The Emperor in Hell by Jeff Pepper

Author:Jeff Pepper [Pepper, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Monkey King, Sun Wukong, HSK-3, Chinese, story book, journey to the west
ISBN: 9781733165006
Publisher: Imagin8 Press
Published: 2019-06-06T05:00:00+00:00

The Emperor in Hell

My dear child, I know you are tired. But tonight I have a good story to tell you! I will tell you about three powerful and famous people: an emperor who lived in a palace in Chang’an, the emperor’s wise prime minister, and a dragon king who lived under the river.

People say that a great river always starts as a tiny stream. And so, tonight’s story begins with two ordinary people: a woodsman and a fisherman. These two were not scholars, but they were intelligent men and they loved to talk. They were also very good friends. Every day the fisherman sold the fish that he had caught, and the woodsman sold the wood that he had cut. At the end of the day they met at a tavern to eat dinner, drink wine and talk.

One evening, after they were done eating and drinking, they walked side by side on a small path alongside the Jing River to return home. They were both a little drunk, and each held a bottle of wine in his hand.

“My friend,” said the woodsman, “I think that people who want to be famous will lose their lives because of fame, and people who want to be rich will be unhappy because of their money. Our lives are much better, because we are not famous and we have no money. We live in the beautiful mountains near the river. What more could we want?”

“You are correct,” said the fisherman, “we both have happy lives, and we both live in beautiful places. But my river is much better than your mountains. Every day I sail in my little boat. My friends are the sun and wind, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the river. Every day I see my wife and son. My mind is clear, I have no worries, and I sleep very well at night.”

“No, my friend,” said the woodsman, “you are wrong. My forest is much better than your river. Every day in spring I walk through the woods, listening happily to the song of the birds. Summer comes, and the fragrance of flowers is all around me. Then autumn arrives, and then the cold of winter. I have no king and no master. I am happy in all four seasons!”

The woodsman and the fisherman walked home this way, talking about their lives, their jobs and their families. Each one said that his life was better than the other’s. Finally, they came to a place where one road went east and the other went west, and it was time for the two friends to say goodbye. “Be careful, my old friend,” said the fisherman. “When you climb your mountain tomorrow, be careful and watch for tigers. If a tiger were to eat you, I would miss you!”

The woodsman became angry at this, and shouted, “You fool! Good friends would die for each other. But now you say that I might be eaten by a tiger? Well, maybe you will fall into the river and die! Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.

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