Dong Yong and the Heavenly Weaver

In the curious commentary on that holy book of Lao-tseu called Kan-ing-p'ien, there is a little story so old that the name of its first teller has been forgotten for a thousand years. Yet it is so beautiful that it still lives in the memory of four hundred million people, like a prayer that, once learned, is forever remembered.In the quaint commentary accompanying the text of that holy book of Lao-tseu called Kan-ing-p'ien may be found a little story so old that the name of the one who first told it has been forgotten for a thousand years, yet so beautiful that it lives still in the memory of four hundred millions of people, like a prayer that, once learned, is forever remembered. The Chinese writer makes no mention of any city nor of any province, although even in accounts of the most ancient traditionsin the relation of the most ancient traditions such an omission is rare; we are only told that the name of the hero of the legend was Tong-yong, and that he lived in the years of the great dynasty of Han, some twenty centuries ago.

Tong-Yong's mother had died while he was still an infantwhile he was yet an infant; and when he became a youth of nineteen years his father also passed away, leaving him utterly alone in the world, with nothing to live on. His father had been very poor and had made great sacrifices to educate the boy. He had not been able to save even one copper coin of his earnings.his father also passed away, leaving him utterly alone in the world, and without resources of any sort; for, being a very poor man, Tong's father had put himself to great straits to educate the lad, and had not been able to lay by even one copper coin of his earnings. And Tong lamented greatly to find himself so pennilessso destitute that he could not honor the memory of that good father by having the customary rites of burial performed, and a carved tomb built on a site thought to bring good fortunea carven tomb erected upon a propitious site. The poor only are friends of the poor; and among all those whom Tong knew, there wasamong all those whom Tong knew; there was no one able to assist him in paying for the funeraldefraying the expenses of the funeral. In one way only could the youth obtain money,—by selling himself as a slave to some rich cultivator; and this he at last decided to do. In vain his friends did all they could to persuade him not to do it. They tried to delay his sacrifice with tempting promises of future help, but these were no use either.In vain his friends did their utmost to dissuade him; and to no purpose did they attempt to delay the accomplishment of his sacrifice by beguiling promises of future aid. Tong only replied that he would sell his freedom a hundred times, if it were possible, rather than allow his father's memory to remain unhonored even for a short timerather than suffer his father's memory to remain unhonored even for a brief season. And furthermore, trusting in his youth and strengthconfiding in his youth and strength, he determined to put a high price upon his enslavementhis servitude,—a price which would enable him to build a handsome tomb, but which it would be almost impossiblewell-nigh impossible for him ever to repay.

Accordingly he went to the broad public square where enslaved people and debtors were offered for salehe repaired to the broad public place where slaves and debtors were exposed for sale, and seated himself upon a bench of stone, with a sign fastened to his shoulders, stating the terms ofhaving affixed to his shoulders a placard inscribed with the terms of his enslavementhis servitude and the list of his qualifications as a laborer. Many who read the characters on the signupon the placard smiled disdainfully at the price asked, and passed on without a word; others lingered only to question him out of simple curiosity; some offered him empty praisesome commended him with hollow praise; some openly mocked his unselfishness, and laughed at his supposedly childish devotion to his fatherhis childish piety. Thus many hours wearily passed, and Tong had almost despaired of finding a master, when there rode up a high official of the province,—a grave and handsome man, master of a thousand slaveslord of a thousand slaves, and owner of vast estates. Reining in his Tartar horse, the official halted to read the signto read the placard and to consider the value of the slave. He did not smile, or advise, or ask any questions; but having observed the price asked, and the fine strong limbs of the youth, purchased him without delaywithout further ado, merely ordering his attendant to pay the sum and to see that the necessary papers were made out.

