Story #7

I decided to add this story to my collection in honor of adventure, true love and magic.  What more could a girl ask for!
I adapted my text from The Jeweled Sea: A Book of Chinese Fairy Tales.  For full bibliographical reference please click here.
Beautiful Image Coming Soon.
 
 

A long time ago in China, there lived a bright young boy named Kwang-Su.  His mother and father loved him very much.  Kwang-Su's parents wanted to protect him from harm and they knew that young children were vulnerable to the evil spirits called Genii.  In order to protect her son, Kwang-Su's mother worked bright red ribbons into his hair everyday until he was no longer a  young boy, but a full grown man.

At this time, Kwang-Su was accepted as a student of the wisest and most respected teacher, Shun-Che.  Kwang-Su had always respected his elders, was patient with other children, and kind to everyone he came into contact with.  His reputation followed him as he went through his studies and trials with his master Shun-Che.  Kwang-Su learned his lessons well and continued to help those around him.  He was the favorite and most beloved of Shun-Che's pupils.

One day Shun-Che told Kwang-Su that it was time for him to return home because the wise old man had taught the bright young man everything he knew.  Kwang-Su protested at first, disbelieving that he could ever know everything his master knew, but he conceded when Shun-Che reminded him that it was his duty to return to serve his parents in their old age.

As Kwang-Su was preparing to leave he told his master that he was actually excited to see the beautiful Golden Bridge on his way home.  As he was saying this, his master stopped him and told him that he must take the Indigo Bridge on his way.  Shun-Che told him that it was on this bridge that he would meet his future wife.

Early the next morning, Kwang-Su set out on his way home.  The journey was long and by the time he reached the Indigo Bridge, he was tired.  He decided to stop and rest before crossing the bridge.  It wasn't long after he made himself comfortable, laying down underneath a shade tree, that he drifted of to sleep.  During his blissful sleep, he had a vivid dream.  In his dream, a beautiful woman came to him and told him that she was meant to be his wife.  Kwang-Su asked her how she could know such a thing, and she told him to look at his ankle.  When Kwang-Su looked down he saw a cord tied around his ankle with a long tail that was attached at the other end to the ankle of the beautiful woman.  She told Kwang-Su that they were tied together at birth.  The cord showed that they were meant to be together forever.  Kwang-Su asked the woman to tell him her name so that he could find her outside the dream world.  She told him her name was Ling-Ling and Kwang-Su immediately woke up.

After waking from the dream and his restful slumber, Kwang-Su went on his way, wondering if he would ever really meet the beautiful woman named Ling-Ling.  He was still far from home when he saw a small house outside the nearest town.  He was very thirsty and decided to stop if anyone appeared to be home.  As he approached the house he saw a beautiful young woman tending the small garden.  When she saw him coming she rose quickly and asked if she could be of some assistance.  He was so impressed by her beauty that he forgot that he was thirsty and impulsively asked her name.  She blushed and told him that her name was Ling-Ling.  Kwang-Su remembered the dream and knew immediately that they were destined to be together.  He told Ling-Ling about the dream and she revealed to him that it was indeed her that came to him in the dream.  Then she told him that it was very important that he ask her mother for permission to marry her quickly because there was a rich and powerful old man who also desired to marry her.

Kwang-Su went directly to Ling-Ling's mother, exclaimed his love for Ling-Ling and asked for permission to marry her.  The old woman was greedy, she had always hoped that her daughters marriage would make her life more comfortable and she knew of that the rich old man desired to marry her daughter.  The old woman was also smart and she realized that even if she denied Kwang-Su the right to marry her daughter that he would not give up, so she decided to stop him another way.  She told Kwang-Su that the only way she would allow him to marry her daughter was if he was able to bring her a pestle and mortar made of jade, to replace her broken one.  Kwang-Su asked where he might find such a thing.  The old woman smiled and told him of the one place where he could find a pestle and mortar made of jade,  the mountain of the Genii, above the Jeweled Sea.  When Ling-Ling's mother revealed the location of the pestle and mortar, Kwang-Su was very discouraged.  He told her that the task was impossible because no man could ever cross the rivers in between them and the mountain above the Jeweled Sea.
The old woman quickly told him that he was wrong and gave him magical red seeds to throw into each river.  She told him that these seeds would shrink each river so that he would be able to cross them easily.  Kwang-Su was encouraged and set out on his new journey full of hope.

On his way he passed through the town of his birth to quickly visit his parents and tell them of his plan.  His mother was still very protective of her son and knew that the Genii would be angry if he shrunk all of the rivers that protected them from the outside world.  She gave him white seeds to throw in each of the rivers on his way home.  These seeds would make the rivers return to their original sizes.

Once again, Kwang-Su was on his way.  His journey went just as Ling-Ling's mother had said it was until he arrived at the top of the mountain, where the Genii lived.  As he approached the Genii he saw the jade pestle and mortar the old woman had spoken of, but too his dismay, it was as large as a house and impossible for any man to carry.  Then he looked down at the beautiful sea, much too his suprise he saw avery kind of jewel and treasure lying on its floor.  This time, when he looked back at the Genii, he had a plan.  First he asked the Genii if he could have the pestle and mortar.  In reply they laughed at him and told him that if he would make the rivers return to their original size, that he could not only have the pestle and mortar but he could also fill it with as much treasure from the sea as long as he could carry it down the mountain. The Genii's thought they had given Kwang-Su an impossible task, but they were wrong. With the Genii's approval he quickly filled the mortar with jewels. When he had finished, the Genii watched in disbelief as he tossed one of the red seeds into the mortar and it shrunk down until Kwang-Su was able to carry it down the mountain in his palm.

Kwang-Su rushed backed to Ling-Ling as quickly as he could, but when he arrived he saw that the wedding party had begun.  He looked and looked for Ling-Ling and finally found her crying beneath a tree, hiding from all the guests.  When she saw Kwang-Su, her heart leapt with joy.  She threw her arms around him, then she saw that Kwang-Su was crying.  She asked him what could possibly be wrong, and he told her that he was so sorry that he had returned too late to stop her from marrying the rich old man.  Then she looked at Kwang-Su and told him that he was right on time, the marriage had not yet taken place, she was crying because she could not imagine living without him.  Then Kwang-Su showed Ling-Ling's mother the pestle and mortar made of jade and gave her part of the treasure to satisfy her greediness.  And Kwang-Su and Ling-Ling lived happily ever after- together.