The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-11
THE nolr Nm.


villages for many miles around, noae
vas 20 old. none 80 wise He had sold
aii ~ had and given the money 10 the
poor one year. when tbs Ho-Ane- Ho
he'd broken over is banks and had
swept I'll the rice and miiiet crops
down toward the SEA- He bad been
very rich, and his benefactions had
saved many hundreds Of people from
starvation. Hat when they blessed
him and would have given him back
his great possessions after enc or two
prosperous seasons. he would not
LET ~, my children. be said, Ny
forefathess made me rich, and have
no son to leave riches TO. Re you all
my sons and enjoy your heritage
now"
$50 hs dweit in little house he bad
builded with his own hands on the
uountain side, aud ate Of the miIlet
which he grew on = little patch OF
ground he had cleared. and wanted
nothing.
And because he was wise be healed
the people when they were sick, and
prayed for them when they died, and
Taught them many proverbs from The
writings OF the poets: for his books
only he had not sold And so they
would have worshipped him, but he
forbade them saying ~ ara dead
man also. Pray not To nae til am
dead, for then IL may be that can
hear and help you."
Meantime be prayed always to his
forefathers and to Buddha. And he
builded him q little prayer wheel for
himself and set 1t In the brook that
ran down the mountain side, 80 that
night and day his prayers were always
rising ~ Buddha for his soul. But he
huilded : greater wheel for his neigh
bofs, and set il where there Was more
and they are many"
And every year he made long pill
grimage to the banks of the great
river that none can see across because
there are nlists and clouds. and
always the farther bank Is yeiied in
darkness. where Buddha and the
pious dead Who are ghosts live for
ever. And he prayed always for the
y
him across the river where so many
were crossing every day but be came
not.
Yen Tsxee WAS very sad every ytar
when the boatIsan came not, and he
went hack 20 his little house on the
mountain side with heavy heart !;
bat the people rejoiced when he re-
turned. for they loved him. And he
would see that they were glad and he
would forget his sorrow. until the win
ter would come again, when be could
not work In the field nor visit the
sick, and the days were dark and the
nights long. Then he prayed, saying:
because am very Old and nay arms
and legs are weak. and because have
no more Joy In my body. would
cross the great river" and again he
would make the pilgrimage and watch
for the boatman, bat he came not.
But at last there came . winter
when IL was nine times colder than he
had ever known, and when the snow
was very deep. And he could not go
to his ncighhors when they were sick.
and they could not come 10 him. for
they we're sick, and he WAS old and
very feeble. And he went TO the river
again.
The way Was long, and his poor.
thin legs hsnt under him as he tosied
through the snow and tee. and his
heart tailed him because he was sick
with the cold. but he went on tall he
came 10 the river, and the boatman
Was there. and the boat Vas there.
Then Yen Tsxee said Are You
come to take me across the river
And the boatmAn Was old and bent,
and who wore thick veil, said; Yes.
IL you are ready"
And Yen Tsxec said. II ann ready. =
Yen Tssee Was very glad and drew
near 10 the boat TO step in that he
might cross the river; but when be
came near he stopped and shrank
hack. for there Was no bottom To the
boat and there Was nothing but water
tor hlm a. step on. and the water vas
very black and colder than tee. He
shadderet. and said Il am very cold
and am too old aud weak | cannot
90 in the water.
Then the hoatman said III YOU
have faith. the water wall be a. the
bottom Of the boat. and yea shall 60
across the river, hut II you have not
faith il wili not hold you up.
Then Yen Tasee said Il have
faith. and he stepped into the boat,
and no. the water bore him up even
the same IS The wood bottom of .
boat.
Then the eoatnsn pushed OF from,
the shore, and Yen rsxee was very
much afraid. FOR the river Was serv
swift and the tea; Was Odd and rotten,
and the water seemed 60 rise up on
either side and be thought the
boat and the hsaatnsn and be would
all sink. And he prayed 80 Basiahs.
The eostman rowed hard aud spske
never q word; bus he pulled ap the
stream. ard nos straight acrcss, and
the harder he pnliexi she slower the
ssat went, for shs water rased terri
hly. Then they fioatei away from The
shose, So thai Yen rszee could neither
see tehiaa o. before him, h<rsnse the
mist that II always over the river was
very Thick.
White they wsFs in tie middle ef the
river Yen fsxex xas q man swimming
in the ICY water. and he was lnaoSi
spemt. so that hs could swim no mcre
and MAS near sinking and Yen Tssee
called ~ the s~satsnxn to stop ~ that
they should save tAe nssa. Hat The
hoafman said. Ne We cannot STOP
"a save hisa because Il ne DO yea can.
rot 80 across the river. fcr ! cannot
carry t~e Across.
Their Yea fSxee wspt scssay, FER be
langsss 30 60 across aut he sas5. . /
caanos SEC sAss nlaa s~risH- Stop and
| wsG ruil hsus iaso The essss.
And the hcssmsa STOPPED. snd Yea
Tsxee pulled the drowning mar insa
che brat, and y Aen he leoked al ASs
facx h~ saw thai IL Was his can BODY
that hs aass rescued. And be sen-
aer~d greatly and lccksa ap al the