Thus Tong found himself enabled to fulfil the wish of his heart, and to have a monument built which, although of small size, was destined to delight the eyes of all who saw it, designed by gifted artists and carved by skilful sculptorsthe eyes of all who beheld it, being designed by cunning artists and executed by skilful sculptors. And while it was still only a designAnd while it was yet designed only, the pious rites were performed, the silver coin was placed in the mouth of the dead, the white lanterns were hung at the door, the holy prayers were recited, and paper shapes of all the things the dead man might need in the land of spirits were burned in a sacred firepaper shapes of all things the departed might need in the land of the Genii were consumed in consecrated fire. And after the geomancers, who chose fortunate sites, and the necromancers, who sought messages from the dead,the geomancers and the necromancersExplanation: Brief definitions preserve the two practices named by Hearn, without presenting their powers as established fact. had chosen a burial-spot which no unlucky star could shine upon, a place of rest which no demon or dragon might ever disturb, the beautiful chih, or tomb monument, was builtthe beautiful chih was builtExplanation: Hearn’s glossary defines chih as a tomb or tombstone.. Then was the paper money offered to the deadthe phantom moneyExplanation: Explains the paper offerings, without turning them into real money. strewn along the way; the funeral procession departed from the dwelling of the dead, and with prayers and lamentation the body ofthe mortal remains of Tong's good father was carried to the tombwere borne to the tomb.

Then Tong entered as a slave into the service of his purchaser, who gave him a little hut to live in. There Tong brought the wooden tablets bearing his ancestors’ names. To show devotion to his family, he must burn incense before them each day and perform the tender duties of family worship.who allotted him a little hut to dwell in; and thither Tong carried with him those wooden tablets, bearing the ancestral names, before which filial piety must daily burn the incense of prayer, and perform the tender duties of family worship.

Three times spring had perfumed the breast of the land with flowers. Three times the festival of the dead called Siu-fan-ti had been celebrated. Three times Tong had swept and decorated his father's tomb and presented his fivefold offering of fruits and meats.Thrice had spring perfumed the breast of the land with flowers, and thrice had been celebrated that festival of the dead which is called Siu-fan-ti, and thrice had Tong swept and garnished his father's tomb and presented his fivefold offering of fruits and meats. The period of mourning had passed, yet he had not ceased to mourn for his parent. The years revolved with their moons, bringing him no hour of joy, no day of happy rest; yet he never lamented his enslavementhis servitude, or failed to perform the rites of ancestral worship,—until at last the fever of the rice-fields laid strong hold upon him, and he could not rise from his bedhe could not arise from his couch; and his fellow-laborers thought him destined to die. There was no one to look after him, no one to care for his needs, because slaves and servants were fully occupiedThere was no one to wait upon him, no one to care for his needs, inasmuch as slaves and servants were wholly busied with the duties of the household or the labor of the fields,—all departing to toil at sunrise and returning weary only after the sundown.

Now, while the sick youth slumbered the fitful slumber of exhaustion one hot, humid noonone sultry noon, he dreamed that a strange and beautiful woman stood by him, and bent above him and touched his forehead with the long, fine fingers of her shapely hand. And at her cool touch a weird sweet shock passed through him, and all his veins tingled as if thrilled by new life. Opening his eyes in wonder, he saw bending over him in realityhe saw verily bending over him the charming being of whom he had dreamed, and he knew that her supple handher lithe hand really caressed his throbbing forehead. But the flame of the fever was gone, a delicious coolness now penetrated every fibre of his body, and the thrill of which he had dreamed still tingled in his blood like a great joy. Even at the same moment the eyes of the gentle visitor met his own, and he saw they were strikingly beautifulsingularly beautiful, and shone like splendid black jewels under brows curved like the wings of the swallow. Yet their calm gaze seemed to pass through him as light through crystal; and a vague awe came upon him, so that the question which had risen to his lips remained unspokenfound no utterance. Then she, still caressing him, smiled and said: "I have come to restore your strength and to be your wife. Rise and worship with me.""I have come to restore thy strength and to be thy wife. Arise and worship with me."

