The Chinese Ki-lin

My attempt to escape what had turned into a pathetic lifestyle had started out as I had not expected.  I was given a chance to learn about something I had never heard of before right there in my own backyard, that something being The Unicorn Tapestries.  It wasn't that they had any life-changing impact on me.  As a matter of fact, I don't know why the tapestries meant so much to me, but maybe I will find out some day.  The next step of my voyage proved not to be disappointing.  I headed off to China not knowing exactly why I chose that destination, but I think it was a subconscious attempt to get as far away from my old life as possible.  I landed in Beijing and was ready to start touring to keep my mind occupied.  I made use of the public transportation, which took me to the Forbidden City, the first on my list of things to see.  As I entered through the Meridian Gate I came upon an immense courtyard with five bridges built over golden water.  I later found out that the five bridges represented the five Confucian virtues of humanity, sense of duty, wisdom, reliability, and ceremonial propriety.  This was not the only exposure I had to facts about Confucius.  As I was walking about the compound I came across a pair of huge gilded qilin (one of the many names of the Chinese Unicorn) found outside the Palace of Compassion, Ci Ning Gong.  I understood that this palace was the residence of the Qianlong emperor's mother and the qilin were placed there by him in her honor. 
I continued my tour back in the courtyard.  There was something so serene and calming about being there that I couldn't stand to be away from it.  As I was taking in all the beauty surrounding me, I closed my eyes as I felt a soft breeze blow my way.  Suddenly, I heard the sweetest of sounds.  It was as if I was surrounded by a thousand chimes, but there were none.  When I opened my eyes I saw that I was being watched by a peculiar-looking, ancient monk.  He approached me and asked me if I was okay because I looked somewhat confused.  I replied:

"I thought I heard something.  It sounded like a thousand wind chimes singing the most delicate and sweet music, but I don't see any.  Did you hear anything of the sort?"

"No," he replied.  "But I do know what made such a beautiful sound that you were so honored to hear.  It is the magical Ki-lin."

"What is a Ki-lin and how in the world does it sound like that?" I asked.

"The Ki-lin is what you Americans call the Unicorn.  It is a Chinese Unicorn said to have first been seen in the year 26917 B.C., in the palace of Emperor Hoang-ti, appearing as a truthful prophet of national happiness," the monk answered.

He continued:

"The Ki-lin is said to have the head of a dragon with one horn, the mane of a lion, the body of a small stag, and the tail of an ox.  Although, it carries different forms.  It is yellowish under the belly and is multi-colored, having all five of the most beautiful and perfect colors known to the Chinese: red, yellow, blue, white, and black.  It is said that the Ki-lin walks so softly that its hooves don't make a sound.  This is believed to be so because it was so softhearted it did not want to crush the blades of grass beneath its feet," said the monk.

He saw that he had my full attention so he decided to tell me a story to prove the existence and importance of the Ki-lin.

"In Chinese culture the Unicorn is said to show itself only on important occasions, and was a sign of good times to follow.  An example of this occurred when a Unicorn appeared on the day of the birth of the great philospher Confucius.  Before that day a young woman known as Ching-tsae had been walking for quite a while over long distances.  The traveling wearied her so she stopped to rest in an ancient temple.  She found a cool, dark corner and was on the verge of falling asleep when from behind the altar a Unicorn appeared.  Ching-tsae was not frightened, however, as most people would have been for like all Chinese, she knew the Unicorn was a good sign.  Instead, she asked him why she had been so honored with his presence and what was his purpose being there with her.  At that moment the Unicorn placed in her hand a piece of jade, which he had stored in his mouth.  Tired from his magical journey, he then proceeded to place his head gently in Ching-tsae's lap where he lay for several hours while she stroked his head.  Suddenly, as if she was hallucinating, Ching-tsae saw the air shimmer like water as it became saturated with the smell of cinnamon.
After several hours of rest Ching-tsae was rejuvenated and ready to continue on with her journey.  She was in a dilemma though because she did not want to leave the presence of the gorgeous Unicorn, but she had to return to her husband.  In an attempt to leave the Unicorn with something to remember her by, Ching-tsae tied a white ribbon she had taken from her hair around the horn of the Unicorn.  Then he vanished into thin air as if he had never paid a vist.
When Ching-tsae presented the jade stone to her husband he noticed that on one side of the smooth stone was a carving of an inscription.  It read: "The son of the essence of water shall succeed to the withering Chou (the ruler at the time) and be a throneless king."
Not understanding what that meant, Ching-tsae returned several times to the temple, hoping to see the Unicorn again, but he never returned.  
The following winter Ching-tsae gave birth to a baby boy.  She named him Confucius.  From the start the child revealed an unusual wisdom.  Confucius made use of his talent and became a great teacher and philospher.  In fact, he was so great he became a "king without a throne," making real the inscription written on the jade stone.  It is said that in his later years Confucius saw the Unicorn with his own eyes and knew his presence was a sign of his coming death," said the old monk, ending the story.

In his final words to me, the monk said:

"If you find this story beyond the believable, know that legend has it that seventy years after the birth of Confucius a group of hunters came across a Unicorn and killed it only to find a piece of white ribbon tied around its horn."

With the arrival of that same warm breeze, the monk disappeared and left in his place the sound of a thousand chimes, singing the most delicate song I had ever heard.


Author's Note:

I combined several different facts I found while researching to create this story.  The story within the story I found on a website and more-or-less paraphrased it.  This story is basically a continuation of her travels as we (the readers) follow her to all the locations she visits.  In this particular story, we see things from her point of view as she explains what she is doing and describes some of what she sees.  Also,  the story within the story is being told from the point of view of the monk.  I made sure to bring in magical elements (like the wind chimes) attributed to the Unicorn into reality.  This technique is similar to the one I used in the first story when I had Juliet actually become part of the tapestries.  As in the first story the Chinese Ki-lin symbolizes a lot of things I didn't mention just yet, things that could really have an impact on our central character.  I will reveal those aspects at the end of my Storybook when Juliet finds out just why she has seen so many Unicorns. 

Bibliography:

"Chinese Unicorns" (author unknown)
Website: Chinese Unicorns
Weblink:  http://www.lair2000.net/Unicorn_Dreams/Types_of_Unicorns/Chinese/Chinese_Unicorn.html

 

"The Forbidden City" by: Allison (?)
Website: The Forbidden City (a tour)
Weblink: http://www.stuebegreen.com/wonderland/photos/fc/pix0.html

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