong govern themselves, then have they the power to govern others. The wise make themselves loved because they are good and true, and are served by others through love and not through fear," and another voice steadily repeated the words. Three times during the night came the chow. Each time the voice was speaking and being answered, and, lo, when the eye of day opened in the East, the chow was found possessed of a kind and loving spirit and no longer desired to destroy his people. The young son-in-law of the trader was made a leader of the people, for the chow declared unto all that the spirit of the god of wisdom dwelt in the young man's heart, and, it came to pass that the whole land was blessed because one young man had learned of the god of wisdom.

The Boys Who Were Not Appreciated

Once there were two brothers. The elder watched and tended the younger during the day, while their mother went to labor for food. It had happened that the father had died, and the mother had taken another husband who ever sought to teach the mother to dislike and neglect the brothers.

And it fell upon a day that the children waited and watched for their mother's return until they were hungry, for all day had they had no food. When the eye of day closed, they sought food and found some green fruit. This they ate and then lay down to sleep.

Long after darkness had settled, came the mother and her husband home, and the mother cooked rice which they sat down to eat.

Awakened by the odor of the rice, the children heard the talking, and the elder led his younger brother to his mother and begged food, but the husband said, "Do not give them of our food," and the mother beat them and drove them from home. The elder brother carried his little brother back to sleep under the house, but even thence were they driven. At last they sought and found shelter with a neighboring widow, who gave them mats to sleep on. As the eye of day opened, the two children set out to find a new home. For many days did they walk, and upon an evening they found a _sala_ near the chief city of another province. There they slept. In the morning the elder boy sought food, and behold, he saw two snakes wrestling under the _sala_. Both were wounded. One, however, killed the other and then left it and ate some grass growing near, and, lo, immediately the snake was whole as before. Waiting only until the restored snake had gone, the boy gathered some of the grass, and put it in the mouth of the dead snake, and forthwith it came to life and blessed the boy. Gathering more of the grass, the boy returned to his brother and they both ate of it and were strengthened.

Not long after, a servant of the chow of the neighboring province came to the _sala_, and the boys asked, "For whom is the mourning in the city?" The servant replied, "The young daughter of the chow; and the chow mourns. If any one will restore her unto life, the chow declares, unto him will he give half of his province and goods."

Eager to try the wonderful grass, the boy carried his young brother and some of the grass even unto the chow's house, where he sought permission to restore the child with the grass. Gladly the chow consented. The boy placed the magic grass in the maiden's mouth, and immediately she came to life. Full of joy, the chow shared his province and goods with him and even gave his daughter in marriage, as promised.

And upon a day after they had lived happily a long time in that province and had grown wise and strong, the two young men thought of their mother, and said, "We will go and visit her and her husband."

They made ready joints of bamboo and closed them, after having filled them with gold, in such a way that no one could see the gold. When all was ready, with a great number of elephants and servants, they returned to their native province.

On reaching their home, they gave of the bamboo joints to their friends and relatives, one each, but to their mother and her husband, gave they five of the largest joints, and two of the largest gave they to the kind widow.

"The bamboo makes fine firewood," they said to their mother. "Cut it up and burn it."

The mother and her husband were angry and would not speak to the sons who had brought but wood as a gift, and sorrowfully they returned to the other province.

Upon a day the widow visited the mother and urged that she cut the bamboo joints.

"Your sons say that the bamboo makes a good firewood. Where is yours?" the widow asked.

The mother replied, "It is outside. Our children came from a great distance and brought to us but this firewood. We shall never touch it."

But the widow urged, "I would believe and trust the love of my children. I beg that you cut up the wood." At last they did so, and when the husband cut into the joints, lo, he found them all gold. Then ran they both to find the sons to thank them, but they were already too far distant. Unable to endure their remorse, there the mother and her husband died on the wayside.

The Magic Well

The chow of a large province lay ill. All the doctors of many provinces were summoned, but none could aid him, nor could any understand his malady. Lying in his house one day, an old man begged he might see him, saying he had a message from the spirits. Brought into the presence of the chow, the old man said, "Last night, as I lay on my bed, I had this vision. A spirit came to me and touched me and led me to the river's brink. There I saw a boat prepared for my use. I entered the boat and it was rowed swiftly by unseen hands down the stream. After a little time, it stopped at the foot of a tall mountain. Up this the spirit led me, and through which was no path. We journeyed until we reached the mountain's top. On its summit were two great walls of rock, and between the walls was a gate, looking like a gate which led into a city. Leading me to the other side of the mountain, the spirit bade me ascend the rock where the foot of man had never before trod, and, far up in the face of the rock, I saw a small opening, like the mouth of a well. I lay down and stretched my arm to its full length, but failed to reach the bottom of the opening. By the side of this opening, on looking more closely, I beheld a cup tied to the end of a staff. With the cup I dipped pure water from the well. About to drink of the water, the spirit restrained me and commanded I should come to thee and tell thee this water, and this water alone, would heal thee. Therefore have I come, O prince, to lead thee unto this place."