Her clear voice had tones melodious as a bird's song; but in her gaze there was a commanding power which Tong felt he dared not resistthere was an imperious power which Tong felt he dare not resist. Rising from his bedRising from his couch, he was astounded to find his strength wholly restored; but the cool, slender hand which held his own led him away so swiftly that he had little time for amazement. He would have given years of existence for courage to speak of his misery, to explain that he had no way of supporting a wifeto declare his utter inability to maintain a wife; but something irresistible in the long dark eyes of his companion forbade him to speak; and as though his innermost thought had been understoodhis inmost thought had been discerned by that wondrous gaze, she said to him, in the same clear voice, "I will provide." Then shame made him blush at the thought of his wretched appearance and ragged clotheshis wretched aspect and tattered apparel; but he observed that she too was poorly dressedshe also was poorly attired, like a woman of the people,—wearing no ornament of any sort, nor even shoes upon her feet. And before he had yet spoken to her, they came before the ancestral tablets; and there she knelt with him and prayed, and pledged herself to him with a cup of wine, brought from he knew not wherepledged him in a cup of wine,—brought he knew not from whence,—and together they worshipped Heaven and Earth. Thus she became his wife.

A mysterious marriage it seemed, for neither on that day nor at any future time could Tong venture to ask his wife the name of her family, or where she had come fromor of the place whence she came, and he could not answer any of the curious questions which his fellow-laborers put to him concerning her; and she, moreover, never uttered a word about herself, except to say that her name was Tchi. But although Tong had such awe of her that while her eyes were upon him he was as one having no will of his own, he loved her unspeakably; and the thought of his bondagehis serfdom ceased to weigh upon him from the hour of his marriage. As through magic the little dwelling had become transformed: its poverty was hidden by charming paper ornaments, dainty decorations created out of nothing by that pretty magic of which woman alone knows the secret.its misery was masked with charming paper devices,—with dainty decorations created out of nothing by that pretty jugglery of which woman only knows the secret.

Each morning at dawn the young husband found a well-prepared and generous meala well-prepared and ample repast awaiting him, and each evening also upon his return; but the wife all day sat at her loom, weaving silk in a way unlikeafter a fashion unlike anything which had ever been seen before in that province. For as she wove, the silk flowed from the loom like a slow current of glossy gold, carrying on its ripplesbearing upon its undulations strange forms of violet and crimson and jewel-green: shapes of ghostly horsemen riding upon horses, and of phantom chariots drawn by dragonsphantom chariots dragon-drawn, and of banners of trailing cloudstandards of trailing cloud. In every dragon's beard glimmered the mystic pearl; in every rider's helmet sparkled the gem of rank. And each day Tchi would weave a great piece of such patterned silksuch figured silk; and the fame of her weaving spread abroad. From far and near people thronged to see the marvellous work; and the silk-merchants of great cities heard of it, and they sent messengers to Tchi, asking her that she should weave for them and teach them her secret. Then she wove for them, as they desired, in return for the silver cubes which they brought her; but when they begged her to teach themthey prayed her to teach them, she laughed and said, "Surely I could never teach you"Assuredly I could never teach you, for no one among you has fingers like mine." And indeed no one could make out her fingersno man could discern her fingers when she wove, any more than he might seehe might behold the wings of a bee vibrating in swift flight.

The seasons passed, and Tong never lacked anything he neededTong never knew want, so well did his beautiful wife fulfil her promise,—"I will provide"; and the cubes of bright silver brought by the silk-merchants were piled up higher and higher in the great carved chestthe great carven chest which Tchi had bought for the storage of the household goods.

One morning, at last, when Tong, having finished his mealhaving finished his repast, was about to depart to the fields, Tchi unexpectedly asked him to stayTchi unexpectedly bade him remain; and opening the great chest, she took out of it and gave him a document written in the official characters called li-shu. And Tong, looking at it, cried out and leaped in his joy, for it was the certificate that freed him from slaverythe certificate of his manumission. Tchi had secretly purchased her husband's freedom with the price of her wondrous silks!

"You will work no more for any master," she said, "but only for yourself. And I have also bought this home, with everything in it, and the tea-fields to the south, and the mulberry groves nearby—all of which are yours.""Thou shalt labor no more for any master," she said, "but for thine own sake only. And I have also bought this dwelling, with all which is therein, and the tea-fields to the south, and the mulberry groves hard by,—all of which are thine."

Then Tong, overwhelmed with gratitude, would have bowed to the ground in worship before her, but she would not allow it.Then Tong, beside himself for gratefulness, would have prostrated himself in worship before her, but that she would not suffer it.

