Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-08-08
TIE HOLY MAN.

all he had and given the money TO the |
poor one year. when the Ho- Ang-Ho had
broken over its banks and had swept all
the rice and millet crops down toward
the sea He had been very rich, and his
benefactions had saved many hundreds
of people from starvation. But when
they blessed him and would have given
him back his great possessions after one
or two prosperous seasons. he would
net.
"Let be. my children" he said. "My
forefathers made me rich. and have nc
son TO leave riches TO BE you all my
sons and enjoy your heritage now"
So he dwelt In little house he had
builded with his own hands on the
mountain side. and ate of the miilet
which he grew on little patch OF
ground he had cleared and wanted
nothing
And because he was wise he 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 wer-
SHIPPED him. but-he forbade them. saying:
81 am a man also Pray not TO me till
AM dead for then II may be that can
hear and can help you.
Meantime he prayed always, 10 his
forefathers and 10 Buddha. And he
builded him little prayer wheel for
himself and set IL in the brook that ran
down the mountain side. 30 that night
and day his prayers we're always rising
to Buddha for his soul But he builded
A. II. Il
1t where there was more water. for he
said: II am only one, and they are
many"
And every year he made q long pill
Rrimage to the banks of the great river
that none can see across because there
are misis and clouds and always the
farther bank Is yeiled i'm darkness where
Buddha, and the pious dead who are
ghosts, live forever And he prayed
ALWAYS for the boatmen to come to him
and ferry him across the great river
where SO many were crossing every day;
but he came not
Yen Tszee was very sad every year
when the boatlnan came not, and he
~-ent back to hia little house on the
mountain side with o heavy heart; but
for they loved him And he would see
that they were glad and he would forget
his sorrow. until tire winter would come
again. when he could not work in the
field nor visit the sick, and the days
were dark. and the nights long. Then
he prayed. saving: because | am very
old and my arms and my legs are weak
and because have no more joy in my
BODY, | would cross the great river.
and again he would make the pilgrim
Are and watch and wait for the boat
man. hut he came not
But ut last there came winter wher
IL was nine times colder than he had evei
known. and when the snow was very
deep. And he could not go to his neigh
bors when they were sick. and they
could not come to him, for they weF,
sick, and he was old aud very feeble
And he went again To the river.
Tho way was long. and his poor. thin
legs bent under him rs he toiled through
the snow and ice. and his heart faiie,
him because he WIS sick with tine cold
but he went ON TIL he came TO the river
and the boatman was there, and the boa
was there.
Then Zen Tszee said: Are you com
20 take me across the riverI
And the boatman, who was old an,
bspt. and who wore thick veil. said
ayes. II you are ready.
And Yen Tsee said: Il am ready"
Yen Tszee was very glad. and he drey
near to the boat TO step In that he nigh
cross the river. but when he came neal
he stopped and shrank back. for ther
was no bottom to the boat. and there wa
nothing but water for him to step or
and the water was very black and colde
than Ice lie shuddered. and said: ''
am very cold and i am too old and veal
l cannot go in the water.
Then the boatman said; IF you hay
faith, the water will be as the bottom {
the boat. and you shall go across th
river. but IL you have not faith 1t vi
not hold you up.
Then Yen Tszee said. "I have faith
and he stepped into the boat, and lol Il
water bore him up even the same as Il
wooden bottom of n boat
Then the boatman pushed of from q
shore. and Yen Tszee was very muc
afraid. for the river was very swift an
the boat was old and rotten, and the "
ter seemed TO rise up on either side: an
he thought the boat and the boatma
and he would all sink. And he pray'
TO Buddha
The boatman rowed hard and spal
never a werd; but he pulled up Il
stream, and not straight across, and q
harder he pulled tho slower the bo
went. for the water ragged terribly. Th'
they loatsd away from the shore, sol th
Yen Tszee could neither SEQ behind n
before him. because the mist that Is 1
ways over the river was very thick.
While they were in the middle OF q
river Zen fszee saw man swimmii
In tho icy water. and he was alme
spent. 80 that be could swim no mo
and was near sinking. and Yen Tsz
called to the boatlnan 10 stop 80 th
they should save the man. But Z
boatman saidi mo. We cannot stop