The prince did not doubt him, but commanded the boats be prepared for his use. Taking with him a large retinue of servants, and guided by the aged man, they departed in search of the health-restoring well.

After just such a journey as the man had described, at his bidding, the boats landed at the foot of a tall mountain, where he led them unerringly upward, although no path could be seen; the chow, leaning on the arms of two strong men, followed.

There indeed were the walls of rock and the gateway, as the guide had described, and, after a long and weary climb, they reached the opening in the rock.

Taking the staff of the chow and binding his golden drinking-cup thereto, the aged man dipped from the well and gave it to the prince to drink. Having drank of the water, and having poured it on his head and hands, the chow was healed of his sickness, and was as a new man. And to this day, the water is used for the healing of the people.

X Strange Fortunes of Strange People

The Fortunes of Ai Powlo

Once upon a time a father and mother had a wicked son whose name was Ai Powlo. One day, while in the rice fields together, the father sent the son to his mother with a message. Instead, however, of delivering the message, Ai Powlo said his father had been eaten by a tiger. Leaving his mother in great distress, he returned to the rice fields and told his father that both his mother and the house were burned, and, for three days, did the father mourn for his wife, as he lay in the watchhouse.

While the father was mourning, Ai Powlo moved his mother and the house to a new place and then sought his father, saying, "I saw a woman in a new house by the stream who resembles my mother. Would you like her for a wife?"

"If my son seeks her for me, I would be thankful," replied the father.

Going to his mother, Ai Powlo said, "I have a man who would make thee a good husband. He would work in the rice fields. Will you take him for a husband?"

Thinking of the work, the mother said, "I will. Go, bring him to me, my son."

Lo, when the father and mother met, they recognized one another, and they knew their crafty son had deceived them!

As Ai Powlo fled from the wrath of his mother and father, he journeyed many days, and, upon a day it happened he stole some pork from a Chinaman. Taking the pork, he sought the rice fields and there he saw an old man at work. Running up to him, he called, "Father, do you not hunger for some pork? I have some to share with you."

"I do, my son," replied the old man.

Together they went to the watchhouse to cook the pork, but found no pot there.

"Whilst I make a fire, go thou, my son, to my house and ask my wife for a pot."

"Your husband wants you to give me all the money in the house, as he has heard of an elephant which he can buy now," said Ai Powlo to the wife.

The wife refused to give it to him and Ai Powlo called to the husband, who sat by the watchhouse waiting for the pot, "She will not give it to me." The old man called back, as he was hungry for the pork, "Give it to him. Make haste," and receiving all their store, Ai Powlo fled into another province.

Upon a day, as Ai Powlo walked by the highway, he saw four bald-headed men pouring water on their heads to cool themselves. Running up to them, he said, "I know a medicine which will make the hair grow. Rub your heads until the skin is broken, whilst I make the medicine."

Taking some red peppers, he pounded them to a soft paste, put some salt in it, and then handed it to the four simple-minded old men, who had already rubbed their heads until they bled.

Having used the medicine, they suffered great pain and would have killed Ai Powlo, but he fled and took refuge with the chow, to whom he said, "I saw four old men on the way, who butted their heads together, trying to see which could overcome the other. All have much strength, and their heads are scratched and bleeding." Even as Ai Powlo spoke to the chow, the chow espied the men, and, when they came up, he commanded them, saying, "If you are able thus to wrestle for your own pleasure, you can wrestle for my pleasure." Not daring to disobey the command of the chow, the men painfully wrestled. While they struggled, Ai Powlo, fearing their wrath, fled, and as he fled, he fell into a deep stream and was drowned.

* * * * *

Many years after, two fishermen were fishing in the stream, and as they drew in the net, they found not a fish, but a skull, and lo, the skull both laughed and mocked!

As the fishermen talked together of the curious skull, a man with a boat-load of goods approached, and they called to him, asking, "Did you ever see a skull which laughed and mocked?"

"Never did I see such a skull, nor ever will I believe there is such a thing," replied the man.

"If we show you such a skull, what will you give unto us?" asked the fishermen.

"All the goods in my boat," laughingly answered the man.

On beholding the skull, which, of a truth did both laugh and mock him, the boatman forfeited his goods, but, in his anger, he cut the skull and broke it into pieces, and, of these pieces he made dice with which to gamble, and was it not fitting, as Ai Powlo, whose skull it was, in life had but deceived, and ever done evil?

The Fortunes of a Lazy Beggar

Once upon a time a man lived who was never known to work. When the neighbors grew weary supplying him with food, he sought the forest, and lay down under a fig-tree so the ripe fruit might drop into his mouth. Often, when the food fell out of his reach, he would suffer hunger, rather than make an effort.

It fell upon a day that a stranger passed that way, and the lazy man asked him to please gather some fruit and put it into his mouth, as he hungered. The wily stranger gathered a handful of earth and put it into his mouth, as he lay there with his eyes even closed. Tasting the earth, the lazy man was angry, and he threw figs after the retreating impostor, who ran away mocking him.