Thus he was made free; and prosperity came to him with his freedom; and whatever he gave to the sacred earth was returned to him a hundredfoldwhatsoever he gave to the sacred earth was returned to him centupled; and his servants loved him and blessed the beautiful Tchi, so silent and yet so kindly to all about her. But the silk-loom soon remained untouched, for Tchi gave birth to a son,—a boy so beautiful that Tong wept with delight when he looked upon him. And thereafter the wife devoted herself wholly to the care of the child.

Now it soon became clearit soon became manifest that the boy was not less wonderful than his wonderful mother. When he was three months oldIn the third month of his age he could speak; in the seventh month he could repeat by heart the proverbs of the sages, and recite the holy prayers; before the eleventh month he could use the writing-brush with skill, and copy in shapely characters the teachings of Lao-tseuthe precepts of Lao-tseu. And the priests of the temples came to see him and talk with himto behold him and to converse with him, and they marvelled at the charm of the child and the wisdom of what he said; and they blessed Tong, saying: "Surely this son of yours is a gift from the Master of Heaven, a sign that the immortals love you. May your eyes see a hundred happy summers!""Surely this son of thine is a gift from the Master of Heaven, a sign that the immortals love thee. May thine eyes behold a hundred happy summers!"

It was the eleventh month of the lunar calendarIt was in the Period of the Eleventh MoonExplanation: Moon denotes a lunar month, not the eleventh full moon of a character’s lifetime.: the flowers had passed away, the perfume of the summer had flown, the winds were growing chill, and in Tong's home the evening fires were lighted. Long the husband and wife sat in the mellow glow,—he speaking much of his hopes and joys, and of his son that was to be so grand a man, and of many plans he had as a fathermany paternal projects; while she, speaking little, listened to his words, and often turned her wonderful eyes upon him with an answering smile. Never had she seemed so beautiful before; and Tong, watching her face, did not notice how the night wore on, nor how the fire sank low, nor how the wind sang in the leafless trees outsidemarked not how the night waned, nor how the fire sank low, nor how the wind sang in the leafless trees without.

All suddenly Tchi arose without speaking, and took his hand in hers and led him, gently as on that strange wedding-morning, to the cradle where their boy slumbered, faintly smiling in his dreams. And in that moment there came upon Tong the same strange fear that he knew when Tchi's eyes had first met his own,—the vague fear that love and trust had calmed, but never wholly cast out, like the fear of the godslike unto the fear of the gods. And all unknowingly, like one yielding to the pressure of mighty invisible hands, he bowed himself low before her, kneeling as to a divinity. Now, when he lifted his eyes again to her face, he closed them at once in awehe closed them forthwith in awe; for she towered before him taller than any mortal woman, and there was a glow about her as of sunbeams, and the light of her limbs shone through her garments. But her sweet voice came to him with all the tenderness of other hours, saying: "My beloved, the moment has come when I must leave you. I was never born of mortals, and the Invisible may take human form only for a time. Yet I leave with you the pledge of our love—this beautiful son, who will always be as faithful and loving to you as you yourself have been. Know, my beloved, that the Master of Heaven himself sent me to you, to reward your devotion to your father. Now I must return to the glory of His house: I am the Goddess Tchi-Niu.""Lo! my beloved, the moment has come in which I must forsake thee; for I was never of mortal born, and the Invisible may incarnate themselves for a time only. Yet I leave with thee the pledge of our love,—this fair son, who shall ever be to thee as faithful and as fond as thou thyself hast been. Know, my beloved, that I was sent to thee even by the Master of Heaven, in reward of thy filial piety, and that I must now return to the glory of His house: I am the Goddess Tchi-Niu."

Even as she ceased to speak, the great glow faded; and Tong, re-opening his eyes, knew that she had passed away forever,—mysteriously as pass the winds of heaven, as finally as the light of a flame blown outirrevocably as the light of a flame blown out. Yet all the doors were barred, all the windows unopened. Still the child slept, smiling in his sleep. Outside, the darkness was breaking; the sky was brightening swiftly; the night was past. With splendid majesty the East threw open high gates of gold for the coming of the sun; and, illuminated by the glory of his coming, the vapors of morning shaped themselvesthe vapors of morning wrought themselves into marvellous shapes of shifting color,—into forms weirdly beautiful as the silken dreams woven in the loom of Tchi-Niu.