Days after, a ripe fig fell into a stream near by and, floating down the stream, was seen and eaten by the daughter of a chow. Delicious to the taste, she grew dissatisfied with all other fruit and vowed that, from henceforth, she would eat of no other fruit, and that the man who had thrown the one beautiful fig should be her husband.

Angered by such a caprice, her father urged her to be guided by his judgment. Unable to restrain her, and, hoping to turn her desire elsewhere, the chow made an elaborate feast and bade all the people of the province to it. But, among all was not the one who had thrown the fig into the stream.

"Is there not yet a man who has not come to the feast?" asked the chow.

"None save the lazy beggar who lies at the fig-tree," they said.

"Bring him hither," commanded the chow, determined to have his daughter see what manner of man she was selecting as her husband.

Too lazy to walk, the lazy man was carried into the presence of the chow and his guests.

Ashamed that his daughter sought such as her husband, and would have no other, as it was supposed that the lazy man alone had thrown the fig into the stream, and he was too lazy to deny it, the chow had a boat built for their use and commanded that they be floated down the stream to the sea. This he did, hoping his obstinate daughter and her lazy husband might be lost to the world forever.

All day long the boat drifted; all day long spake the princess not one word to her husband, nor would she have aught to eat. Fearing she would not live, if she did not eat, the beggar made a fire to cook some rice for her. Lazy as ever, he put but two stones under the kettle, and it tottered.

"I cannot endure your lazy ways. Put three stones under the kettle," cried his wife.

The husband did so, glad she had spoken to him.

And when the boat had drifted many days, it came to a place where once there had been a large rice field and there it remained.

While the princess stayed in the boat, the once indolent beggar labored day after day in the rice fields that they might live; moreover, he had learned to love his princess wife.

When the god, who looks to men's deeds, from his home in the sky saw the man no longer loved his ease more than all else, but would toil for his wife, he said within himself, "the man deserves reward." So he called to him six wild monkeys from his woods, and gave into their care six magic gongs, telling them to go beat them in the rice fields where the husband toiled.

The husband heard the monkeys and the clanging of the gongs, but, at last, unable to endure the noise, finally caught the monkeys and secured the gongs. He then threatened to kill the monkeys, but they plead that they were sent, by the god who looks to men's deeds, with the gongs as a reward for his merit. "Having seen your efforts to provide for your wife, who loves not you, he sends you these gongs. If you strike this one, you will grow beautiful; that one, you will have wisdom. Another gives you lands and servants, and, another, if struck while holding it in your hands, will cause people to do you reverence as though you were a god," they told the man.

Having permitted the monkeys to go, he beat the gong of beauty, and his body grew straight and tall, also his face became most pleasant to look upon. Beating the gong of power, and taking the others with him, he sought his wife. She did not recognize him, and would have done him reverence, but he said, "Do me no reverence. I am thy husband," and he told her of the god's reward. When she heard of the magic gongs, she entreated him to return to her father that he might forgive her for not having heeded his counsel.

Through the magic gongs, had they wealth, power and all benefits the gods could bestow, and the father loved them, and indeed gave his son-in-law power above all the princes in his province. And the once lazy man thought within himself: "In former times the people derided me as a lazy man, because I would not work, now that I am possessed of wealth, they do me reverence; yet behold I am as lazy as ever, for I open my mouth and food is ready for my use. Thus it is, that when a poor man does not work, he is called a lazy beggar, but when a prince, or rich man, does not work, he has power, and people do him reverence."

The Misfortunes of Paw Yan

Upon a day, Paw Yan[22] said to his wife, "Today I shall build a watch-tower in the rice fields."

"You will need four posts about the size of our children here," replied the wife.

Taking the four children with him to the rice fields, Paw Yan dug four post holes and made the children stand in them. Then he packed the earth about their feet to make them firm, took the beams and laid them on their shoulders, tied them in place, and went for more bamboo to finish the watch-tower.

The eye of day had closed in the West, yet the husband and the children returned not, so the wife, in distress, sought them in the fields, and, lo, when she reached them, there stood the four children as posts for the watch-tower.

"Know you not anything? I said take four posts the size of our children," cried the wife.

And upon another day did Paw Yan attempt to build the tower, but so utterly did he fail that his wife said, "While I build the watch-tower you gather the food for the pigs, and, when the eye of day closes, give it to them."

Paw Yan watched until the eye of day was about to close, but forgot to gather the food for the pigs, so he took all the rice, which was the food for the family, and went out to the pigs. He called, "Ow, ow, ow,"[23] and the pigs ran about trying to find the food, but Paw Yan forgot to throw it to them, for, while he stood there, he saw ants running down the trunk of a tree, and he could think of nothing else. "That's an easy way to get down a tree," thought Paw Yan. "I'll try it," and, throwing the rice aside, he climbed the tree, and, head first, started down, but fell to the ground and broke his neck!

22: Paw Yan--a blunderer.

23: Ow--take.

An Unfortunate Shot

There was once a poor man too ill to work, and he had no one to give him food. The chow of the province heard of him and sent for him to come to his house.